Image Credit: Caspar Camille Rubin

Compared to last year, the data for the most streamed music channels on Twitch shows the impact the pandemic has had on livestreaming.

Music channels on Twitch saw a year-on-year growth of 428% in January 2021 compared to last year. That’s the biggest milestone to date, with over 24 million hours watched. The pandemic has sent music fans flocking to the streaming app.

The rise in viewers shows the vital part music livestreaming and other artist-driven content has played in helping music fans connect with their favourite artists whilst live venues have been forced to close.

Image Credit: StreamElements

The most-watched music channels in January were:

Judging by the stats however, music is still a small but growing area on Twitch, representing only 1.2% of the total 2 billion viewing hours on the platform.

The growth will no doubt continue in a similar manner throughout 2021 as lockdowns continue and live music venues remain closed. Twitch has been showing interest in expanding into the music industry over the past year, including collaborations with SoundCloud, and has been looking to expand its offerings to musicians, spurred on by the pandemic.