New York, NY (December 8, 2025)—In 1995, bands occupied 41% of the charts. In 2023, it was 4%. Some reasons for the decline include the golden age of rock bands being behind us, and streaming service algorithms that feed back on themselves. When algorithms push declining streams downward, they decline more, and a death spiral becomes inevitable.
But is this about the end of bands, or the end of a cycle? The answer lies beyond the Billboard charts. Especially outside the U.S., there’s evidence that interest in bands is growing—and reshaping what “being in a band” means. After the Covid-fueled home recording boom, is live performance poised to be the next big thing? Is it time to revisit your live mixing chops?
For example, although K-pop still dominates in Korea, the rise of indie and band scenes created some of the earliest signs of a live performance resurgence. This makes sense: The starry-eyed teenagers raised on fluffy pop in the 1990s are in their early 30s. They’re ready for a more “raw” and relatable musical experience that counters the hyper-polished “idol”
ethic of their youth. The result is a growing subculture that favors live band performances over dance-heavy synchronization, creative music and arrangements by band members instead of outside producers, a less fashion-forward look, and musical styles rooted in rock, indie and orchestral pop instead of hip-hop, pop and EDM. Follow the money, too: Korean talent agencies are now investing in band-centric formats, not only K-pop idols.
Africa (especially Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa) is going in two directions. Although the Afrobeats culture has always emphasized personal brands, solo acts (e.g., Burna Boy, who started as a teenager making beats with FL Studio) are increasingly playing with live bands who—wait for it— improvise. Another path comes from South African township collectives that coalesced around Amapiano, a fusion of multiple musical genres. Producers, singers, songwriters and instrumentalists share tracks online in a loose band format. Unlike the U.S., where music is mostly devoid of social commentary, Amapiano music represents the voice of youth.
While Japan’s J-Rock doesn’t dominate Japan’s mainstream charts like J-pop or idol groups, it thrives on live performance. According to Japan’s Ministry of Education, J-Rock is among the most popular genres among younger demographics. This isn’t surprising—rock concerts offer deeper engagement than staring into smart phones.
India’s indie band scene is expanding, especially in Mumbai and Bangalore, by gaining traction through YouTube promotional videos and college festivals. Southeast Asia’s band culture, centered primarily around Indonesia and the Philippines, has always been big on digital options like TikTok and BandLab, but is now branching out into live gigs, festivals and regional touring circuits.
In Latin America, bands have always remained central to genres like salsa and reggaeton. Tellingly, Latin American virtual bands are exploring immersive concerts and festival appearances. Why not? Anyone who’s played concerts knows that engaging live with people is way more fun than uploading online videos.
U.K. and Nordic countries are also seeing an indie band resurgence. The Music Moves Europe initiative, backed by the European Commission, supports Europe’s music sector with a focus on live music. Germany’s Initiative Musik program funds band touring, album production and international showcases.
Like so many other countries, in the U.S., big corporations and the government support an arts infrastructure through…uh…hmmm. I’ll get back to you on that.
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Still, there are some tentative indications of change. Streaming growth is slowing, while live performances are growing. Although boomer and Gen X nostalgia often drives band concert sales, modern metal bands are breaking through commercially thanks to Millennials and Gen Z. They discover metal through streaming, then seek out live performances.
Meanwhile, trans-national virtual bands are emerging. These aren’t bands in the traditional sense, but are bands nonetheless. For example, the band Citizen Regen started with three musicians (from California, Norway and Scotland), who met on a DAW manufacturer’s forum. The band picked up additional members from Portugal, Oregon and California. When one of the guitar players and the keyboardist could no longer participate, a guitarist from Turkey and keyboard player from Australia stepped in. Is it a band? It sounds like one, has personnel dynamics like one, and perhaps, surprisingly, their recordings have that elusive “band” quality you don’t always find in solo projects. This is just one of many examples.
But let’s zoom out. Sometimes spikes have no lasting impact. CD sales might go up by a couple percent year-over-year, but that doesn’t mean anything about next year. Are rumblings about the rebirth of bands and live performances a spike, or are they significant?
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I’ll vote for significant. Covid drove a stake into the heart of live music— but couldn’t kill it. Also, consider the backlash against our increasingly fake world of AI slop, enshittification, fiction-based news media, “concerts” that lip-sync to recordings, and eerily perfect yet totally unsensual virtual models. Few antidotes to fakery are better than a community of likeminded people who unite at a concert to engage with music, reality and each other.
Sure, the venues might not be as big as they were, and live performance is changing shape, as is the definition of a band. Still, there are signs that realism is winning a few skirmishes in the war against artificiality—and band-driven live performances are providing some of the ammunition.
