Music consumption trends 2026: Who's listening more - and what's driving discovery?
A YouGov study indicates that 21% of U.S. adults are listening to more music than a year ago, with Gen Z driving this trend. Streaming service recommendations and social media are the primary drivers for music discovery.
Why it matters
Understanding shifts in music consumption habits is crucial for the entertainment industry and digital marketing strategies.
Music is part of life for many Americans, with 84% of U.S. adults saying music is either "very" or "fairly" important to them. New YouGov Profiles data reveals the habits of music-fans, from who is listening more to how they're discovering new music.
Just over two in ten U.S. adults (21%) say they're listening to more music than they did a year ago. A smaller proportion, 13%, say they're listening to less of it, while 61% say their music consumption is about the same.
So, who are the Americans whose music consumption has increased over the past year, and how do they compare with the general adult population?
Most of the Americans listening to more music than a year ago are Gen Z
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