Luminate Data Shows Non-English and International Music Are Growing in the United States
- Michele
- 30 June 2026, Tuesday
New data from Luminate shows that music consumption in the United States is becoming increasingly international, with listeners streaming more non-English and non-U.S. artists than ever before. The findings suggest that language and geography are becoming less of a barrier to visibility.
Luminate: U.S. Listeners Are Streaming More International Music
According to a new Luminate report, the U.S. music streaming market is gradually becoming more open to music outside of English-language releases and U.S.-based artists. Although English-language music still accounted for 86% of all on-demand audio streams in the U.S. in Q1 2026, it was down from 88.1% in the same period the previous year, while non-English-language music continues to slowly gain ground.
Much of the growth in non-English music comes from Spanish-language releases, which now make up 9.5% of all music streams in the United States. Luminate also found that more than half of U.S. listeners now listen to Latin music in some form, up from 41% in early 2024. The report highlights artists such as Bad Bunny, whose Super Bowl Halftime Show performance earlier this year helped push Latin music to a record streaming week in the U.S.
Beyond Latin music, Korean-language music continues to grow in popularity. The data suggests that listeners in the United States are increasingly open to music outside their own country and language, rather than focusing only on domestic or English-language releases.
Jamie Marconette, VP of Music Insights at Luminate, explains: “With Bad Bunny still riding high from his historic Super Bowl Halftime Show performance and BTS back in full force, it’s clear to even casual U.S. music listeners that a cultural shift is underway. The industry is more global than ever, which has allowed international artists to reach a level of recognition historically reserved for English-speaking acts.”
What Can Artists Conclude From The Luminate Data?
For independent artists outside the United States, or those making music in languages other than English, breaking into the U.S. market has traditionally meant releasing music in English or adapting to Western pop trends. Luminate’s data suggests this is becoming less necessary, not only because streaming platforms make international music easier to discover, but also because listener preferences themselves are becoming more diverse.
For independent artists, this could lower one of the biggest barriers to reaching audiences in the U.S., an important market. While English-language music still dominates streaming, the data reflects a more linguistically diverse audience, including a large Spanish-speaking population already based in the country. As a result, non-English music is increasingly becoming part of mainstream listening rather than being limited to specific regions or niche audiences.
At the same time, streaming has changed how music discovery works. Instead of relying mainly on radio or major-label promotion, artists can now reach listeners through playlists, social media, and recommendation systems. This has made it easier for music to travel across borders, even if language still influences how widely it spreads.
These changes are also reflected in how streaming platforms are slowly adapting. Apple Music, for example, has introduced features such as lyrics translation and pronunciation guides to help listeners engage more easily with songs in different languages. These features are a small but clear sign that streaming is adapting to how music is now being consumed.
Ready to get your music out there?
Distribute your music to the widest range of streaming platforms and shops worldwide.
Michele is a Berlin-based writer passionate about music in its many forms, from soulful house, groovy techno, and breaky jungle/drum & bass to alternative rock, dark wave, and beyond. With experience in production, journalism, and DJing, they engage with the culture of sound from multiple perspectives. Their current topics of interest include club culture, music discovery & curation, dance, and the ways music affects perception & feeling. Michele writes in English.
