The Streaming Trap: Ownership, Algorithms, and the Future of Digital Media

Taylor Swift — The Tortured Poets Department. Image by: Grigorii Shcheglov

• Despina Karatzias

• Mar 31

• 9 min read

Inspired by Graduate Research for NETS5010 – Graduate Web Media (Curtin University)By Despina Karatzias

As part of my postgraduate studies at Curtin University, one of the most intellectually rewarding units I completed in my final semester was NETS5010 – Graduate Web Media. This unit challenged us to consider the provocative question: “In the near future, will all media be streaming media?” In my academic response, I explored the intersection of streaming technology, creative autonomy, and content ownership through the lens of Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking re-recording project. Now, I’ve brought that essay to life here on DespinaKaratzias.com, offering practical, research-backed insights for digital marketers, business leaders, and creators navigating our increasingly centralised and algorithmic digital media ecosystem.

Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her early catalogue, most famously 1989 (Taylor’s Version), was not just a personal act of reclamation. It was a strategic disruption of the dominant streaming platforms and their underlying power structures (Zhang, 2022; Neal, 2022). By reasserting ownership of her master recordings, Swift sparked global discourse on artist rights and business autonomy in a world where distribution is increasingly controlled by platforms (Vonderau, 2019). Her strategy represents a critical shift away from reliance on algorithm-driven visibility and toward a model of brand-led discoverability and direct fan engagement, lessons that resonate far beyond the music industry.

These real-world dynamics are deeply intertwined with what scholars have identified as the financialisation and platformisation of media industries (Vonderau, 2019; Sinnreich, 2022). Streaming services like Spotify are no longer simply music distributors, they are data-driven ecosystems that prioritise scale, surveillance, and automation over creator equity (Marshall, 2015). Within this framework, Swift’s re-recordings offered not just cultural resistance but commercial reinvention.

This isn’t the first time I’ve explored this topic. You can read more of my previous curiosity on Taylor Swift and what I effectively called  Swiftology: Amplifying Business, Quality Tourism and Personal Branding with Taylor Swift's Playbook.

This blog post unpacks the findings of that essay for a broader business audience, no citations required to follow along. However, if you enjoy a little academic rigour in your reading, rest assured that the ideas are grounded in serious media studies. My goal is to translate the complex theory I explored during my postgraduate journey into actionable, meaningful strategies for the modern digital leader. It’s also the very reason I secured this digital home a decade ago, building DespinaKaratzias.com as a long-game investment in writing and sharing work outside my work and business interests.

Streaming is Dominant, But It’s Not Everything

We’re living in an era where streaming media reigns supreme. Platforms like Spotify, Netflix, YouTube, and Apple Music have become the dominant gateways for consuming music, video, and even educational content. Digital media is available everywhere, on demand, at all times. But does the fact that streaming is everywhere mean it’s the ultimate, or only future of media?

Not quite. The rise of streaming signals not the end of previous media formats, but rather a shift in how content is distributed, monetised, and discovered. What we are experiencing is not just a technological advancement, but a deeper structural transformation marked by the digitisation of content and the centralisation of media power within platform ecosystems (Vonderau, 2019; Sinnreich, 2022). These systems are increasingly governed by algorithms, data-driven curation, and surveillance-capitalist business models that don’t always align with the best interests of creators, small businesses, or even end-users (Marshall, 2015; Sinnreich, 2022).

Rather than fight against this system or passively conform to it, business owners and creators must learn to understand and work with it. That’s why this blog, grounded in academic research, breaks down the three core pillars that shape our streaming-driven media environment: digitisation, convergence, and discoverability. Each offers not only context but a set of practical implications for how your business can stay relevant, visible, and in control in an increasingly algorithmic world.

Digitisation: Scaling Your Business Model Beyond the Physical

Digitisation is the process of converting physical products, services, or experiences into digital formats, and it’s a transformation that continues to reshape how businesses operate, deliver value, and reach their audiences. But it’s not just about "going paperless" or putting your brochure online. Digitisation represents a strategic shift in how businesses think about scalability, automation, and customer engagement in a connected, always-on world.

In the music industry, this shift has had a dramatic impact. As traditional models of album sales gave way to streaming and digital downloads, artists and labels were forced to rethink how they package, promote, and profit from their work (Marshall, 2015; Zhang, 2022). For small businesses, especially those in the tourism, education, and service sectors, the same principles apply. If your offer isn’t digitally accessible, it’s increasingly invisible.

