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Global on-demand audio streams near 5 trillion (4.8 trillion), with emerging markets in Asia, Eastern- Central Europe and Latin America outperforming the U.S. in growth
 
Taylor Swift named most influential artist and most streamed songwriter globally
 
U.S. streaming growth powered by new music releases and the rise of pop’s leading ladies
 
Audience data shows music is America’s favorite leisure pastime, while music documentaries mean music monetization for rights owners and investors
 
VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

 
Luminate, the entertainment industry's leading data partner, has unveiled its 2024 Year-End Music Report. Drawing on 23 trillion data points from thousands of artists and core data from over 500 authorized partners spanning digital, retail and airplay, it provides an authoritative data-driven look at the key trends shaping the global music industry in the past year. 
 
Speaking on the release of the report, Rob Jonas, CEO, Luminate, said, “With the global music industry reaching nearly five trillion streams in 2024, engagement continues to grow on an international level. As always, we present this annual report to offer the industry unmatched insights about music consumption, audience behaviors and emerging markets. The trends we lay out in this year's analysis paint an even fuller picture of some areas for which we've led discussions over the past few years; from super fans and ex-U.S. streaming activity, to genre shifts, the value of audience data for brands, and live event attendance, to name a few. For some others, like the impact of music documentaries, what their viewership means for catalog investments, and how to track publishing activity using enriched songwriter metadata, we are able to dive deeper thanks to expanded innovations and capabilities developed at Luminate over the past year."
 
Global streams reach almost 5 trillion, driven by increased consumption in emerging markets
Global music streaming reached a new high in 2024 with on-demand audio (ODA) streams reaching an impressive 4.8 trillion in 2024, increasing year-on-year by 14% [2023: 4.2 trillion]. While growth remained steady in the US and other mature markets, consumption surged in emerging markets with ODA streaming in ex-U.S. territories growing at a faster rate of +17.3% compared to the U.S. growth rate of +6.4%.
 
Emerging markets are proving to be the new growth frontier for audio and video streaming.Asia experienced the most significant rise in premium (paid for) streaming, growing its share by 10.7% year-on-year, followed by Europe (8%) and Latin America (6.1%). The top ten fastest growing countries for premium streaming are:
  • Türkiye: +17.8% 
  • Croatia: +16.1%
  • Romania: +15.7%
  • Malaysia: +14.7%
  • South Korea: +14.7% 
  • Slovakia: +12.8%
  • Japan: +12.8%
  • Hungary: +12.1%
  • Greece: +12%
  • Hong Kong: +11.6%
 
The expanding global marketplace is allowing more international artists to connect with worldwide audiences. While artists from the U.S. still hold the most global premium streaming share overall, it is artists from Mexico, Brazil and India who saw the largest gains in audio and video streams, benefitting most from the spread of music across borders. Artists from the UK, U.S. and Canada saw the largest decline in global premium streams.
 

U.S. streaming growth powered by new music releases and the rise of pop’s leading ladies
Growth in the U.S. streaming market was fueled by new releases and a resurgent love for pop music. Tracks released between 2020 and 2024 accounted for nearly half (49.6%) of all streams, while eight out of ten (79.5%) on-demand audio streams came from songs released after 2010, highlighting the appeal of contemporary music. 
 
Pop’s popularity surged, surpassing Latin as the fastest-growing genre in 2024. Women led the charge, with 63.4% of the U.S. Top 100 pop audio streams performed by female artists, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. 
 
Despite a 2.3% decline in its overall share, R&B/Hip Hop remained the most streamed genre, accounting for one in every four U.S. streams (341 billion). Rock continues to dominate deep catalog listening, with 72.6% of its streams coming from tracks released more than five years ago; while Country gained traction in international markets, including the UK, Australia and Canada, further growing its global fanbase. Christian / Gospel music saw a sharp rise among millennials and Gen Z streamers, now comprising 45% of the genre’s listeners compared to 39% in 2022.
 
Streaming remains the dominant format for music consumption, accounting for 91.3% of equivalent activity in the U.S. On-demand audio streams increased year-on-year by +6.4% to 1.4 trillion [2023: 1.3 trillion], while total album consumption – which includes streams, downloads and physical music sales – grew by +5.6%, reaching 1.1 billion units [2023: 1.0 billion]. **Note, due to methodology changes that were implemented at the start of 2024, indie retail sales were removed from this YoY metric in order to avoid a trend break. 
 
