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People stop discovering new music at 30, study finds

We happily have to disagree, but maybe that's just us... 

People stop discovering new music at 30, according to the findings of a new study conducted by the streaming service Deezer. 

The survey involved 1,000 British participants, and concluded that so-called 'musical paralysis' kicks in once the average listener hits the three-decade mark. 

There appears to be various reasons for this. 19 per cent of those involved said they were too overwhelmed with the choice of tunes out there, 16 per cent stated their demanding work life prevented them discovering fresh sounds, and 11 per cent claimed caring for young children was the route cause. Meanwhile, more than half wished they had more time to hear new artists, although 47 per cent admitted they were simply uninterested in making any further discoveries. 60 per cent saw themselves in a musical rut, which is defined as only listening to things they are already familiar with.

24 is apparently the peak of musical adventurism amongst Britons, although ages vary in different UK regions. Despite being home to some of the country's biggest scenes in Manchester and Liverpool, those in the North West are at risk of suffering from paralysis as young as 23, while the Scottish enjoy the longest love affair with new music, with interests only fading at around 40 years old. 

In any case, it's difficult to contest that streaming services can encourage people to dig deeper into sounds they may not be used to, and the sector has been a major driving force in the growth of global music revenues over the past 12 months. Read our thoughts on what could happen when streaming arrives in DJ booths here, published after Beatport announced earlier this year that users will soon be able to stream the store's entire catalogue direct to specialist equipment.