SoundCloud has released its 2026 Music Intelligence Report, outlining the fastest-growing genres and listener shifts on the platform. The annual report spotlights emerging scenes including Eclectic New Indie, Mexican Reggaeton, DMV Rap and harder strains of techno, alongside fresh data on hip hop’s evolution.
The findings are based on streaming trends across SoundCloud’s global user base.
Eclectic new indie streams surge 250%
One of the standout growth areas is what SoundCloud labels “Eclectic New Indie”. The platform describes the scene as artists who are:
“fluent in pop-punk and bedroom acoustic, but also draw heavily from newer hip-hop trends like ‘jerk,’ to make music that freely crosses genre lines”.
According to the report, streams of tracks categorised under Eclectic New Indie rose more than 250% over the past year. Notably, 89% of listeners to the genre are Gen Z, underlining its youth-driven audience.
The data reflects a wider trend of artists blending guitar-led songwriting with hip hop production styles and online-born subcultures.
Mexican reggaeton, DMV rap and hard techno on the rise
Beyond indie crossover sounds, the report highlights strong growth across several other scenes.
Mexican Reggaeton streams increased by 81% year-on-year, while DMV Rap, originating from Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, continues to expand its footprint on the platform.
Hard techno and related subgenres are also accelerating in tempo and intensity. SoundCloud noted:
“The percentage of hardstyle, hardcore and hardtekk tracks that top 180 BPM has increased in each of the past three years.”
That data points to a sustained appetite for faster electronic music across underground communities.
SoundCloud pushes back on hip hop decline narrative
The report also addresses industry claims that hip hop has recently declined in chart dominance. SoundCloud argues the genre is not shrinking but transforming.
“Anecdotally, you can hear hip-hop’s influence across genres ranging from pop to country to indie to electronic music. It’s evident in everything from lyrical delivery to production to aesthetics.”
It adds:
“Examining hip-hop through the lens of SoundCloud scenes reveals another reality. More than just influencing other genres, hip-hop itself is rapidly evolving, exploring entirely new sonic palettes and lyrical styles.”
Rather than focusing solely on mainstream chart metrics, the report positions scene-level evolution as a more accurate reflection of the genre’s current health.
Listeners broadening their tastes
SoundCloud’s data suggests that user behaviour is shifting beyond single-genre loyalty. The report states:
“Since 2019, listeners now spend 4% less time with their most-listened genre,”
The platform also claims US SoundCloud users dedicate a higher proportion of their listening to new music compared to the broader industry.
“Compared to the rest of the industry, US SoundCloud users spend nearly twice as much of their listening time with new music,”
with figures cited at 43% for SoundCloud users versus 24% industry-wide.
The 2026 Music Intelligence Report paints a picture of fragmentation, cross-genre experimentation and faster-moving micro-scenes shaping the platform’s growth.
