How our music taste changes with age, new study

An analysis of 15 years of listening data from Last.fm, covering more than 40,000 users and over 542 million plays, revealed a clear pattern.

In youth, people want to experience as much as possible. Young listeners follow the charts, try out different genres and artists, and go to festivals for the atmosphere rather than a single act.

As people move from adolescence into adulthood, their musical horizons expand. They explore new names and experiment with a wide range of styles. Later, however, that spectrum begins to shrink. Most adults eventually settle on a genre or direction they strongly identify with. Music turns into a personal story, tied to memories and life experience.

The power of nostalgia

In middle and older age, nostalgia becomes the main driving force. Songs from youth turn into a lifelong “soundtrack,” returning to playlists again and again. Some listeners still explore new music, but more often they go back to the melodies they already know.

Interestingly, tastes also grow more individual with age. Teenagers easily share favorite tracks with their peers, but for adults common ground is harder to find, one might be into reggae, a neighbor into heavy metal, while another keeps replaying Genesis.

What it means for streaming

The study’s findings are also relevant for streaming services. Recommendation algorithms usually focus on short-term listening habits, without considering how tastes evolve over a lifetime.

According to the researchers, younger users benefit from mixes that combine the latest hits with older classics they may not know yet. Middle-aged listeners prefer a balance between discoveries and familiar favorites. For older generations, more personalized suggestions are needed, reflecting nostalgia and deeply individual preferences.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that Spotify launched lossless streaming.