Ad-supported music streaming is criticized by the global head of Apple Music.

 Is Free Music Still “Crazy”? A Deeper Look Into the Streaming Debate

At last week’s 2025 National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) annual meeting, Apple Music’s global head Oliver Schusser reignited a long-standing debate in the music industry: Should music still be available for free?

“It’s crazy that 20 years on, music is still offered free,” Schusser said, defending Apple Music’s subscription-only model and criticizing the ad-supported approach of many competing platforms. His words echoed a familiar frustration shared by many rightsholders: that ad-supported (“free”) streaming undervalues music and eats into what could otherwise be higher revenue from paying subscribers.

But the issue isn’t quite so black and white.

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The “Free” Argument: Gateway or Undercut?

Proponents of ad-supported streaming argue that it’s the top of the funnel — a wide net that introduces millions of users to platforms like Spotify and YouTube, many of whom eventually convert into paying subscribers. The free tier keeps users within legal ecosystems, supports artist discovery, and fuels audience engagement.

Critics argue the opposite: that ad-supported music cannibalizes subscription revenue, devalues music, and trains consumers to expect infinite access without meaningful cost. In their eyes, the free tier delays — or eliminates — the transition to a more sustainable, pay-first model.

But this circular debate often misses the broader question: What do today’s music consumers actually want and how do they value music?

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Understanding Today’s Listeners

Let’s be honest: many non-paying listeners won’t suddenly become paying ones if you shut off their access. Instead, they’ll likely find other means — from piracy to stream-ripping to AI-generated knockoffs. In a world of endless digital tools and fast content, music has become fluid, repurposed, and redefined.

Music is no longer just consumed; it’s integrated.

• It’s sped up or slowed down for TikToks.

• It’s mashed into Roblox games and YouTube vlogs.

• It’s sampled, remixed, and reimagined in AI-powered tracks.

This means that value creation isn’t just at the point of listening — it’s at the point of creation, engagement, and reinvention. And the platforms profiting from these new formats often aren’t paying musicians or labels in any traditional way.

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The Real Question: How Do We Build a Music Economy That Reflects the 2025 Digital World?

If music is at the core of so much user-generated content, short-form video, and social identity, shouldn’t monetization models evolve to reflect that?

That doesn’t mean free streaming is perfect — it still needs better revenue splits and a more artist-forward framework. But removing it altogether would risk losing a huge segment of the population who see music as an integrated part of their digital lives, not just a product to be purchased.

The real challenge isn’t whether ad-supported streaming should exist. It’s how the industry can:

1. Capture value from new digital use-cases.

2. Educate users on why music deserves compensation.

3. Incentivize creativity while rewarding originators.

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Final Thought

Instead of arguing over whether music should be “free,” perhaps it’s time for the music industry to ask: Where is value being created — and who’s capturing it?

If we answer that, we may finally find a model that respects both the music and the people who make it — without pushing users out of the ecosystem entirely.