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MIDiA Research Predictions 2018: Post-Peak Economics

With 2017 drawing to a close and 2018 on the horizon, media analyst Mark Mulligan offers MIDiA’s 2018 predictions.

MIDiA Research Predictions 2018: Post-Peak Economics

By External Source

With 2017 drawing to a close and 2018 on the horizon, media analyst Mark Mulligan offers MIDiA’s 2018 predictions.


  • Post-catalogue – pressing reset on the recorded music business model: Revenues from catalogue sales have long underpinned the major record label model, representing the growth fund with which labels invested in future talent, often at a loss. Streaming consumption is changing this and we’ll see the first effects of lower catalogue in 2018. Smaller artist advances from bigger labels will follow.

  • Spotify will need new metrics: Up until now Spotify has been able to choose what metrics to report and pretty much when (annual financial reports aside). Once public, increased investor scrutiny on will see it focus on new metrics (APRU, Life Time Value etc) and concentrate more heavily on its free user numbers. 2018 will be the year that free streaming takes centre stage – watch out radio.

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  • Apple will launch an Apple Music bundle for Home Pod: We’ve been burnt before predicting Apple Music hardware bundles, but Amazon has set the precedent and we think a $3.99 Home Pod Apple Music subscription (available annually) is on the cards. (Though we’re prepared to be burnt once again on this prediction!) – Read in full here

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Chappell Roan at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Gilbert Flores/Billboard

Chappell Roan at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.

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On Thursday (Feb. 5), Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino was the first artist signed to the powerful Wasserman agency to speak out over revelations that its founder and CEO, Casey Wasserman, had carried on a flirtatious relationship with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell — the main accomplice of convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein — after the latest tranche of 3 million files in the Epstein case was released. Expressing anger over Wasserman’s apology, in which the executive said he “deeply regret[s]” his communications with Maxwell, Cosentino called for Wasserman to step down from his post and for the agency to change its name, among other demands.

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