Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Streaming in the United States - statistics & facts
Streaming services of all kinds have been seeing increasing usage all over the world in the past decade and have become part of everyday life for many consumers.聽In the United States, the share of consumers subscribing to ad-supported video-on-demand services, for example, increased from 46 percent to nearly 70 percent between 2024 and 2026,and this growing demand has led to consistent annual revenue growth. From online music services like Spotify to video streaming market leader Netflix, accessing and enjoying content via streaming is now the norm for media lovers of all ages.
Which are the most popular music streaming services?
Spotify dominates the music streaming business and generally outranks other smaller services in terms of reach, subscriber share, and consumer preference. The streaming platform now has over 750 million monthly active users worldwide. Other major players include YouTube Music, Pandora, and Apple Music. Smaller services like Deezer, SoundCloud, and Tidal have yet to achieve any real influence over the market, with just a handful of consumers using each service. However, in a market that still remains substantially less crowded than the video streaming scene, there is still room for less established music companies to gain a larger following.
The unstoppable podcast phenomenon
Another branch of the digital audio industry that is gaining popularity is podcasting. In the U.S., with 58 percent of respondents, the share of monthly podcast consumers reached a new peak in 2026. Thanks to the mobility provided by smartphones and streaming platforms, consumers are streaming more often and in more places than ever before and via various devices. This applies not just to audio and music content but also to video, which has taken the home video business by storm and changed viewing habits forever.
Video streaming services disrupt the media market
Various video streaming platforms have experienced massive growth over the past few years. Services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have accumulated millions of subscriptions and provide access to a variety of movies, TV shows, and documentaries at the click of a button. These services have become such a crucial part of the entertainment industry that they have even begun to influence pop culture itself. A notable example includes Netflix鈥檚 exclusive movie 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters,鈥 which has recently become the聽streaming giant鈥檚 most popular film and title of all time.
Consumer spending on digital home entertainment in the U.S. is high and has given rise to an increase in binge-watching and on-the-go viewing. As with physical music, sales of traditional TV and video formats are on the decline, and it is clear now more than ever that streaming is and will continue to be the future of media consumption.
