Music Intelligence Report 2026 - Consumption Trends

CONSUMPTION

TRENDS

Scenes on SoundCloud shape the future of music. Formed through social interactivity on the platform, they reflect shared cultural and sonic inspiration and are hotbeds of creative collaboration. They are beacons for fans looking for what’s next in music.

Share of listening that is current vs. rest of industry in the united states

the gist:

Compared to the rest of the industry, US SoundCloud users spend nearly twice as much of their listening time with new music. (43% on SoundCloud vs ~24% industry.)

PERCENTAGE OF LISTENING ON SOUNDCLOUD DEVOTED TO CURRENT MUSIC

the gist:

While listeners sought out new music, they also kept tried-and-true favorites on repeat more last year, as music older than 18 months accounted for a greater share of listening — a trend observed across the industry.

In the UK, music older than 18 months accounted for a greater share of listening last year, too. But new hits in minimal house, UK garage and hip-hop powered listening of current music.