Nielsen ratings show more than 54.5 monthly Apple Music app users in 2015

While specific Apple Music user numbers have yet to be released, the early estimates are looking good.

A year end report from consumer research firm Nielsen states that Apple Music was one of the most popular smartphone apps of 2015, and with more than 54.5 million monthly users ranked among offerings from Facebook and Google.

Apple’s streaming music service came in at No. 9 on Nielsen’s Top Smartphone Apps of 2015 chart, notching over 54.5 million average monthly users in the U.S. from January to October. That number is up 26 percent compared to the same time last year, a growth rate second only to Facebook Messenger.

The Nielsen numbers may not be that accurate, as Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed some 15 million people were using the streaming service, 6.5 million of whom as paying subscribers. Those numbers likely changed when Apple Music launched in beta on Google’s Android operating system less than a month later.

Facebook Messenger enjoyed the highest growth rate of 2015 with a 31 percent year-over-year change to end October with 96.4 million users per month. Instagram gained 23 percent from last year with just over 55.4 million monthly users, while Apple Maps managed a 16 percent boost with 46.4 million users.

Still, this suggests that Apple Music may be gaining decent traction across platforms.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and Nielsen