Korean music holds 1.1% share of U.S. streaming market

Korean-language music accounted for over 1 percent share of the U.S. streaming market in the first quarter of 2026, buoyed by K-pop acts including BTS, as non-English listening continues to surge, according to a new report from music analytics firm Luminate. 

The figures released Tuesday point to a deepening shift in U.S. listening habits. English-language music's share of U.S. on-demand audio streams fell to 86 percent in the first quarter, down from 88.1 percent in the same period last year, extending a multiyear decline as international music continues to gain ground.

Spanish-language music has been the biggest beneficiary, reaching a historic 9.5 percent of the first quarter streaming market share — nearly one in every 10 streams. Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny has been the dominant force, ranking as the second most-streamed artist in the United States overall in the first quarter. His Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in February notably sent Latin music to an all-time weekly streaming record.

Luminate's research states that casual monthly listenership of Latin music has climbed from 41 percent in early 2024 to 56 percent in the first quarter of 2026.  "That increase means more than half of U.S. listeners now count Latin as a genre they listen to casually," it said. "Latin music has fully shattered its 'niche' status in the U.S." 

Korean music has nearly doubled its U.S. streaming share since 2024, rising from 1 percent to 1.9 percent in 2025 before holding at that level at 1.1 percent into 2026. BTS, whose five members completed mandatory military service and reunited earlier this year for a global tour, remains the anchor of that growth.

"The industry is more global than ever, which has allowed international artists to reach a level of global recognition historically reserved for English-speaking acts," said the report. 

The firm's full midyear report is due on July 15.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]