Apple Music ranks ninth in 2016 Nielsen charts of most-used mobile apps

AppleInsider · December 30, 2016 5:45PM

Apple Music was the ninth-most popular smartphone app in the U.S. this year in terms of average unique users, according to new Nielsen research data, despite it being heavily iOS-focused and of less use without a paid subscription.

The app picked up just under 68.4 million users in tracking between January and October, Nielsen said. That's an increase of 20 percent year-over-year, placing it above the Amazon app's 65.5 million.

All of the spots above Apple Music were controlled by either Facebook or Google, including apps like Gmail, Instagram, Messenger, and YouTube. Leading the pack was the core Facebook app, with over 146 million users -- up 14 percent annually.

Apple Music does have a presence on both iOS and Android, but the service's global subscription base is only around 20 million. That would imply that many people are only briefly checking the app out without paying. It's installed by default on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, on which it also handles local music playback.

Nielsen separately said that iOS claimed 45 percent of the U.S. smartphone market by platform in the third quarter, still eclipsed by Android's 53 percent. Windows took 2 percent, while the soon-to-be-extinct BlackBerry platform managed just 1 percent.

red oak · December 30, 2016 5:58PM

There is a lack of depth in the reporting here. Where is iMessage, Apple Maps, App Store?

At least make somr effort to be curious and question the methodology

cali · December 30, 2016 6:16PM

red oak said:

There is a lack of depth in the reporting here. Where is iMessage, Apple Maps, App Store?

At least make somr effort to be curious and question the methodology

I was thinking the same.

Safari, Mail, iTunes...

I think default apps don't count. Apple Music being an exception because it's available on knockoffs.

AdamA11 · December 30, 2016 6:22PM

cali said:

red oak said:

There is a lack of depth in the reporting here. Where is iMessage, Apple Maps, App Store?

At least make somr effort to be curious and question the methodology

I was thinking the same.

Safari, Mail, iTunes...

I think default apps don't count. Apple Music being an exception because it's available on knockoffs.

YouTube, Google Maps, Googe Search and ... Are built in to android so I guess no they are just fake report or they forgot to include them.

AdamA11 · December 30, 2016 6:26PM

red oak said:

There is a lack of depth in the reporting here. Where is iMessage, Apple Maps, App Store?

At least make somr effort to be curious and question the methodology

Yes indeed they are not including the other most used apps most people I know all over the world use application like: Snapchat, Whatsapp, iMessege or Messeges, Facetime and music (Apple Music requires a membership And some people prefer buying the songs).

fluffhead · December 30, 2016 8:06PM

I find it hard to believe Snapchat would not be included.

JoePiervincenti · December 30, 2016 8:30PM

This isn't surprising, whatsoever, since the Apple Music subscription service is not the only facet of the app. This is the exact same default app that people have been using for years to listen to their own music. Considering that it's still the #1 music store, is it really that surprising that an app that hundreds of millions of iPhone users use to listen to music is one of the top apps?

crowley · December 30, 2016 8:41PM

Does this include use of the Music app when there isn't an Apple Music subscription? Because if not, who cares? In addition, this app will often be used as a background play app, so I'm not sure there's anything of value to be gleaned in comparing it to foreground-only apps.

Soli · December 30, 2016 10:49PM

crowley said:

Does this include use of the Music app when there isn't an Apple Music subscription? Because if not, who cares? In addition, this app will often be used as a background play app, so I'm not sure there's anything of value to be gleaned in comparing it to foreground-only apps.

Something seems really off. I guess it would mean for Android since, as you note, Apple Music is a feature within the Music app, and the default mobile OS apps aren't counted.

quadra 610 · December 31, 2016 1:34AM

That's actually fairly impressive, considering what's in the Top 10.

Rayz2016 · December 31, 2016 10:52AM

Trailing by 8% is hardly what I'd describe as being "eclipsed".

rattlhed · December 31, 2016 4:42PM

Whether you like Facebook or not, gotta admit their domination in social media is undeniable. 146M unique users, holy crap.

linkman · December 31, 2016 4:46PM

For those saying "app x should be in this list because it's so popular" -- there can only be ten in the top ten (barring a tie for the last position). Also, this is more likely to be an accurate report because Nielsen is known for scientific polling vs. whacky analyst's estimates.

steinm88299 · January 1, 2017 9:23PM

Interesting list as all of the apps above Apple Music are completely free and are just ad platforms. Only Apple Music and Amazon are actually used to generate any revenue. Facebook is one platform I just don't understand. They have no product at all, it is just people sharing nonsense with one another.

bestkeptsecret · January 2, 2017 9:33AM

So Apple Music is bigger than Spotify?

linkman · January 2, 2017 4:07PM

bestkeptsecret said:

So Apple Music is bigger than Spotify?

Nielsen reports the app has more unique users than Spotify. This is not to be confused with the number of subscribers that each service has. I am a user of the Apple Music app on iOS but I don't subscribe to AM.

gordy · January 3, 2017 12:15PM

I'm not sure there is an Apple Music app. Without more context on how this list was derived, the article seems flawed.

Apple Music ranks ninth in 2016 Nielsen charts of most-used mobile apps

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