Taylor Swift tops global rankings as most streamed songwriter and influential artist
Taylor Swift’s global dominance continued in 2024 with her critically acclaimed album The Tortured Poets Department and record-breaking Eras Tour. Now, for the first time, Luminate can also reveal that Swift was the most-streamed songwriter worldwide in 2024. 
 
An analysis of the top 1000 globally streamed songs placed Swift at the #1 spot, surpassing industry icons like Max Martin, who has written for Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and many more stars, and The Weeknd. Lesser known names like Daniel Nigro, known for his work with Olivia Rodrigo, and Amy Allen, whose writing credits include hits for Harry Styles and Halsey, completed the top five most-streamed songwriters chart [see Chart 1 in Notes].
 
While songwriters from the U.S., UK and Canada accounted for the most streams of the top 1,000 songs, the report highlights the growing influence of international songwriters from Sweden and France who claim the 4th and 5th spots respectively. Australia, Norway, Germany, Colombia and South Korea completed the top ten, reflecting the diversity of the modern hit-making landscape [see Chart 2 in Notes].
 
Swift’s dominance is further reinforced by her top ranking as the most influential artist in the world on the inaugural Luminate Index, a new composite metric for understanding the depth, breadth and affinity of an artist’s fandom among U.S. consumers, helping brands to make informed decisions when it comes to artist partnerships. Female artists occupied eight of the top ten positions, with Swift in poll position followed by Adele and Beyoncé. Elton John and Eminem were the only male artists to make it into the top ten. Rihanna ranked No. 1 amongst Gen Z consumers.
 
Rank
Artist
1
Taylor Swift
2
Adele
3
Beyonce
4
Elton John
5
Rihanna
6
Eminem
7
Shakira
8
Ariana Grande
9
Lady Gaga
10
Dolly Parton
 
Consumer habits: music is America’s favorite leisure pastime 
Music remains the number one leisure activity in the U.S. with 75% of consumers counted as music listeners, 20% of which are considered ‘Super Fans’ who are fueling increased demand for music across streaming / digital consumption, physical, direct-to-consumer, live and other channels. Their influence is making them a cornerstone of commercial strategies for record companies for both established and new music talent. 
 
A deeper dive into the U.S. market, the largest music market in the world, reveals the critical role super fans are playing in the success of live concerts and physical merchandise sales:
  • Super fans spend $113 a month on live music events, 66% more than the average music listener. Nine out of 10 super fans say they would attend a live music performance of their favorite artist, compared to six out of 10 of those not considered super fans.
  • 2024 marked the first time Gen Z topped other generations in overall live event spend. Gen Z spent an average of $75 per month (+23% than the average U.S. music listener), with a preference for festivals. Millennials still report the highest monthly spend on individual concerts at $38 vs. $32 for the average music consumer.
  • Super Fans spend $39 on physical purchases, 105% more than the average music listener. Seven out of 10 super fans say they are likely to purchase their favorite artist’s physical merchandise, compared to 26% of general music listeners. This number increases to eight out of 10 among Rock super fans.
  • Artists continued to solidify their direct relationships with fans. Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) music sales made up 63% of first-week physical album sales in 2024 (based on the Top 200 U.S. albums for the year) and 31.9% of first week total album activity for those.
 
Beyond physical sales, radio and DSP streaming, emerging listening formats—such as video games, short-form video platforms, and live-streamed performances—are unlocking new avenues for music discovery. Modes of music discovery outside of more traditional methods vary across genres and generations. For example, nearly half of Jazz fans prefer traditional methods like attending intimate live music sessions in bars or coffee shops, while seven out of ten Hip-Hop/Rap fans discover new music through virtual live performances, directly influencing streaming metrics.
 
Fortnite Remix’s November 2024 campaign is a prominent example. The gaming platform partnered with artists like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice and Juice WRLD for a month-long campaign that drove notable increases (+24% on average) in audio streaming for a different artist each week.
 
Music documentaries mean music monetization
Concert films and music documentaries once again demonstrated their value to both streaming platforms, with Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ leading the charge to satiate consumer demand for the format, and music rights holders, who benefit from associated streaming surges and royalties.
 
