As we head into 2026, it’s worth looking back on our media consumption habits. While Spotify has been dominant for over a decade now for example, there is still innovation in the industry - it doesn’t yet feel like the dust has settled.
It’s worth keeping in mind that some AI tools are quite demanding on your phone, as is loss-less audio. To keep up with this hardware but at a lower cost, Backmarket is the leading option for refurbished phones. The likes of the
iPhone 15 are much lower than brand new.
The heavy hitters Spotify remains a giant, especially with its 2025 Wrapped recently, which introduced a retro black-and-white aesthetic and had a Wrapped Party mode. This let friends compete in real-time music trivia based on their shared listening data. Perhaps more important than all of that: , Spotify finally rolled out Lossless Audio (24-bit FLAC) for Premium users which has taken the USP of Tidal away.
Apple Music has countered with its own 2.0 overhaul too by bringing in a conversational AI chat to help users. You can now ask "songs that feel like a rainy afternoon in 1970s Paris”. Plus, its Spatial Audio 2.0 is now standard, making the depth of sound staggering, especially with open-ear headphones.
While it’s perhaps the weakest of the apps, it’s the best value: YouTube Music is included in YouTube Premium, meaning you needn’t leave the platform in order to watch old live concerns or the new album.
Live event and discovery appsFor those who live for live concerts, discovery apps are becoming more predictive to serve you better. Bandsintown continues to lead here. It published a High Notes report this year to highlight a rise in international concert travel, and its AI now alerts you to likely-to-attend shows. It knows this based on your niche sub-genre interests. For many people, they rely wholly on this app.
DICE is also fantastic for show lovers with its mobile-only ticketing experience that eliminates scalpers and allows for easy ticket transfers. Of course there’s the likes of Ticketmaster which cover many concerts, even if they are in the spotlight for converse (dynamic pricing, for example).
Community and curation2025 has seen a human-made music pushback in light of all the AI content flooding the big platforms. The likes of Bandcamp and SoundCloud are important here in supporting indie artists directly - they offer connection and authenticity.
The integration between social media and streaming is also peaking with TikTok’s Add to Music feature - this has seen over 3 billion tracks saved in 2025 alone, proving that discovery is increasingly from scrolling reels.
TV ShowsParamount’s hostile $108B bid for Warner Bros. threatens Netflix’s deal - but in any case, it seems like there will be fewer and fewer apps to choose from in the future. A Paramount victory could merge HBO Max with Paramount+ for example.
Netflix & Disney+ are clear industry leaders in terms of library volume and weighty franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. Prime offers has great value with integrated shopping (a bit like the YouTube Premium situation), while Apple TV (recently rebranded) doubles down on prestige hits like Severance (and it’s current show Pluribus is evidence of high quality TV).
