Music on Smart Speakers and Millennial Streamers

Following our insights so far this week into music streaming, today we look to the future of music streaming – with a specific focus on voice-controlled assistants/speakers’ built-in ability to directly stream music to consumers.

Millennials are the most passionate generation when it comes to music streaming, with 68% engaging. But just as the music-streaming business is experiencing continued user growth, the interest in smart voice-controlled devices (e.g. Amazon Echo, Google Home) is trending quickly upwards, too, pointing at a potential to shake up the music streaming landscape. 

Two-thirds of Millennial Music Streamers say they currently use or are planning to purchase one of these smart devices, putting this group 9 percentage points ahead of the Millennial average for this figure across the globe.

Music streaming on these devices is already commonplace; Apple’s HomePod gives a direct route to Apple Music, while Spotify is accessed via Alexa on Echo, for example. If these companies develop further music specific skills for these devices, voice control could one day reign music streaming, and could be key to growth in this category of smart products.

Music Streamers are defined as internet users who say they stream music daily.