The global appeal of music is characterized by “the rise and diversification of music consumption, driven by new genres, new formats and an increasingly rich mix of new uses”says Frances Moore, director general of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
The study on global music consumption in 2022, which the IFPI conducted in 22 countries with 44,000 Internet users and made public on Thursday November 17, shows first of all a continuation of the listening time, at 20 hours 6 minutes per week (compared to 18 hours 24 minutes in 2021).
Subscription audio streaming (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music) is the most popular (24%), followed by video streaming (YouTube, Dailymotion, etc.) and radio (17%). Next come, in descending order, music purchases (CDs, vinyls, downloads, etc.) at 10%, free audio streaming, short videos like TikTok (8%), then social networks, television and, finally, concerts (4%).
The craze for subscription music streaming is thriving all over the world and the time spent listening to music on these media is peaking in Sweden – the country where Spotify was born –, then in the United Kingdom, in the United States , Germany and Mexico. The 25-34 age group is the biggest user of these paid platforms, followed very closely by 16-24 year olds.
Racing for virtual concerts
More than two-thirds of Internet users surveyed say that “Music is important for their psychological well-being” and this study also analyzes the fundamental role it plays, for 69% of those questioned, in the sound accompaniment of their sporting activities. A percentage that rises to 88% for those who practice running, 83% for yoga and 73% for those who use a bicycle.
The explosion of means of listening to music can be seen both in the enthusiasm for virtual concerts accessible on gaming platforms, the craze for short videos (very popular in South Africa, Mexico or in Brazil) or for live stream concerts.
Music lovers admit to being frankly eclectic: they listen to an average of eight musical genres. If, on a global scale, the first places remain occupied by pop, followed by rock, hip-hop/rap then dance/electronics and, finally, Latin music, each country remains very attached to its local genres. . Like sertanejo and samba in Brazil, or afrobeats and gospel in Nigeria.
The only downside for the IFPI, which includes 8,000 record companies: the persistence of fraud. Nearly a third of respondents say they have used illegal or unlicensed methods to download and listen to music.