Playlists are beating out albums for listenership, according to the latest study from the Music Business Association and LOOP. The survey results found that playlists account for 31% of total listening time across all demographics, compared with 22% for albums. Single tracks trounce both with a 46% share of total listening time, but that format is down from 52% in 2015. The release announcing the findings did not specify which digital and/or physical formats the album and track data included.
The Music Consumption study also asked about sources of audio content. YouTube was the most regularly used, with 42% saying they use the platform for at least five minutes of audio listening at least once a week. Pandora ranked second with 31%, followed by CDs at 22%.
This is also the second study from these organizations that points to a lack of interest in subscriptions. In the Music Consumption results, 42% of respondents said they were happy using freemium tiers for music access. A July survey found that teenagers in particular are using somebody else’s account for premium access or received their subscription in a free trial or bundle deal.