F2P, a much needed new business model for music

JUICE, together with DNS and Block Science, is starting work on a free-to-play (F2P) business model for music, which the article presents as a needed alternative to current music business models. The author argues that royalties may not be a dependable model for the next 15 years, citing that music royalties are a zero sum game, that the model is stagnating, and that AI-assisted content abundance is an incoming shock. The article notes that F2P is the dominant model in games, with mobile expected to reach $84bn and desktop $25bn in 2023, compared with $9bn for subscriptions. It proposes designing a creator as if they were a game, using game loop, content cadence and progression design to convert engagement into higher-value exchanges.