You’re sitting round the table with a few friends, about to pour the first drinks of the night. No one wants to pick the music – god forbid they get it wrong – so you select one of Spotify’s ‘party’ playlists. Two tracks in, an ad pops up for Absolut Vodka; Spotify sensed you might be getting boozy tonight.

Combating the touts that buy up special edition sneakers to resell at inflated prices, Nike is releasing its Access Codes scheme. But is this new sales approach more than a pathway to a better shopping experience? Is it feeding our need to be part of the insider crowd?

With the arrival of Apple Music, continued growth of Spotify, and a vinyl revival, it’s clear that the music business is in a state of flux. So how will the way we find, play and share music change in the future? In the first of two reports we see how Spotify and vinyl are shaping the industry.

France hosted more than 1,600 festivals in 2014, including some of Europe’s most iconic gatherings. But as attendees are served the same predictable line-ups and experiences, big events are losing appeal. What’s the allure of niche festivals and how can brands tap into these intimate occasions?