SoundCloud Music Intelligence Report 2026 Reveals Hip-Hop Genre Shifts

The SoundCloud Music Intelligence Report 2026 is released by SoundCloud and analyzes listening habits and future trends on the platform. The report identifies a resurgence of electronic music and records that more than one in three tracks published on SoundCloud used electronic categorization last year. It enumerates regional trends that include Latin styles such as Colombian guaracha and baile funk, South Asian currents including breakbeat scenes and Vina House, and European movements such as trance and melodic techno.

Taken together, these data points frame the Music Intelligence Report 2026 as directly relevant to practitioners, promoters and observers within electronic music and DJ culture who engage with genre categorizations, publishing activity and regional listening patterns across the platform and industry stakeholders.

The Music Intelligence Report 2026 is released by SoundCloud and analyzes listening habits and future trends on the platform. The report states that electronic music is experiencing a resurgence within SoundCloud’s catalog and user activity. It records that more than one in three tracks published on SoundCloud used electronic categorization last year. The report also records that classification tools began tagging hip-hop-influenced tracks as folk, rock or indie at a higher rate, rising from 24% to 35% from one semester to the next.

The report notes that some communities formerly centered on hip-hop have turned toward pop punk and alternative rock, and that a new wave of artists defining themselves as ‘indie’ release EPs where intimate folk indie and alternative trap coexist.

Regional trends highlighted in the report include Latin scenes such as Colombian guaracha and baile funk, which are listed as notable regional styles. South Asian currents identified include breakbeat scenes and Vina House. European movements named in the report include trance and melodic techno. The report additionally mentions a renewed interest in dubstep and EDM in the United States and lists UK garage and bass music among styles that are also mentioned.

The SoundCloud Music Intelligence Report 2026 highlights significant transformations within hip-hop on the platform. Traditionally characterized by its distinct sound and cultural roots, hip-hop has begun merging with other genres, such as indie, pop punk, and alternative rock. This blending of styles signifies a notable evolution in the genre’s identity, promoting creativity and diversity in musical expression.

Concurrently, classification tools that tag tracks have increasingly labeled hip-hop-influenced music as folk, rock, or indie, with a notable increase from 24% to 35% over two semesters. This shift suggests a broadening perception of hip-hop’s influence, encompassing a wider musical spectrum.

The report quotes, “Some communities formerly centered on hip-hop have turned toward pop punk and alternative rock. This new wave of artists defining themselves as ‘indie’ — represented by witty and aeter — release EPs where intimate folk indie and alternative trap coexist.”

This statement underscores the genre’s dynamic nature, as artists explore and create new, hybrid musical landscapes that challenge traditional genre boundaries.

The provided source and accompanying report excerpts do not include detailed descriptions or defining characteristics for the electronic subgenres Schranz, DMV, or Chugg. A review of the supplied article shows no listing of tempo, rhythmic structure, geographic origin, representative artists, or typical production techniques specifically attributed to those genre labels. The available sources do not provide this information. As a result, the article does not allow extraction or reorganization of factual descriptions for Schranz, DMV, or Chugg from the supplied materials.

The report names the following people: Cecilia CAVASSONI, Tape B, GRiZ, Levity, Ayowitty, Aeter, and JaeyChino9. These individuals are explicitly listed among the named people connected to the musical scenes discussed in the document. The named-entity list for people appears alongside other metadata in the report.

Companies cited in the report include SoundCloud and Billboard, and the product identified is the Music Intelligence Report 2026. These company and product names are explicitly listed among the report’s named entities related to the platform and its analysis. The named-entity metadata distinguishes people, companies, and products in separate fields within the report.

CONCLUSION

The Music Intelligence Report 2026, released by SoundCloud, analyzes listening habits and future trends on the platform. The report records a resurgence of electronic music and states that more than one in three tracks published on SoundCloud used electronic categorization last year. It documents a transformation in hip-hop characterized by merging with indie, pop punk and alternative rock, and reports that classification tools tagged hip-hop-influenced tracks as folk, rock or indie at a higher rate, rising from 24% to 35% between consecutive semesters.

Regional patterns identified include Latin genres such as Colombian guaracha and baile funk, South Asian currents including breakbeat scenes and Vina House, and European movements such as trance and melodic techno. The report also notes a renewed interest in dubstep and EDM in the United States and mentions UK garage and bass music among styles referenced in the analysis.