This section explores how businesses can embrace digitisation not just to survive, but to grow—by delivering their value in more innovative, more scalable, and more customer-centric ways.

What does digitisation mean for your business?

Digitisation enables you to scale your expertise, products, and services, but only if your offerings are structured for digital consumption. A PDF of a workshop isn't enough. You need to redesign the experience for digital-first audiences.

Adobe Adobe transitioned from selling boxed software (such as Photoshop and Illustrator) to offering a cloud-based, subscription-driven model with Creative Cloud. This change didn’t just digitise their delivery, it transformed how value was created and maintained over time, through updates, integration, and cross-platform usability. Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM)

Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM), a regional eco-tourism operator on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, transformed its business by digitising the entire visitor journey. Once experiences like WAM were reliant on face-to-face bookings and local referrals, WAM now offers seamless online bookings, virtual tour previews, self-guided itinerary options, and digital feedback collection. Through engaging social media content and a mobile-friendly website, they deliver an immersive, eco-conscious experience that begins before arrival and continues beyond the tour, demonstrating how small tourism businesses can scale access and deepen engagement through thoughtful digitisation.

What Happens to a Business That Doesn’t Digitise?

Kodak

Kodak was once the undisputed leader in photography and film. Despite inventing the first digital camera in 1975, the company chose not to pursue digital technology, fearing it would cannibalise its lucrative film business. As digital cameras and smartphones began to dominate the consumer market, Kodak failed to reposition itself for a digital future. The company declared bankruptcy in 2012, not because photography was dying, but because it hadn’t evolved with how people wanted to engage with it. Despite successfully emerging from bankruptcy in 2013, the company is still operational, albeit as a smaller and more focused entity. Overall. Kodak’s fall, however, is a stark reminder that digitisation isn’t optional; it’s essential to long-term relevance.

Image of Kodak Instamatic 100 Film Camera by Britt Glasier

Blockbuster Blockbuster had thousands of stores worldwide and dominated the home video rental market in the 1990s. But as consumer behaviour shifted toward online access and digital streaming, Blockbuster resisted change. It famously turned down the opportunity to buy Netflix for $50 million in 2000. Instead of digitising its service and embracing on-demand convenience, Blockbuster doubled down on physical rentals and late fees. By the time it tried to catch up, it was too late. Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010, while Netflix continued to soar. The lesson: failing to digitise when the market shifts can turn dominance into irrelevance almost overnight.

Steps to consider for your business?

Steps to Consider for Your Business

• Transform internal training into digital learning tools. Convert in-person training, staff inductions, or onboarding materials into interactive, self-paced online modules. This not only streamlines internal operations but also helps with consistency, scalability, and remote accessibility.
  

• Digitise the guest experience. Explore mobile apps, digital maps, or QR code storytelling to enhance your customer journey. These tools can bring self-guided experiences to life, reduce print costs, and enrich engagement, especially for tech-savvy or independent travellers.
  

• Capture and leverage customer data wisely. Use digital booking platforms, surveys, or website analytics to collect meaningful data. This insight can help you personalise offers, understand visitor behaviour, improve services, and segment audiences for more targeted marketing.
  

• Create content that informs before the visit. Offer downloadable guides, email sequences, or video previews that educate and inspire customers before they arrive. This builds trust and reduces friction at the point of sale or experience.
  

• Automate feedback and follow-up. Implement a digital system to collect post-experience input via email or SMS, and consider utilising review platforms to build social proof. You can also automate thank-you notes, loyalty offers, or referral invitations to extend the customer relationship.
  

• Ensure mobile-first functionality. Make sure your entire customer journey—from discovery to booking to follow-up—is seamless on mobile devices. Most of your audience is discovering and engaging with your brand via their phones.
  

Convergence: The Blending of Platforms and Power

Convergence is the merging of previously separate industries, platforms, and media formats into a seamless, interconnected digital experience. It’s what happens when your customer watches a TikTok, clicks to your website, reads Google reviews, books via Instagram, and shares their knowledge through a YouTube vlog, all in a single digital journey.

This shift reflects more than just technological change. It marks a fundamental evolution in how businesses engage audiences, deliver value, and compete in a crowded attention economy. As Burgess (2017) notes, media convergence collapses the boundaries between content types, turning entertainment, education, and commerce into co-existing layers of the same experience.

