As the digital realm becomes increasingly intertwined with musical experiences, the world of music streaming stands at the forefront of this transformation.
Knowing that our market research company was curious to learn current statistics and facts surrounding music streaming.
From the surge in subscription models to the artists that dominate the streaming charts, here is what we found.
Top Music Streaming Statistics [Editor's Choice]
- Americans stream up to 75 minutes of music every day.
- Pop is one of the most popular genres streamed on Apple Music.
- There are 615 million active Spotify users.
- YouTube Music boasts over 3 million worldwide users.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
General Statistics | Apple Music | Spotify | Music Video Streaming | By Artist
General Music Streaming Statistics
Despite the many streaming options available, some facts are universal. Below, we've compiled some statistics about the basics of music streaming, from how much users pay to which countries listen the most.
- Americans are paying $46 a month for music streaming services.
Anything to avoid those pesky ads, right? While popular streaming platforms usually offer a free version, this comes with drawbacks - mainly ads. Subscriptions eliminate ads for many platforms (take Spotify, for example), making the listening experience much smoother. - Americans stream up to 75 minutes of music every day.
Out of every music genre, R&B/hip-hop is the most popular choice. Top artists streamed within this genre include Drake, NBA Youngboy, and Juice WRLD.
- Music streaming platforms may exceed $30 billion by 2025.
Beating out both digital and downloadable music options, streaming continues to grow in popularity. And this growth isn’t new, as streaming platforms continue to grow each year. - For every paid subscription, there are 3.6 music streamers.
And they share the love, too. Many of these users (no matter the platform) share their accounts with friends and family. - Spotify is the most loved streaming platform.
This music streaming giant offers curated playlists to boot - creating a fun, personalized experience for users. Not only does Spofity offer 100 million tracks to choose from, it also features 6 million podcasts to choose from. - Gamers are 14% more likely to pay for music streaming.
What's more, gamers are 13% more likely to listen to music compared to the rest of the population. And even when compared to the average music listeners, gamers spend 19% more of their time across music categories. - Over 4.1 trillion songs were streamed last year in 2023.
And hey, while we're talking about songs, check out this fun list of Spotify Wrapped alternatives you can use all year long. - Instant access to songs is the main reason for paying for music streaming services.
Other reasons included having access to large music libraries and having a first choice of music to listen to. Additionally, Sweden has the highest percentage of music streamers, followed closely by the UK, the US, Germany, and Mexico.
Apple Music Streaming Statistics
Since launching in 2015, Apple Music has amassed a large following. Boasting high-quality sound levels at 320kbps (AKA, really good), this service has much to offer. We found:
- As of 2023, Apple Music made over $9 billion dollars in revenue.
And as of June 2023, Apple Music had 93 million subscribers. In the US, Apple Music is the second-largest streaming platform, and the third in Europe.
- Pop is one of the most popular genres streamed on Apple Music.
Followed by...R&B/hip-hop! The platform also features a whopping 90 million songs to choose from, with 30,000 official playlists. - Apple Music is the preferred platform for those aged 55 and up.
It's also the preferred platform for millennials. What's more, Apple Music is used by more women than men. - With over 90 million songs, Apple offers a larger catalog than Spotify.
Apple Music boasts one of the most extensive music collections among streaming platforms. However, this can vary depending on the geographical location, where in certain regions, the Apple Music library provides access to 75 million songs.
Spotify Music Streaming Statistics
The official OG of streaming, Spotify is a Sweden-based music streaming app that has claimed the hearts of music lovers everywhere. Launching earlier than we all thought in 2006, many listeners can’t go a day without using the app.
- There are 615 million active Spotify users.
On top of that massive figure, this includes 239 [million] paying subscribers. - Millennials love Spotify.
So much so that 29% of users are between the ages of 25 and 34. 16% of them are aged 35 to 44, and 19% are aged 55 and up. - Spotify is more accessible than Apple Music.
While Apple Music is available on multiple devices, Spotify is still available on more. This extends to game consoles, smart TVs and speakers, and more. - North America is Spotify's biggest fan.
