Epidemic Sound Releases Sound of Gamers Report, Unveiling the Top Trends Shaping YouTube's Gaming Scene

Stockholm, Sweden – Epidemic Sound, the market-leading soundtrack innovation platform, today released the findings of its Sound of Gamers Report 2023. Recognizing the licensing hurdles and the risk of takedowns associated with keeping original game soundtracks in YouTube videos, creators within the YouTube gaming community turn to restriction-free music to bring their videos to life. For its inaugural gaming report, Epidemic Sound analyzed metadata for videos on YouTube - a platform where videos including Epidemic Sound music are viewed over two billion times daily - to better understand how creators within the YouTube gaming community use music in their content, the genres they gravitate to, and more. 

Music choice in gaming content usually reflects game intensity and narrative

According to Epidemic Sound’s research, when it comes to First Person Shooter (FPS) games like "Apex Legends" and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare", content creators gravitate primarily to Trap music to soundtrack their content. Similarly, content creators covering Horror games like "Resident Evil 4," typically layer their videos with suspenseful Action music from Epidemic Sound artists like Niklas Johansson to enhance the thrill of the game. For videos about the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, "League of Legends," creators typically opt for Alternative Hip Hop tunes. Finally, when it comes to the Battle Royale game, "Fortnite," YouTubers often select upbeat Modern Latin tracks to set the mood for their content.

YouTube gamers embrace K-pop with 266% growth

A notable trend in the gaming content creation landscape is the rising popularity of K-pop music in content, which has witnessed a remarkable growth of 266%, making it the fastest-growing genre used by YouTube gaming content creators in the past 12 months. This trend likely reflects creators' tastes and desire to infuse gaming videos with a dynamic and futuristic atmosphere that resonates with their audience. Epidemic Sound has responded to this shift by expanding its K-pop catalog by over 180% in the past year, featuring tracks from Adelyn Paik, the most popular K-pop artist for gaming content. Other rapidly emerging genres among gaming content creators include Samba (+130%), Drum n Bass (+126%), Synth Pop (+120%), and Crime Scene (+101%).

Arthur Benson's "A Spotless Mind" tops gaming content creators' choices

Certain compositions have clearly emerged as standout favorites when it comes to the most popular tracks for soundtracking gaming content. According to Epidemic Sound’s research, Arthur Benson's "A Spotless Mind" is the most-used track by YouTube gaming content creators. The charming melody is often paired with contemplative scenes, earning it a special place in the hearts of gamers and securing two of Benson's compositions in the top three. In a close second place is Jules Gaia's "Break Fast," cherished for its catchy beats and energizing rhythm, making it a hot pick among gaming content creators and audiences. Gaia also claims a spot in the top five with another track, "Glitz at the Ritz." Lucas Pittman's "Swagger Stagger" earns the fifth position, rounding out the top five. Notably, Epidemic Sound's most popular artist of 2022, Ooyy, clinches the eighth spot with the track "Come 2gether," underscoring the diverse spectrum of music resonating within the gaming world.

"Our report underscores the critical role of music in the creative process for gaming content creators. These creators understand that the right soundtrack can elevate their videos, bringing depth and intensity to their gaming experiences. We recognize the challenges they face in finding restriction-free music that complements their content seamlessly," said Epidemic Sound CEO, Oscar Höglund. "Epidemic Sound is thrilled to provide the solution by offering a catalog of music that empowers creators to soundtrack their favorite gaming content creatively. Our goal is to support content creators in their quest to captivate and connect with their audiences, and this report highlights the importance of music as an integral part of their creative journey."

To see all the insights from Epidemic Sound’s Sound of Gamers Report 2023, visit the Epidemic Sound blog. To gain further insights into the intersection of music and online content creation, you can also refer to Epidemic Sound’s previous report, the Sound of the Internet Report 2022, here.

Methodology

Epidemic Sound’s Music in Gaming Report 2023 is based on an analysis of metadata and YouTube user-generated content with music from Epidemic Sound’s catalog of 40,000+ tracks. The data analyzed was from YouTube video uploads between August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023. To measure popularity, Epidemic Sound identified the artists, tracks, and genres with the highest quantity of inclusions in YouTube gaming videos during that time frame. The fastest-growing artists and genres were determined from the music with the largest year-over-year percentage increase in YouTube videos from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 compared with the same period 12 months prior.