For businesses, especially in tourism, education, and service-based sectors, convergence offers an opportunity to meet customers wherever they are, while ensuring that storytelling, discoverability, and transactions are all interconnected. The challenge is no longer just creating great content or a beautiful website, it’s designing a digital ecosystem that works in sync across channels, platforms, and moments of intent.

What does convergence mean for your business?

You don’t have to be everywhere, but you do need to understand how these platforms work together. The lines between marketing, education, entertainment, and commerce have blurred. Your content strategy must reflect that interconnected reality.

Nike Nike has transformed from a product company into a lifestyle ecosystem. It connects with its audience through fitness apps, YouTube documentaries, influencer content on Instagram, and exclusive product drops via the SNKRS app. This cross-platform convergence keeps Nike culturally relevant, not just commercially visible.

Tourism Tasmania Tourism Tasmania combines immersive storytelling with strategic platform development to engage potential travellers throughout their digital journey. From cinematic ads featured on YouTube and streaming platforms to destination guides delivered via Pinterest boards, and behind-the-scenes local experiences shared through Instagram Reels and TikTok, they build awareness, inspiration, and action within one interconnected ecosystem. Their “Come Down for Air” campaign is a convergence masterclass—emotional storytelling combined with frictionless booking pathways, local influencer partnerships, and search-optimised content across multiple platforms.

Steps to Consider for Your Business

• Audit where your audience is already active. Review customer touchpoints. Are your ideal customers engaging on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor, or niche forums? Use that insight to shape where and how you show up, rather than trying to be everywhere.

• Design consistent experiences across platforms. Whether someone first hears about you via a podcast, Instagram ad, or a local tourism website, ensure your messaging, visuals, and brand voice are consistent. Convergence demands clarity across every medium.
  

• Bridge content with commerce. Make it easy for a viewer or reader to become a customer. Embed links in social media posts, add calls to action in videos, connect blogs to booking pages, and integrate storytelling with seamless purchasing or enquiry steps.
  

• Integrate live, local, and digital experiences. Consider how your physical events, experiences, or offerings can be enhanced by digital layers, such as livestreaming a behind-the-scenes moment, offering exclusive online content, or sharing recap videos to extend engagement.
  

• Collaborate across industries and creators. Leverage convergence by partnering with influencers, educators, or complementary brands across different platforms to co-create content, attract new audiences, and build authority in your niche.
  

• Use analytics to map the journey and track how people move between platforms before they book, buy, or subscribe. This helps refine your multi-platform strategy so that you're guiding action, not just generating awareness.

Discoverability: Being Found in the Age of Algorithms and AI

Discoverability today goes far beyond simply having a website or social media presence. It’s about ensuring your content, services, and value proposition are surfaced at the right time, in the proper context, by both human users and algorithmic systems. In a digital landscape increasingly driven by machine learning, AI, and generative search engines, visibility is now shaped by systems that curate, summarise, and recommend content in real-time, often before a user actively searches for it.

This shift marks a fundamental transformation in how people find information and how platforms deliver it. As Vonderau (2019) notes in his analysis of streaming ecosystems, algorithms have become cultural intermediaries, influencing not only what content gets seen but also what gets valued. With the emergence of generative AI tools like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT, discoverability is shifting from a focus on search to one of structured relevance.

For small businesses, educators, and content creators, the implication is clear: it’s no longer enough to be online. Your digital presence must be intentionally structured, semantically precise, and frequently updated, so both humans and machines understand who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

What does discoverability mean for your business?

Your content isn’t being found by search engines alone. It’s being scanned, interpreted, and reshaped by AI systems like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT, with the addition of browsing. These platforms don’t just list websites, they summarise them, quote them, and sometimes replace the need for users to visit them.

In this world, your discoverability depends on how well your brand communicates value in formats machines can understand, recommend, and elevate. AI reads your website, reviews your content structure, and decides whether you're relevant for a user's query—even if that user never visits your site.

To stay visible, your content must now be:

• Clear and authoritative

• Consistently updated

• Structured with strong metadata, keywords, and schema

• Backed by trust signals like reviews, citations, and backlinks
  

Glossier

Glossier built its brand on community-generated content and SEO-rich storytelling. But even as traditional SEO evolved, Glossier adapted by ensuring their content was optimised for visual search (Pinterest), voice search (via conversational keywords), and now AI search. They consistently create shareable, expert-validated content that positions them as a trusted source, making them discoverable even when AI answers for the consumer.

