MBW's Stats of the Week is a series that highlights noteworthy data in the global music industry. The Stat of the Week is supported by the music data analytics firm, Chartmetrics.
Germany’s Streaming Growth
The volume of streams produced annually by Germany, the world’s fourth-largest music market, has increased by 11-fold% year-on-year in 2024.
New data from GfK Entertainment and the German Association of the Music Industry (BVMI) indicates that the market generated 236 billion streams last year, leading to an average of 19.6 billion streams per month in 2024.
Following the US, Japan, and the UK, Germany ranks as the fourth largest recorded music market globally.
236 billion stream statistics reported by BVMI encompass both ad-funded and paid streams lasting 31 seconds or longer from January to December 2024.
The organization observed that market flow volumes have more than doubled over the past six years, with approximately 108 billion flows recorded in Germany in 2019.
On December 24, 2024, BVMI noted that it was the “most broadcast day ever” in Germany, with 927 million flows recorded on that day alone—approximately 100 million more than the same day in 2023.
Significant Market Trends
The combined statistics for ad-supported and premium streaming volumes will be released prior to the German recorded music market’s earnings report for the fiscal year 2024, traditionally published by BVMI at the end of the first quarter.
In July, BVMI reported that in the first half of 2024, Germany generated Euro1.136 billion euros (approximately $1.23 billion) in retail sales from music streaming, CD and vinyl sales, and downloads. This reflects a growth of 7.6% y/y.
According to BVMI, German-language pop music was one of the fastest-growing genres in streaming volume in 2024, with a 15% increase compared to the previous year.
Moreover, the volume of Country streams rose by 58% y/y, and the people genre grew by 26% y/y, largely attributed to artists such as Beyonce, Dasha, Shabuzi, and Hozier.
BVMI’s latest report highlighted that “current songs are particularly popular among music lovers” in Germany, with music from the 2020s accounting for 56% of all streams last year (up from 52% in 2023).
Music from the 2010s contributed 26% to all streams in Germany in 2024, while music from 2000 to 2009 accounted for 8% of all streams in the market last year.
Contemporary German-language artists like Ailiva, Luciano, and Nina Chuba also gained significant popularity in Germany last year, according to BVMI.
BVMI pointed out that German-language artists comprised eight of the top ten most popular artists in the market this decade.
Commenting on the latest BVMI statistics, Dr. Florian Drücke, Chairman of the Board of Management of BVMI, stated: “The attractiveness of music streaming in Germany continues to grow significantly, which is impressively highlighted by the number of views.”
“The increasing success of German-speaking musicians in the streaming sector is a promising development.”
Florian Drücke
Dr. Drucke further emphasized: “The growing success of German-speaking musicians in the streaming sector is also a promising development.”
Dr. Matthias Gilot, Managing Director of GfK Entertainment, remarked: “There is currently only one direction for music streaming: always up.”
“The expansion of the German pop sector is particularly encouraging, given its extreme diversity, aided by exciting collaborations with hip-hop or dance groups.”
“Playlists were especially popular on Christmas Eve, with 927 million views, making it the most streamed day of all time, nearly 100 million streams higher than the previous year.”
Chartmetrics is an all-in-one platform designed for artists and music industry professionals, offering thorough streaming, social, and audience data to facilitate a successful music career.
Lucas focuses on the interaction between music and society. He specializes in how music influences and reflects cultures, analyzing the role of sound in social, political, and cultural events around the world.
