Music Industry Glossary (Part 4): Streaming

Understanding the Language of Streaming - One Term at a Time

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Welcome back to our Glossary of Music Terms series, where we break down the sometimes-intimidating lingo of the music business. So far, we’ve tackled Distribution, Recording, and Live Performances. Now we’re diving into Streaming — the engine that drives the modern music economy.

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Streaming hasn’t just changed how people listen to music — it’s changed how we talk about it. In this chapter, we’re looking at the terms every artist should know to navigate this digital landscape with confidence.

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🎧 Bitrate
This refers to how much data gets processed per second in your audio file — measured in kilobits per second (kbps). Higher bitrate usually means higher sound quality. For example, 256 kbps will often sound crisper than 192 kbps. If you’re serious about your audio quality, bitrate matters.

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📤 Distributor
Your distributor is the bridge between your music and the platforms. They make sure your tracks get to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and more — and that royalties go where they should. Without distribution, your music doesn’t reach listeners.

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👂 End-User
In simple terms, this is your listener. But it could also be a venue booker, journalist, or curator — anyone interacting with your content. Always keep the end-user in mind when prepping releases.

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🔢 ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)
A 12-character code assigned to each of your tracks or videos. It’s like a fingerprint for your music — totally unique and used to track plays, ownership, and royalties.

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📁 File Format
Different formats = different quality and compatibility. Here’s a quick primer:

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• MP3: The go-to format — small, universal, but lossy.
• AAC: More efficient than MP3, with better sound at the same bitrate.
• WAV: Uncompressed and high-quality — ideal for mastering.
• FLAC: Also lossless like WAV, but not as widely supported.

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📎 Metadata
Metadata is your music’s digital ID card. It includes everything from artist and song name to genre and release year. Get this wrong, and your track might be hard to find — or worse, you might not get paid correctly.

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🎶 Playlists
Modern-day mixtapes. Playlists connect your music to moods, themes, or fanbases. Whether curated by an editor, fan, or algorithm, getting on playlists can seriously boost your visibility. And yes — “playlisting” is a verb now.

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⏳ Pre-Save
Think of this like a digital pre-order. When fans pre-save your upcoming release, it automatically shows up in their library on release day. It’s an easy and effective way to build hype and increase day-one streams.

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🏆 RIAA Certification Requirements
Gold, platinum, diamond — those terms still exist, but how you hit those milestones has changed. For example, 1,500 streams = 1 album unit. So yes, streaming plays a direct role in earning official certification status.

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💰 Royalties
Streaming pays — but the types of royalties can vary. Some cover composition rights (like publishing), while others apply to recordings. Each play could generate multiple royalty types, depending on where and how your track is streamed.

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🌍 Territory
Territories define where your music is licensed to play. If a streaming platform doesn’t have the rights in a specific region, your song won’t be available there. No license, no play — it’s that simple.

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✔️ Verification
That blue checkmark on your Spotify or Apple Music profile? It means your identity as an artist has been confirmed. Besides looking official, it gives you access to platform tools and deeper analytics.

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Stay tuned for more parts in our Glossary of Music Terms series as we continue unpacking the key concepts behind the scenes of your music career.

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