What do you pay for all you can eat? Pricing practices and strategies in streaming media services

Abstract

ABSTRACT The role that prices play for streaming media services is yet to be comprehensively and comparatively analysed with an international outlook. In this paper, we present results on music and video streaming prices, based on analysis of a data set of prices and information on pricing models and price developments. The data set spans 2008 to 2019, five streaming services, and nine countries across four continents. We provide comparative overviews of real prices and developments over the years studied and purchasing power-adjusted pricing across countries, as well as country-by-country assessments. Finally, our results show significant divergences in the pricing practices and strategies of Spotify and Netflix. The access-based pricing structure of streaming comes forth as highly contingent on demand-side factors and competitive structures.