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BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC FANS
Outcome Paper
Bret S. Ewen
Berklee College of Music
June 27, 2014
ABSTRACT
BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC FANS
by
Bret S. Ewen
Berklee College of Music, 2014
Valencia, Spain
Advisor: Alexandre Perrin
Key phrases: electronic music, consumer behavior, quantitative survey
A survey was undertaken in which 4,404 respondents participated to share their
behavioral habits with regard to their interaction with music and its marketplace.
Analysis of the responses was performed in order to discover relevant
differences in behavior between those who identify as electronic music fans and
those who identify as fans of other genres. Various behaviors were questioned in
relation to listening habits, social media engagement, spending history,
willingness to pay, and more. The data show that electronic music fans do
behave differently from fans of other genres in a variety of respects (e.g. price
expectations, music format preferences, and social media habits – among others).
The data have the potential to be useful in aiding the development of business
and marketing strategies for artists, record labels, and others by providing a
more accurate view of the marketplace.
Table of Contents
Page
I.
Introduction .............................................................................................. 1
II.
Methods & Materials .............................................................................. 3
a) Collection Process ....................................................................... 3
b) Analysis Process ......................................................................... 4
III.
Selected Results & Discussion ............................................................. 4
a) Format & Pricing Preferences ................................................... 4
b) Listening Habits ........................................................................ 7
c) Spending & Sharing ................................................................... 9
d) Streaming Platform Preferences .............................................. 9
IV.
Conclusions ............................................................................................. 10
a) Overview ..................................................................................... 10
b) Limitations & New Research...................................................... 11
V.
Bibliography ............................................................................................ 13
VI.
Appendix .................................................................................................. 14
1
I. Introduction
Due to improvements in information technology, niche and segmented
areas of music now have greater accessibility and availability to consumers than
ever before. With the increase in the amount and variation of available goods
comes a need to understand the particular characteristics of consumers in each
segment of the market. This research focused on discovering the behavioral
tendencies unique to those people who identify primarily as electronic music
fans.
The motivation to conduct this research stemmed from several music
industry reports and other studies that have shown that the business and the
consumers surrounding electronic music have certain characteristics that differ
from the rest of the music market. This research aimed to expand upon the
existing information and provide a deeper analysis of why this is the case. The
intention was to find answers for any previously observed cross-genre
behavioral anomalies as well as to explore other potential differences in behavior
not yet studied.
One example highlighting the differences between electronic music and
other genres was a 2012 Nielsen industry report which showed that digital track
sales of electronic music grew 36% that year while over all digital track sales
growth for the industry was a mere 5%.1 An assumption was made that in order
to achieve such a relatively high level of growth, consumers of electronic music
must be behaving differently than consumers of other styles of music.
1. Nielsen Holdings. “The Nielsen Company & Billboard’s 2012 Music Industry Report.”
BusinessWire.com. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130104005149/en/NielsenCompany-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2012-Music-Industry-Report (accessed June 20, 2014).
2
Upon further investigation, this assumption was supported by a 2013
study performed by ticketing company Eventbrite in partnership with the Harris
Interactive Service Bureau. The study took the form of a survey of 1,019
respondents through which they were able to show some clear differences in the
behavioral patterns of electronic music fans compared to fans of other genres.
For instance, the study found that 67% of electronic music fans heard about the
events that they attended via social media compared to only 40% for “other”
concertgoers.2 The study also found that 73% of electronic music fans report that
seeing friends post about attending an event on various social media platforms
makes them want to attend the event more. This was compared to other music
fans where only 36% held the same response.3
Several other sources of information served indirectly to raise questions
that could potentially be answered by performing this research. For example, the
Ibiza International Music Summit (IMS) reported in 2013 that popular electronic
DJ, Hardwell, increased his number of social media followers per day by 300%
while performing at Ultra Music Festival in 2013. 4 This raised the more
philosophical question of whether social media was promoting the live
performance or vice versa, which then led to the bigger question of trying to
decipher what role social media actually plays in the eyes of the consumer. Is
that role consistent throughout all music genres? The ambiguity of the purpose
2. “EDM Fans: Not Your Average Music Fans.” Eventbrite.com.
http://blog.eventbrite.com/edm-fans-are-not-your-average-music-fan/ (accessed June 20, 2014).
3. “EDM Fans: Not Your Average Music Fans.” Eventbrite.com
4. Watson, Kevin. “IMS Business Report 2013.” InternationalMusicSummit.com.
http://www.internationalmusicsummit.com/img/stand_alone_files/file/original/imsbusiness-report-2013-final2-10.pdf (accessed June 20, 2014).
3
of social media has been called into question before by the online magazine Social
Media Examiner, who found that only 26% of marketers agreed that they are able
to accurately measure the ROI from their efforts on social media.5 With no clear
answer as to what social media is achieving, why are so many artists active
across a whole spectrum of different platforms?
