Nielsen's Music 360: Increased Online Music Listening And Streaming

Music 360 Results

MUSIC 360 2015, NIELSEN’s fourth annual study of U.S. music listeners, found that 91% of the national population listens to music, spending more than 24 hours each week tuning into their favorite tunes. While total listening figures are roughly the same as last year, how we access and engage with music is changing.

According to the data, 75% of Americans listen to music online in a typical week, up nearly 12% from last year. And online listening trends are having a significant impact on our on-demand listening habits. While Americans streamed more than 164 billion on-demand tracks across audio and video platforms in 2014, they streamed 135 billion in the first half of 2015 alone –- up more than 90% from the same period last year. Music listening is also becoming more mobile, as 44% use their smartphones to listen to music in a typical week, a 7% increase over last year. Conversely, listening through desktop computers declined.

Radio continues to be the #1 source of music discovery in the U.S, with 61% of respondents saying they find out about new music from AM/FM or satellite radio, a 7% increase over last year. Word of mouth is also important, particularly for teens: 65% say they discover new music through family and friends, well above the average of 45%.

Live Concert Impact

Also, 12% of respondents say they discover music through live events, up more than 70% from last year. Americans spend more than one-half of their music-related expenditures on them each year, and 50% of Americans say they’ve attended a live event in the last year, while 11% of Americans claim to have attended a music festival in the past 12 months, with Millennials comprising 44% of all festivalgoers.

When the festival is out of reach, either financially or by distance, savvy fans are nevertheless following along online, presenting brand sponsors with an opportunity to reach “virtual attendees” and extend their activations beyond the field!

The streaming story continues to grow, with 75% of the population saying they listen to music online. When selecting a music streaming service, over 8 in 10 respondents cite cost and ease of use as the most important factors, followed by over 7 in 10 who say the song library is important.

You can download the entire report here.

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