Here’s How People Say They Discover New Music

May 6, 2021

YouGov How US Adults Discover New Music May2021When it comes to sources for discovering new music, US adults are most likely to turn to radio, and music apps such as Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music. This is per a survey of almost 8,000 US adults from YouGov.

Some 35% of respondents say they discover new music on the radio/satellite radio. This is the same number of respondents who cite music apps as a place they discover new music. These two listening platforms have remained popular with listeners, with Nielsen finding that radio’s reach among US adults stands at 88%, and data from eMarketer showing that streaming platforms like Spotify have seen an overall increase in listeners over the past few years.

One-third of respondents say that they encounter new music via movies and TV shows. And, while recommendations from friends and family remain the most trusted source for information about brands, when it comes to discovering new music, it falls further down the list — some 31% say they learn about new music this way, close to the same number who say they discover music on social media (30%).

Taking a closer look at where adults across demographics are discovering music, some differences emerge. Younger adults (ages 18-34) are far more likely than average to discover new music through music apps (58%), social media (53%) and movies/TV shows (44%), but are less likely to discover music on the radio (23%). The opposite is true for the oldest adults (55+), with 41% saying they discover music on the radio and only 21% through music apps.

In terms of income level, those in the highest income bracket ($80K+) are much more likely to discover new music on the radio, via music apps and through recommendations from friends/family than those in lower income brackets. And, along gender lines, women (38%) are more apt to discover new music on the radio than men (32%).

More information can be found here.

About the Data: Findings are based on a March 2021 survey of 7,978 US adults.

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