• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
    • Upcoming Concerts
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu

Nielsen: 75 Percent Listen Online, Radio Still Leads Discovery

September 16, 2015/by Sarah Skates

nielsen graph 2 According to the new Music 360 2015 report, Nielsen’s fourth annual study of U.S. music listeners, 91% of the national population listens to music, spending more than 24 hours each week tuning into their favorite tunes. While total listening figures are roughly the same as last year, the report shows changes in the ways people access music.

75% of Americans listen to music online in a typical week, up nearly 12% from last year. While Americans streamed more than 164 billion on-demand tracks across audio and video platforms in 2014, they streamed 135 billion in the first half of 2015 alone, up more than 90% from the same period last year.

Music listening is becoming more mobile, with 44% report using smartphones to listen to music in a typical week, a 7% increase over last year. Listening on desktop computers decreased.

Radio continues to be the No. 1 source of music discovery in the U.S, with 61%. Word of mouth is also important, particularly for teens (65%).

Twelve percent of respondents say they discover music through live events, up more than 70% from last year. Americans spend more than half of their music related expenditures on events each year, and 50% of Americans say they’ve attended a live event in the last year.

Eleven percent of Americans have attended a music festival in the past 12 months, with Millennials comprising 44% of all festival goers.

More from Nielsen here.

nielsen graph 1

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Sarah Skates
Sarah Skates
Sarah Skates has been a writer and editor in the music business since 2004. She is a longtime contributor to MusicRow.
Sarah Skates
Latest posts by Sarah Skates (see all)
  • Parker McCollum Sells Out Ascend Amphitheater, Celebrates Double Platinum Single - May 23, 2022
  • CMA Presents Triple Play Awards, Honors Bob DiPiero - May 13, 2022
  • Breakout Artist, Nashville Native Jelly Roll To Headline Bridgestone Arena - May 13, 2022
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10171557/nielsen-graph-2.jpg 530 570 Sarah Skates https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Sarah Skates2015-09-16 11:02:142015-09-16 11:02:14Nielsen: 75 Percent Listen Online, Radio Still Leads Discovery
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

RECENT NEWS

  • Jo Dee Messina To Release First New LP In A Decade This Summer March 13, 2026
  • Lee Thomas Miller, Eric Paslay, More Among ‘Sac Song & Wine Series’ Lineup March 13, 2026
  • Industry Ink: Megan Moroney, Riley Green, JT Harding, Forrest Frank, Lyrics For Life March 13, 2026
  • MusicRow Weekly (CountryBreakout Awards, News, Charts, More…) March 13, 2026
  • McCoy Moore Gets Nostalgic On ‘Sunshine State’ Set For May March 13, 2026
  • Alana Springsteen Slates Sophomore Album ‘I Hope This Helps’ For May March 13, 2026
  • Vince Gill Unveils ‘Lonely’s What I Do’ EP March 13, 2026
  • MusicRow Reveals 2026 CountryBreakout Award Winners March 13, 2026
  • Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton Top The MusicRow Radio Chart March 13, 2026
  • Ashley Cooke Unveils ‘the ace sessions’ March 13, 2026

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2026 Music Row Enterprises, LLC - Enfold WordPress Theme by Kriesi
Website hosted by Nashville web design company, All My Web Needs.
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Instagram
Scroll to top