Lorde among media heavyweights backing new Kiwi-made streaming app

What's the deal? Lume, a new streaming app built in New Zealand, wants to revive the music album as an art form. Pop star Lorde (Ella Yelich-O'Connor) is among a group of prominent media investors backing the venture, which argues that today's dominant streaming platforms have eroded the album format in favour of playlists and singles.

Why now? The streaming era has fundamentally changed how listeners consume music. Albums — once the centrepiece of an artist's creative output — increasingly take a back seat to algorithmically curated playlists. Lume is betting there's a growing appetite among artists and fans to restore that deeper listening experience.

What could go wrong? Competing with entrenched giants like Spotify and Apple Music is a tall order for any startup. Consumer habits have shifted toward passive, playlist-driven listening, and convincing users to change behaviour is notoriously hard. The app will also need to secure licensing deals and build a catalogue large enough to justify adoption.

The signal: Lume reflects a broader pushback by artists against the economics and aesthetics of mainstream streaming. High-profile backing from someone like Lorde lends credibility, but the real test is whether enough listeners still care about the album as a format to sustain a standalone product. If they do, it could open a niche market — much like vinyl's unlikely comeback — for platforms that prioritise artistic intent over algorithmic convenience.