2025 was the year listening habits became more local, more rooted, and more intentional. Gaana, a subscription-only music streaming platform, saw listeners spending longer time on the app, discovering more regional music, and returning more frequently to Indian-rooted genres and non-film content.
Because Gaana is a subscription-only platform, every stream reflects a paying subscriber, called a TrueFan. This year’s rise in time spent listening per user signals deeper engagement, not passive or incidental consumption.
Regional languages led the year
Regional languages shaped much of listening behaviour in 2025, with the sharpest surge coming from the East. Assamese grew by 42% in time spent listening, emerging as the standout growth story of the year.
Across regions, Punjabi pop stayed dominant with tracks like Azul (Guru Randhawa) and For A Reason (Karan Aujla & Ikky) drawing strong repeat listening. Bhojpuri remained a high-loyalty category, led by favourites such as Aaho Raja, Dilwa Le Ja Rumaal Me, and Arrah Ke Othlali (Pawan Singh). Haryanvi continued its cultural rise, with Masoom Sharma driving consistent traction through tracks like 2 Khatole, Teri Ramjhol Bole Gi, and Raat Ke Shikari.
In Marathi, Sanju Rathod’s Shaky and Sundari sustained their run. In the South, Telugu audiences gravitated towards Devi Sri Prasad’s Bujji Thalli and Viral Vayyari, while Tamil listening stayed around tracks like Oorum Blood, Monica, and Pathikichu. Malayalam saw repeated returns to Neeye Punchiri (from Lokah), alongside Minnalvala and Jaalakaari.
Bollywood and indie both held space
While regional growth was a big story, Hindi film music remained a steady anchor with a 25% increase in time spent listening (TSL). Saiyaara emerged as one of the most listened-to tracks of 2025, followed closely by Tu Hain Toh Main Hoon (from Skyforce), showing continued interest in melody-led, emotion-forward film music.
Indie music expanded up 14% with artists such as Kushagra (Finding Her), Aditya Rikhari (Sahiba), and Anuv Jain (Jo Tum Mere Ho) performing consistently throughout the year.
Genres and eras: a wider curve of taste
Genre trends showed a widening preference curve. Pop was the fastest-growing genre (+48%), reflecting strong Gen Z-led discovery and repeat listening. Alongside this, Indian-rooted genres, especially devotional and culturally anchored sounds, continued to deepen their share of listening time.
Catalog engagement also revealed a balance between nostalgia and newness: the 2020s era saw the strongest growth, while older decades remained steady, signalling that new releases and familiar favourites are now co-existing rather than competing.
Top artists of 2025
Artist trends through 2025 show how listeners choose familiarity. In Hindi, users continued to return to Arijit Singh, while Pritam and Alka Yagnik held their connection with audiences across age groups.
Faheem Abdullah, said, “The love that I have received for Saiyaara is beyond words. Knowing that the song is the most listened to on Gaana, where every play comes from a paying listener, makes this recognition even more meaningful.”
Tanishk Bagchi, said, “It’s always special when a song connects the way Saiyaara has. I’m grateful to everyone who listened on Gaana this year and happy to see it become one of the most played tracks on the platform. Thank you for giving the music so much love.”
In Marathi, Sanju Rathod and Sonali Sonawane continued their run.
Sonali Sonawane said, “So grateful for all the love from my listeners. Your support is the reason I’m among the most-streamed artist in Marathi on Gaana year after year. This year has been incredible, and I’m promising you to share better music with you next year. Thank you for all the love. Keep loving the same. I love each one of my listeners.”
Aditya Gadhvi continued as the most-listened Gujrati artist.
Aditya Gadhvi, said, “It’s an honour to be among the top-streamed artists on Gaana. Seeing Meetha Khaara and Khalasi travel so far and wide makes me incredibly proud of Gujarati music and the love listeners continue to show it.”
Across the South, listening patterns highlighted catalogue depth. Tamil’s year was shaped by Anirudh Ravichander’s contemporary pull alongside interest in S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and A. R. Rahman.
Kannada listening showed Sonu Nigam as the most listened-to artist.
Sonu Nigam, said, “This year has been a year of special love for me from Pardesia, to Bijuria and Jogiya and now Yeh Ishq Ishq hai and Mayavi Hindi. And to know that I’m the most listened to artiste in Kannada too on Gaana, pleases me to no end. I only have love and gratitude for the listeners and Gaana.”
Punjabi listening stayed strong anchored by Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh, with Shubh rounding out the genre. In Bhojpuri, repeat-listening patterns remained consistent, with Shilpi Raj, Pawan Singh, and Khesarilal Yadav central to the category’s growth. Haryanvi music continued its rise in North India, with Masoom Sharma leading engagement and artists like Ashu Twinkle and Dhanda Nyoliwala shaping much of the genre’s momentum. Assamese music reflected a mix of regional loyalty and national curiosity, driven by familiar names like Zubeen Garg, Neel Akash, and Deeplina Deka.
Internationally, Justin Bieber, Alan Walker, and Ed Sheeran remained the most-streamed English artists, showing the crossover between local and global pop on Gaana’s premium audience.
Key takeaways on listening patterns
2025 has been a defining year for audio streaming. Listeners are moving beyond generic playlists to discover hyper-local music, devotional streams, and independent artists in their own languages. There has been a surge in regional and Indian-rooted genres on Gaana. The platform focuses on maintaining cultural relevance for diverse listeners.
