Sounds of 2026: Unveiling Music Trends and Genre Evolution on Splice
Splice, a music creation platform, has named Afro house as its sound of the year due to its remarkable 778% growth on the platform in 2025. This surge in popularity led to 1.3 million searches and 6.7 million downloads of the genre. Afro house played a significant role in elevating the broader house genre from the fifth most downloaded to the second most downloaded genre on the platform, with a 70% growth contribution. Additionally, melodic house downloads saw a 75% increase, totaling 3.2 million downloads.
The data presented in Splice's report, Sounds of 2026: An In-depth Look At the Trends Driving Music Creation, highlights key trends observed on the platform. The report, compiled by MIDiA Research, covers data from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. It delves into the evolving landscape of music creation and the impact of various genres on the platform's user base.
Hip-hop continues to reign as the most downloaded genre on Splice, with trap maintaining its position as the top subgenre. The growth in hip-hop is attributed to subgenres like rage, boom bap, and pluggnb, indicating a diversification of sound within the genre. Pop has made a comeback in the top three genres, with bedroom pop emerging as the top subgenre, experiencing a 297% surge in downloads. Other notable subgenres under the pop category include hyperpop and indie pop.
In addition to the top three genres, Splice's top 10 genres include RnB, soul, EDM, cinematic, techno, and tech house. Electronic music witnessed significant growth on the platform, with speed garage registering a 625% increase in downloads in 2025. Fast-growing genres like hardwave, phonk, and hard dance also made their mark on the platform, reflecting the diverse musical preferences of creators.
Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava emphasized the personalized nature of music trends in today's era, where creators draw inspiration from a multitude of sources to craft unique and culturally rich music. The utilization of samples serves as a key indicator of upcoming trends in the music industry, showcasing genre evolution and cultural shifts towards global influences and scene-driven growth. Mark Mulligan, Managing Director and music analyst at MIDiA Research, highlighted the significance of sample usage in predicting future musical trends and the evolving landscape of music creation.
In conclusion, Splice's report sheds light on the dynamic nature of music creation and the evolving preferences of creators in the digital age. The platform's data-driven insights provide valuable information on emerging trends and genre preferences, offering a glimpse into the diverse and ever-changing world of music production.