Splice & MIDiA Research Unveil Music Trends of 2026
Global music creation platform Splice and MIDiA Research, the global authority in music, creator economy and cross entertainment insights, have released their Sounds of 2026, the two companies’ annual report tracking the genres, sounds, and trends shaping the sound of music in real time.
The 2026 report reveals a creative community at a turning point. As listening habits fragment and micro-trends increasingly replace a single mainstream, creators are driving a new era defined by genre fluidity and highly localized scenes. At the center of it all is dance music, and house in particular, which emerged as Splice’s biggest growth story of 2025.
House rose from the platform’s fifth most-downloaded genre in 2023 to second overall in 2025, driven largely by the explosive rise of Afro house, which Splice named its Sound of the Year. Afro house downloads surged 778% year-over-year, reaching 6.7 million downloads, as creators gravitated toward its organic rhythms.
“Music has entered an era where the biggest trends are personal,” said Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice. “Our data shows creators pulling inspiration from everywhere at once, blending global sounds and local scenes to create music that feels both deeply human and culturally expansive. Sounds of 2026 captures that shift in real time.”
While Afro house dominated growth, Splice’s data also points to a growing appetite for contrast. Alongside melodic, laidback dance sounds, harder and faster genres gained significant traction in 2025. Speed garage emerged as one of the fastest-growing dance genres on the platform, climbing 625% year-over-year to more than 3 million downloads.
This split reflects a broader pattern across genres. Hip-hop, Splice’s most downloaded genre for the third consecutive year, remains dominant–but increasingly fragmented. While trap continues to lead in volume, growth is being driven by subgenres such as rage, boom bap, and pluggnb, highlighting a shift away from a single defining sound. Elsewhere, pop returned to Splice’s top three genres in 2025, fueled by bedroom pop, which saw downloads rise 297% as creators leaned into DIY production aesthetics.
Geographically, Splice’s data underscores the global nature of modern music creation. While Los Angeles and New York remain the platform’s largest markets, some of the fastest growth came from cities across West Asia and North Africa (WANA). Istanbul emerged as Splice’s fastest-growing major city, with Afro house playing a key role in the region’s rising influence.
Mark Mulligan, Managing Director and Music Analyst at MIDiA Research commented: “In a music economy increasingly shaped by micro-trends, sample usage offers one of the clearest signals of what’s coming next. The sounds creators choose today reflect not only genre evolution, but deeper cultural shifts towards global exchange and scene-driven growth.”
Several prominent producers also contributed to the report. Julian Bunetta (Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims) said, “After Trap music’s domination of mainstream sounds for the last decade, this year has marked the start of a shift towards new sounds and new artists for a new generation.” KSHMR, whose Sounds of KSHMR Vol. 3 soundpack was the most downloaded pack of 2025, offered, “In the sense that you clearly hear their cultural influence, Africa and Latin America are dominating. But great artists making great songs are all over the world, as it’s always been.” Kito (Lilly Allen, Paris Goebbel, Griff) contextualized the music landscape like this: “I feel like Afrobeat and Afro house has taken a lot of space in North American pop music (which I love). Latin artists continue to dominate globally, K-pop’s influence hasn’t slowed down at all, and the UK is still driving so much of the dance and electronic conversation. I love how global mainstream music is these days.”
Key Highlights from Sounds of 2026:
Sound of the Year: Afro House
With 778% growth, 6.7M downloads, and 1.3M searches, Afro house accounted for nearly 70% of all house growth in 2025, driven by global adoption and rising influence across Africa, WANA, Europe, and North America.
Dance Music’s Dual Momentum
While melodic house surged, uptempo genres including speed garage, hard techno, jump-up drum & bass, and hard dance all posted triple-digit growth.
Hip Hop in Transition
Still Splice’s most-downloaded genre, hip hop is diversifying as creators embrace throwback sounds and experimental subgenres alongside traditional trap.
Pop’s Crossover Comeback
Bedroom pop, indie pop, and acoustic-leaning sounds helped push pop back into the top three genres, signaling renewed demand for organic and emotionally direct music.
The Rise of Micro-Trends
Search data shows creators moving faster than the mainstream, with niche genres emerging and fading more rapidly than ever before.
Read the Sounds of 2026 report here.
About Splice
Splice is the leading music creation platform, empowering musicians, producers, and sound designers with the tools to bring their ideas to life. Heard around the world, Splice plays a vital role in music's soundscape. The company’s sound-first approach features a vast library of high-quality sonic ingredients, powered by sophisticated AI tools, to assist in deep sound discovery and idea generation. Trusted by millions, Splice also provides affordable access to plugins and DAWs through a rent-to-own gear marketplace. For more information, visit splice.com.
About MIDiA Research
MIDiA Research is the global leading authority in music, the creator economy, and cross-entertainment. Our subscriptions, data tools, and strategy consulting bring clarity to complex industries by providing support and expertise. Our trusted data and powerful insights help make confident and impactful decisions. By leveraging multi-country consumer data, forecasts, market shares, and the insights from our creator panel, we empower clients to think differently, revealing unique solutions they did not even know existed.
With our deep understanding of both the business and culture of entertainment, we work with entertainment companies to navigate tough industry challenges. Driven by a passion for discovering new knowledge, insights, and solutions, our team nurtures creativity and innovation to consistently deliver dependable results.