From vinyl to streaming: 40 years of the global music industry visualised

Oct 9, 2018

Vinyl albums are seen in the Recordbag shop ahead of the International Record Store day in Vienna, Austria, April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

From Vinyl to Spotify, forty years has seen a lot of change Image: REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Nick Routley

Creative Director & Writer, Visual Capitalist

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Napster's birth introduced the decline of Vinyl

Though only a small period, the ringtone era was the gateway to paid digital music subscribtion

Music streaming is now the most common format for music in the United States, and the RIAA reports that streaming now makes up nearly half of the market.

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From vinyl to streaming: 40 years of the global music industry visualised

Nick Routley

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