The biggest number of Spotify users is condensed in North America. On average, this demographic spends about 140 minutes a day on the app. True music fanatics!
Music Video Streaming Statistics
While YouTube is a hub for everything, basically, it's the go-to for watching music videos (sorry, MTV). Launching in 2005 (yes, that's right - nearly 20 years ago), many of us clearly remember the first music video we watched on the site. What was yours?
- More than 450 music videos are in YouTube's prestigious Billion Views Club.
Estimated to be somewhere around 317 videos, this club contains videos from artists across multiple genres. Apologies if they’re stuck in your head after this.
- Baby Shark Dance - Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories (13.9 B)
- Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee (8.5 B)
- Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (6.2 B)
- Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth - (6.2 B)
- Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (5.1 B)
- 25% of YouTube's content consumption is from music videos.
Additionally, annual payments from the platform to the music industry have exceeded $4 billion dollars. It's no surprise that the site is also claiming it will be the music industry's single biggest licensing partner by 2025.
- BTS' Butter music video had the quickest jump to 100 million views.
Thanks to a very loyal fanbase! Unsurprisingly, other BTS music videos have also swiftly reached 100 million views. Others that have achieved this number include:- Blackpink - Kill This Love
- Lisa - Lalisa
- Psy - Gentleman
Music Streaming Statistics By Artist
Some artists just dominate the streaming world--consistently. Whether it's on Spotify or Apple Music, fans will get their fix somehow. Below are a few facts about the top-streamed artists.
- Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department created a new record of being the first album in Spotify history to reach 300 million streams in a single day.
Talk about fan dedication. The popular album features multiple guest artists, like Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. - Post Malone’s The Diamond Collection is the most streamed album of all time at 26 billion streams.
Other contenders include Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (17 billion streams) and Ed Sheeran’s Divide. - Arctic Monkey’s AM is the most streamed alternative/rock album at 9.6 billion streams.
This is followed by Harry Styles’ Fine Line (9.1B streams), Imagine Dragons’ Evolve (7.8B streams), and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (7.6B streams). - Taylor Swift was Spotify’s most-streamed artist last year with 26.1 billion streams. Are we really surprised, though? Other top streaming artists include Drake (prior to Taylor, he was the most streamed artist), and Bad Bunny.
Frequently Asked Questions About Music Streaming
What is the #1 music streaming service?
Spotify holds the position as the #1 music streaming service based on its user base, global reach, and market share, boasting over 210 million paid subscribers and 515 million monthly active users worldwide.
Is the music industry still growing?
Yes, the music industry has been experiencing growth in recent years, driven largely by the expansion of digital platforms and streaming services. The recorded music industry in the U.S. generated $17.1 billion in estimated retail value in 2023.
What genre of music is most streamed?
Pop music is one of the most streamed genres globally, with a 21.8% share due to the wide appeal across various age groups and demographics.
Final Thoughts
No matter the streaming platform used, music lovers will find a way to listen to their favorite songs.
The reasons for using music streaming services are many, as we’ve discussed. To wrap up, a few of the main reasons include…
- Ability to choose songs
- Large music libraries
- Wide range of genres
And what’s the key theme here? Convenience. Music streaming sites are designed to deliver immediate results for users, providing them with a positive experience.
Whether it’s Spotify or Apple Music, streaming platforms are here to stay and will only become more tailored to the customer experience.
Sourcing
- Gitnux
- Filmora
- Ledger Note
- Hypebeast
- Daily Brit
- Metal Injection
- Headphone’s Addict
- Musical Pursuits
- Business of Apps
- Forbes
- Android Police
- Comparitech
- Exploding Topics
- Cnet
- Backlink
- Music Business Worldwide
- Evanstonian
- Statista
- Wifitalents
- RIAA
- Spotify Newsroom
- AP
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Lark Allen
As a Content Marketing Specialist, Lark has a strong background and passion for creative, professional, and journalistic writing. She is also a self-proclaimed music freak and 90s enthusiast.
Learn more about Lark, here.
