Music in interaction. IFPI “Engaging with Music” Report 2023

Music plays an important role in the lives of millions of people around the world. These are not only the sounds that accompany us every day, but also the culture, emotions, and inspirations that shape our experiences.

The 2023 IFPI Music Report is the largest study of its kind, providing a unique look at how fans around the world (over 43,000 respondents in 26 countries) discover, listen to, and engage with the music that is an integral part of their lives.

It is worth reading this report in its entirety and the conclusions it draws. It will undoubtedly allow each of us to discover even more of the diverse, dynamic, and extremely exciting world of music.

1. Global Snapshot of Music Engagement in 2023

The Engaging with Music report provides a global look at how fans interact with music. The report highlights the huge role that music plays in the lives of not only fans but every person.

Initially, it’s important to note that young people have been spending more time listening to music. In 2023, it was 20.7 hours each week, as opposed to 20.1 hours in 2022.

Young people determine how involved they are in music and what channel they use to experience music on a daily basis. Here are some interesting facts:

• 7% – Other Forms of Music Listening: This segment includes individuals who prefer methods other than traditional ones for listening to music. These could involve watching music videos on television, using video-on-demand services like Netflix, or simply sharing music with family and friends.
• 4% – Live Music: Although live music accounts for a smaller percentage, it still enjoys popularity among people. This includes concerts and live streams that enable participation in musical events from anywhere in the world.
• 9% – Purchased Music: There still exists a group of individuals who prefer to purchase music, whether it’s on CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, or in digital format. Although this number may be smaller compared to other forms, there are still enthusiasts of physical music media.
• 17% – Music on the Radio: Radio remains a popular source of music for many people. It could be live broadcasts, playing programs dedicated to music, or listening to radio stations online.
• 31% – Video Streaming: Video streaming, both in long and short forms, has become immensely popular among users. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok provide easy access to diverse music content.
• 32% – Audio Streaming: Undoubtedly, the largest share goes to audio streaming, including subscriptions and free versions of platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, or Melon. This form of music listening is gaining increasing popularity, providing access to a vast library of songs anytime and anywhere.

Such a diverse landscape of engagement with music confirms that music remains an important part of people’s lives around the world, regardless of their preferred forms of reception.

2. Man and music

The results of the collected data give us an interesting picture of people’s preferences and behaviors towards music. Here are some key points:

• 71%: The importance of music for mental health: The vast majority of respondents, as many as 71%, emphasize that music is important for their mental health. This confirms how important a role music plays in our everyday well-being and emotions.
• 57%: Access to music from around the world: More than half, or 57% of respondents, believe that it is important for them to have access to music from around the world. This proves the growing need to diversify and explore different musical cultures.
• 29%: Using illegal methods to access music: Nearly a third of respondents, 29% to be exact, admit to using illegal or unauthorized ways to listen to or obtain music. This is an important challenge for the entire music industry. This highlights the need for more education on legal ways to use music.

Taken together, these data show that music is still an important part of people’s lives around the world, but also highlight the need to develop legal and ethical methods of accessing it.

3. Streaming is king

The global audio streaming market continues to grow. Paid audio subscriptions allow audiences around the world to access unlimited music.

Young respondents provided three main reasons for subscribing to a music streaming service. Here they are:

1. No interruptions in listening to music from paid ads.
2. They can listen to what they want, whenever they want.
3. They have instant access to millions of songs.

As many as 73% of surveyed young people emphasize that they listen to music using licensed audio streaming services (subscription and advertising-supported). This confirms the strong interest of music streaming fans.

It is interesting to know how young people choose music to listen to via streaming:

• 63% of young people choose specific songs.
• 57% of young people choose specific artists.
• 42% of young people choose specific albums.
• 59% of young people choose their own playlists.

Summary

The “Engaging with Music” report published by IFPI in 2023 explores the global interest in music and how people around the world engage with music. The results of this study show that music continues to play an important role in the lives of millions of people, shaping their experiences and emotions.