Music Streaming Smashes 500m Songs Per Week

The number of songs streamed online has passed 500 million a week for the first time - almost doubling in a year.

Data from the Official Charts Company showed there were 505,849,000 audio streams in the chart week ending last Thursday.

That is almost double the 275 million the same time the year before.

The popularity of acts including Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith have contributed to the huge rise in streaming.

There were 14.8 billion streams in 2014, but there have already been 11.5 billion in the first six months of this year.

Among the 59 tracks streamed more than 10 million times in UK so far this year was Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk.

It was streamed more than 45 million times making it the year's most streamed track.

Sheeran topped the chart for the most streamed act over the same period with more than 170 million streams.

He was ahead of Smith, in second place, and Irish singer Hozier.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of industry body the BPI, said: "It's remarkable that we now speak of billions of audio streams per month - it demonstrates vividly just how quickly streaming is being embraced by British music fans.

"As more consumers explore the enhanced experience offered by premium quality subscriptions such as Apple Music and Spotify Premium, it will help our world-leading record labels invest even more into unearthing the next generation of British talent for fans here and around the world."

:: Top 10 most streamed songs: January to June 2015

1 - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk

2 - Omi - Cheerleader

3 - Hozier - Take Me To The Church

4 - Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud

5 - Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do

6 - Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth - See You Again

7 - James Bay - Hold Back The River

8 - Maroon 5 - Sugar

9 - Years and Years - King

10 - Major Lazer featuring Mo and DJ Snake - Lean On