#streaming-economics

#streaming-economics

Spotify Technology (NYSE:SPOT) surged 14% after delivering Q4 2025 earnings that validated its transformation from cash-burning disruptor to profitable streaming giant, as investors rewarded the company's ability to expand margins while growing users, a combination that eluded the platform for years as it battled music licensing costs and competition from Apple and Amazon. Even skeptical Reddit traders shifted sentiment from 58.4 to 62.0 as the company demonstrated it can grow users while expanding margins.

Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, and producer Wyclef Jean says the music industry is broken, which is why he's now involved with a startup, OpenWav, that's looking to give the power back to the artists. Through the OpenWav app, launched over the summer, artists can drop new music and exclusives, connect directly with fans, sell merch, host concerts, pop-ups, and listening parties, and more. Later, the startup plans to offer more assistance to artists using AI tools.