Compared to other international markets, Germans have remained loyal to physical forms of music, which made up 62% of the market in 2016, compared to 39% worldwide. But the latest figures show that even CD-loving Germans are shifting towards streaming services to get their audio fix.

Streaming has seen the playlist surpass the album in how people choose to listen to music, and Spotify is staying ahead of the game with Discover Weekly, which tailors tracks to each user to make exploration effortless. But how personal can an algorithm-made playlist really be?

YouTube is set to join the music streaming fray by launching the provisionally named 'Remix' in March 2018. Competition in the sector is stiff, but the video-sharing platform's large existing user base means that it could present a serious challenge to the established names.

In March 2015, a little-known boutique music streaming service became the most talked about thing in the music press. Jay Z’s acquisition and relaunch of Tidal was met with ambivalence at best, ridicule at worst. Yet beyond the uproar, Tidal provides clues about how people like their music.