5/21/2020 How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Changed Our Music Streaming Habits | NDTV Gadgets 360

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How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Changed Our Music Streaming

Habits
Coronavirus podcasts, instrumental & acoustic music, and cooking recipes are hot.
By Akhil Arora | Updated: 14 April 2020 18:00 IST

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HIGHLIGHTS
Gaana sees double-digit
growth in tra c since
mid-March
Virtual live concerts led to
spike in streams on
Spotify
Health and tness, self-
help podcasts seeing
more interest
In September 1980, the English new wave rock band The Police — led by their frontman, Sting —
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released a new single, about a schoolgirl's crush on her much-older teacher. Four decades later, RAM, 64GB)
streams of the song on Spotify suddenly shot up by over 135 percent. But why? That's because it's
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called “Don't Stand So Close to Me”, which naturally takes on a very di erent meaning in these
times of social distancing and self-isolation.
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The Police's 1980 hit isn't the only song that's seen a boost during the ongoing pandemic. With ₹9,999
Italy and Spain under lockdown, those stuck at home took to their balconies to sing praises of the
ones ghting COVID-19 on the frontline. As a result, Andrea Sannino's 2015 love ballad
“Abbracciame”, Adriano Celentano's 1968 ode to summer “Azzurro”, and Dúo Dinámico's 1988 Oppo A31 (2020) (4G
motivational track “Resistiré” all saw a terri c boost — with streams up by more than eight, seven, 64GB)
and four times, respectively. ₹12,490

A renewed interest in “Resistiré” even led to “Resistiré 2020”, with over 30 Spanish artists
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How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Chang…
contributing to the new cover and a music video, from their respective homes. Since its release at
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the start of April, it has amassed over 17 million views on YouTube alone. All funds raised will go Shop Now
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And something similar happened last week with “Don't Stand
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5/21/2020 How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Changed Our Music Streaming Habits | NDTV Gadgets 360
Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
So Close to Me”, as late-night host Jimmy Fallon roped in Sting for a home-instrument remix. Bestselling laptops -
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Spotify said it has also seen a spike in listeners after the likes of folk pop singer-songwriter Jewel,
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electronic multi-instrumentalist James Blake, hardcore punk band Code Orange, and folk-rock duo
Indigo Girls hosted virtual live concerts. Closer to home, JioSaavn has done the same on its
Facebook page, hosting independent artists in playback singer Nikhita Gandhi, Euphoria S

frontman Palash Sen, guitarist Taba Chake, and Gully Boy music supervisor Ankur Tewari.

While most have lost out on the revenue from lucrative real-life concerts, some have bene ted
from the increased free time most people have on their hands during the nationwide lockdown in
India — which began on March 25 and was extended to May 3 this week.

Gaana, the self-proclaimed leader in the music streaming space in India, told Gadgets 360 that it
has witnessed a double-digit growth in tra c over a three-week period starting mid-March. On
the other hand, JioSaavn said it saw an overall decline in early data, more so during peak
commute and work hours. “The decline has gradually settled and, in some cases, even reversed,” HONOR 9x Pro: So
a JioSaavn spokesperson added. The Reliance Industries-owned service believes the trend was Performance, Awe
most likely triggered by a shift towards higher news consumption. AppGallery

Listen to more free

podcasts on Spotify. When Staying Home Isn’t Safe Enter email for our ne

S TA R T L I S T E N I N G Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction

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09:56

JioSaavn cited news podcasts registering a “signi cant growth” over the rst two weeks of India's
nationwide lockdown as proof. “Corona” and “lockdown” are being highly searched on Gaana. This
is also true for the world's biggest music streaming service, Spotify, which has put together a
COVID-19 hub to help listeners nd everything in one place. Podcasts such as CNN's Coronavirus:
Fact vs. Fiction, BBC's Coronavirus Global Update, and Foreign Policy's Don't Touch Your Face are
leading the way.

But audio news creators aren't the only ones bene ting from people spending more time at
home. Both JioSaavn and Spotify have seen increased interest in health and tness, self-
improvement (wellness, meditation, spirituality), and cooking podcasts. If you've the got word
“recipe” in your podcast title or description, you might be in luck, according to Spotify. Gaana
reported “signi cant traction” for anything that “can comfortably play in the background”, such as
comedy, self-help, and devotion podcasts and shows.

This doesn't mean that people are listening to less music — though listeners' tastes and
preferences are seeing a shift due to the lockdown. Spotify listeners are opting for more “chill”.
That means songs that are instrumental, more acoustic, less danceable, and/or have lower
energy. This applies to Gaana as well, with some of the most popular playlists being Instrumental
Flute, Divine Instrumental, Soulful Acoustics, Awesome Acoustics, and Chill Out. A Gaana
spokesperson said it's seen “a double-digit surge in demand for pre-curated playlists that users
can play in the background.” More Te

Speaking of playlists, Spotify said its users are creating and following more workout playlists than
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they were a month ago. Both Gaana and Spotify reported an uptick in listening hours for yoga
playlists, which expanded to cooking-, housework-, running-, nature sounds-, and meditation-
themed playlists for the latter. Spotify has also witnessed an increase in collaborative playlists and
users sharing more on social media, what with a lot of people unable to see their loved ones
during the pandemic.
How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Chang… Comment
02:
And with kids at home for good, Spotify has also seen a boost in kids and family content,
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especially any music that helps kids sleep. Disney Favourites is a top choice. Meanwhile, JioSaavn

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5/21/2020 How the Coronavirus Lockdown Has Changed Our Music Streaming Habits | NDTV Gadgets 360
Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
users have gotten more nostalgic in the pandemic, playing classics and songs from their
childhood.

It's not just “what” people are listening that has shifted during the lockdown, it's also the “how”.
05:
Both JioSaavn and Spotify said that more users are streaming from computers, TVs (including the
JioFiber Set-Top Box), gaming consoles, and smart speakers such as Amazon Echo, Google Home,
or Sonos. For JioSaavn, the growth in streams through home-bound platforms is at “an all-time
high”. Streams on mobile devices continue to increase, for that's the primary device for many in
India, and Gaana noted that registrations have shot up “signi cantly” on Android, iOS, and in the
browser. 02:

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Further reading: Pandemic, Lockdown, Coronavirus, COVID 19, Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Podcasts 04:

Akhil Arora Email Akhil

Akhil Arora covers entertainment for Gadgets 360, interviewing stars such as Christian Bale and Anurag Kashyap,
covering series premieres, product and service launches across the globe, and looking at American blockbusters
and Indian dramas from a global socio-political and feminist perspective. As a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film
critic, Akhil has reviewed over 150 movies and TV shows in over half a decade at Gadgets 360. When he is not
completely caught up with new film and TV releases, Akhil ...More
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