Share Of 'Owned Music' Falling

In 2014, 18% of all audio consumption came from music that people owned, whether it be their CDs, owned digital files, vinyl, cassettes, or any other format.  At the end of 2018, this share has fallen to 12%.  The loss of six ‘shares’ of listening constitutes the biggest change, up or down, documented byShare of Ear® to date.

In 2014, Edison Research began the Share of Ear survey, the first study designed to measure the total audio space.  According to Edison Research President Larry Rosin, “Having now completed five full years of this rolling study, we can look at the biggest changes over this dynamic time for audio. When we look at the totality of the information, the single biggest change we have seen is the decline in ‘owned music’.”

Not only has the share of “owned music” fallen significantly, but the number of people who listen at all to this category in a given day is down by the same percentage.  Five years ago 38% of all Americans ages 13 and older listened to owned music at some point each day, today this has also fallen by one-third to 25%. Naturally, these declines are accompanied by increases in other ways for people to consume music.