Study reveals that YouTube leads the way in new music discovery

According to a recent study by MIDiA Research, YouTube leads the way in new music discovery when compared to social media platforms such as Tik Tok and other dedicated streaming services.

With social media playing a significant role in our day to day lives, it would only make sense that some of the biggest platforms out there would have the first say in promoting artists and their music to a wider audience. Falling into that category, most would assume that Tik Tok would be leading the way in the discovery of new music, however, a recent study from MIDiA Research has revealed that it is in fact YouTube that takes the reigns on this matter, with the global video streaming service accounting for 52% of consumers to have listed their platform as a go-to when finding new music, with dedicated streaming platforms following at 40% and Tik Tok at 37%.

Findings that further illustrate how the depth of discovery is just as significant as the moment of when it occurs, MIDiA Research have made it quite clear that although social media expose audiences to new tracks on the constant, that does not necessarily guarantee deeper fan engagement. A finding also supported by the fact that almost half of the consumers this past month didn’t stream a song that they heard on social media, and with listeners aged 16-24 being in that specific demographic, this can been seen as a genuine concern of how impactful such platforms can be when focusing on an area such as music discovery. Moreover, Tik Tok as a platform in itself, and with how popular it actually is, struggles to convert casual viewers into dedicated fans, with a prime example being the fact that only 26% of users who discovered and followed an artist on Tik Tok, would go onto searching for more of that artist’s music. 

Adding to this, MIDiA Research also highlighted how social media is often not where music discovery begins, and despite 87% of people hearing new music on either Tik Tok or Instagram, more than half confirm that they would have already heard those tracks elsewhere. An indicator on how YouTube allows for further engagement, it comes to no surprise that new music discovery stems from their platform, as it provides far more than just short clips, through full songs, visuals and artist storytelling. Features that continue to make YouTube a fan favourite in more than one categories, this latest study confirms how curiosity may spark through social media, but YouTube is what leads the way in new music discovery, as the same curiosity turns into a wider connection for all involved. A debate that will continue to arise, be sure to also leave your own thoughts in the comments section!