Major entertainment platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, YouTube and TikTok are converging into all-in-one apps that combine video, music, podcasts, games, live events and shopping, rather than remaining specialists in a single format. This shift is driven by a maturing market where user growth has slowed, prompting companies to compete instead on time spent and revenue per user, while AI increasingly makes it feasible for one platform to run multiple content formats well and recommend them effectively to users.

Netflix has added gaming, live sports and short clips, while Spotify has expanded beyond music into video podcasts, audiobooks, fitness classes and social features like commenting and messaging. YouTube has moved into short-form video, shopping and live TV, and TikTok now supports long-form content, travel planning and ticketing, alongside standalone apps for microdramas and live events. AI is central to this strategy, with Spotify testing tools that let users edit its AI-built "Taste Profile" and chat directly with AI to build cross-format recommendations, underscoring how personalised discovery is becoming the key differentiator as content formats blur together.