From COVID lockdown streaming spikes to today’s subscription fatigue, digital media has reshaped patron expectations fast. Users didn’t just switch platforms; they raised the bar.

This episode unpacks the biggest shifts across eBooks, audiobooks, and video from 2020 to 2026, and how habits shaped by Netflix, Spotify, TikTok, Kindle, and Apple TV+ now define what people expect from libraries: instant access, smart discovery, and trusted, ad‑free experiences.