MBW’s Stat Of The Week is a series in which we highlight a single data point that deserves the attention of the global music industry. Stat Of the Week is supported by Cinq Music Group, a technology-driven record label, distribution, and rights management company.
MBW has been following Twitch’s evolving role in the music industry closely over the past few years.
In 2020, Twitch was making headlines due to music copyright issues on its platform, but that same year became a key destination for live streaming activity for musicians when concerts were put on hold due to the pandemic.
By November 2021, Twitch had launched an artist incubator program called The Collective, and announced that it would be working with partners including Amazon Music, instant messaging and digital distribution platform Discord, DistroKid, Rolling Stone, TuneCore, and UnitedMasters.
Now, a new report from Twitch and analytics platform Luminate claims to shed light on how the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform is driving music discovery in the US.
According to the new study, which aimed to quantify the value and influence of Twitch users on the music industry, one in three music listeners in the US now discover new music through Twitch.
Luminate says that the survey was conducted in Q4 2021, among over 2,300 consumers in the US aged 13-40, with a particular focus on both Twitch users and those who use Twitch specifically for music or music-related content.
Luminate and Twitch also report that 54% of those surveyed as part of the study said that they’ve discovered new music from Twitch streamers actively calling out songs or artists, or recommending them in the middle of a live stream.
Elsewhere in the study, it’s claimed that Twitch users spend 21% more time per week listening to music “than the average music listener” and that Twitch users spend “46% more of their hard-earned cash on music (per month) than the average music listener”.
Of those surveyed for the study, it’s reported that Twitch users make “over 10 times more direct-to-artists payments per month than the average music listener”.
Key genre-related findings from Luminate’s study were that, “Twitch users are 84% more likely to listen to EDM than the average music listener”, but that Twitch users” are far more diverse in weekly genre listenership than the average music listener with Heavy Metal listened to by over 61% of users, Classical by over 51%, Jazz by over 38% and K-Pop at 27% of users.
Hip hop, meanwhile, is listened to by 70% of Twitch users.
“Gaming and music are intrinsically linked, and much of the culture and fan behavior of our gaming community has resonated and found success with our music community.”
Geetha Mathews, Twitch
Geetha Mathews, Head of Music Strategy & Content at Twitch, said: “Gaming and music are intrinsically linked, and much of the culture and fan behavior of our gaming community has resonated and found success with our music community.
“We are fueling the passion of this leaned-in audience by surfacing a diverse range of creators who are incredibly talented but still under the radar, driving discovery of emerging artists.
“We aim to help these creators break through the noise by bringing their authentic selves to a massive global user base eager to connect and contribute.”
“This study provides a data-backed confirmation of Twitch’s invaluable and central role in the music industry.”
Matt Yazge, Luminate
Matt Yazge, Head of Research at Luminate, said: “Our goal as a data and insights company is, first and foremost, to act as a trusted, objective partner to other brands.
“This study provides a data-backed confirmation of Twitch’s invaluable and central role in the music industry, especially as a connector of gaming and music audiences and as a platform for artist discovery.
“It is a prime example that showcases how our research not only gives an accurate reflection of an entity’s influence in the industry, but also how that information can be helpful to the entire entertainment ecosystem.”
