Streaming services have sparked massive shifts in how people discover and consume music. One of the notable changes has been a move away from listening to full-length albums and toward singles and curated playlists. A survey of UK listeners by Deezer confirmed that trend.
The survey results found that 49% of respondents are listening to fewer full albums than they did a year ago. Other metrics supported that, with the average album listening in the UK landing at 17 minutes a day, compared with a global average of 26 minutes. Forty-two percent said they put their favorite tracks on shuffle or just played individual songs. This trend is most extreme among younger listeners: Deezer found 15% of music fans under age 25 have never listened to a full album.
Although the trend is toward playlists, there are listeners who stick with the album approach. Twenty-seven percent said they play albums in the order set by the artist. Live performances increased that interest in classic album formats, with 74% stating they are more likely to listen to an entire album after an artist’s concert.