Germany generated 213 billion streams in 2023 – 12% more than in 2022

The volume of streams generated in Germany hit 213 billion last year.

That’s according to new data published today (January 18) by GfK Entertainment and German Music Industry Association (BVMI), which report that the volume of streams in the market in 2023 was up 12% versus 2022 when 191 billion streams were achieved.

According to Dr. Mathias Giloth, Managing Director of GfK Entertainment, a new record was set on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2023) for the most streams ever in a single day in Germany, with almost 830 million streams generated that day alone.

BVMI/GfK’s report is based on paid and advertising-supported streams lasting 31 seconds or more for the period January to December 2023.

BVMI reports that the number of total streams generated in Germany, the world’s fourth-largest recorded music market, has almost doubled within five years.

In 2019 there were 108 billion streams.

BVMI notes that if you add up all the data since it started recording streaming volumes in 2013, the streams now add up to over a trillion.

BVMI reports that “current music” is “particularly popular” with listeners in Germany.

According to the report published today, music produced in the 2020s contributed more than half (52%) of all streams in Germany last year (see below).

Songs from the 2010s accounted for 30% of all streams in Germany in 2023, while the 2000s accounted for 8% of total streams. The previous decades totaled a combined 10%.

Meanwhile, BVMI says that local acts such as Ayliva, Luciano and Nina Chuba were “particularly well received” by listeners in Germany.

Nine of the ten most streamed artists with titles from this decade (that were streamed in 2023) were German-speaking, according to the report.

The dominance of local-language artists on streaming services is a trend we’ve been seeing in other global markets in recent years, including Italy and France.

Commenting on the trend in Germanyin 2023, BVMI CEO Dr. Florian Drücke suggested that despite local artists’ “obvious” popularity on streaming services in Germany, “many radio stations continue to have to ask themselves why German-language titles are not played to a similar extent”.

There were five German titles in the Top 10 of Germany’s Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2023.

“Audio streaming has deepened our relationship with music.”

Dr. Florian Drücke , BVMI

Dr. Florian Drücke , CEO of BVMI said (translated from German): “Audio streaming has deepened our relationship with music.

“Thanks to time- and location-independent access, it potentially shapes every situation in our lives, which is underlined by the significant increase in the number of measured streams to now 213 billion.”

Dr. Mathias Giloth , Managing Director of GfK Entertainment, added: “Music streaming via the various platforms has become firmly established in people’s everyday lives, is continuing to soar – and has even grown somewhat more strongly in 2023 than in the previous year.

“New records from acts like Udo Lindenberg, Apache 207 and Taylor Swift, as well as newcomers like Nina Chuba, impressively prove this.”

Recorded music revenues in Germany grew 6.6% YoY in the first half of 2023 according to BVMI.

In H1, Germany generated €1.056 billion (approx. $1.18bn), on a retail basis, from music streaming as well as from the sales of CDs, vinyl LPs and downloads.Music Business Worldwide