Rhapsody Celebrates 13 Years – Shares Top Trends in Streaming for 2014

In celebration of it's 13th birthday, Rhapsody took a look back on how far they've come, and what 2014's monumental shifts in music streaming means for their future. The data they've shared shows a significant uptick in mobile listening, notable changes in users listening habits, and continuing growth in artist royalty payouts. The virtually unquenchable demand for instantly accessible music means more streaming which ultimately leads to more royalties. With the recent blanket attack on music streaming, Rhapsody's year end numbers show reason to be hopeful, and if not hopeful, at least not hurtful when it comes to the future of music streaming.

Rhapsody reported paying out an average of $65 per retail subscriber. To date, this translates into three quarters of a billion dollars in paid royalties. Mobile has been and is continuing to drive the music streaming business, showing no signs of slowing down with 63% of users streaming only from their respective mobile devices. 63% of those users stream from Android devices while 37% stream from Apple iPhones.

Listeners have shown a change in listening behavior, transitioning from listening via ear phones to streaming by way of speakers or other in-home streaming devices. This is the first time in Rhapsody's existence that in-home streaming devices have tipped the scale to standard personal computer streaming.

Eminem kept one thing the same, coming in as Rhapsody's top-streamed artist of 2014 while Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” was the most streamed album. Hip Hop proved to be the worlds most popular drama, with local artists holding their own on regional charts.

Of all songs streamed in the year of 2014, these five were the most popular: