Entertainment finds itself in a good spot. It was always an industry quick to evolve. The modern times and technological advancements we’re witnessing play to its cards. It transforms together with technology. Its rapid transformation was forced by advancements in technology. When it comes to entertainment, nothing is the same as before. Today, we watch movies differently. We listen to music differently despite hearing it all the same.
The most significant shift happened in seeking, searching, finding, and consuming content. Average Joe’s engagement with content has been elevated to a whole other level. We’re witnessing changes that were unimaginable only a few years ago. Overall, the entertainment industry was revolutionized by technology—for all the good reasons, too. Our experience interacting with the media is different now. It’s better.
What’s good to hear is that we’re in for more of the same in the future. This year marks a quarter of a century, and before each half of it, we’re going places entertainment-wise. So, what will happen in the next few months and beyond? Here’s what.
Constant Growth of Streaming Services
Streaming services are not a novelty. The biggest names in the industry, such as HBO Max and Netflix, have been around for some time. New additions such as Disney + or Amazon Prime are faring well, too. These days, it is popular for big companies, even those that haven’t been in the industry before, to win a streaming platform. Even online casino and sports betting platforms such as Stake.com offer streaming for sports events for their users. Streaming is not everywhere—it is the norm.
It all started with technological development, a trend that will continue in the next period. The days of old when you had to wait for the new episodes of your favorite TV Shows for weeks or months, or when a new movie, if missed in theatres, had to be patiently waited for more than a year, are long gone. Streaming platforms like those we’ve mentioned and many others, such as Hulu, provide viewers with vast content libraries accessible at all times for a selected price.
Watching movies and TV shows when and where you want is already the norm, but it will be even more present in years to come. The convenience coming our way will soon be like anything we’ve experienced. Of course, it comes at a price, and we’re not talking about $$$. With the technological impact and boost that streaming services have received from it, we’re in danger of losing the traditional media as we know it. In a way, the future is already here, and we can’t escape it, nor should we. Yet, the loss of the old-fashioned approach to the form of entertainment that films and TV shows are stings a bit.
Music Consumption & Evolution of Sound
Like television, the music industry will be transformed by tech even more than it has already been. One could argue that seismic shifts in this department await us. By now, even our grandparents know that physical albums and CDs are outdated technology. Once praised as the pinnacle of musical technology, they’re now an afterthought. Digital music platforms are now the norm, and they will expand their influence even more. You’ve heard of Spotify and Apple Music, right? Yes? We thought so. Nowadays, these platforms stream music to millions of users. Spotify even sponsors one of the biggest sports clubs in the world, FC Barcelona.
Like film and TV series streaming, music streaming has created a new revenue stream for artists, making their products more accessible to a broader audience. Even the less famed musicians can make money on streaming platforms through royalties and licensing agreements. At the same time, it is not without downsides. People are worried that the entire business model of the music industry could fall apart and that, at one point, fair compensation to creators might not suffice for their expenses.
Social Media Impact
Social media influences all spheres of our society, and entertainment is no different. Regarding entertainment trends, social media platforms mainly influence how we consume them. Let’s use TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube as the best examples. Thanks to these platforms, we have a new type of content creator and influencer shaping the industry. Thanks to the massive following these creators have amassed, and with their fan base still growing, we can assure you that their influence will continue altering the entertainment industry. The most significant ways the people on the web influence other folks and the entire industry is with content placement, quantity, and frequency, which has been off the charts in recent years and keeps growing.
User-generated content is one of the most significant forces that is shaking the entertainment industry to its core. These days, the attention of millions is caught in the blink of an eye through a viral video or a unique challenge. For some creators, one video can lead to mainstream success in a few days. You’ve probably seen how former influencers, brothers Jake and Logan Paul, are boxing against Mike Tyson and Conor McGregor, making millions in the process, all made possible by their previously attained fame through YouTube and other platforms. With millions of people aspiring to be like them, you can expect that social media platforms will continue influencing the entertainment industry in ways we haven’t seen so far and can’t predict.
The Demise of Land-Based Casinos
Casinos have long been at the forefront of the entertainment industry, combining more than a few elements, such as gambling, music, television, nightlife, and much more. At its core, land-based casinos such as those in Las Vegas, as depicted in popular films, are a pure form of entertainment. We’re sure Las Vegas will continue to thrive, and the same goes for Monte Carlo or Macau. But those are worldwide brands. The same can’t be said of your regular brick-and-mortar casino in the neighborhood.
