Streaming Trends in Music, Film, and TV

By mid-2026, significant streaming trends for music, film, and TV have emerged. The Luminate 2026 Midyear Report highlights these changes, particularly in music and video content consumption.

Rising Music Streams

Music streaming has seen notable growth in both the U.S. and internationally. Global on-demand audio streams hit 2.8 trillion in the first half of 2026, compared to 2.5 trillion in 2025 and 2.29 trillion in 2024. In the U.S., audio song streams climbed to 732.7 billion from 696.6 billion last year and 665.8 billion in 2024.

Challenges to R&B and Hip-Hop Dominance

R&B/hip-hop remains the top streaming genre in the U.S., making up nearly a quarter of on-demand audio streams. Yet, its market share declined from 41% in 2023 to 30% in 2026 in U.S. album-equivalent consumption, indicating growing competition from other genres. Jaime Marconette from Luminate stated that R&B/hip-hop’s standalone audio volume decreased by 1.7% in 2026, as genres like Country and Latin music grow. Despite these shifts, R&B/hip-hop still garnered 180.3 billion streams in the U.S., surpassing rock, pop, country, and Latin music.

Surge in Latin and Country Music

Latin music’s popularity in the U.S. is rising, with Spanish-language streams making up 9.4% of total streams in 2026. English-language consumption fell to 87.1%, reflecting diversification. According to Marconette, Latin music’s footprint is expanding, with more U.S. listeners engaging with the genre. Latin music streams worldwide reached 363.2 billion in early 2026, up from 335.3 billion in 2025. Country music also saw growth, with albums from Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley leading sales.

AI-Generated Music Gains

A small number of AI-generated tracks are gaining traction. Chill77, Unjaps and Mikeeysmind’s “Papaoutai (Afro Soul)” had 210.7 million streams in all countries except the U.S., and Breaking Rust’s “Livin’ on Borrowed Time” saw significant streams. Despite their influence, Marconette notes AI tracks have yet to make a lasting impact on consumption habits.

Netflix Leads Streaming in Original Content

Netflix dominates the U.S. market for streaming of original content, commanding 57% of viewing time. It’s followed by Prime Video, Hulu, Paramount, Peacock, Apple, HBO Max, and Disney+. Original TV series are the most popular, making up 11.5 billion hours of streamed content. Original movies accounted for 2.8 billion hours streaming.

In streaming films, Netflix’s productions have topped viewer numbers with “The Crash,” “The Rip,” and “Apex.” In series content, HBO Max’s “The Pitt” leads, followed by Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” and “Bridgerton.” Nevertheless, library content still receives more viewership than original programming, totaling 42.2 billion hours for TV and 10.8 billion hours for films.

Luminate estimates nearly 19,000 library titles compared to 7,000 originals on major streaming platforms.