Luminate’s Streaming Viewership (M) tool highlighted the most-watched music documentaries across all major SVOD platforms in 2024. Among the year's most popular music documentaries was Netflix’s ‘Miss Americana’, the Taylor Swift documentary which was originally released in January 2020.
 
Despite being the oldest on the list, Miss Americana was the fourth most watched music documentary in 2024, a resurgence fueled by the release of Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department album and the global success of her Eras Tour, proving how strategic cross-promotion can breathe new life into catalogs and their revenue potential.
 
 
Title
Minutes Watched
Release Date
Platform
The Greatest Night in Pop
1.27B
1/29/24
Netflix
I Am: Celine Dion
507.1m
1/25/24
Prime Video
Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley
340.9m
11/13/24
Netflix
Miss Americana
230.7m
1/31/20
Netflix
Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name
225.4m
1/2/22
Max
Hate to Love: Nickelback
221.2m
3/27/24
Netflix
The Beach Boys
215.5m
5/24/24
Disney+
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words
146.3m
10/31/24
Prime Video
Beatles ‘64
132.7m
11/29/24
Disney+
American Symphony
97.8m
11/29/23
Netflix
 
The Beach Boys documentary release drove significant on-demand audio streaming activity to the group’s catalog, creating a lift that sustained deep into 2024 and reflecting the impact such documentaries can have on generating increased revenues from catalogs. 
 
During the final week of Q3 this year (week ending 9/26/24), global on-demand audio streams for the group’s catalog reached 17.9 million, 3.6% higher than the 17.3 million average during Q1. 
 

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

The London Music Fund and YouTube to expand ground-breaking Amplify funding programme to Liverpool in 2025

  Award-winning music education charity, the London Music Fund announces an expansion of its grassroots funding programme in partnership with YouTube. This fund supports small organisations providing training opportunities within the music industry, widening access to creative pathways for young people who face...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Tomas Talarico appointed Managing Director of Warner Music Southern Cone

Respected exec Guillermo Castellani has stepped down   Tomás Talarico has been named as the new Managing Director of Warner Music Southern Cone, overseeing the record company's business in Argentina and Chile.  Talarico has taken up the role this week as the...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Impala pays tribute to board member Horst Weidenmuller, CEO and founder of !K7 Music and founder of Impala's sustainability task force

The board of IMPALA celebrates the life of Horst Weidenmüller, noting his legacy for the independent music sector as IMPALA board member from 2003 (vice-president until 2011) and board member of Merlin, as well as founder of IMPALA's sustainability task...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Ballantine's re-appoint M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment

After a fiercely competitive pitch process that started with 5 agencies, Ballantine's has re-appointed M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment for its global music partnerships work, which was put out to pitch after 10 years of collaboration. Entertainment Managing Partner Nicola Murray...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Vicki McCall launches new radio promotions company, On Aire

Respected radio promotions executive, Vicki McCall, has launched her new company, On Aire. With nearly a decade of experience in the business, McCall is setting out to bring a fresh and thoughtful approach to radio campaigns, prioritising artists’ long-term growth and...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Warner Music Group completes its acquisition of Africori

Africori Founder, Yoel Kenan, will continue as CEO   Warner Music Group (WMG) has today announced that it has completed its full acquisition of Africori, the leading independent African distributor that represents more than 7,000 artists.   Africori will continue to operate as a...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

The Hello Group Publishing Renews Global Deal With Sony Music Publishing

  The Hello Group Publishing and Sony Music Publishing Benelux today announced the renewal of their multi-year creative partnership. The deal will see SMP elevating global support to THG Publishing – the music publishing division of The Hello Group – across...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

From Side Hustle to Spotlight: How GigSalad Helps Performers Book More Events

  Any event can be elevated with the right live entertainment. With over 110,000 entertainers and vendors spanning 500+ categories of talent, GigSalad is the platform that musicians, performers, and event service providers turn to for their next gig. As the...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Believe UK signs SL, Cristale and Strandz

Company inks service and distribution deals with key artists in hip hop and rap.   The UK office of Believe, one of the world's leading digital music companies, has agreed deals with three key artists in the rap genre: SL, Cristale and...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy appointed new Chair of Power of Music Consortium - takes over from Tom Kiehl from UK Music

