Which apps did we spend the most money on globally last year?
When we examine what types of applications global users spend money on in the digital world in 2023, it does not go unnoticed that categories such as digital entertainment (movies and TV series), dating applications and short videos are among the areas where users spend the most.
Although many different digital world elements such as social media, artificial intelligence and games appear as attractive contents at the top of our preferences, especially the young generation prefers to spend a lot of money on social media and entertainment applications. However, we should not underestimate the interest in business software and language learning applications that find a place on the list.
This shows that people care about improving themselves and being more successful in business life.
Despite everything, at the end of the day, platforms such as Netflix, Disney + lead the list.Digital EntertainmentIt is not surprising to see that the ‘ category attracts attention. Considering that TV has ceased to be a strong TV series and film content producer as it was in the past, and the structure of the platforms with content that appeals to users of all ages and of course the recently increasing prices are added to this, the new favorites of the film and TV series industry are among the categories that spend the most. There are platforms.
We have compiled the data and details revealed by Sensor Tower from all categories of spending for Habertürk readers…
MOST SPENDING CATEGORIES
Digital Entertainment (Movie – TV Series): Users spent $8.2 billion on digital entertainment in 2023. Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney + lead in this field with their wide range of content. Increasing content consumption, especially during the pandemic, increased the popularity of digital entertainment platforms. At the end of a boring day, what could be better than sitting down and watching your favorite TV series?
Dating Apps: Second on the list are dating applications, which we expect to lag behind many other areas. Although most of them do not charge a fee to download directly, they have managed to come very close to the top of the list even with in-app sales. With $5.7 billion in spending, dating apps have an important place among users. Apps like Tinder and Bumble allow users to make social connections and meet new people. In this ‘Age of Loneliness’, which presents us with what we can call a very sad fact that social media has now replaced physical meetings, people are looking for new connections through digital platforms. According to SensorTower’s data, Tinder has made history as the first non-game application to spend $1 billion within the application.
Short Videos: Short video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Youtube Shorts have gained an important place in the digital world with a spending of 4.3 billion dollars. Users spend time and produce content with short and entertaining videos. TikTok remains popular, especially among the younger generation. Especially recently, users’ tolerance for long videos has decreased much more. While long series, long introductions have been replaced by shorter and faster content such as shorts, reels or TikTok videos, the money spent here has also increased. Again, although none of these applications demand an amount for downloading, users somehow end up spending these amounts during the time spent in the application.
Video Sharing: Platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo have an important place in the video sharing field with a spending of 2.4 billion dollars. Users can reach large audiences and access various content by sharing their own videos. Nowadays, when social media has become a much more effective mechanism for receiving news, we can say that there is a creative content producer in everyone…
Humor / Magazine: The humor and magazine category also remains popular among users, with spending of $2.3 billion. Everyone has the right to laugh a little.
Music/Podcast: A pleasant melody to our ears or a pleasant rhythm that will block out the outside noise in public transportation is perfect for reducing the stress of the day… Music and podcast platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music are the favorites of users with a spending of 2.1 billion dollars. Users turn to these platforms for their extensive music libraries and various podcast contents.
Storage: Data requirements are increasing day by day. Because the increase in the quality of the phones we have is also reflected in the photos and videos we take. As such, the size of these images we take is increasing day by day. No matter how much technology develops, storing them in the cloud rather than keeping them on the device is considered a much more advantageous option. Spending on cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud is also increasing accordingly. Last year, cloud spending reached $2 billion. Users continue to choose these services to securely store and share their files.
Live Sports and Live Broadcast: Platforms such as ESPN and Twitch stand out in the sports and live broadcast categories, with spending of $1.2 billion, respectively. The excitement of live matches and instant broadcasts gather viewers in front of the screen. While match broadcasts are gradually shifting to digital platforms in Turkey, it is difficult to say that the biggest problem in this regard in our country is the problems with internet speed. If the internet quality increases in direct proportion to the broadcast quality, the potential of live sports platforms will increase significantly.
Communication: Communication applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram meet the daily communication needs of users with a spending of $1.1 billion. Instant messaging and video calls allow us to stay connected with our loved ones.
Other Categories: Photo editing applications, language learning applications, artificial intelligence language models, business software, science fiction content and fitness applications are among the other categories where users spend. Everyone deserves to improve themselves and live a better life.
This data reveals how users’ spending is distributed in the digital world and which areas they focus on. While the younger generation and social media users prefer to spend more on entertainment and social interaction applications, applications in the business and development fields continue to attract attention. As the rhythm of life accelerates in the age of technology, it is up to us to make every moment more valuable with the wide range that the digital world offers us.