2026
9
UK Music Market Report 2026
2026-09-30T16:02:01+00:00
REP4829221F_5333_4E40_A922_1F53337E402F
2195
196727
[{"name":"Media","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/media"},{"name":"Market Intelligence Reports","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/market-intelligence-reports"},{"name":"UK","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/uk-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
Nearly a third of 16-34 year olds currently pay for membership of a music artist's fan club, with many such schemes offering presale ticket access for tours, exclusive events and…
UK
Media
simple

UK Music Market Report 2026

Nearly a third of 16-34 year olds currently pay for membership of a music artist's fan club, with many such schemes offering presale ticket access for tours, exclusive events and limited edition merch.

Trusted by leading global brands

Amazon logo
Deutsch brand logo
waitrose
Bauer-Media-Group
mediacom-logo-e1438678858172 (1)
VML Logo
Epsilon Logo
VocaLink_Mastercard_logo-PNG-1
Amazon logo
Deutsch brand logo
waitrose
Bauer-Media-Group
mediacom-logo-e1438678858172 (1)
VML Logo
Epsilon Logo
VocaLink_Mastercard_logo-PNG-1
4.5 stars
Source: G2.com, Inc.
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for music industry income
    • Opportunities
    • Streaming-led live showcases can boost new artist discovery
    • Pair physical collectibles with seamless digital ecosystems
    • Disrupt platform lock-in with data portability and interactive fandom
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Market size and forecast
    • Industry income expansion will be reliant on continued growth in streaming revenues
    • Graph 1: music industry income by segment, 2015-25
    • Graph 2: CD and LP industry income, 2015-25
    • Music industry income will approach £1.7 billion in 2031, but growth rates are set to slow
    • Graph 3: value of total music industry income, 2021-31
    • Market segmentation
    • Streaming revenue will reach £1.3 billion, but growth rates are slowing in a mature market
    • Graph 4: value of the music streaming market, 2021-31
    • Digital downloads are a small segment after years of streaming growth, and will account for just 1% of industry revenues in 2031
    • Graph 5: value of digital music download sales, 2021-31
    • Physical music revenues will grow further as vinyl thrives and fans embrace collectibles
    • Graph 6: value of physical music sales, 2021-31
    • Music streaming market share
    • Spotify continues to have a clear lead in the streaming market
    • Spotify continues expand global subscriptions, but growth of paying customers is stalling in European markets
    • Graph 7: paid music streaming subscriptions, 2026
    • Music streamers are looking to bundles and joint plans, with solo prices rising
    • Gen Z paying subscribers are tied to the Spotify platform, despite their preference for the Apple ecosystem
    • Graph 8: paid music streaming subscriptions (select), by generation, 2026
    • Market drivers
    • People are still feeling the high cost-of-living, but music streaming subscriptions have become a near essential for many younger Brits
    • Graph 9: CPI inflation rate, 2021-26
    • Mobile data plans and infrastructure improvements have been driven by the volume of music and video streaming
    • Graph 10: total mobile data use (exabytes), 2015-25
    • Graph 11: mobile data traffic, by technology, 2021-25
    • Technology ownership has changed how people listen to music both in and out of the home
    • Graph 12: personal ownership of technology, 2026
    • Graph 13: personal or household ownership of technology (NETs), 2026
    • The popularity of voice-controlled smart speakers is a barrier for smaller music streaming brands
    • Graph 14: household ownership of voice-controlled smart speakers, by generation, 2026
    • UK concerts and festivals produce three times as much revenue as the streaming and physical music market
    • UK Government unveils plans to boost the music industry
    • The growing use of AI is making new legislation vital in the UK music industry
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Music listening habits
    • Free music streams are as common as listening on paid platforms, while radio is still playing a major role
    • Graph 15: methods of listening to music in the last three months, 2026
    • Younger Brits are used to streaming models, but platforms cannot be complacent over loyalty
    • The focus on headphones brings opportunity for evolving audio performance
    • Digital purchasing and streaming
    • Over half of Brits have paid for music in the last three months
    • Younger Brits are paying for streaming platforms, but growth is stalling
    • Graph 16: digital music purchasing activity, by generation, 2026
    • Bundle music streaming platforms with popular video streaming services for wider reach
    • The majority of younger music fans are sharing streaming subscriptions
    • Graph 17: “I share a music streaming subscription (eg Spotify Premium Duo, Spotify Premium Family)”, by generation, 2026
    • Graph 18: rising prices of streaming music subscriptions have caused me to cancel a subscription in the last 12 months, by generation, 2026
    • Growth in physical music
    • Despite the prevalence of streaming, younger Brits maintain a desire for physical music
    • Gen Z are now the biggest purchasers of vinyl music
    • Vinyl fills the gap in tangible, shareable images that streaming has left lacking
    • Graph 19: reasons for buying physical music in the last three months, 2026
    • New music discovery
    • There is scope for streaming platforms to improve their support for new music discovery
    • Graph 20: methods of new music discovery in the last three months, 2026
    • Showcase playlists chosen by artists to help drive discovery without algorithms
    • Younger music fans are looking for music discovery away from streaming platforms
    • Live music events
    • The UK has a vibrant live music scene, but rising costs could risk attendence frequency
    • Graph 21: “I have paid for a ticket to a live music event in the last 12 months”, by generation, 2026
    • Partner with small music venues to engage music communities
    • There is demand for high tech AR concerts, but success will be in their rarity
    • Graph 22: “I would be interested in augmented reality concerts (eg ABBA Voyage)”, by generation, 2026
    • Paying fandoms
    • Ticketed live streams can boost engagement with younger fans who cannot attend gigs
    • Live streamed gigs can be a powerful tool for artists and streaming services
    • Engage younger music fans with limited edition merch and collectibles
    • Younger Brits are twice as likely to be paying for access to musician’s fan clubs
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Deezer launches AI filtering feature to scan all music streaming platforms
    • Music streaming services are having to react to the volume of AI songs being added to platforms
    • There is strong demand across demographics for streaming platforms to have a “no-AI” mode
    • Spotify partners with Meta’s Muse AI agent following deals with ChatGPT and Claude
    • Spotify launches Fresh Finds Forward but further support for smaller artists is needed
    • Physical spaces and experiences could be an important growth area for streaming brands
    • Qobuz partners with independent music retailer Rough Trade
    • Smart speaker brands are upgrading to AI assistants for more conversational controls
  5. APPENDIX

