How the World Listens to Music

IFPI's landmark Engaging with Music 2023 report provides insight to the music industry from the perspective of fans, with survey data of over 43,000 internet users across 26 countries. It found that on average, respondents listened to 20.7 hours of music each week, up from 20.1 hours per week in 2022. IFPI also reveals that on average, people listen to eight or more different genres and use seven or more different methods to engage with music.

As the following chart shows, audio streaming now makes up the biggest share in terms of methods used for listenership. Just under a third (32 percent) of all the hours that people spent engaging with music in 2023 was under the umbrella term of audio streaming, including subscription and free tiers such as Spotify, Apple Music and Melon. The second most popular method was video streaming (31 percent), which includes long-form and short-form videos found on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, while the third most popular was music on the radio (17 percent), including live broadcasts, catch up and internet radio stations.