Streaming music
Where do Germans prefer to stream?
These are the most popular contact points for Germans when it comes to streaming music
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The corona pandemic brought growth in online music usage last year. But which platforms are the most popular?
Due to the corona pandemic, most people spent significantly more time in their own four walls in 2020. This has also given audio streaming a boost, as the Federal Association of the Music Industry (BVMI) recently announced. But which of the numerous platforms is the most popular among German users for streaming hits?
According to a survey by the market and opinion research institute YouGov, there is a clear favorite among Germans among online music services – with or without a paid subscription. 35 percent of the participants aged 18 and over surveyed between January 2020 and January 2021 stated that they use the YouTube video portal for music streaming. The Swedish streaming service Spotify came in second with 21 percent, followed by Amazon Prime Music with 17 percent. In comparison, Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music only achieve five percent each. Multiple choices were possible.
Differences in the age groups
There are noticeable differences in the age groups. With the youngest users in comparison, even Spotify has the edge. 41 percent of 18 to 29 year olds said they use YouTube, but 50 percent rely on Spotify. In all older groups, however, the video platform wins. For those over 55 years of age, it is around 29 percent who enjoy their favorite songs on YouTube and only 9 percent who listen to Spotify.
The BVMI had previously reported that the sales of the music industry in Germany would have grown in 2020. Revenues from streaming and sales of sound carriers were accordingly around 1.79 billion euros – an increase of nine percent over the previous year. Almost three quarters of the income, 71.5 percent, came from online music usage. Audio streaming therefore had a share of 63.4 percent of the overall market. The good old CD came in at 21.6 percent, vinyl came in third with 5.5 percent and downloads came in fourth with 4.2 percent.