SoundCloud’s 2026 Music Intelligence Report Shows Where Scenes Are Born Before The Mainstream Notices

SoundCloud has released the second public edition of its Music Intelligence Report, offering a rare, data-driven look at how music culture actually forms.

Rather than tracking trends after they break, the 2026 report focuses on where scenes begin: inside communities, long before they are named, categorized, or commercialized.

Built from direct fan interaction, including reposts, comments, likes, and follows, the report reflects how music spreads socially on SoundCloud.

These behaviors signal momentum far earlier than streaming volume alone, positioning SoundCloud as a real-time map of cultural movement rather than a retrospective chart.

The report builds on insights from 2025, tracking how early signals mature into recognizable scenes. Movements like Eclectic New Indie and UK Underground Rap, first highlighted last year, have since expanded beyond their initial definitions and gained wider traction across the music ecosystem.

Several fast-growing scenes stand out in the 2026 findings. Eclectic New Indie represents a genre-fluid approach, with artists releasing everything from indie folk to alt trap side by side.

The scene has grown 2.5× since 2023 and is driven by an 80% Gen Z audience. Mexican Reggaeton is evolving just as rapidly, blending reggaeton, trap, plugg, jerk, and regional influences, with its “chugg” substyle up 78% year over year.

Hard Techno is also accelerating, with average BPMs now exceeding 180 and U.S. listening to hardtekk up 75%.

The report also challenges the narrative that hip-hop is declining. SoundCloud data shows a genre rebuilding through scenes rather than charts, led by Gen Z creators.

UK underground rap streams have grown 4.5× in two years, while DMV rap continues to expand through regional identity and hybrid sound.

Ultimately, the 2026 Music Intelligence Report positions SoundCloud as a front-row observer of music’s future, where listeners aren’t passive consumers, but active tastemakers shaping what rises next.