Music Consumer Behaviour Q3 2018 YouTube Leads the Way But At What Cost?

The 20,000 Foot View:  This report presents music consumption data for            2018, with consumer data for US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Germany, Sweden and the UK.

Key Findings

• Radio listening            the most widespread music activity                       penetration and watching music videos            YouTube is second on           
• Across all            YouTube is the only streaming            to cross over to mainstream            more than            penetration)
• A generational            is present, with older consumers            on to legacy format and            consumers adopting streaming
• Streaming audio            is fragmented, with user playlists,            playlists, podcasts and streaming radio            all at            or below
• The car            the clear leader in terms            music listening location with            penetration            phone is highest among under           
• Free audio            is smaller than both YouTube            music radio in all markets,            in Sweden, home of Spotify
• In Mexico            music penetration is            for consumers            20–24, compared to            for music           
• Podcast penetration                       – as high as curated            penetration
• Podcast penetration            highest in stronger radio markets,            penetration at            in Canada and            though peaking at            in Sweden
• YouTube is            world’s most widely used streaming            app with            WAU penetration, far            of second placed Spotify on           
• Music video            supported label revenue was up            2017, compared to just            for            supported audio
• YouTube’s growth            at the expense of traditionally            services, both in terms of            and advertiser spend
• Spotify’s WAU            is markedly higher than Apple                      
• YouTube is            the bottom of the pack            terms of free-to-paid conversion, with                      
• Of the            freemium services, Spotify is top                       followed by Deezer on            and            on           
• Streaming video            its use case – binge            – but playlists are not            that for streaming music

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon, Amazon Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple, Apple Music, Deezer, Google, Google Play Music, Napster, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube