In March 2015, a little-known boutique music streaming service became the most talked about thing in the music press. Jay Z’s acquisition and relaunch of Tidal was met with ambivalence at best, ridicule at worst. Yet beyond the uproar, Tidal provides clues about how people like their music.

Paris-based music streaming service Deezer launched in the US in September 2014. Its premium service Elite – priced at $19.99 – offers a premium challenge to Spotify. Now it’s offering another service for $6 to tackle the low-end market, too.

With the launch of its paid-for subscription service, which features 'expert curation' and a free 24-hour radio station, Apple is getting serious about music. With a pool of 800 million iTunes accounts to potentially convert from, Apple Music could very quickly become the market leader.

Twitter has partnered with American music chart company Billboard to create two real-time music charts based on social media mentions. Though the music industry must adapt to survive, can a social media chart really represent an artist or song's popularity authentically?

With the arrival of Apple Music, continued growth of Spotify, and a vinyl revival, it’s clear that the music business is in a state of flux. So how will the way we find, play and share music change in the future? In the first of two reports we see how Spotify and vinyl are shaping the industry.

Discovering new music was once a preserve of A&R scouts at major labels. But with unsigned acts now playing to anyone with an internet connection, how can music fans be sure of who was there first? A new Spotify feature is quantifying ‘cool’, giving music geeks the bragging rights they deserve.

A subscription toNMEwas once essential for music-loving Brits seeking out new artists and gigs to attend. But with the likes of Songkick and Spotify covering these roles in 2015,NMEhas decided to go free to boost circulation and stave off irrelevance. Can it appeal to a new generation of musos?

You can stream the latest series ofThe Walking Deadvia Netflix, and listen to Prince’s new albums via Spotify. In today's connected world, people subscribe to services for music, films, food and even fresh pants. And now Jukely is bringing the model to live entertainment.