Teens are big on streaming, smartphones and (sometimes) subscriptions

Teens and young adults are a desirable demographic for most businesses, and a new report from the Music Business Association and data partner LOOP examined their music listening and buying habits. On-demand streaming accounted for 51% of total listening time on a typical day for the 15-19 age group, compared to the 24% average across ages. The younger group only spent 12% of their average time with AM/FM radio, while 25% of the general population does.

Although streaming is of interest, teens had some quirks in the financial side of subscription listening. Eighteen percent of the general population said their premium access came through a free trial or a bundle deal, or they use somebody else’s account. For teens, that rate jumps to 24%; 11% said the subscription came with a purchase and 10% said they use somebody else’s account.

The teen group also showed a heavy preference for their smartphones, which they use for 41% of their listening time, while AM/FM receivers only held 11%. For the general population, phones took an 18% share and radio receivers had 33%.

Finally, the data pointed to YouTube as the top source of music discovery for the general population, beating out AM/FM. YouTube was the discovery platform of choice for 34% of the general population ahd 56% of the 15-19 group.