For years, Germany was one of the staunch holdouts, a market that continued to favor music listening on CDs rather than digital formats even as most markets become dominated by streaming. A recent survey shows that the region’s views are slowly changing, mostly among its younger generations.
A survey by Goldmedia in July 2017 found that 49% of respondents had increased their digital listening in the past year. In the 14-17 age bracket, digital listening was up 62% and for ages 18-23 the digital increase was 55%. The lowest increase was among the oldest group of respondents, aged 60-69, but even in this demographic, 40% of respondents said they listened more on digital than they had the year prior.
The most popular digital audio service from the survey results was simulcast radio, defined here as “1:1 transmission of classic FM/DAB+ on the internet.” It topped the list with 71% saying they used that technology. Video streaming services came second with 56% and music streaming third at 55%.
Finally, the study showed that the digital listening trend in Germany is happening on mobile. Goldmedia’s study found 34% of respondents are listening to digital music on their mobile devices, with projections that the figure will reach 40% by 2019.