REPORT: End Of Year Numbers Reveal US Music Consumption At All-Time High

A brand new report from BuzzAngle Music spells a promising, however altering, panorama for the longer term the music trade. Examining trade tendencies and highlights all through 2018, BuzzAngle makes an attempt to create an correct street map for the next 12 months.


Overall, music consumption has grown by double digit percentages in 2018. According to the report, whole consumption grew 16.2% over 2017, which already confirmed a 12.eight% enhance over 2016. More individuals are listening to extra music than ever earlier than. (The quantity distinctive titles audio-streamed in 2018 totaled 3M greater than in 2017, a 9.2% enhance.) Including each audio and video sources, whole streams have been over 809 Billion for 2018. With a ‘B.’

No doubt half that is because of the huge rise in Asian pop teams like BLACKPINK, Baby Metal, and BTS going completely viral, however American and European artists like Drake and Ed Sheeran are doing their justifiable share, as nicely.

However, the rise in streaming can also be indicative the loss of life gross sales.

“Album gross sales and music gross sales continued to say no, 18.2% and 28.eight% respectively,” states the report, “and bodily gross sales declined 15.three%.” Though vinyl gross sales continued to develop, with a rise 11.9% over 2016, the whole quantity gross sales (eight.6M) remains to be a far cry from CD gross sales even of their declining state (74.5M).

Regarding music exploration, the longer term is vibrant. There have been solely 9 songs that have been streamed greater than 500 million instances in 2018, in comparison with 16 in 2017, six in 2016 and two in 2015. However, there have been 417 songs that streamed greater than 100 million instances in 2018, in comparison with 383 songs in 2017, 226 songs in 2016 and 111 songs in 2015. This exhibits that whereas customers nonetheless respect the hits, they’re additionally broadening their style and increasing into new territories. You can thank options like Spotify’s Discovery playlists for lots this.

Still, for the second straight 12 months, Drake took the three largest awards: Artist the Year, Album the Year, Scorpion, and Song the Year, “God’s Plan.”

You can learn the total report obtainable .