Spotify's long-awaited launch last month has industry watchers wondering whether it will make a major breakthrough in altering Japan's $3 billion music industry, where 80 percent of sales still come from CDs and other physical formats.
With most of the world's major streaming services now available in Japan, including Apple Music and Line Music, the global shift toward digital platforms is more likely to grow.
According to IFPI Global Music Report 2016, the global music market hit a "key milestone" in 2015 as digital became the primary revenue stream for recorded music, topping sales generated by CDs and other physical formats for the first time.
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