Institute of Excellence & Despina Karatzias

The Institute of Excellence utilises structured blog content, clear messaging, and topical authority to remain discoverable in traditional search engines. Through consistent content on tourism, digital capability, and business growth, it’s positioned to appear in AI-powered summaries, course recommendations, and curated lists across generative search platforms. Please take a look at this site; I registered my name before my business as I navigated my transition into training and mentoring. Fast forward more than a decade, and Despina Karatzias’ website enhances discoverability, particularly for speaker bios, podcast guest requests, and topical expertise. Together, the business and personal platforms form a dual presence that increases the likelihood of being surfaced in AI tools recommending trusted educators, consultants, or tourism mentors.

Steps to Consider for Your Business

• Design your content for both AI and humans. Structure your blogs, web pages, and service descriptions with clear headings, keywords, and concise summaries that make it easy for AI tools to parse and quote you.
  

• Build a credible digital footprint. AI tools elevate trustworthy sources. Ensure your site is secure, up-to-date, and linked from credible third-party sources. Seek backlinks from industry bodies, partners, or media mentions.
  

• Optimise for intent-based search. Understand what questions your customers are asking and answer them clearly in your content. Utilise tools like AnswerThePublic or Google’s “People Also Ask” feature to establish topical relevance.
  

• Publish consistently, with authority. AI models favour fresh and frequent content. Commit to a regular publishing rhythm, blogs, FAQs, interviews, or news updates—to stay top of mind (and top of AI summaries).
  

• Claim and control your profiles across platforms. From Google Business and LinkedIn to TripAdvisor and YouTube, ensure your presence is active and accurate. These profiles are often scraped or summarised by AI as part of their results.
  

• Track how you're being surfaced. Use Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and AI search insights (like SGE snapshots) to monitor which keywords, phrases, or content pieces are triggering visibility and where you may be getting replaced or misrepresented.
  

In Summary: Visibility is Power in the Digital Economy

From Taylor Swift reclaiming her masters to global brands like Nike and Glossier mastering multi-platform presence, the lessons are clear: digitisation, convergence, and discoverability are not just trends, they’re non-negotiables for relevance and resilience in today’s digital economy.

Whether you’re a tourism operator, educator, creative, or service-based business, your ability to be found, trusted, and chosen increasingly depends on how you show up across platforms and how well you're structured for both people and AI to engage with you.

If you’ve read this far, chances are you care deeply about the future of your business and brand. I hope this post has sparked new thinking or affirmed the work you’re already doing. If you’d like to explore how these insights could be applied to your own business, team, conference, or community, let’s connect.

You can find me on LinkedIn and Instagram, and if you’re reading this and would like help bringing these strategies to life in your business, or would like this topic presented at your next conference or event, send me a DM. I’d love to support you.

References:

Burgess, J. (2017). Convergence. In L. Ouellette & J. Gray (Eds.), Keywords for media studies (pp. 47–49). New York University Press.

DeFillippi, B. (2016). Business innovation and disruption in the music industry. Edward Elgar Publishing. Lotz, A. D. (2021). Media disrupted: Surviving pirates, cannibals, and streaming wars. MIT Press.

Marshall, L. (2015). Let’s keep music special. F—Spotify: On-demand streaming and the controversy over artist royalties. Creative Industries Journal, 8(2), 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/17510694.2015.1096618

Neal, J. R. (2023). That’s why you have to stream the re-records: Copyright, messaging, and fan engagement in Taylor Swift’s re-recording project. In A. Bennett & S. Wrench (Eds.), Taylor Swift: The star, the songs, the fans (pp. 81–94). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003299646-7

Sinnreich, A. (2022). Why I quit Spotify after 13 years (and why it feels like a personal failure). Medium. https://medium.com/@aramsinn

Tilghman, J. (2022). Exposing the "folklore" of re-recording clauses (Taylor's version). Journal of Intellectual Property Law, 29(2), 402–417.

Vonderau, P. (2019). The Spotify effect: Digital distribution and financial growth. Television & New Media, 20(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476417741200

Zhang, Z. (2022). Research on music album sales and commercial economic value: Taking Taylor Swift as evidence. In Y. Jiang et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Economic Development and Business Culture (ICEDBC 2022) (pp. 3–8). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-036-7_2