According to the results of a survey conducted in the United States in October 2023, about 33 percent of respondents aged 30 to 44 years old stated that they considered themselves Taylor Swift fans. More than one in 10 survey respondents aged 65 years or older stated the same. The phenomenon of Taylor Swift Since her first album in 2006, Taylor Swift has managed to build a global brand around her music. According to an analysis from 2023, she officially became a billionaire after making approximately 370 million U.S. dollars through ticket sales and merchandise. Another main component of her income is the release and re-release of her music. However, 2023 seemed to be the year of Taylor Swift in other regards as well. Her Eras Tour, which she launched in March, grossed over one billion U.S. dollars, becoming the highest grossing tour of all time. Additionally, it is estimated that Swift even boosted the U.S. economy with her tour, by 5.7 billion U.S. dollar Yet, she did not stop there, turning her tour into a concert film, which quickly became the most successful concert film in history. By the end of the year, she was Spotify’s most streamed artist globally and subsequently Time Magazine named her “Person of the Year”.

According to a survey from March 2023 among U.S. Taylor Swift fans, also called 'Swifties', the largest share of Swift fans were in the group of millenials. The second largest share was within the group of baby boomers, followed by Gen X. In 2023, Swift announced her first tour in years, called 'Era', which already caused chaos when her significant fan base tried to purchase tickets for the long anticipated concerts.

According to the results of a survey conducted in October 2023 in the United States, some 25 percent of Hispanic adults in the country identified themselves as Taylor Swift fans. The same was true for 18 percent of Black adults who took part in the survey.

According to a survey from March 2023 among U.S. Taylor Swift fans, also called 'Swifties', the largest share of Swift fans were in support of the Democratic party, namely 55 percent. In comparison, only 23 percent stated that they were in support of the Republican party. While Swift has stayed apolitical for the majority of her career, in recent years she has come out in support of the Democratic party, speaking out against former president Trump before the 2018 U.S. congress elections.

According to the results of a survey conducted in October 2023 in the United States, about 26 percent of female respondents stated that they considered themselves Taylor Swift fans. About 21 percent of men taking part in the survey said the same.

According to a survey from March 2023 among U.S. Taylor Swift fans, also called 'Swifties', the largest share of Swift fans were white, namely 74 percent. Another 13 percent were Black while only nine percent were Asian. In 2023, Swift announced her first tour in years, called 'Era', which already caused chaos when her significant fan base tried to purchase tickets for the long anticipated concerts.

Taylor Swift is without a doubt one of the most famous and popular popstars of our times. According to a survey from March 2023 among U.S. Taylor Swift fans, 48 percent of fans were male while the share of female fans was marginally higher. In 2023, Swift announced her first tour in years, called "Era," which already caused chaos when her significant fan base tried to purchase tickets for the long anticipated concerts.

According to a survey from March 2023 among U.S. adults, the most popular Taylor Swift album was "1989" with seven percent of respondents stating that they liked the album. "Fearless" was also popular with another seven percent saying that they enjoyed it. Less popular was Swift's album "Folklore" with which she surprised her fans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Taylor Swift was a regular feature at Kansas City Chiefs games during the 2023 NFL season to support her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce. During a January 2024 survey in the United States, almost one quarter of fans stated that it was great that the pop icon had become a presence at NFL games. By contrast, 14 percent of respondents were not happy with her presence.

Originally starting out in the country music genre, Taylor Swift has established herself as a pop mega star in recent years. In her 12 studio albums she shows her musical range, covering genres from country to pop to Indie and folk music with a lot of commercial success. In the United Kingdom, her most popular song according to 'Swifties', as Swift's fans are called, is 'Shake it off' from her 2014 album.

In 2019, hip-hop artist Post Malone amassed almost 6.7 billion streams in the United States, outranking Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. Music streaming is a lucrative source of income for modern musicians and can make up significant portions of their annual income. Second in the ranking was Drake with 6.35 million streams, falling behind slightly after far outperforming all other artists in 2018 with more than ten millions that year. In fact, more than 17 million U.S. dollars of Drake’s 2018 income came from streaming, and singers Beyoncé and Bruno Mars also made between three and four million dollars each from fans streaming their songs.

Equally, whilst newer artists tend to be more successful on streaming platforms than those whose heyday has already passed, many older musicians have adapted to digital formats to increase their online presence and attract new listeners. Elton John earns more from streaming than from sales or publishing, and Paul McCartney also tends to earn over one million dollars per annum by making his music available to stream via digital platforms.

