IFPI 2021 report: SFV apps shake up India’s music mix

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) which represents the recording industry worldwide, has released the Engaging with Music 2021 report that measures how 43,000 people across 21 countries – the largest study of its kind – engage with music. The data has been collated between June and July 2021 across 21 countries and gathered the views of 43,000 respondents aged between 16-64. Panels were nationally representative in each country.

Closer home

As part of the report, a dedicated section on India reveals that music engagement in the country is incredibly diverse. Local genres lead the race with the emergence of newer formats – such as short form video (SFV)  apps – also formed a significant part of the music mix. Here are some highlights from the report focused on India as a market -:

  • Bollywood followed by Punjabi and then Indian classical music (Carnatic, devotional, Hindustani, etc) are the most popular genres in the country. International (dance and EDM) swooped in at the bottom of the genre totem pole.
  • On average, Indians spend 21.9 hours listening to music each week.
  • About 74% of the time spent on short form video apps involved music dependant videos such as lip syncing.
  • As compared to 38% in 2019, about 67% of the respondents used a paid streaming service.
  • A whopping 68% of the Indian respondents said they used unlicensed or illegal ways to listen to music.
  • A staggering 96% said that music alleviated pandemic induced mental health issues.

In a statement, Frances Moore, IFPI Chief Executive, said that the report, Engaging with Music 2021 tells the story of how fans around the globe are connecting with the artists and music they love in ways never before imagined, with the rapid emergence of short form video, livestreaming, and in-game experiences, all enhanced by people’s love of music. “Record companies have enabled artists to develop their vision, licensed an abundance of music tracks to a multitude of platforms, and harnessed new technologies to pave the way for music fans around the world to connect with artists in these growing, and exciting ways,” said Moore adding, “The freedom of record labels to license music to these new and immersive experiences is crucial to the future growth of the entire music ecosystem.  We are campaigning worldwide to ensure governments maintain or implement a fair environment in which such commercial deals can be made.”

Globally speaking

Here are a few worldwide highlights from the Engaging with Music 2021 report -:  

  • Diversity – In addition to well-known genres, over 300 different genres were named by at least one person in the 43,000-person study as music they typically listen to, including gqom, axé, and hokkien. This reflects the rich, diverse, and highly competitive music landscape fans now enjoy around the world.
  • Innovation – About 68% of the time spent on SFV apps involved music-dependent videos such as lip syncing and dance challenges. Furthermore, one in three (29%) said they had watched a music livestream such as a concert in the last year.
  • Increased time – Fans are enjoying more music today than ever before, on average spending 18.4 hours a week listening to music (up from 18 hours in 2019) – the equivalent of listening to 368 three-minute tracks.
  • Subscription growth – Time spent listening to music through subscription audio streaming grew 51%, as music fans continue to embrace streaming for the access and autonomy it provides to choose the artists and the music that they love.
  • Music matters – Music makes a powerful contribution to wellbeing, providing comfort and healing to many – especially younger people – in challenging times. About 87% said that music provided enjoyment and happiness during the pandemic. About 68% of 16-19s said new releases from their favourite artists helped them during the pandemic.
  • Piracy and illegal downloads – The availability of unlicensed music remains an issue for the music ecosystem and the threat continues to evolve. Almost one in three (29%) of people had used illegal or unlicensed methods to listen to or download music, and 4% had used unlicensed social media platforms for music purposes.

The IFPI is a non-profit members’ organisation founded in Italy in 1933 with more than 8,000 participants. The organisation operates in over 70 countries with more than 70 national groups and affiliated music licensing companies.

Visit IFPI’s resource centre for more details

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