New Facebook report outlines the world's music streaming behaviour

It's no secret that younger consumers are all about discovering and sharing new music through social media and streaming, but what about older age groups? Do our listening habits change depending on the country? Are we connecting with artists on social media?

Facebook IQ and Accenture have cleverly put together a detailed report outlining the answers to our music behaviour questions, focusing on streaming habits around the globe.

The way in which social media users engage and interact with artists in particular is a relevant query for Facebook, and the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted how the music industry works.

From postponed gigs and cancelled festivals to live streaming via Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, things have rapidly changed for musicians.

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Facebook IQ's report incorporates responses from over 10,000 people within 10 different countries to gather comprehensive information on streaming platform usage and how artists can connect with consumers.

Unsurprisingly, 66% of the 18-24 age group in the UK mainly listen to music on streaming sites, compared with 27% of those aged 35 and over. However, just 40% in the UK and 43% of streaming users in Canada feel very satisfied with their ability to discover music.

In half of the countries surveyed, radio was the predominant way of listening to music. 78% of those in the US aged 35 and over regularly enjoy music from a number of different genres.

This openness toward genre exploration is especially strong in the UK, where 82% of those 35 and over consider themselves 'genre-agnostic', compared to 78% of those in Germany.

In the UK, 40% of people who mainly use streaming services feel very satisfied with their ability to discover new music, in contrast with 29% of those who favour radio.

In terms of data, 40% of 18–34-year-olds in Australia think algorithms are good at choosing music for them based on their tastes, compared with only 17% of those aged 35 and over.

In terms of connecting with artists and gaining a sense of accessibility, almost three-quarters of participants aged 35 and over in Mexico and Brazil said they want more intimate fan engagement. Roughly half of those in Japan, France and the US feel the same way.

Social media has transformed the relationship between young people and musicians. In the UK, 49% of 18–34-year-olds feel social media is helping them get to know artists better.In the US, 57% of 18–34-year-olds agreed with the power of these platforms.

Social media is also a way of discovering music-related news. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of music listeners in Australia who follow artists on Facebook and Instagram say they do so to keep up with artist news, and two-thirds of participants in the UK said the same.

Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify, said in the report that connecting on social media platforms with the artists themselves could become more common as a result of the global pandemic.

“Post-virus, people may crave music with a social experience as opposed to music just on its own.”