Generative AI music as a disruptive force in music consumption : opportunities and challenges

Abstract

This thesis examines the disruptive impact of Generative AI Music (GAM) on the music streaming industry. Combining theories of disruptive innovation, customer preference discontinuities, and cultural and historical perspectives on music consumption, it analyses how AI tools such as Suno and Udio are transforming how music is produced, distributed, and especially consumed. By applying disruption theory to a technological change as it unfolds in real time, this thesis contributes to both research and practice. It explores how these disruptions create opportunities for new entrants and challenges for established streaming services. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining secondary industry data, semi-structured interviews with creators, an exploratory online survey, and case studies of Spotify and Deezer. The findings show that GAM exhibits clear disruptive characteristics: it democratizes production, is likely to accelerate catalogue growth, and increasingly blurs the boundaries between producers and consumers. In addition, the thesis develops future scenarios for the industry, offering a structured way to think about how the sector might evolve over the next decade.