In Italy we listen to a lot of music: for more than 21 hours a week, that is, over 3 hours a day. Almost half of the listening is dedicated to the Italian repertoire, while the most loved genres are Italian pop, songwriting (both Italian and international) and rock, with rap and trap dominant among the younger ones. We especially like listening to it while we do household chores, relax and train. Let’s see in this article what the statistics say.
How much music Italians listen to
According to the most recent data, in Italy we listen to an average of 21.9 hours of music per week: a number that places us above the global average of 20.7 hours. These data highlight that for Italians music is not just entertainment, but a true soundtrack of daily life.
Numerous studies show that listening to music is good for you: it reduces stress, improves concentration and promotes emotional well-being and the risks emerge only in the case of excessively high and prolonged volumes, especially with headphones and earphones.
However, this is not “static” listening: music accompanies on average eight different activities, including when we do household chores (53%), we take moments of relaxation (50%), we train (48%), we travel (46%), we take care of ourselves (44%), we are online (41%), we travel by car (40%), we cook (36%) and we are at work (33%).
Between the ages of 16 and 19, the number of activities even rises to 12. It is therefore not surprising that those under 25 spend more than 25 hours of listening per week, a quantity which then progressively decreases with age.
The data from the most recent FIMI report tells us that streaming is leading the Italian market: in 2024, 95 billion streams were played, with a growth of 31% compared to 2023. Driving this type of listening are above all free services supported by advertising, which increased by 53%, while subscription services grew by only 14%. Another interesting fact concerns time: 82% of streams come from songs published from 2010 onwards, and songs released in 2024 alone represent 22% of total listeners. The music we listen to is therefore increasingly recent.
However, there are some differences related to age: if streaming is clearly preferred among the under 45s, the older groups remain more tied to physical media, albeit in an increasingly selective way.
Then there is a way of listening to music that is experiencing a second youth: vinyl. From a nostalgic object for adult enthusiasts, the 33 rpm record has become an increasingly loved format also by Gen Z, who perceive it as a physical testimony of the bond with the artist. In 2021, for the first time since 1991, vinyl surpassed CD in revenue, becoming the dominant format in the physical segment. An only apparent paradox: the more digital the music, the more the desire to possess a concrete form of it grows.
The most listened to musical genres in Italy
The most listened to musical genres are Italian pop, songwriting (both Italian and international) and rock, with rap and trap dominant among the younger ones. In recent decades, first rap and then trap, born as niche phenomena, have become fully mainstream, thanks also to incisive rhythms, serious tones and a direct language that addresses issues such as fame, success, wealth, identity and social revenge.
According to FIMI data, the Italian repertoire generates 45% of the total streams. Even looking at the Spotify charts, a clear trend emerges: Italian artists dominate. The Italian music market is in fact experiencing an unprecedented generational turnover. Between 2014 and 2024, the average age of artists featured in the annual Top 10 Albums decreased by 31.7%, from 44.5 to 30.4 years.
Based on Spotify’s annual “wrapped”, the Top 10 of the most followed artists in 2025 is entirely male, with Sfera Ebbasta in first place, followed by Shiva, Guè, Geolier and Marracash. The presence of Tony Boy and Glocky tells of a panorama that is increasingly contaminated and close to the new digital generations. Alongside the big names in rap, Wrapped 2025 also rewards emerging profiles such as Olly, representative of a new singer-songwriter sensibility that combines writing, pop and digital aesthetics.
Anna, on the other hand, leads the female ranking, certifying the growing weight of new urban voices. Overall, the number of female artists in the Top 20 Albums 2024 increased by 300% compared to 2023, confirming the growing female protagonism in the music market.
The most successful songs and the most listened to artists
Among the songs, the repertoire of the Sanremo Festival dominates, which continues to be a powerful amplifier of successes with four songs in the top 10: the Italian record goes to “Balorda nostalgia” by Olly and Juli, ahead of “Incoscienti Giovani” by Achille Lauro, “LA CURA PER ME” by Giorgia and “BATTITO” by Fedez. The podium also includes “NEON” by Sfera Ebbasta and Shiva, while the Latin sounds remain very strong, with “DtMF” by Bad Bunny which imposes itself on national playlists, confirming a musical taste open to international influences.
In the album charts, 2025 is the year of Olly who reaches the top with “TUTTA VITA (SEMPRE)”. Followed by “DIO LO SA” by Geolier and “SANTANA MONEY GANG” by Sfera Ebbasta and Shiva. Bad Bunny and Artie 5ive complete the top 5, a further sign of an increasingly hybrid market between local and global.
