Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Two-Thirds of U.S. Homes Stream Audio Over Broadband, With Amazon in a Surprising Lead

Among paid subscription streaming services, Amazon Prime Music leads with 9.76 million U.S. subscribers, or 10 percent of broadband households, followed by Pandora One at 6 percent, Spotify Premium at 4 percent, SiriusXM Streaming at 4 percent, iTunes Match at 2 percent and Google Play Music at 2 percent. All other paid services were at 1 percent or less.

The report draws on surveys of 10,000 U.S. broadband households. The surveys took place prior to the June 30 launch of Apple Music. Parks Associates provided survey respondents with a list of paid music streaming subscription services and asked them to select the services to which they subscribe. Parks Associates didn’t ask about specific free streaming services.

Amazon’s predominance among streaming services, at least in terms of sheer subscriber numbers, highlights the music industry’s struggles in persuading listeners to pay for streaming. “The big question moving forward is if streaming music providers can achieve the scale they have been seeking to balance their ad revenue with paid subscription revenues, all while striking fair licensing agreements with artists,” says Glenn Hower, a research analyst with Parks Associates.

From the article "Two-Thirds of U.S. Homes Stream Audio Over Broadband, With Amazon in a Surprising Lead" by Marc Hogan.

Previously In The News

AI PCs’ Unmet Promise Dragging Down Adoption

Meanwhile, the road ahead for AI PCs may still be rocky. “With ongoing component shortages expected to drive up the cost of PCs throughout 2026, I don’t see demand for AI PCs improving,” said Kristen...

Samsung Bespoke Fridge is a Pricey Way to Use Gemini AI for Food Tips

“A ‘smart’ fridge often carries a premium price tag, requires regular software updates, and may raise privacy concerns if it tracks your groceries or eating habits,” researcher Dogan Gursoy told the W...

Samsung Tizen tops smart TV OS usage in US, Parks Associates finds

Samsung’s Tizen is the most used smart TV operating system in the US, with 34% of smart TV owners saying it is the platform they use most often, according to new research from Parks Associates. Unv...

The Smart Money: 5 CES Smart Home Takeaways

The 20th annual CONNECTIONS Summit at CES, hosted by Parks Associates, featured panel discussions that examined the most impactful dynamics shaping the connected home, including AI advancements, the s...