A report published this January takes a data driven approach to music genre growth. The findings show that Afro House is even more popular than before in 2026
Splice x MIDiA dropped their Sounds of 2026 report with insights into the genres most downloaded by DJs. The report concludes that Afro House is the undisputed sound of the year with a staggering 778% Year on Year Download Growth. This has spearheaded House music as an umbrella genre to second place overall, largely thanks to Afro House, French Touch and Latin House.
The report predicts that Three Step will become the dominant form of Afro House going forward.
Hip Hop is still the King. Far from losing the crown, Hip Hop remains the most downloaded genre. The growth is slowing down though, as demonstrated by the decline of Trap and Drill juxtaposed by the growing interest in modern takes on Boom Bap and G-Funk and newer sub-genres ‘Pluggnb‘ and ‘Sexy drill.’
On a side note, Speed Garage, a UK centric spin off of Garage House that broke out all the way back in 1997 is experiencing significant growth almost 30 years on from inception!
The report concludes that music played by DJs is becoming more global and less concentrated in Western nations which is a good thing. Expect to see more micro genres and scenes as we move through 2026.