The Power of Music Consortium (for health and wellbeing) has appointed a new Chair, Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy. The Consortium has also shared its collective thanks to outgoing Chair Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK...more

12 Feb 2025 | Press release

Little Simz just announced as curator for Southbank Centre's Meltdown 2025

The Southbank Centre has announced Little Simz as the curator of the 30th edition of its iconic contemporary music festival, Meltdown.  Joining an unparalleled list of previous curators, including some of the world’s most famous artists, Little Simz will curate a boundary-breaking line-up for the eleven day festival...more

11 Feb 2025 | Press release

Sabrina Carpenter to receive prestigious Global Success award and perform at The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard

Joining previously announced performers JADE, Myles Smith, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and The Last Dinner Party Today's news was revealed exclusively on the BRITs WhatsApp channel The BRIT Awards 2025 with MastercardSaturday 1st March, The O2 arena in LondonHosted by Jack WhitehallExclusively broadcast...more

11 Feb 2025 | Press release

Universal Music Greater China strikes exclusive global alliance with Liu Huan, timeless icon of Chinese pop music

  Universal Music Greater China (UMGC), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announces an exclusive global agreement with Liu Huan, a legendary artist who has shaped Chinese pop music for four decades. Renowned domestically...more

11 Feb 2025 | Press release

UK electro-punk act Shelf Lives sign worldwide admin agreement with Cooking Vinyl Publishing

Cooking Vinyl Publishing is delighted to announce the signing of UK electro punk duo Shelf Lives to a worldwide administration agreement.    Shelf Lives, made up of Canadian Sabrina Di Giulio and Northamptoner Jonny Hillyard, formed in the midst of the Covid...more

11 Feb 2025 | Press release

Alfonso Perez-Soto and Michael Lobiondo appointed to Corporate Development team at WMG

Pair provide dealmaking expertise across recorded music and music publishing    Warner Music Group (WMG) has strengthened its Corporate Development team, with Alfonso Perez-Soto named EVP, Corporate Development, focusing on Recorded Music, and Michael LoBiondo appointed SVP, Corporate Development, focussing on Publishing. The...more

11 Feb 2025 | Press release

Reading & Leeds Announces Biggest Camping Overhaul in UK Festival History

Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds Festival have announced details of a historic overhaul to its camping offering - marking the biggest site change at the festivals in its 55 year history and the biggest shake-up that UK festival camping...more

10 Feb 2025 | Press release

Night Time Economy Market Tracker Report: £153.91bn Industry Faces Growth Slowdown Amid Rising Costs & Tax Increases

  The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and CGA by NIQ have launched a quarterly Night Time Economy Market Monitor. This new report series highlights the economic impact, challenges, and evolving consumer trends in the hospitality industry.The New Night Time Economy...more

08 Feb 2025 | Press release

Concord Music Publishing announces promotions of Kourtney Kirkpatrick and Matt Turner

Promotions from Concord Music Publishing’s Sync and A&R team in Nashville boost recent successes from the catalog and active roster    Today, Concord Music Publishing announced two notable executive level promotions in the Nashville office: Kourtney Kirkpatrick has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Synchronization and Matt Turner has...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Downtown Music Publishing Extends Partnership with Tori Amos Amid Raft of Renewals

Downtown Music Publishing Build on Success with Expanded Partnerships Worldwide, including Tori Amos, Tim Kellett, Remi Kabaka, Les Claypool and the heirs of George Gershwin Downtown Music Publishing announces a raft of expansions and renewals - including a renewed partnership with...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Warner Music Group and Spotify Announce New Multi-Year Agreement to Fuel Growth and Innovation

Spotify and Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG) today announced a new, multi-year agreement, which covers both Recorded Music and Music Publishing. Through the deal, the two companies strengthen their joint commitment to artists, songwriters, and fans, as well as the...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Teddy Swims signs with Peermusic Neighbouring Rights

Peermusic, the world’s largest global independent music publishing and neighbouring rights company with 39 offices in 32 countries and 200+ employees worldwide, has signed Teddy Swims to collect worldwide (ex-U.S.) for his neighbouring rights, as announced today by Mary Megan Peer, CEO, Peermusic.   From...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Coca-Cola and KOKO join forces to deliver an unparalleled 360-degree platform, amplifying emerging artists to a global stage

A new, class-leading Coca-Cola Recording Studio backstage at KOKO enables artists to create, record and perform, all in one building   A new Coca-Cola Box in the iconic KOKO theatre will provide music fans exclusive access to live performances from their favourite...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

The Record Store Day 2025 list has landed!

