VMDO Consumer Insights Survey 2022: Music is even more important to Australians than pre-pandemic and pop music is most popular

Published 19 December, 2022

The Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) has released the latest results from the Music Habits survey, which seeks to understand the trends and habits of Australian music fans.

The research looks at music discovery, investment, attitudes and consumption, including across digital platforms, gigs, festivals and merchandise.

VMDO director, Jas Moore, highlighted that “The survey reveals that CDs are the most common music purchase (18%). However, CD music consumption is in decline, down 7% from 2019.”

Almost half (49%) of Australians say their favourite and preferred method to consume music is to stream free music, access free music videos or listen to paid music, which is up 6% from 2019.

Music is more important to Australians than pre-pandemic and pop music is most popular

The study found that 37% of Australians said that "music is my life, my number one passion” – this is up from 32% in 2019.

The biggest jump found that 54% of under 35s agreed that music was a central passion, which is up from 44% in 2019.

“Pop music is living up to its name – it is the most popular music genre in Australia. 59% of Australian adults say they regularly listen to pop music, while 20% claim it is their favourite genre,” said Moore.

Favourite music genres in Australia:

20% Pop music (23% of women and 16% of men)
13% Rock / indie rock
11% Country music (16% of men, 11% of women, 14% of regional and 9% of metro)
10% Top 40 / current hits
7% Hip-hop / rap (16% of 16-24 year olds)

Australians discover music via YouTube with a rise in social media

The Music Habits research highlights that 46% of Australians claim that finding new music is important to them, with that figure up to 70% for under 35s.

The standout music discovery method for Australians is YouTube (31%), followed by commercial radio (20%), music streaming services (18%), social media (17%) and TV and movie streaming (16%).

“Once discovered, 41% of Australians follow-up an artist and stream their music on YouTube, which is up from 25% in 2019,” said Moore.

The next popular follow-up actions were via paid music services at 22% (up from 17% in 2019) or free music services at 21%, (up from 14% in 2019).

Among those who discover music via social media, the survey showed that TikTok is growing and that Facebook is still important. The most popular platforms are:

61% Facebook
55% Instagram
50% TikTok
18% Twitter

Attendance at gigs is growing

“There doesn’t appear to be any reservation for music fans to be in large crowds. 18% say they are visiting stadiums at least a few times a year to watch live music, which is up from 13% three years ago,” said Moore.

Despite a pandemic that shut down live music attendance for months and months, the survey shows that live music has had a boom across every venue size:

18% Stadiums (up from 13% in 2019)
19% Arenas (up from 12% in 2019)
22% Mid-level venues (up from 16% in 2019)
27% Theatres (up from 22% in 2019)
34% Bars and clubs (up from 33% in 2019)

Australians listen to 1.9 hours music a day

On average, Australians listened to 1.9 hours of music every day, but this shifts dependent on age.

“The survey discovered that under 35s listen to an average of 2.3 hours of music a day, with 15% listening to more than 4 hours. While over 55s are less frequent consumers, with over 20% saying they don’t even listen to music most days,” said Moore.

Average music consumption:

16-34 year olds = 2.3 hours
35-54 year olds = 2 hours
55+ year olds = 1.5 hours

Overall, the spend on music is still recovering

Despite the increased enthusiasm for music, overall music spend in Australia is still recovering.

Spending on recorded music is up (+5%), while there is significant less invested in live music (-18%) and merchandise (-15%).

“Even though there is a lower spend on music, it’s pleasing to see that under 35s are the most willing to invest in music with 59% purchasing live music tickets, CDs or merchandise,” said Moore.

VMDO Music Habits research

At the end of July 2022, the Music Habits research surveyed 2,000 people through an online survey that discovered how Australians access and engage with music.

The Music Habits findings will shape future VMDO strategic priorities to develop and strengthen the Victorian music industry, including artists, managers and businesses who are creating significant cultural impact and economic value.

“We know that Victorian music businesses are experts at connecting with music fans. These new insights highlight our potential to engage deeper with music fans across Australia,” said Moore.

The Music Habits report is available on the VMDO website here