Where will our musical tastes go in 2026? There’s another report on the subject.
January is always a time for predictions about the year ahead. MIDiA is a music industry research company that takes data very seriously. After some careful analysis, they have issued their Sounds of 2026 report.
Executive hightlights:
- Tastes and genres will continue to fragment at an astonishing rate. Listening habits are already insanely diversified and that will not change.
- There are a million microtrends all happening at the same time.
- Hip-hop will continue to be the world’s most-downloaded genre when it comes to music people want to dance to.
- Melodic-based Afro house is showing massive growth (778% when it comes to downloads. It was also 2025’s fifth-most downloaded genre.)
- Hyperpop and indie pop will remain hot, although anything classified as “bedroom pop” (think Beabadoobee and Girl in Red) saw a rise of 297% in 2025. That will continue.
- Other microtrends: Phonk, Pluggnb, Speed Garage, and Jersey club are hot. (I had to look up all of those).
- K-pop will continue to be a monster, especially with the just-announced BTS comeback tour.
- I like this quote: “Listeners will seek refuge from the technology that currently defines their lives through music with more organic elements.”
Get the whole report here.
