Splice and MIDiA share Sounds of 2026 report, revealing the sound of the year
Splice and MIDiA Research have tipped Afro house as the “sound of the year” in new report.
MIDiA Research has been keeping a weather eye on the state of the music industry, and the winds of fragmentation and diversification have truly been blowing in. Along with sound library platform, Splice, MIDiA has compiled a report, Sounds of 2026, capturing the moment in music that is the year ahead.
Music is entering a new phase. Genres are no longer moving in neat cycles, and there is no single “mainstream” sound that defines a year. Instead, listening habits are fragmenting, cultures are blending, and creators are pulling inspiration from everywhere at once.
Using data from Splice, the Sounds of 2026 report reveals the trends and microtrends that are emerging, driven by the creators and producers of the music industry. One of the key data points, as Music Ally notes, is Afro house being crowned “sound of the year” following an explosive rise.
Why is Afro house the sound of the year?
Afro house saw 778% year-on-year growth, reaching 6.7 million downloads and 1.3 million searches in 2025. While the numbers are striking, the reasons behind them matter more.
As Ms Mavy, Founder of Afroplug, explains, “Afro house blends African rhythms with electronic elements in a way that creates something spiritual, rooted, and global at the same time.”
In a time when AI tools and automation dominate daily life, this balance between technology and humanity is powerful. The report pinpoints Afro house’s organic instrumentation, soulful vocals, and local rhythms from across the continent. “Its success is a testament to a shift in demand for deeper connections with organic sounds.”
Dance music is on the rise
It isn’t just Afro house enjoying a boom in popularity. House music in general climbed from Splice’s fifth most-downloaded genre in 2023 to second place in 2025. Afro house accounted for around 70% of that growth, with melodic house also rising sharply.
At the same time, faster dance genres surged. Speed garage, hard techno, jump-up drum & bass, and hard dance all recorded triple-digit growth. Together, these trends suggest that people want music they can move to, whether that means slow, hypnotic rhythms or high-energy release.
As the report puts it, dance music is becoming an answer to a world “with a lot of steam to let off”.
Where is music being created around the world?
Splice’s data shows that the US remains its biggest market, with New York seeing the strongest year-on-year growth among American cities (8.75%). While hip hop continues to play a major role there, house music is now growing at a similar pace.
In raw numbers, both genres added just under 295,000 downloads during 2025. New York also led the way in the return of boom bap, recording the biggest increase in downloads for the sound anywhere in the country.
Outside the US, Seoul stands out as Splice’s largest market, generating more than 7.1 million downloads in 2025. Sydney followed with 2.7 million, while cities like Berlin, London, and Melbourne also ranked highly. Although West Asia and North Africa is still a smaller market overall, it is one of the fastest-growing regions. Cities such as Istanbul, Tel Aviv, and Dubai are having an outsized influence, helping push emerging sounds into the global spotlight.
Genres are fragmenting
Hip-hop remained Splice’s most-downloaded genre overall, but the report shows a genre in transition. Trap is still dominant, yet growth is slowing, while underground and throwback sounds like rage, boom bap, and pluggnb are rising.
Pop followed a similar pattern. After dropping in 2024, it returned to the top three in 2025, driven by genre-blending styles and a 297% increase in bedroom pop downloads. These sounds prioritise warmth, honesty, and imperfections over polish and professional studio sound.
Rather than one sound replacing another, the report shows music splitting into lots and lots of micro-scenes, each supported by online communities and creator tools.
What does the future hold?
The Sounds of 2026 report highlights several clear directions for the year ahead:
- Music will continue to become more global, with regional sounds shaping worldwide trends
- Organic and acoustic elements will grow as listeners seek emotional connection
- Dance music will push further into the mainstream
- Micro-trends will matter more than mass trends
As the report concludes, “micro is the new macro”.
Afro house’s rise is not just about a genre having a big year. It reflects a deeper shift in how music is created, shared, and experienced. Global influence, emotional depth, and physical connection are shaping the sound of now. Creators and fans are finding togetherness within the splinters of sub-genres and micro scenes, as they continue to dance defiantly through 2026.