Deezer reveals UK album listening habits

Now in its second year, National Album Day encourages people to take the time and listen to more albums in their entirety. It is supported by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA).

“Albums can be a big part of feeling closer to your favourite artist,” Deezer's vice-president of global artist marketing, Nigel Harding, said. “You can understand their story and truly appreciate the passion and craftsmanship that has gone into making the album.

"But it can be easy to fall into other habits when you’re short on time. We want to support the album by encouraging music listeners of all ages to take a little bit of time to enjoy the music.”

Deezer's September poll of 2 000 adults found that the UK’s album listening time is now lower than the 26 minutes daily average worldwide, at just 17 minutes a day. On average, 49% of Brits are listening to fewer full albums as compared to three to five years ago. Of those interviewed, 28% say adolescent memories are a reason to listen to their favourite album.

Deezer says that 42% of the participants are putting their ‘favourited’ songs on shuffle or play individual tracks, with 55% of those under the age of 25 more likely to do this. While 15% of music fans under 25 have never listened to a full album, a quarter of this age group believe being a fan of the artist is the driving force behind them wanting to listen to more albums in the future.

“We know that in today’s busy and fast-paced modern world it’s becoming easier than ever to simply shuffle our music and listen to individual tracks on the go,” ERA CEO Kim Bayley said. “But there’s no denying that the British public still enjoys the experience of the album and listening to a body of work from beginning to end."

However, for those who do play albums, the order of listening has changed. Men are more likely to listen to the album as the artist intended. Approximately 27% of those surveyed play an album from start to finish, with 30% of males most likely to do this against 23% of females.

Deezer sights live events as one of the biggest drivers of album consumption. Nearly three-quarters of listeners (74%) confirmed they’re more likely to listen to an album in its entirety following an artist’s live performance. Another 32% listened ahead of a gig.

Deezer has also announced that it will launch a dedicated National Album Day page on its app to help the nation take some time out of their busy days and relax with a favourite or new album of their choice.