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.

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.

Over 28 million people pay for a music subscription. The consumption of music has changed; Gen Y has experienced the rise of digital music downloads and the downfall of CDs. Bang & Olufsen is now aiming to streamline and personalise home listening with BeoSound Moment. But how?

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.