Steaming continues to grow as hours spent listening to music rises globally

A new report has revealed subscription-based streaming platforms have grown in popularity as hours spent listening to music is on the rise globally.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) says that the average time spent listening to music weekly rose since 2019. Listeners are spending 18.4 hours a week listening to music — up from 18 hours in the 2019 survey.

The survey was not carried out in 2020 due to the pandemic. The IFPI’s Engaging With Music Report suggests time spent listening to music via subscription-based streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music has grown by 51% since 2019.

Those surveyed explained their main reasons for turning to streaming was “access to millions of songs,” no adverts and control over what they listen to.

The survey was conducted in June and July 2021 across 21 countries and sampled 43,000 people between the ages of 16–64. 87% of respondents said music was a source of joy during the pandemic as 68% of 16–19-year-olds said new releases from their favourite artists helped them during that time.

The report also highlighted how unlicensed music remains an issue for the “music ecosystem” with the problem growing over the past year. 29% of people used illegal or unlicensed methods to listen to or download music as 14.4% used unlicensed social platforms to get their music.

"Engaging With Music 2021 tells the story of how fans around the globe are connecting with the artists and music they love in ways never before imagined. With the rapid emergence of short-form video, livestreaming, and in-game experiences, all enhanced by people’s love of music,” said IFPI chief executive Frances Moore.

"Record companies have enabled artists to develop their vision, licensed an abundance of music tracks to a multitude of platforms, and harnessed new technologies to pave the way for music fans around the world to connect with artists in these growing and exciting ways.

"The freedom of record labels to license music to these new and immersive experiences is crucial to the future growth of the entire music ecosystem. We are campaigning worldwide to ensure governments maintain or implement a fair environment in which such commercial deals can be made,” she added.