The Canadian music landscape is continuing to shift toward streaming, largely driven by the actions of the younger generations, according to the Nielsen Music 360 Canada report. Streaming has near-total reach for young ears, with 93% of teens and 91% of millennials using the technology, compared with 71% of the general Canadian population. And, in defiance of common assumptions, these groups also showed willingness to pay for access. In both the teen and millennial age brackets, 34% of music listeners said they pay for a streaming subscription. Plus, 20% of teens and 16% of millennials said they were likely to begin paying for music in the next 6 months.
Nielsen also tracked specifics about what teen and millennial listeners stream. Playlists were more popular for the younger groups, with 98% of teens and 96% of millennials engaging with them, compared with 84% of the general Canadian music streaming population. Playlists that the individual had created were the most popular for daily listening, securing a 60% share for teens and 49% for millennials. About a third reported daily listening to playlists generated around listening habits (34% for teens and 31% for millennials).
The report also compared the choice of listening device. For teens in particular, music gadget usage was much higher. More than two-thirds (68%) of teens listen on smartphones, compared with 39% for the average music listener.
Even in the breakdown of the average Canadian’s weekly listening, streaming of audio and video took a large share. Although AM/FM radio had the largest individual portion at 33%, the different streaming options combined for a strong second place. On-demand music had a 15% share, streaming music videos had 9% and online streams of live radio had 4%.
