Over the last decade, cultural production, consumption and dissemination have become increasingly dependent on digital streaming platforms (Nieborg & Poell, 2018; Poell, Nieborg, & Duffy, 2022). Streaming is defined as the transmission and retrieval of digital content that is stored and processed on a remote server (Spilker & Colbjørnsen, 2020). Thus, streaming makes music available without the need to download files; content is experienced in real time as a continuous stream of data (Hagen, 2016). The rise of platforms such as Spotify has transformed the way cultural audio entertainment products are consumed, offering new possibilities for music discovery, curation and consumption. The literature increasingly emphasises the relevance of these platforms, with streaming now seen as the dominant form of cultural consumption (Arditi, 2021).

Streaming platforms restructure cultural consumption practices by shifting the focus from collecting cultural products to unlimited access based on monthly subscriptions. There is thus a shift in cultural consumption norms. Although access depends on the availability and ability of any service to license content and the type of subscription held, the possibility of unlimited consumption is emerging (Arditi, 2021, pg. 142-143).

In this context, platforms such as Spotify contribute to shaping and promoting the cultural tastes and values of their users, while also being part of a broader trend of cultural mediation in the digital age (Poell, Nieborg, & Duffy, 2022).

According to the Cultural Consumption Barometer (2019), the highest level of consumption of cultural entertainment products in digital format in Romania is recorded by the activity of listening to music on the computer or on the radio. It should be noted that 53% of respondents listened to music daily and 74% listened to music weekly.

In the last 12 months, how often …?

Although the study does not specifically address music streaming, the high consumption rates indicate the prevalence of digital music listening among respondents, regardless of income, place of residence or gender, distinguishing it from other forms of digital cultural entertainment consumption. This cultural practice is prevalent among young people in the 18-35 age group: 84% of people in this age group listened to music on their computer on a weekly basis.

Spotify is a digital music streaming platform launched in 2008, which allows users to access songs and podcasts from various artists and creators from around the world. Currently, Spotify is the largest music streaming service, accounting for about one-third of all music streaming listeners worldwide according to the Music App 2023 – Research, Insights and Statistics report published by the Business of Apps platform. At the same time, the Spotify platform has a larger market share than that held by retailers or radio stations in the digital age (Aguiar & Waldfogel, 2018).

• Based on a free subscription or a paid plan (depending on the desired features and benefits), users can stream audio from various devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, smart speakers, etc.
• The platform works by leveraging a vast library of music and using algorithms to recommend personalised playlists, albums and artists based on user preferences, listening history and behaviour.
• Playlists represent the platform’s curation strategies, developed through the intervention of human editors (including users) and algorithms.
• Streams are the number of times an artist’s song has been listened to on Spotify. The platform counts a single stream of a song when it is played for 30 seconds or more.
• Playlists affect the number of streams a song receives. Major global playlists significantly increase the number of streams of important songs, which translates into additional revenue for copyright owners / artists. Playlists also influence the success of new songs and new artists. For example, being on a playlist such as the Global Top 50 increases the number of streams by about 59,000 per day, or about $3 million in total (Aguiar & Waldfogel, 2018).

In Romania, Spotify was launched in March 2018. Although there is no aggregated data on the number of users in the Romanian market, there are various estimates from which it is possible to outline consumption trends. According to a study by the international network IPG MediaBrands, Wave 9, cited in the Romanian press, it is estimated that at the end of 2018 there were around 1.7 million Spotify users, almost half of whom use the service weekly or more often. On the other hand, for the urban audience category, 14-54 year old internet users, the Wave 9 study mentions an average of around 276,000 Spotify users per day.

Aguiar, L., & Waldfogel, J. (2018). Platforms, promotion, and product discovery: Evidence from Spotify playlists. National Bureau of Economic Research.

Arditi, D. (2021). Streaming Culture: Subscription platforms and the unending consumption of culture. Emerald Group Publishing.

Croitoru, C., & Becuț Marinescu, A. (2020). Cultural Consumption Barometer 2019. Leisure time cultural experience and practices. București: Editura Universitară, Editura Universul Academic.

Hagen, A. N. (2016). Streaming the Everyday Life. In R. Nowak, & A. Whelan, Networked Music Cultures. Contemporary Approaches, Emerging Issues. Palgrave Macmillan.

Nieborg, D. B., & Poell, T. (2018). The platformization of cultural production: Theorizing the contingent cultural commodity. New media & society, 20(11), 4275-4292.

Poell, T., Nieborg, D., & Duffy, B. E. (2022). Platforms and Cultural Production. Polity Press.

Spilker, H. S., & Colbjørnsen, T. (2020). The dimensions of streaming: toward a typology of an evolving concept. Media, Culture & Society, 42(7-8), 1210-1225.