These smallest enterprises have been struck heavily by technological developments. Thanks to the rapid growth of technology, and we’re talking about mobile devices, mobile gaming, and fast internet in every corner of the world, we have seen a rise in online casinos. The number of web-based establishments is growing day by day. The technology spike helped people pack a fully-fledged casino in their pockets. With cryptocurrencies and blockchain reaching this entertainment branch, we’ve seen online casinos moving toward digital currencies, with every other online casino now being a crypto casino.
As much as technology makes our lives easier, it is transformative and destructive to some industries. With more and more people flocking to online casinos due to their accessibility, game offerings, ease of use, safety, security, anonymity, and other perks, standard land-based casinos threaten to go out of business. While we believe they will always have a place in our society, current trends prove otherwise. It is hard to argue otherwise, as if you’ve tried playing slots online, you already know there is no longer a need to go to a physical casino. If a part of the technology we describe below keeps on being developed and comes our way in the foreseeable future, that just might be true.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Entertainment
This technology will make massive strides in entertainment in 2025 and even beyond as both VR and AR are getting refined as we speak. As far as entertainment is concerned, virtual and augmented reality will be real revolution leaders. Once it’s perfected, virtual reality will be able to immerse all users in a digitally simulated environment. AR, on the other hand, is here to aid us in relying on digital elements in the real world. The two combined sound like something from a Sci-Fi movie, but we’re closer to it than most people believe.
While not perfected to a fault yet, AR and VR are used in certain entertainment industry areas. The best examples are video games, followed by movies and live events. Different types of VR headsets can already be bought by individuals. For gamers, it was a revolution that allowed them to experience gaming in an immersive way not imaginable only a few years back. In a few days, augmented reality devices will bring movie characters and environments into our rooms. As we said, their full capabilities are not yet in broader use. However, like with many other technological matters, it is only a matter of time before we have the previously unimaginable possibilities in our hands.
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology is a transformative trend on its own. As it managed to enter the spheres of economy and finances, online gambling, and investment, it reached entertainment, too. Like everything else, it will be one of the pillars shaping the entertainment we know in years to come. At first, blockchain tech was only tied to digital currencies. Soon after, its value was seen in the entertainment industry, too. What allows it to penetrate the market profoundly and influence it so much, with trends showing influence growth in the future, is that its core principles bode well with intellectual property. It offers decentralized transactions, all sought after by the entertainment industry from a decentralized platform such as blockchain.
Furthermore, blockchain technology can do wonders in reducing piracy, which has been one of the main problems the industry has faced for ages. As if that’s not enough of an influence from a single entity, blockchain also benefits the music industry. As far as music rights go, thanks to blockchain tech, a decentralized database of music rights can be created, which is the safest way to ensure that musicians and producers are fairly compensated for all of their work and effort. For movies, it can be a way for one to guarantee authorship in a safe, secure, and irrefutable way.
5G & Cloud-Based Services
5G is one of the technologies on this list closest to becoming available to everyone. As such, you know it’s going to make strides in the entertainment industry in 2025. Entertainment can benefit from lower latency and high data speed, and their influence is more than welcomed. The first impact of 5G will be seen through high-quality streaming, where 4K and 8K videos will soon become a norm on all devices. This is only one step to a fully immersive experience of consuming television. Once 5G is wholly accessible to everyone, we will be one step closer to real-time interactive experiences. This will be only one of the wings of revolution for gaming and live events.
Another piece of technology that is already close to being prevalent in the entertainment industry is cloud-based services. Cloud-based services do best by providing users with high computing power and scalable storage. With these feats, entertainment-oriented companies can efficiently process, store, and stream unimaginable amounts of digital content. Also, companies in this department are already changing traditional gaming at its core by giving players access to high-quality games without having capable hardware at home.
Summary
Technology changes the world around us. It is no wonder that it strikes the core of entertainment so hard. In the future, it will be even more noticeable. We truly live in an age where technology can impact everyone on a daily basis. Once it reaches the domain of entertainment even deeper, as it has proven to be able to, in terms of impact on television, streaming, online gambling, music, and everything else, we will have a new world of entertainment on our hands.
The technologies discussed above are at the core of all incoming changes. Virtual reality, augmented reality, blockchain technology, online casinos, and everything else have shifted in a new direction. You could argue that it’s a good shift or a bad one, but one thing is for sure – entertainment will never be the same again. This is not a time to be nostalgic but to rejoice in the novelties we have on our hands and those that technology has yet to bring.