  A bumper year of exclusives and limited editions to support the UK’s independent record shops  Oasis joins this year’s Record Store Day lineup with Time Flies…(1994-2009), reissued on vinyl for the first time since 2010, just ahead of Oasis Live ’25!  Taylor Swift...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Tickets for Good expands into Europe, partners with ie:Music for Robbie Williams 2025 tour

Tickets for Good (TfG), a mission-based company offering affordable event tickets to healthcare workers, teachers, charity staff and other people facing economic barriers to access, has expanded into the Netherlands following successful launches in the UK and US.  Companies supporting the launch include Greenhouse Talent, ID&T,...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Warner Music Group acquires controlling stake in Tempo Music

Catalog includes rights in songs recorded by Bruno Mars, Twenty One Pilots, Adele, Wiz Khalifa, Florida Georgia Line, and Lukas Graham Providence Equity Partners to Remain a Minority Investor Warner Music Group Corp. ("Warner Music Group" or "WMG") today announced that it...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Jane Dyball appointed Chair of PRS Foundation and newly elected Trustees announced

  Jane Dyball appointed PRS Foundation’s Chair of the Board of Trustees Newly elected Trustees Brahim Ait Ben Larbi, Jonathan Jackson and Grace Goodwin also announced   The award-winning UK charitable funder of new music, PRS Foundation – which is celebrating 25 years of investing in...more

07 Feb 2025 | Press release

Dina LaPolt, Entertainment Attorney, Activist and Industry Trailblazer, Breaks New Ground with the Launch of LaPolt Media

Pre-Order Now Available for LaPolt's Upcoming Book (October 7) and Podcast Launch (Spring 2025)   Dina LaPolt, the powerhouse attorney, advocate, and founder of LaPolt Law, has announced the launch of her newest venture, LaPolt Media. This new endeavor will focus on...more

06 Feb 2025 | Press release

Fallow Festival Fund launched at Festival Congress

AIF and Citizen Ticket partner to support struggling festivals. Call issued for financial or service donations to help events return. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) and Citizen Ticket have partnered to create the Fallow Festival Fund, a new package to support...more

06 Feb 2025 | Press release

AIF calls for CMS Select Committee inquiry into UK festivals

Rallying cry issued to festivals promoters, freelancers and suppliers at 2025 Festival Congress. Campaign for inquiry backed by NOQ Group. 78 UK festivals fell in 2024, with 5 having already cancelled this year. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has called for the...more

06 Feb 2025 | Press release

Bucks signs CLAVIS 7EVEN to worldwide deal

Bucks Music Group has signed rapper, singer/songwriter, instrumentalist and producer CLAVIS 7EVEN to an exclusive worldwide music publishing deal. Born in Congo and raised in Wolverhampton, CLAVIS 7EVEN has been dubbed one of the most compelling voices in the new wave...more

12 Feb 2025

  • Lyor Cohen addresses Kanye West in an open letter (see News)

11 Feb 2025

  • Let’s stop talking about emerging technologies (see Comment)

10 Feb 2025

  • Chappell Roan hits back at criticism over Grammys speech; Ivors Academy supports calls for the industry to protect the future of artists (see News)

  • Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl show was one big tease (see News, Reviews)

07 Feb 2025

  • Warner Music Group: Spotify and Tempo deals, plus financial results (see Business)

  • A look at Spotify's future growth (see Analysis)

06 Feb 2025

  • Are songs reaching one billion streams faster than ever? (see Analysis)

05 Feb 2025

  • Spotify reports first annual profit, subscriber numbers surge (see Business)

04 Feb 2025

  • Lucian Grainge: "Streaming 2.0 era has arrived" (see News)

03 Feb 2025

  • How two strangers turned around Warner (see Features)

  • All the Grammy winners and news (see News)

31 Jan 2025

  • The unflattening of music (see Comment)

  • Tributes to Marianne Faithfull, who died yesterday (see Features)

30 Jan 2025

  • MLC Spotify lawsuit dismissed, bundled royalties unchanged (see News)

  • Featured Artists Coalition announces UK Artist Touring Fund (see News)