Media release: Music helped the UK get through lockdown, new insights show

NEW data revealed today by UK record labels association, the BPI, confirm just how crucial music has been to the British public and to national wellbeing during the COVID pandemic lockdowns of 2020.

These insights are based on data commissioned through AudienceNet’s Audiomonitor survey in November 2020, and are taken from All About the Music 2021 – the 42nd edition of the BPI Yearbook, which will be published on 14th April. This authoritative industry annual evaluates 2020 UK music consumption and trends.

Music listening increased during lockdown

These new insights show that well over a quarter (28 per cent) of all those surveyed said they had increased their music listening compared to pre-lockdown.

Only 11per cent of those asked said they listened to less or no music at all. Music listening was most pronounced among 16 – 24 year-olds, with not far from half (45 per cent) of all the respondents within this group saying they listened to more music since the first national lockdown.

The survey results reinforce a BPI market update on 4th January which reported that recorded music consumption in the UK rose by 8.2 per cent in 2020, with 155 million albums or their equivalent either streamed or purchased by fans, including 139 billion audio streams, 16 million CDs, nearly five million vinyl LPs, and over 150,000 cassettes.

Why music was so important

Respondents who listened to music were asked why it was so important to them during lockdown. As many as half (50 per cent) said they listened to music to raise their spirits, with 42 per cent citing music’s ability to help them to relax or sleep. Four in ten (40 per cent) said music helped to alleviate boredom, while 27 per cent used it as an aid to boost concentration when working or studying (a figure that rises to 50 per cent among those aged 16 – 24).

A quarter of music listeners viewed it as an ideal accompaniment to exercise – a figure that’s slightly higher among women (27 per cent) – and music was, of course, also valued for keeping families and households entertained, with just over a fifth (21 per cent) noting the importance of this.

Music as an aid to coping with stress and anxiety

A fifth of the respondents reported having feelings of daily anxiety, although as a weekly figure this rose to 60 per cent of all respondents. Of all those expressing feelings of stress and anxiety over half (55 per cent) said that music helped to ease those feelings (rising to 60 per cent among those aged 16 – 24).

And of all those using music to help with stress and anxiety, almost everyone (94 per cent) said that it helped to lift their mood, with 91 per cent adding that it helped them to feel a sense of escape that allowed them to forget their problems.

Over three quarters (78 per cent) of those asked said they felt more motivated after listening to music (rising to 81 per cent among women). A broadly similar figure (73 per cent) said they felt more able to manage their stress and anxiety levels thanks to music listening, while 62 per cent said it made them feel better about themselves and more confident generally (rising to 72 per cent among those aged 16 – 24 and 25 – 34).

Music as an aid to exercise and wellbeing

Music was a key component in keeping people motivated to exercise in lockdown. Of all those who went running, 72 per cent did so with music as an accompaniment, with the figure for those undertaking gym/fitness activities (such as home workouts, interval sessions and yoga) rising to 75 per cent.

Of all those exercising with music, 61 per cent said that having music as an accompaniment had a moderate or major impact on duration (i.e. exercising for longer), while 54 per cent said it had a moderate or major impact on frequency (i.e. exercising more often) and 61 per cent said it had a moderate or major impact on intensity (i.e. working harder).

Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) said that it had a moderate or major impact on their enjoyment of the activity.

The music people listened to

In March, the Official Charts Company in association with the BBC One ‘One Show’ reported that many people had turned to classic songs and catalogue recordings during the first lockdown, while at the end of 2020 the BPI reported the most consumed new releases of the year (based on Official Charts Company data).

This included recordings by Dua Lipa, whose album Future Nostalgia was the most consumed album released in 2020, Kylie Minogue, whose album Disco was the most purchased 2020 release on vinyl, and Lady Gaga, whose album, Chromatica, was the top seller on cassette. The most consumed single of 2020 year was The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI, BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize, said: “Music has many intrinsic additional benefits, not least in raising spirits and promoting wellbeing, but this new research underscores just how much of a lifeline it’s been for people since lockdown – inspiring and reassuring us and also helping many of us to work, study and exercise to greater effect. The transformational power of music to improve lives has rarely been more pronounced.”

ENDS

Enquiries
Gennaro Castaldo
gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk

MEDIA RELEASE issued by BPI. You too can share your stories (aka press or media releases), on this site. Email here for more information.

Contact: BPI

Email: gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk