Ukrainian music and its ability to influence listeners’ emotional state and social cohesion
State of Ukrainian society
Only one third of Ukrainians are satisfied with their lives. Negative emotions associated with exhaustion prevail: anxiety and helplessness. 44% felt happy at least once during the past month. Women are more satisfied with their lives than men, with an average score of 6.5 among women versus 6.1 among men.
How satisfied are you with your life?
32% satisfied with life
7% dissatisfied with life
Women are more satisfied with their lives than men, with an average score of 6.5 among women versus 6.1 among men.
Which of these emotions have you felt during the past month?
The closer respondents live to the frontline and the older they are, the lower the level of cheerfulness they report.
In July 2025, only 26% of respondents said they felt cheerful. Younger respondents traditionally report positive emotions more often, while among older audiences the level of positivity decreases and negative experiences intensify. Regional differences are also substantial: residents of the South, with its proximity to the sea, and the West, which is furthest from the frontline, are more likely to feel optimistic. The lowest result was recorded in Eastern Ukraine.
The sense of unity in Ukrainian society is fairly moderate. The rating among Kyiv residents is particularly low.
The overall rating of the sense of unity in Ukrainian society is 5.15 out of 10, indicating a moderate level of perceived social unity. The strongest sense of unity is observed in the Eastern and Central regions of Ukraine. The lowest score is recorded in the capital, indicating the lowest level of cohesion among city residents.
The dominant emotion associated with Ukraine is pride, especially among residents of the East
“It is moving in the right direction, making mistakes, and that is experience.”
“Ukraine 🇺🇦 is the best thing that could have happened in this world 🤍🤍🤍.”
“I feel pride in Ukrainian culture to my very bones, especially its music, and I sincerely believe that its contemporary representatives, creating today, are making major efforts so that Ukraine’s voice in the world sounds dignified and confident.”
Language of communication and music listening
Ukrainians mainly listen to Ukrainian-language and English-language music
Language usually used …
Despite the growth of Ukrainian content, foreign-language music still accounts for a large share of Ukrainians’ playlists: 79% listen to music in English, 12% in Russian (mainly untranslated hits by Ukrainian artists), and 16% in other languages (German, Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, French, etc.). The acceptability of combining these languages suggests that listeners may also respond positively to translating Ukrainian-language tracks into English to strengthen the popularity of Ukrainian content in international markets. This may also reinforce a sense of pride in “our own” music:
“There are not enough hits. Hits for young people. Maybe even in English. I want to make videos for my YouTube and use our music. Unfortunately, our music does not get as many listens abroad. Especially when you make content for European and American audiences using our music, the reach immediately drops 👇🏻.”
“Our music is no worse than any foreign music and is often even unique when it combines folk elements with contemporary genres. We need more of it and we also need to export more of it to the West.”
Emotional attachment to the past is the main reason for listening to Russian-language music
12% listen to Russian-language music, and most of them (78%) do so because of personal memories and nostalgia. At the same time, a substantial share of respondents spontaneously note that this is not a choice in favour of Russian artists: they listen to older Russian-language tracks by Ukrainian performers.
Age profile of Russian-language music listeners
Music listening
The average music listener listens for around 2 hours a day. 55% of music listeners listen every day. Average listening time is 2 hours per day (on days when they listen). Men and young people are the most active music listeners.
For listeners, music is a source of energy and a tool for regulating their emotions
For listeners, music is a source of energy and a tool for regulating their emotions. The most common listening motive is seeking energy and boosting motivation (76%). This indicates that music acts as an “emotional drive” for the audience, helping people overcome fatigue and maintain productivity. Almost as many listeners (73%) choose music to create a cheerful mood, while 72% use it to relax and relieve stress, which is currently strongly felt in Ukrainian society. This points to music’s ability to change emotions by reducing negative emotions and strengthening positive ones.
YouTube is the main platform for discovering and listening to music
Most music listeners pay for listening to music
According to listeners, average spending on music is UAH 352. On average, one music listener reports two subscription channels (partly because YouTube and YouTube Music are selected simultaneously, but this does not explain all cases). This is why self-reported spending is almost twice as high as the actual subscription cost.
Where do you learn about new music?
YouTube and Instagram are the main channels for discovering new music. Among young people, TikTok also plays an important role (especially for the female target audience), as do Spotify and Apple Music playlists (more often among men).
One third of music listeners attend concerts from time to time
Overall, one third of respondents attend concerts from time to time. Residents of the capital and the Southern region do so most actively. Spending on this type of entertainment most often amounts to UAH 1,000-2,000 per month per person, which exceeds the acceptable spending level of UAH 400-1,000.
Attending music events strengthens the sense of unity and willingness to respond to calls for support
feel the special atmosphere of Ukrainian music events
feel involved, sing along or dance along
donations, auctions, volunteering
Listening to Ukrainian music
Ukrainians are open to and show strong demand for Ukrainian-produced content
Ukrainians are open to and show strong demand for Ukrainian-produced content. According to the survey, 80% of respondents are interested in consuming Ukrainian content, from blogger videos and YouTube channels to films and music tracks. Young people show the strongest interest, indicating not only relevance but also the emergence of Ukrainian products as trendy and fashionable. As of July 2025, Ukrainian-language music was already present in the playlists of 93% of Ukrainian listeners.
Consumption of Ukrainian-language music has almost doubled since the start of the full-scale invasion
The full-scale invasion caused a substantial shift in consumer preferences towards local music. Before 24 February 2022, Ukrainian-language music accounted for 33% of total music consumption; today the figure is 57%. The largest increase in Ukrainian music is observed among women and young people aged 16-25, again indicating the emergence of Ukrainian music as trending content. Geographically, the strongest shift occurred in frontline regions, especially in Eastern Ukraine, which is a significant sociocultural signal of rethinking cultural identity and a growing need to feel connected with the country. The increase in the share of Ukrainian music in the East is an indicator of a cultural turn that reflects deep changes in local attitudes. The lowest consumption of Ukrainian music is currently observed in the capital. The development of the Ukrainian music market is noticeable even to listeners.
“It is developing very actively, really racing ahead, with many interesting experiments and many new, young, exciting artists. It is wonderful. I hope it continues this way. The main thing is not to go backwards to old standards. And most importantly, no Russian language.”
Ukrainians mainly listen to Ukrainian-language and English-language music
Despite the growth of Ukrainian content, foreign-language music still accounts for a large share of Ukrainians’ playlists: 79% listen to music in English, 12% in Russian (mainly untranslated hits by Ukrainian artists), and 16% in other languages (German, Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, French, etc.). The acceptability of combining these languages suggests that listeners may also respond positively to translating Ukrainian-language tracks into English to strengthen the popularity of Ukrainian content in international markets. This may also reinforce a sense of pride in “our own” music:
“There are not enough hits. Hits for young people. Maybe even in English. I want to make videos for my YouTube and use our music. Unfortunately, our music does not get as many listens abroad. Especially when you make content for European and American audiences using our music, the reach immediately drops 👇🏻.”
“Our music is no worse than any foreign music and is often even unique when it combines folk elements with contemporary genres. We need more of it and we also need to export more of it to the West.”
35% of music consumers cannot always find Ukrainian-language music
Ukrainian-language music needs stronger promotion on YouTube Music, Spotify and TikTok. These are popular listening channels whose users most often face difficulties finding Ukrainian-language music.
“There is a lack of high-quality Ukrainian music media (or maybe I am in a very niche category of people who need it 🙂 ). Spotify selections often include Russian artists, and it is not easy to discover new names, which I often do through streaming playlists.”
Despite the industry’s development, a genre gap remains. Listeners especially lack music that could counter passive negative emotions by providing energy
To further engage people in listening to Ukrainian music, style and sound that match contemporary listener preferences need to be combined with a strong artist personality that communicates values and earns respect beyond the stage.
The main factors in choosing music, including preference for foreign music, are the style of the track and how well it matches the listener’s preferences;
“Increase the number of genres. We need cringe music, trendy music, fashionable music, sad music. To replace all the neighbours’ music. Put more emphasis on young people.”
The artist’s style and respect for them as a person: what matters is not only the product an artist offers listeners, but also what they communicate beyond the music industry, including their values, actions and so on.
“Ukrainian music culture is going downhill because of a large number of artists who make low-quality fast food solely for the charts and so on.”
28% of those who prefer foreign-language music also say they do not care what language the music is in. This attitude is more characteristic of older listeners: 41% of respondents aged 46-60 support this view, compared with only 10% among young people aged 16-25.
The favourite Ukrainian artists of 2025 are Okean Elzy, Nadya Dorofeeva, Artem Pivovarov, Boombox and Skryabin
Artist preferences by listener age
16-25
- Dorofeeva31%
- Boombox21%
- MUR17%
- Okean Elzy16%
- Schmalgauzen15%
26-35
- Dorofeeva20%
- Boombox17%
- Okean Elzy14%
- Palindrom12%
- Kurgan & Agregat12%
36-45
- Okean Elzy19%
- Boombox16%
- Artem Pivovarov14%
- Skryabin14%
- Dorofeeva13%
46-60
- Okean Elzy24%
- Artem Pivovarov19%
- Dorofeeva16%
- Skryabin10%
- Bez Obmezhen9%
Active civic position, sincerity, positivity and intelligence are the main personal qualities valued in artists
Music consumers value artists who support Ukrainian interests by avoiding cooperation with the aggressor country, publicly supporting Ukrainian culture and taking an active civic position. Among personal qualities, sincerity, openness, a sense of humour and intelligence are valued most.
“I really love Ukrainian artists with a pro-Ukrainian position who help the army, so I encourage people to support them, help them close fundraising campaigns and attend their concerts when they take place.”
Impact of Ukrainian music on language, national unity and emotions
Ukrainian-language music is not only a cultural product; it also strengthens the sense of national unity
There is a clear positive correlation: as the share of Ukrainian-language music in a listener’s playlist increases, their rating of social unity also rises, reaching 5.39 among those whose playlists are dominated by Ukrainian-language tracks. In addition, the vast majority of respondents (86%) agree with the statement “I believe that supporting Ukrainian music affects the sense of national unity.” This confirms that music is perceived not only as entertainment but also as a tool of cultural consolidation and national unity.
“Ukrainian music truly makes a huge contribution to our society. Music has united us for many centuries. Song has been, is and will remain among us 🫶🏻.”
“Music and films are the only things people in occupied territories can consume online. Thanks to music, my faith and hope for liberation do not fade. I feel that I am part of my people. I dream of attending many events, concerts and performances after de-occupation and seeing everything live with my own eyes.”
Ukrainian music strengthens pride in the country
Average score:
“For me personally, Ukrainian music has been and remains a significant driver of unity and resilience in Ukrainian society.”
Ukrainian music helps preserve history and culture
Most respondents agree that Ukrainian music helps preserve history and national heritage, and the more intensively people listen to Ukrainian-language music, the more strongly listeners express this belief.
“Many Ukrainian artists inspire people and encourage interest in our history and culture.”
“Ukrainian music has enormous potential and a body of work that deserves attention and promotion. I admire artists who carry historical and cultural context in their work, emphasising historical continuity.”
The language of music is not a determining factor in its emotional impact on the listener. Music in any language affects emotions
50% of respondents said that Ukrainian-language music has a positive effect on their emotional well-being. At the same time, this appears to be more of a declarative statement shaped by the broader public discourse around the importance of Ukrainian music and the desire to emphasise its position. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between life satisfaction, emotional state and the intensity of listening to Ukrainian-language music.
Ukrainian music supports the transition to the Ukrainian language by creating a language context. 80% of respondents who have not spoken Ukrainian since childhood say that music helps them with this language transition.
“I switched thanks to the band Hatespeech.”
“Ukrainian music helps me get used to thinking in Ukrainian.”
“In a not very supportive language environment, it helps me maintain my level of Ukrainian…”
“Ukrainian music normalised Ukrainian as a language suitable for creativity and communication in a Russified region.”
Ukrainian music creates a language environment: listeners become accustomed to the sound of Ukrainian, its intonation, rhythm and style. This makes it easier to switch to Ukrainian in everyday communication because the language becomes more natural and familiar. However, the effect is more contextual than educational. Music has a limited effect on expanding vocabulary or learning new words because song lyrics are limited and do not cover the full diversity of everyday language.
Ukrainian music helps form a language environment and supports the transition to Ukrainian, but it is not an effective tool for deeply enriching vocabulary. It motivates and creates a supportive background rather than directly teaching the language.
Only 34% of respondents say that Ukrainian-language music helps enrich their language in everyday life; these are mainly people who have spoken Ukrainian since birth or for more than 10 years.
The disappearance of Ukrainian music would reduce life satisfaction for 89% of listeners
More than half of music listeners say their life satisfaction would worsen if Ukrainian music disappeared from their lives. The greater the share of Ukrainian-language music in their listening, the more valuable it is to the listener.
“…I cannot imagine my life without listening to Ukrainian songs or watching Ukrainian music videos. I believe Ukrainian music is diverse and multifaceted, and it should be talked about and recognised in every corner of the world.”
Ukrainian-language music is shared mainly within close personal circles
With family or close people
With friends in person or in chats
On social media (stories, posts, reels, videos)
Through public playlists on different platforms
Ukrainian music is most often shared within families, especially by older listeners, and among friends. Young people share music on social media and through public playlists more often than other age groups.
Key research findings
Music is one of the key tools of emotional compensation, helping people cope with negative emotions while providing positivity and energy.
The share of Ukrainian-language music in listening has increased substantially during the years of the full-scale invasion, especially among younger listeners.
The role of Ukrainian-language music in society: it builds a sense of national unity, strengthens pride in the country, creates a Ukrainian-language environment and supports the transition to Ukrainian.
It is important to expand genre diversity and create energetic contemporary content capable of competing with Russian-language tracks.
At the same time, Ukrainian music needs a stronger presence on global platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music and TikTok, because technological accessibility directly affects listening practices.
“For the Ministry of Culture, the development of the music industry is one of the important priorities. Thank you for the research. For the industry, it will provide an understanding of the market, its needs and strategy, and become a source of ideas. We, as representatives of the state, will turn the analytics we have received into effective decisions.”