Radio still thriving in the streaming era – IFPI report

This is according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI’s) Music Listening Report, an annual research study on listener habits around the globe. The research was conducted in April and May 2019 and explored the way consumers engage with and access music across licensed and unlicensed services.

"This year's report tells a story of fans' ever-growing global engagement with music," IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said. "At a time when multiple forms of media vie for fans' attention, they are not only choosing to spend more of their time listening to – and engaging with – music, but they are doing so in increasingly diverse ways." 

The report is based on data collected from 34 000 Internet users aged between 16 and 64 years in South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK, US, China and India – although results from the latter two were not included in the IFPI report.

The rise of radio listenership is at 18 hours a week up from last year's 17.8. Mexico tops the list with 25.6 hours with 95% using their smartphones while South Africa lags with just seven hours a week. The research also looked at radio as a content form, rather than a device. IFPI noted that globally, music listeners average 5.4 hours a week listening to radio.

Older music fans are increasingly turning to streaming services. The biggest growth comes from those aged between 35 and 64 years, while 44% of those aged between 55 and 64 years used audio streaming services like Spotify, Amazon, Deezer or Apple.

Looking at on-demand streaming consumption globally, music videos account for 47% of consumption compared to 37% for paid audio streaming. YouTube is the most popular music video streaming site, with 77% of those surveyed using the Google-owned platform to listen to music. 

“Fans seeks to listen, share and interact with music in their everyday lives in new ways through technology, social media, live gigs and performances and more,” Moore said. 

IFPI reported that pop music is the most popular genre followed by rock, oldies, hip hop/rap, dance/electronic, indie/alternative, K-pop, R&B and classical. 

“As we explore listening habits at a country level, we see how fans are embracing local genres, not only enriching their lives but also shaping their culture,” Moore said. 

Copyright infringement remains a challenge for the music industry. Of those surveyed, 27% admitted to using unlicensed sources to listen to or download music, with 23% using stream-ripping services. Moore insists that stream ripping is still prevalent and returns nothing to those who create and invest in music – jeopardising the health of the music ecosystem.

Download the full IFPI 2019 Music Listening Report here.