Gone are the days of spending hours pouring over file-sharing services in order to update your library to include the latest jams. Peer-to-peer services programs like Limewire and Napster have become obsolete – either ceasing to exist under the threat of court order in the case of the former or reinventing themselves in a streaming, subscription model, like the latter. With so many streaming services available for free or for a nominal fee, it comes as no surprise to many that cultivating an individual library of music files is going the way of the dinosaurs when it comes to music.
So how does the world get its music if it’s not buying records or digital files?  Streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, Rhapsody, Rdio and Google Play All Access that make access the most important component.  With mobile apps that stream millions of files on the go, streaming services are here to stay as music fans demand more options in more places.  Billboard published an infographic showing the top eight streaming services with the number of countries it’s available in, how many subscribers it has, and the nations in which it is most prevalent, which it based on “the number of paid subscribers (if available), global footprint, strongest markets and relative popularity” and information from Google Trends.
According to Billboard, Spotify takes the cake in the music-streaming market, with 10 million subscribers in 57 countries worldwide. Â Deezer, available in more than 3x the number of countries, has half the subscribers (5 million) but takes second place, according to Billboard’s analysis. Â Rounding out the top four are Rhapsody (which acquired Napster in 2011) and Rdio. Â Check out the graphic below and let us know how you get your music.
via Billboard.
Image Source:Â Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images North America
