Music Statistics 2019
The music and recording industry had a total value of $19.1 billion in 2018, with nearly half of all revenue coming from streaming services like Soundcloud and Spotify. Recent music statistics show no signs or indications that this rapid growth of digital streaming will slow down any time soon.
We searched the web and condensed our findings into this handy infographic to illustrate some of the more compelling data points and stats surrounding the music industry. If you like it, please don’t hesitate to share on social media or on your own blog! There is an embed code located at the end of the graphic. Tap or click to expand the graphic.
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<a href="https://www.synapticsound.com/music-statistics"><img src="https://www.synapticsound.com/wp-content/uploads/music-statistics-infographic-1600px.jpg" alt="Music Statistics Infographic by SynapticSound.com" /></a><br></br>Infographic by: <a href="https://www.synapticsound.com">SynapticSound.com</a>Music Statistics: Highlights from the Infographic
Let’s take a look at the main music industry statistics from the infographic. We divided statistics and data into two broad categories. They are Consumer Habits and Financial Statistics.
Consumer Habit Statistics (IFPI)
The data in the Consumer Habits category came from a report from IFPI highlighting how people consume music worldwide. The study was done in April and May of 2019 and surveyed 34,000 internet users around the globe.
Streaming
89% of Music Listeners Do So Through Streaming Platforms
Streaming has quickly become the dominant listening medium, with 89% using some form of streaming to listen to music.
Listeners Spent 4 Hrs Per Week Listening via Streaming Services
On average, consumers spent 4 hrs per week listening through a streaming platform in 2019. This is roughly 3.6% of waking-life spent listening to streaming music.
77% of Listeners Used YouTube for Streaming Music in the Past Month (Apr-May 2019)
YouTube is the king of streaming video, and now they’re looking to take a piece of the music streaming pie. 77% of listeners used YouTube for music in the Spring of 2019.
3 Main Reasons to Stream
62% say they enjoy “Instant access to millions of songs.” 61% say they like to “Listen to what I want, when I want.” 47% say “It’s the most convenient way to listen to music.”
People Aged 35-64 Who Use Streaming Services Increased 8%
Older folks are catching on quickly! The 35-64 age group saw the largest increase in streaming service usage, at 8% in 2019.
Devices
Standalone Radio Still Accounts for 29% of All Listening Time Across Devices
Standalone radio – 29%
Smartphone – 27%
Computer – 19%
Hi-Fi or turntable – 8%
Other – 6%
Bluetooth speaker – 4%
Other mobile device – 4%
Smart speaker – 3%
Smartphones are the #1 Device for Listening to Music on the Radio
51% report using a smartphone to listen to music on the radio. 45% have used a standalone radio, and 10% have used a smart speaker.
Music Statistics from Around the World
Listening in the Car is the Top Activity with 70% of Respondents Reporting They Do
70% report listening in the car, 64% report listening while relaxing at home, and 51% report listening while cooking or cleaning around the house.
Pop is the World’s Favorite Musical Genre
#1 Pop
#2 Rock
#3 Oldies
#4 Hip-hop/Rap
#5 Dance/Electronic
#6 Indie/Alternative
#7 K-Pop
#8 Metal
#9 R&B
#10 Classical
Listeners Across 19 Markets Listened for an Average of 18 Hrs Per Week
Listeners around the world listened to music 18 hrs per week on average in 2019, a 1.1% increase over 2018.
23% of Global Listeners Use Illegal Stream Ripping Services
23% of listeners use illegal ripping services to listen to their music. Piracy is still a problem in 2019.
China Spends 17.7 hrs Listening to Music Weekly
The average person living in China spent 17.7 hrs listening to music weekly, with 96% using smartphones to listen.
74% of people in China Use Social Media to Listen or Watch Music Videos
Roughly 37 in every 50 people in China say they have used social media sites like WeChat, Sina Weibo, or Tencent to stream music or music videos.
India Spends 19.1 hrs Listening to Music Weekly
The average person living in India spent 19.1 hrs listening to music weekly, with 97% using smartphones to listen.
62% of people in India Use Social Media to Listen or Watch Music Videos
Roughly 31 in every 50 people in India say they have used social media sites to stream music or music videos.
Mexico Spends 25.6 hrs Listening to Music Weekly
The average person living in Mexico spent 25.6 hrs listening to music weekly, with 95% using smartphones to listen.
56% of people in Mexico Use Social Media to Listen or Watch Music Videos
Roughly 28 in every 50 people in Mexico say they have used social media sites to stream music or music videos.
South Korea Spends 13.9 hrs Listening to Music Weekly
The average person living in South Korea spent 13.9 hrs listening to music weekly, with 90% using smartphones to listen.
Financial Music Statistics
The other category we placed our music industry statistics into is Financial Statistics. The more recent data came from a 2019 RIAA report on the U.S market, while the older data from 2018 also came from IFPI.
Overall U.S. Revenues for mid-2019 (Music Statistics from RIAA)
Total Revenue Grew 18% for the U.S. Recorded Music Industry in the 1st Half of 2019
This 18% growth was to $5.4 billion at retail, with 16% growth at wholesale coming out to be $3.5 billion.
U.S. Revenues See Double-Digit Growth for 2 Consecutive Years
Mid-year music industry revenues in the U.S. grew by roughly 10% between the 1st half of 2017 and the 1st half of 2018, and roughly 17% between the 1st half of 2018 and the 1st half of 2019.
Streaming Subscription Revenues for mid-2019 (RIAA)
Paid Streaming Subscriptions in the U.S. Have Exceeded 60 million as of mid-2019
With the U.S. population at 327 million, 18% of Americans now pay for a streaming subscription. Revenue from streaming became 80% of total industry revenue by mid-2019.
