Ukrainian Tracks Are Becoming a Standard Choice for More Listeners
As streaming reshapes how Ukrainians discover music, local artists are taking up more space on playlists. A survey by Gradus Research, conducted in July 2026, found that 63% of respondents had increased the proportion of Ukrainian-language songs in their playlists over the past two to three years. At the same time, 69% said Ukrainian is now the main language of the music they listen to.
The poll ran on July 16–17, 2026, and covered 1,000 people aged 18 to 60 living in cities with populations above 50,000. It excluded temporarily occupied territories and areas with active hostilities. Streaming services are emerging as the main way music is consumed, while pop remains the leading genre and Russian-language content continues to lose a significant share of its audience.
When asked about their listening habits, 43% of respondents said they put on music only when the mood is right, 29% use it as a backdrop for everyday activities, about one in five keep it playing as a constant background, and just 6% rarely listen to music at all.
Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music top the list of digital platforms used by respondents, while around a third of listeners still turn to radio and TV. More than half of those surveyed choose pop music, with rock, metal, and alternative coming in second and electronic/dance taking third. Classical music is listened to by 19% of respondents.
Nearly half of those surveyed say they most frequently play artists of Ukrainian origin. American and European musicians are still popular, but Russian performers have clearly lost attention among Ukrainian audiences. A similar trend is visible in online streaming beyond music: in 2025, Ukrainian-language Twitch streams generated more than 63.1 million hours of watch time, and nearly a quarter of that audience came from outside Ukraine. Ukrainian is now close to entering Twitch’s top ten most-used languages.
Yevheniia Blyzniuk, a Gradus representative, commented: “Our evidence suggests that Ukrainian listening preferences are evolving both technologically and culturally. Streaming makes music consumption feel more personal, and Ukrainian content is increasingly becoming the obvious pick for audiences.”
This growing preference for homegrown music signals a broader cultural transformation in Ukraine, with potential ripple effects across the music industry. Encouraging local performers strengthens national cultural identity and could help generate economic momentum in the sector. As streaming becomes the primary listening method, Ukrainian artists may also find new openings reach global audiences.