The impact of music streaming

Music streaming platforms like Spotify have enabled a culture whereby music fans can enjoy their favorite tunes on the go and in any location they choose. Streaming is the main source of revenue within the U.S. music industry and grew ten percent between 2017 and 2018. Meanwhile, physical revenue is decreasing, and the retail value of physical CD shipments has dwindled from over 13 billion U.S. dollars to less than 700 million in 18 years.

The statistic provides data on favorite music genres among consumers in the United States as of July 2018, sorted by age group. According to the source, 52 percent of respondents aged 16 to 19 years old stated that pop music was their favorite music genre, compared to 19 percent of respondents aged 65 or above. Country music in the United States – additional information

In 2012, country music topped the list; 27.6 percent of respondents picked it among their three favorite genres. A year earlier, the result was one percent lower, which allowed classic rock to take the lead. The figures show, however, the genre’s popularity across the United States is unshakeable and it has also been spreading abroad. This could be demonstrated by the international success of (among others) Shania Twain or the second place the Dutch country duo “The Common Linnets” received in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, singing “Calm after the storm.”

The genre is also widely popular among American teenagers, earning the second place and 15.3 percent of votes in a survey in August 2012. The first place and more than 18 percent of votes was awarded to pop music, rock scored 13.1 percent and landed in fourth place. Interestingly, Christian music made it to top five with nine percent of votes. The younger generation is also widely represented among country music performers with such prominent names as Taylor Swift (born in 1989), who was the highest paid musician in 2015, and Hunter Hayes (born in 1991).

Country music is also able to attract crowds (and large sums of money) to live performances. Luke Bryan’s tour was the most successful tour in North America in 2016 based on ticket sales as almost 1.43 million tickets were sold for his shows. Fellow country singer, Garth Brooks, came second on the list, selling 1.4 million tickets for his tour in North America in 2016.

Jay Chou was the best-selling music artist in China. As of April 2, 2024, the Taiwanese superstar recorded about 321.6 million yuan in sales revenue across all main music platforms in China. The Chinese singer Xiao Zhan, a member of the idol boy band ININE, ranked sixth with only one single released in April 2020. The two big names and their musical mastery Jay Chou and JJ Lin are the highly influential Asian figures in the Chinese music industry. The former has garnered a massive fan base due to his exceptional ability to compose and produce music that seamlessly blends elements of rock, R&B, and pop. Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin, renowned for his powerful vocals and heartfelt ballads, has captivated million listeners with his emotional and relatable music. Both artists each have two hits on the all-time online ten best-selling music singles in China. Swiftonomics in China The story-driven songwriting style of Taylor Swift, catchy pop tunes, and relatable lyrics make her the most loved western music figure in China. The “Queen of Pop” has the most highest-selling English music albums in the country. This accomplishment can be attributed to her active presence on social media platforms and celebrity endorsements in China which allows her to directly connect with her local fans.

The time series shows concert ticket sales revenue in North America from 1990 to 2017. In 2017, the revenue amounted to eight billion U.S. dollars. In that year, the most successful music tour in North America was U2's tour, which generated gross revenue of over 176 million U.S. dollars. The tour sold over 1.5 million tickets throughout North America, making it the most attended show of the year.

The concert industry in North America – additional information

Despite physical music sales declining, the concert industry in North America remains healthy. A ranking of the highest grossing music tour each year held in North America since 2000 reveals which artists had the largest audience draw each year. In the 16 years since 2000, the Irish rock band U2 have held the title for the highest grossing music tour four times in the years 2001, 2009, 2011, and 2017, which reflects not only the longevity of their career, but also their popularity with fans. However, the accolade of bestselling concert in this timeframe goes to Taylor Swift, because her 2015 tour generated revenue of almost 200 million U.S. dollars.

The revenue generated by concerts and tours heavily relies on the number of tickets being sold. The high price of tickets can often act as a deterrent for consumers. From 2011, the average price for a music tour concert admission has been slowly on the rise. In 2011, the average price was approximately 78 U.S. dollars, but this figure increased to almost 85 U.S. dollars in 2017.

Live music has always been popular. A chance to see some of the world’s biggest musicians in the flesh is often too big an opportunity for fans to miss. In one survey, over 1,000 adults in the U.S. were asked ‘Which band would you go back in time to see?’ The American rock band The Doors, fronted by Jim Morrison in the 1960s and 70s was the band that 13 percent of respondents chose. However, the most popular answer during the poll would see audiences travel in further in time to the 1950s, as 22 percent wished to see Buddy Holly and the Crickets perform live.