Edison: Spotify #1 Source for 12+ Music Discovery

Edison Research has released the Music Discovery Report, detailing how important following music is to the U.S. population 12+ as well as what specific platforms audiences use to stay up to date with music. The report also tracks how platform usage has evolved over time.

The never-before-seen findings were presented in a webinar led by Alex Bargiacchi, Senior Director at Edison Research.

Top findings for music discovery include: 

•  Almost one half of the U.S. population 12+ say it’s important to them to keep up to date with music: 14% of Americans 12+ say it is very important to keep up to date with music and 35% say it is somewhat important. 

• Spotify has grown over time to be one of the most influential platforms for music discovery: In 2016, 25% of Americans 12+ used Spotify to learn about music; today that number is almost double, as 48% of Americans 12+ use Spotify to learn about music. Spotify also leads all other platforms as the one source used most often to learn about music.
• Social media plays an integral role in music discovery for people age 12-34, especially compared to older age segments: Among Americans age 12-34 who say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to keep up to date with music, 63% use Instagram, 58% use TikTok, and 18% use Facebook as sources. 
• Americans age 12-34 and those who identify as African American are the most likely to be dedicated music followers: Close to one-quarter of African Americans age 12+ say it is very important to keep up to date with music, followed by an additional 41% who say it is somewhat important. 

•  Word of mouth, YouTube, and AM/FM radio continue to play important roles in music discovery: Of Americans age 12+ who say it is “very” or “somewhat” important to keep up to date with music, 82% use friends/family, 70% use YouTube, and 50% use AM/FM radio as sources to do so.