SPANIARDS LISTEN TO AN AVERAGE OF 21.6 HOURS OF MUSIC PER WEEK, ALMOST AN HOUR MORE THAN THE WORLD AVERAGE.

 

• IFPI’s “Engaging with Music 2023” report is the largest music consumption study of its kind.
• It shows that we are listening to more music and in more ways than ever before.
• Music consumers use an average of seven different methods of interacting with music

 

You can download the full report at this link

You can download the infographics in this link

 

Madrid, January 9, 2024 – IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide, has launched “Engaging with Music 2023,” its global report that analyzes how people around the world interact with and feel about music. Based on the responses of more than 43,000 people in 26 countries (including Spain, whose specific data are included in this note and in the Spanish infographic published for this purpose), the report is the largest music study of its kind. As a new feature, it includes a section dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), as the rapid advancement of generative AI technology continues to present opportunities and challenges for both the music community and artists, the main conclusions of which were advanced at the end of 2023.

 

Key findings of the 2023 report include the following:

 

• Worldwide, we are listening to more music than ever before.

 

20.7 hours is the average time people spend listening to music each week (up from 20.1 hours in 2022). That equates to listening to thirteen additional songs, three minutes each, per week in 2023.

In the Spanish case, we continue with a consumption above this world average, standing at 21.6 hours a week, while in 2022 we spent 20.9 hours a week listening to music (if we translate this figure to 3-minute songs, Spaniards play about 432 songs a week).

 

• We are interacting with music through more methods.

 

79% of people think there are more ways to listen to music than ever before (up from 76% in 2022). On average, music consumers use more than seven different methods to interact with music.

In the case of consumers in Spain, the methods for listening to music rise to an average of 7.5.

 

• There is a high awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) among music consumers, but almost everyone thinks that human creativity should be respected.

 

79% agree that human creativity is essential to the creation of music. 74% of people with knowledge of AI music capabilities agree that AI should not be used to clone or imitate musical artists without authorization.

 

• The audio streaming market continues to grow, led by subscription-based audio streaming.

 

73% of people say they listen to music through licensed (subscription and ad-supported) audio streaming services.

+7%: There was growth in time spent listening to music on subscription-based audio streaming services.

Although the trend in Spain is growing in terms of the percentage of audio streaming, the data show that we are still below the world average with 45% in our country compared to 48% of people who say they listen to music with paid subscriptions in Spain and worldwide, respectively.

 

• Pop remains the world’s most popular genre, but overall, respondents listened to more than 700 genres of music. Local genres are increasingly in demand.

 

Globally 57% of people say it is important for them to be able to access music from anywhere in the world, and 65% between the ages of 16 and 24. On average, music consumers worldwide listened to more than eight different genres of music.

In Spain this percentage rises to 65% who give importance to the accessibility of music from any country in the world.

 

• Music is of great importance to our mental health and well-being.

 

71% say music is important to their mental health.

78% say that music helps them relax and cope with stress.

 

• Unauthorized music remains a significant problem.

 

29% use unauthorized or illegal ways to listen to or obtain music.

Spain continues to maintain its figures above the world average with 31% of users confirming that they use illegal forms of listening to or consuming music.

 

Frances Moore, IFPI Executive Directorsaid: “Music is incredibly important in people’s lives. ‘Engaging with Music’ shows how music consumers are taking advantage of opportunities to listen to more music in more ways than they have before. “However, unauthorized music use remains a significant problem for the music community, especially as technologies continue to evolve. We need to continue to do everything we can to support and protect the value of music.”

 

For his part, the President of PROMUSICAE, Antonio Guisasola, adds: “It is good news that music consumption in Spain remains above average, and that society values the contribution of music to their lives as a thread and generator of well-being. We also celebrate that in the face of new forms of technology via Artificial Intelligence, consumers are putting the rights of artists and producers and their creativity first.

 

We expect that the number of people using paid streaming services will continue to grow, as this favors the recovery of the recorded music market and will therefore result in greater investment in emerging and national talent.

 

Moreover, in view of the report’s data, although we have made considerable progress in recent years, there is still a lot to work on in order to lower the figures for consumption by illegal methods.”

 

About IFPI

IFPI is the voice of the recording industry worldwide, representing more than 8,000 record company members around the world. We work to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for record producers’ rights and expand the commercial uses of recorded music worldwide.

Methodology

The report’s data is based on fieldwork conducted between August and October 2023 in 26 countries and collected the opinions of more than 43,000 respondents aged 16 to 64. The panels were nationally representative in each country. For the complete methodology of the report, see page 4 of the report.

About PROMUSICAE

PROMUSICAE, Productores de Música de España, brings together 108 members who, together, represent more than 90 percent of the national and international activity of the Spanish recorded music sector. It has been an active member of the IFPI since its incorporation.