Your Morning Coffee Podcast YMC Special Episode - A Conversation With MIDiA's Mark Mulligan
Nov 4, 2025
Mark Mulligan, Founder of MIDiA Research, dives into the evolving landscape of music streaming. He reveals insights from his latest report, emphasizing that the industry must think beyond quick fixes. Mulligan introduces the BEATS framework for the future and discusses how AI will reshape music creation. He suggests integrating storytelling into digital platforms and emphasizes the importance of curation over algorithms to enhance discovery. Additionally, he highlights the cultural potential of the Global South and the need for streaming services to support independent creators.
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Research As Paywalled Foresight
- MIDiA positions itself as an insights and advisory membership that focuses on evidence and foresight.
- Mark Mulligan says their value is peer-level, paywalled analysis that AI models don't already ingest.
Streaming Is Buckling Not Dying
- Streaming is 'buckling' from fraud, AI, royalty shifts and slowing growth rather than collapsing.
- MIDiA urges thinking beyond optimization to design what comes after current streaming models.
BEATS: Restoring What Convenience Lost
- The BEATS framework identifies belonging, elevation, added friction, storytelling and rate limits as gaps left by convenience.
- Mulligan argues those elements can restore community, scarcity and value in streaming.