To stream music is to listen to music without necessarily downloading files from the internet. Music streaming isn’t always free but you can cut the cost. Many music streaming companies offer free versions of their services, often with ads or certain limitations such as the inability to listen offline.
One of the great things about online music streaming is the availability of sheer variety, offline download, convenience, personalization, low cost, and new music discovery.
The advent of music streaming can be dated back to January 1993 when Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) launched as the first free online music archive of MP3 downloadable songs. Last.fm launched in January 2002, Pandora Radio in September 2005, and Radiohead in October 2007 which was borne out of criticism about the music industry as artists felt marginalized by record labels who wanted more control.
Since then, more streaming platforms have emerged to date with music services like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music providing songs that can be enjoyed on all types of devices.
Following increased smartphone connectivity and Global acceptance of West Africa’s Afrobeats, music streaming has gained a substantial market among Africa’s vast youth population. Globally dominant streaming giants Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music have a limited presence on the continent, mostly due to the higher prices of their services and a limited specialist African content offering.
