Baby Boomers are famously important when it comes to the music created in that generation. But a new study shows that the 55+ demographic actually listens to substantially less music than their 16-34 cohorts. In fact, Millennials — loosely defined as those born in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s — listen to 75.1% more music on a daily basis, according to data shared this morning with Digital Music News.
The Entertainment Retail Association (ERA) and the British Phonographic Industries (BPI), surveyed approximately 1,000 people to get a feel for their daily listening habits. In one question, the group asked participants to estimate how many hours of music they listen to on an average day: 0-2 hours, 3-6 hours, or 7+ hours a day.e 55+ demographic, which showed 80 percent listening to between 0 and 2 hours daily. Just 20 percent self-reported listening to more than 3 hours, with only 2 percent climbing past 7 hours daily.
In total, the Millennial survey group reported about 3.1 hours of music listening daily, with Boomers showing about 1.77 hours. That means that Millennials are listening to 75.1% more music on any given day, according to the survey results.
This may go far beyond listening hours: according to a chart analysis conducted last month, chart-topping hits are now lasting far longer than they did back in the 60s and 70s. Far less musicians are getting into the “one hit wonder” status that became an industry standard in the late 80s. Millennials are giving those artists more loyalty and investing emotionally, giving them a longer ride on the train of fame.
Each generation focuses on different values when it comes to recorded music, with consumer habits, preferences, and relationship focuses different with each age group.
The Baby Boomer generation experiences music in a way that relates to their lives, their values, and to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. The Millennial generation tends to focus more on mainstream content instead of specific musical genres. Millennials also use music as a way to enhance certain parts of
their lives, rather than feeling fully represented by the music of their generation.
This might be why the percentages of listening hours between Millennials and Boomers are so varied. Are boomers not relating to new music enough to bother listening?