Streaming Revenues Grew a Staggering 26% for the 1st Half of 2019
Streaming revenues were at $4.3 billion as of mid-2019, a 26% increase since the start of the year.
Paid Subscriptions Made up 62% of Overall Industry Revenues for the 1st Half of 2019
Subscriptions dominate the music industry, bringing in 62% of overall revenue and 77% of U.S streaming revenues.
Paid On-demand Streaming Subscriptions Rose 30%
This 30% represents an average of 1 million new subscribers per month over the past year as of mid-2019.
Ad Supported On-demand Streaming Revenues grew 25% to $427 million
This is still only 10% of overall streaming revenues.
Digital Download Revenues for mid-2019 (RIAA)
Revenues for Digital Downloads Fell 18%
Digital downloads were down 18% to $426 million by mid-2019.
Individual Track Sales Were Down 16% YoY
Track sales were down 16% year-over-year and digital album revenues also declined by 23%.
Physical Product Revenues for mid-2019 (RIAA)
Net Revenues from Physical Products Grew by 5%
Physical product revenues saw a trend reversal and grew by 5% after steady decline.
Vinyl Albums Revenues Grew 13% to $224 million
Vinyl continued to grow from 2018, seeing 13% revenue boost by mid-2019. This only accounts for 4% of overall revenues, however.
Music Statistics Honorable Mentions
Here’s a list of some more interesting facts and statistics that didn’t make the short list for our infographic. Still, they can provide some insight. The older data from 2018 may be useful if you’re looking to spot recent trends in the music industry.
Listeners Spent 3.5 Hrs Per Week Listening via Streaming Video
YouTube has recently gained some traction in the streaming music market due to the high volume of video streamed strictly for music listening. Now, listeners spend roughly 3.5 hrs per week listening through streaming video.
63% Would Switch to On-Demand Streaming if Copyright Infringement Wasn’t an Option
63% of those who used illegal means to listen would choose on-demand streaming if stream ripping or copyright infringement no longer worked for them.
44% of 16-24-year Olds’ Total Listening Time is via Smartphone
Younger generations love technology. Streaming apps and smartphones make up 44% of 16-24-year olds’ listening time. 68% of 16-24-year olds chose a smartphone over all other devices.
20% of Global Music Listeners Used a Smart Speaker in the Last 3 Months (May 2019)
Portable devices are now a significant part of the industry. 20% used a smart speaker between March and May of 2019.
Music Lovers Listen to 50% More Music on Average than non-Lovers
On a weekly basis, music lovers are more engages with +50% listening time in comparison to those who didn’t say they were fanatical about music.
Listeners Aged 16-24 Love Music the Most
63% of young people aged 16-24 said they love music, higher than any other age group.
South Africa Has the Highest Percentage of Self-proclaimed Music Lovers at 75%
Followed closely by the United States and Mexico each at 62%, Canada and Germany at 59%, and the United Kingdom at 57%.
Only 2.5% Say Music is “Unimportant” to Them.
There are a few heartless souls in every group! 2.5% of those surveyed said music was of little importance to them.
16-24-year Olds Are 4x Likelier to Choose Rap/Hip-hop as Their Favorite Genre
Hip-hop is a global phenomenon! The percentages of 16-24-year olds who say rap/hip-hop is their favorite varies by country:
South Africa – 27%
France – 26%
Russia – 23%
Poland – 24%
Germany – 21%
44% of Korean Music Listeners Bought Music in the Last Month (Apr-May 2019)
This is nearly double the global average of 26%. The next highest countries are the US, the UK, and Australia at 34%, 30%, and 27% consecutively.
The Netherlands Listens to the Most Broadcast Radio at 10.5 Hrs Weekly
Poland comes in 2nd at 9 hrs per person per week, followed by Germany at 8.3 hrs, New Zealand at 7.3 hrs, and South Africa at 7 hrs. The global average is 5.4 hrs per person per week.
Local Genres Dominate the Scene in India
India’s favorite genres are Bollywood New, Bollywood Old, Traditional regional music, and Punjabi.
Revenues for 2018 (IFPI)
Revenue Streams for the Global Recording Industry in late-2018
Physical – 25%
Digital (excluding streaming) – 12%
Streaming – 47%
Performance rights – 14%
Synchronization revenues – 2%
4 years of Consecutive Growth at the End of 2018
Since they began tracking the industry in 1997, IFPI has reported four consecutive years of growth up to 2018.
Overall Revenues Grew by 9.7% in 2018
All 2018 revenues in the global recorded music industry grew by 9.7% over revenues posted in 2017.
Streaming Revenues Grew by 34% in 2018
Streaming revenues grew by 34% in 2018 over streaming revenues posted in 2017.
58.9% of Recorded Music Revenues in 2018 were Digital
Digital revenues accounted for 58.9% of all revenues in 38 recorded music markets across in 2018.
Overall Physical Revenue Declined by 10.1% in 2018
Physical formats saw a 10.1% decline overall in 2018 over 2017 revenues. There was some growth in smaller markets like India, South Korea, and Japan, though.
Surprising 6% Growth for Vinyl
Global vinyl revenues grew by 6% for a total of 3.6% of the recorded music market in 2018.
Performance Rights Revenue Increased 9.8% in 2018
Performance rights revenue comes from licensed usage of recorded music in public places. It saw an increase of 9.8% in 2018. This totaled $2.7 billion and made up 14% of the overall industry revenue.
Synchronization Revenue increased 5.2% in 2018
A sync license allows the licensee to use music under copyright by the copyright holder in film, ads, or other media. Synchronization licensing revenue gets paid to the copyright holder, and it grew by 5.2% in 2018.
Record Companies Invested $5.8 Billion in Marketing and A&R in 2018
A third of all record company revenue totaling $5.8 billion was spent on developing and marketing their artists.
