Music consumption decreases further – even during the pandemic

22 September 2020

Photo: Private

People in Germany listen to significantly less music than they did two years: That's one of the findings of the fifth wave of the study on music usage. In this German language interview with Universität Hamburg Newsroom Tim Schreiber, study director and Professor of Marketing and Media Michel Clement and doctoral researcher Michael Kandziora discuss this and other trends.

Key findings about changes in consumption compared to the previous year:

• Monthly spending on music nose-dived: for CDs by 25%, for concerts by 80%
• Spending on streaming services went up 22%: esp. Spotify and Amazon Music
• Weekly listening time decreased 1 hour 46 minutes for several reasons, including:
  • Widespread shift to a greater focus on consuming news
  • Reduction in commuting/travelling times, when they would often listen to music
  • Competition from other platforms e.g. TikTok

About the study: The music consumption study is a twice yearly panel survey carried out in six waves. The first wave was held in August 2018, the fifth wave completed in June 2020. In the study, a wide range of questions about music consumption are posed for different areas – from playing music to listening to purchasing music. As the same people are questioned throughout the study, the researchers can follow the exact developments of individual consumption over time. This method of data collection is especially advantageous in protecting against external shocks, such as COVID-19 pandemic.