Artists once received patronage from wealthy individuals who either believed in their work or wanted to ride on their coattails. Now, enterprising artists are looking online for support through crowdfunding services like Patreon. How is it connecting creators with their fan bases?

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.

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.

There are over 35 million songs available to buy on iTunes, but is it enough to just sell an MP3 file? Baltimore-born band Animal Collective think not. Following the release of their album Painting With, the group has also launched an interactive app that hides an exclusive single.