Digital distribution
Digital distribution delivers software, games, music, films, books, and other media through online services instead of physical retail copies.
Content delivery network: A geographically distributed network of servers that delivers digital content to users efficiently. CDNs shorten download times by serving files from locations near customers.
Steam: A digital storefront and software platform for purchasing, downloading, and playing PC games. Steam illustrates the storefront model for computer games.
Physical media: Media stored and distributed on tangible objects such as discs, tapes, or printed books. Physical media is the retail-copy model that online delivery replaces or supplements.
Long tail: A market pattern in which many low-demand products collectively generate substantial sales alongside a few popular products. Online catalogs can carry niche titles that physical retailers would not stock.
Digital rights management: Technologies that control access to or use of digital content. Distribution services use DRM to enforce licensing and copying restrictions.
Spotify: A music and podcast service offering streaming and, in some plans, offline listening. Spotify distributes recorded music primarily through streaming subscriptions and advertising.
Software as a service: A software delivery model in which applications are hosted by providers and accessed online, usually by subscription. Digital distribution can deliver a download, while SaaS provides ongoing access to hosted software.
Platform economy: Economic activity organized around digital platforms that connect users, businesses, and services. Distribution platforms control discovery, transactions, and access between producers and audiences.
Application store: An online storefront for discovering, purchasing, downloading, and updating software applications. App stores combine software catalogs, payment, delivery, and updates in one service.
Netflix: A subscription service that distributes films and television programs over the internet. Netflix exemplifies digital distribution of video through a subscription catalog.