10 Bold Music Predictions For 2016

6. Sound Quality On Streaming Services Will Vastly Increase

Now that there are a bunch of streaming options out there like Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music, there are only so many ways these platforms can compete. They certainly won't compete through price €“ if anything prices will probably increase. We're likely to see a massive increase in exclusivity deals or timed exclusivity deals, too, but in terms of the actual service provided, one of the few obvious areas for improvement is sound quality. Reportedly, Apple is working on €œhigh-resolution€ audio streaming for release in 2016. Don't be surprised if you start hearing reports of €œHD Music€, a simple and easily understandable way of marketing extremely high-quality sound to the general public without using terms like 96khz and 24-bit sampling. Though lossless music and high-fidelity audio has remained a rather niche part of the music industry, there's nobody better than Apple when it comes to marketing to the unwashed masses. And when Apple makes it popular, you can bet that the likes of Spotify and Tidal (which already offers lossless music for an increased price) will push and increase quality as a major selling point.