Smart speakers are revolutionizing the music market: new study reveals trends!

Smart speakers are revolutionizing the music market: new study reveals trends!

A current study by the University of Hamburg Business School has revealed that smart speakers, like the Amazon Echo, are increasingly influencing the music market. Lead author of the research, Levent Uyar, notes that smart speaker users listen to more than 20 hours of music per week on average. This compares to approximately 16 hours per week for users who do not own such a device.

The study, which surveyed 1,518 people from Germany about their listening habits, also shows that 73% of smart speaker users have paid streaming subscriptions. This is a significant increase compared to just 39% of non-users. The close connection between smart speakers and music streaming services could lead to these devices becoming central platforms in the music streaming market and changing the competitive dynamics.

Impact on streaming usage

The results of the study illustrate the positive influence of smart speakers on the use of music streaming services. 29.3% of Amazon Smart Speaker users use Amazon Music Unlimited, while only 11% of users without a Smart Speaker use this service. The situation is similar with Google smart speakers, whose users use YouTube Music 17.3% more often than others.

The researchers emphasize that music streaming services need to develop innovative strategies to remain successful on these platforms. Serious changes in user behavior raise the question of how this will influence the diversity of musical offerings and the market structure in the future.

Spread and future of smart speakers

Smart speakers have firmly established themselves in German households. Statista reports that around one in four Germans owns a smart speaker. The Amazon Echo is the most popular device with a usage rate of 70% among smart speaker owners. Companies like Google and Apple also offer similar products that follow in the ranking.

The popularity of smart speakers is not just limited to their music functionality. They serve as a central interface for smart home technologies, enable the control of networked devices and support a variety of applications. Forecasts suggest that smart speaker sales will continue to grow in the coming years, with global sales reaching more than 120 million devices by 2027.

Market development and future prospects

The global smart speaker market was valued at approximately $13.71 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $29.13 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.8%. Loud Fortune Business Insights Companies like Amazon, Google and Samsung hold significant market shares. The area of ​​online sales in particular is growing rapidly, which is due to increasing user numbers and interactions via voice commands.

The integration of intelligent, voice-controlled technology into smart speakers brings significant opportunities for the growth of the market. Reports about the introduction of “Alexa Plus”, a subscription-based version with generative AI, also show that companies are ready to advance development. Nevertheless, security and privacy concerns are hindering market growth, which could influence the future development of the smart speaker market.

Overall, research shows that smart speakers can not only change the way we consume music, but also threaten and reshape the structure of the entire music market.