Localization is the name of the game in music nowadays. While music has become more global than ever, individual markets are witnessing an unprecedented rise in locally produced artists charting hits.
Take the German market for example. According to industry insiders, 20 years ago the charts in Germany were filled with British and American acts. But that has drastically changed in recent times. Today, German music dominates the charts, with German artists occupying the top spots.
This trend of “glocalization”, where music becomes globally popular yet also increasingly localized, is evidenced in chart data around the world. In Poland, for instance, the top 10 and even 40 spots on the charts are dominated by Polish hip-hop artists, performing an American music genre but in their local language.
Streaming data shows non-English music is gaining popularity. Across the United States, English music’s share of the top 10,000 streamed tracks has fallen in recent years. But Spanish-language songs have seen a rise, having gained nearly 4% more market share since 2021.
Globally, English songs made up over 67% of the top 10,000 streamed tracks in 2021. But by mid-2023, that figure had dropped to just 56%. Non-English music is surging in markets like Portugal, South Africa, Indonesia, Colombia and Switzerland according to data.
The rise of localized artists producing hits in their local languages shows that to succeed in the music industry today, going global still requires having a strong local appeal. Music’s universal nature still thrives, but underneath lies a growing trend of localization.
