New research by PRS for Music, the performing rights society for songwriters and composers in Malta, shows that YouTube dominates music listening in Malta with 85% of people in Malta using YouTube in the last 3 months. Over a quarter of listeners (28%) used only YouTube to access music.
By contrast, just 32% of people had used Google Play, while 28% had used Spotify. Only 14% of those surveyed had not used any digital music platform at all in the last three months, demonstrating the dominance of streaming in the Maltese music market.
The main findings of the research are:
- 84% listened to or watched music videos in the last 3 months on YouTube. This compares with 28% for Spotify.
- Only 14% did not listen to a music platform in the period. Penetration of streaming music platforms is therefore high and people are not just relying on radio for music.
- YouTube users spend 71% of their listening time on YouTube compared with just 38% for a Spotify user on Spotify.
- 58% of all music listening time in Malta is on YouTube.
- Although more people have a Google Play account, they spend more time listening to Spotify.
Despite being available as a platform in Malta for a decade, YouTube has only this year extended their Partnership Programme (which enables YouTubers to monetise their content through the placement of advertising) to Malta following a 5,000-strong petition, led by Creators Malta founder Fabian Borg and signed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri alongside members of the local creative community. Before this, Maltese YouTubers like Stella Cini were not able monetise the use of their works on the site.
