In France, reggae music is more popular than in any other European country, according to Luminate’s 2024 Midyear Music Industry Report.
The genre is listened to more than R&B/Hip Hop and Jazz in the country. In Brazil, reggae leads the top three most listened-to genres compared to the rest of Latin America, whereas in Mexico, it is the third least popular (under-indexed). Luminate ranks reggae at No. 3 among Singaporean listeners when compared to other countries in Asia, with New Age and Traditional genres hovering above in listening taste.
In Brazil and Mexico, younger music listeners are streaming through paid subscriptions, discovering new music via streaming services, and attending concerts at a higher rate than the average listener.
Only recently reggae artists Sean Paul, Charly Black and Damian Marley earned new music certifications in Brazil.
The music consumption data statistics in the report come from the Luminate music consumption platform, which is informed by 500 sources, including major streaming platforms, mass merchant retailers, artist stores, and more, representative of 48 global markets.
Elsewhere in the report released on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, global on-demand audio streams have reached an unprecedented 2.29 trillion.
Luminate’s comprehensive analysis of the current state of the music industry offers critical insights into streaming, demographics, and the evolving preferences of global audiences.
Independent artists made up 62.1% of all artists who accumulated between 1M and 10M U.S. on-demand audio streams in the first half of 2024. More specifically, the share of indie artists who earned more than 500M on-demand audio streams increased by more than 2% in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of 2023.
Driven largely by the increasing accessibility and convenience of music streaming services, the fast-growing genre in the first half of the year is Latin.
The Latin share of U.S. on-demand audio (ODA) streaming grew by 0.51 percentage points in the first half of 2024 over the same period last year as the genre grew by 15.1% in ODA streaming.
TikTok remains the most-used short-form video platform among music listeners. However, other platforms like YouTube Shorts are catching up. The average U.S. consumer spends more of their leisure time engaging with short-form video platforms than on sports or reading. Listening to music tops the list of leisure activities, followed by engaging with short-form video, sports (watched, followed, and/or played), reading books, and listening to podcasts.
The usage of short-form video platforms by U.S. music listeners shows that TikTok maintains a significant lead from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024, while YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, IG Reels, IG Stories, and Snapchat are also popular choices, with noticeable growth in YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels usage.
Overall R&B/Hip Hop has the most streams so first half of the year in the U.S. surpassing 150 billion streams.
Country artist Zach Bryan, Sza (R&B/ Hip Hop), Bad Bunny (Latin), Taylor Swift (Pop) and Noah Kahan (Rock) are the to-artist in their respective genres having between 1 billion and 10 billion streams across their catalogs in 2024.
While top-tier artists maintain a significant share of the streaming market, there is a noticeable rise in mid-tier performers who are gaining traction with 29,253 artist reaching 1M to 10M audio On-Demand streams. When compared to the same period in 2023, that is 1414 more artists with 62.1 % of which are independents and 37.9% from major labels.
Likewise, 5222 artist earned between 10 million to 50 million streams which is 267 more than last year. This trend suggests a more diversified listening landscape where audiences are exploring a wider array of artists beyond the mainstream hits.
Impact of DSP Features
Digital Service Providers (DSPs) are playing a crucial role in shaping listening experiences through personalized playlists, algorithmic recommendations, and exclusive content. These features are not only enhancing user engagement but also driving the discovery of new music. Latin music fans are 38% more likely to consider additional content outside of music, such as videos, TV, and games, an important product feature. Hip-Hop fans, particularly those of SZA, are 22% more likely to value access to exclusive artist content on digital streaming platforms. Electronic and Dance music fans, especially those of Marshmello, are 40% more likely to regard access to global music and artists as a very important feature.
