DSPS AND RETAILERS TURN TO AI, ROBOTS AND FOOTBALL TO INNOVATE FOR ENTERTAINMENT FANS

Fifteen years after the launch of the first streaming service in the UK, DSPs and retailers are keeping up the pace of innovation in order to keep music, video and games fans entertained, according to data due to be published this week by digital entertainment and retail association ERA.

In a survey of members conducted for its latest annual yearbook, ERA reveals that the past 12 months have seen the launch of innovations ranging from an AI-powered personal DJ from Spotify to the introduction of wheeled robots to select product for customers in the UK’s largest CD and vinyl warehouse.

ERA Chief Innovation & Public Affairs Officer Lucie Caswell said, “Over the past decade streaming platforms and retailers have demonstrated that they are the engine room of growth in entertainment, doubling sales over that period to £11.9bn. But innovation is not just about the once-in-a-generation creation of an entirely new way of enjoying innovation like Spotify or YouTube Music or Amazon Prime Video – it’s about a day-to-day commitment constantly to improve the customer experience. It’s only through constant innovation that we can continue to grow the business to benefit creators and fans alike.”

The ERA Yearbook features eight case studies of 2023 innovations by ERA member streaming services and retailers:

• Amazon Prime Video - Bonus X-Ray content for film fans;
• GAME - Gaming promoting social causes;
• Proper Music Distribution - A warehouse powered by robots;
• Qobuz - A custom magazine with immersive content;
• Serenade - Digital “pressings” offering exclusive content;
• Sky - Offering a big-screen experience at home;
• Soundcloud - Intelligent charts refined using AI;
• Spotify - AI DJ offering personalised recommendation.

The ERA Yearbook is published this Wednesday, March 6, and includes more than 80 pages of charts and statistics detailing the changing face of the music, video and games business in the UK in 2023, a year in which overall sales leapt 7% to reach £11.9bn.