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According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2025, around **** percent of respondents stated that they used the international streaming giant YouTube to stream or download music contents. A similarly popular service, at about ** percent, was South Korean music streaming platform Melon. Spotify only entered the Korean market in 2021, initially only with paid subscriptions. A free, ad-supported tier was first introduced in 2024.

Melon

Melon is a service introduced by SK Telecom in 2004, and is currently owned by Kakao Entertainment. It provides a platform on which users can both stream and buy music. While use has declined somewhat, the app still had millions of monthly active users (MAU). It also hosts one of Korea's most prestigious annual music awards, the Melon Music Awards (MMAs).

Music consumption

Whether accessed via streaming or via downloads, digital music is a lucrative and growing market in South Korea. It is particularly popular among K-pop fans, where high streaming numbers are considered an important measure of an artist's success. This is further incentivized by the industry itself, as streaming is a common factor in weekly and annual award shows. Many digital music streaming or download services are either exclusively paid or have free and paid tiers, with different payment models being available.