Today, IFPI released its 2018 Music Consumer Insight Report, an in-depth study of global music listening habits across 20 of the world’s largest music markets, including Canada, among music consumers aged 16-64.

“This year’s Music Consumer Insight Report tells the story of how recorded music is woven into the lives of fans around the world.  As it becomes increasingly accessible, it continues to be embraced across formats, genres and technologies,” said IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore in a release. “Record companies are working with their partners to sustain and develop these rich and diverse ways in which music is being enjoyed, ensuring that it continues on its exciting journey around the world.”

One of the key highlights from the report is the ubiquity of on-demand streaming. 86% of consumers globally are listening to music through an audio or video on-demand service. 56% of listeners in Canada engage with music through on-demand audio services, just slightly below the global average of 61%.

Within this high usage of on-demand streaming though, it is user-upload services that continue to dominate consumption. The report notes that globally, 47% of time spent listening to on-demand music is on YouTube, compared to 28% on paid audio streaming services and 20% on free audio streaming.

Music piracy also remains a significant issue, as 38% of music consumers reported obtaining music through methods that infringe copyright. 32% of consumers report obtaining music through stream ripping, making it the most dominant form of copyright infringement.

“However, this report also shows the challenges the music community continues to face – both in the form of the evolving threat of digital copyright infringement as well as in the failure to achieve fair compensation from some user-upload services,” said Moore. “Policymakers around the globe have been scrutinising these issues and increasingly acting to address them.”

Recent votes in the United States Senate and European Parliament have added even more urgency for Canadian policymakers to take similar action. Music Canada remains committed to working with the federal government to address the challenges hindering the proper functioning of our music marketplace, and to close the Value Gap in Canada.