    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (total)
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (music streaming)
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (digital downloads)
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (physical music)
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Consumer research questions
    • UK generation groups
    • Abbreviations and terms
Download Report Summary

"Growth in the streaming market will continue to slow, with greater reliance on price rises and advertising revenue. Physical music has rebounded, largely as a supplementary market, with strong demand for collectible products from favourite artists."

Adrian Reynolds, Associate Director

Adrian Reynolds, Associate Director

Nearly a third of 16-34 year olds currently pay for membership of a music artist’s fan club, with many such schemes offering presale ticket access for tours, exclusive events and limited edition merch. Particularly for bigger artists, this could lead to the introduction of additional fee super-fan tiers on streaming platforms.

There is no doubt that AI is having a massive impact on the music industry, with a high volume of AI songs uploaded to streaming platforms daily. Over half of paying subscribers say they would welcome the option to exclude AI music from the platform. This could become a key feature of paid subscriptions, encouraging more to upgrade from free, ad-supported tiers.

When it comes to music discovery, there is desire for more human connection and real world events. Over half of people are interested in playlists selected by their favourite artists, highlighting the desire for guidance from those in the industry that people already respect. There is also scope for streaming brand-led concerts and festivals that showcase new artists to a larger audience.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Market size and forecast for music industry income, with revenues set to pass £1.4 billion in 2026, having only passed the £1 billion mark in 2021
  • The leading paid music streaming services, with the majority of paying customers still tied to Spotify
  • Methods of listening to music, where radio and physical music still play a major role despite the prevalence of both free and paid-streaming
  • Music purchasing activity, with 40% of people having paid for streaming platforms and 18% having paid for physical music in the last three months
  • The leading methods of new music discovery, with many relying on streaming algorithms and platform tools, but friends and family still playing a major role
  • Attitudes towards music, where younger music fans are keen purchasers of merch, and most paying streaming customers want an option to exclude AI content

£ 2,195 excl. Tax
Secure direct checkout
Instant PDF download
Portal access included
Need help deciding? Get in touch

Trusted by global industry leaders

4.5 stars
Source: G2.com, Inc.
Wincanton logo

When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.

They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.

So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.

Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
VML logo

We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.

Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.

Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
Epsilon logo

We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.

By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.

For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.

Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
Amazon logo

Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.

Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.

Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
VocaLink logo

We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.

As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.

We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.

 

Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
Jackman logo

At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.

Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Mediacom logo

Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.

It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.

Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Bauer Media Group logo

We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.

They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.

Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
Tenth Wave logo

Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.

When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.

The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.

Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
Abacus logo

There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.

However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.

Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Waitrose & Partners logo

We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.

Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.

Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Deutsch logo

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch