Music listening frequency in the U.S. 2019, by age group

As of June 2019, 68 percent of adults aged between 18 and 34 years old reported listening to music every day, and the majority of their older peers also enjoyed music with the same regularity. Daily music listening was far more commonplace among all respondents than weekly or monthly listening, with very few adults stating that they never listened to music or only did so one to two days per week. However, music consumption changed according to the age of respondents, and older generations were more likely to say that they did not listen to music at all.

How age affects music consumption

Despite the many genres and formats available (which in theory cater to every kind of music fan out there) music consumption does change with age. For example, the share of adults aged 18 to 29 years old who are avid music fans is far higher than for other age groups, and almost triple that of adults aged over 65. Similarly, rock ‘n’ roll and country/western music is far more popular among older generations, who have little enthusiasm for hip-hop and rap music, which are much more preferable among 16 to 19-year-olds.

It is not just a passion for music or a specific genre which changes, but also the way in which music is consumed. For example, studies have shown that the popularity of music streaming sources generally dwindles with age, and platforms like YouTube reach more adults aged under 25 years than older generations, whereas Baby Boomers are more willing to pay for music on vinyl records than Millennials or Gen Z respondents.