We listen to music for 20 hours a week

Millions of people around the world are turning to music for a bit of diversion and solace in these tough times.

Music lovers spend more than 20 hours a week listening to music, according to a new report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

This figure is significantly higher than the 18 hours and 24 minutes that internet users spent listening to music each week in 2021. To reach this figure, the organization studied the music consumption of 44 000 people from 22 countries.

Music is important for their mental well-being

It found that more than two-thirds of respondents said music is important for their mental well-being.

It also plays an important role in their sports activities: 88% of respondents said that music is used as a soundtrack when they run, compared to 83% for yoga enthusiasts.

While certain genres are known to enhance athletic performance, music fans are very diverse in their choices.

On average, they listen to eight different styles. Pop remains the most popular genre worldwide, followed by rock and hip-hop/rap.

However, each country remains very attached to its local productions such as sertanejo in Brazil, afrobeats in Nigeria, dangdut in Indonesia and liscio in Italy. 

Music fans

This extensive musical diversity is aided by the rise of audio streaming. Nearly three-quarters of respondents listen to music on platforms like Spotify, Deezer or Apple Music, either for free or with a subscription.

Swedes are the least reluctant to pay to discover new music (56%), followed by British (52%) and American (51%) music fans. 

Unsurprisingly, paid audio streaming platforms are particularly popular with 25-34 and 16-24 year olds.

But this mode of music consumption is also making headway among older music lovers. Eight out of ten Internet users between the ages of 55 and 64 say it’s easier than ever to listen to music these days. 

Short-form video platforms like TikTok are contributing to this phenomenon around the world, especially in South Africa, Mexico and Brazil.

Globally, 63% of people surveyed by IFPI say that music is what drives them to spend time on such applications. 

Despite a boom in the number of ways to listen to music, the IFPI notes the unfortunate persistence of piracy. Nearly a third of respondents say they have used illegal or unlicensed methods to download and listen to songs.

The use of fraudulent methods is particularly prevalent among younger generations and in some countries such as Nigeria, India, China and Indonesia.

“This harms those who create and invest in music and disrupts the healthy ecosystem that enables both emerging and established artists to achieve creative and commercial success,” Frances Moore, executive director of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, says in the report.

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