By attempting to shed light onto these and other issues concerning the
music business (and specifically electronic music), results were uncovered that
can potentially be used by artists, record labels, distribution companies,
marketers, and others in order to better serve the greater community of music
fans. A better understanding of consumers can improve the health of the music
industry ecosystem by providing more valuable products, more appropriate
distribution methods, and more agreeable pricing strategies.
II. Methods & Materials
Collection Process
A survey was chosen as the sole data collection tool in order to most
efficiently collect both quantitative and qualitative data The design of the survey
allowed for closed responses for quick, easily-categorized data alongside open
responses for a deeper understanding of the thought processes of the
respondents. The running length of the survey was 14 days. It was created and
delivered on the SurveyMonkey platform and distributed through individual inperson requests, as well as online through more than 60 forums and
5. Stelzner, Michael A. “2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report.”
SocialMediaExaminer.com. (pg. 10)
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport2013.pdf
(accessed June 20, 2014).
4
communities. Music and audio related forums were targeted specifically,
however other communities deemed to have an interest were also selected to
participate. Throughout the distribution of the survey, the researcher was
actively responding to questions and concerns from participants in order to clear
any confusion and to help direct respondents if necessary.
Analysis Process
Most of the data analysis found in the appendix uses straight-forward,
standard practices to calculate percentages, however there are still several key
points to understanding the calculations and assigned definitions (for exampled
exactly how “Electronic Fans” and “Other Genre Fans” are defined. Information
pertaining to each question containing procedural oddities or otherwise useful
information is available in the appendix for each question with a section labeled
“methodology”.
III. Selected Results & Discussion
Format & Pricing Preferences
In question 2, respondents were asked, “Would you buy music that is
legally available to stream for free?” The data showed that 31.77% of Electronic
Fans would still purchase a digital format of music that is also legally available to
be streamed, whereas 18.23% would still buy a physical format (e.g. CD or vinyl).
This is in contrast to Other Genre Fans, where the percentages were nearly the
reverse (20.95% would purchase digital and 33.42% would purchase physical).
This data may seem counterintuitive considering the large number of electronic
5
music DJs who perform with either vinyl or CDs. Figure 1 shows a visualization
of the discrepancy between the genre categories. The percentage of fans that
would not purchase music if it were available for streaming is significantly closer
to being consistent across genres.
Figure 1. Comparison of responses to question 2 from Electronic Fans and Other
Genre Fans.
40%!
35%!
30%!
25%!
20%!
15%!
10%!
5%!
0%!
Yes, Digital!
Yes, Physical!
Electronic Fans!
No!
It Depends!
Other Genre Fans!
In question 4, respondents were asked, “When you purchase music, which
formats do you seek?” Electronic Fans showed a higher preference for high
quality digital formats (320kbps MP3 and .WAV/uncompressed/lossless), while
Other Genre Fans showed a stronger preference for physical formats (CD and
vinyl) as well as lower quality digital formats (128kbps MP3). The visualization
of this data can be seen in Figure 2. This data is supported by the results of
question 2. In both questions, Electronic Fans showed a higher propensity
towards digital than Other Genre Fans.
6
Figure 2. Comparison of responses to question 4 from Electronic Fans and Other
Genre Fans.
128kbps
MP3
320kbps
MP3
Uncompressed/Lossless
CD
Vinyl
0%
10%
20%
Electronic
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Other
Genres
Questions 2 and 4 have already established a preference for digital among
Electronic Fans. In question 5, respondents were asked to specify what they
consider to be a reasonable price for the formats mentioned in question 4. The
data showed that Electronic Fans are willing to pay more than the rest of the
market for the high quality digital formats that they desire. The reverse was also
true in that Other Genre Fans were willing to pay more for the formats that they
desired (physical and low-quality digital). Table 1 shows that preferred price
variations for digital can be as much as $0.24 and variations for physical can be
as much as $1.01.
7
Table 1. Average prices ($USD) for each format based on responses given to
question 5 (“What do you consider a reasonable price for the following
formats?), separated by music fan category.
Avg. Price (Electronic
Avg. Price (Other
Format
Fans)
Genre Fans)
128kbps MP3
$0.63
$0.73
320kbps MP3
$1.07
$0.99
.WAV (or other
uncompressed/lossless
format)
$1.35
$1.11
CD
$9.90
$10.11
Vinyl
$15.41
$16.42
Electronic fans were willing to pay $0.06 more for a high quality lossless digital
file than the highest price that iTunes charges in the U.S. ($1.29) for their
standard lossy format offerings.6 As shown, Other Genre Fans were not willing
to pay more.
Listening Habits
In question 7 respondents were asked “How many different artists do you
listen to in a given week?” The data showed that electronic fans are listening to a
wider variety of artists. The most common answer for Electronic Fans was 20-50
artists, whereas the most common answer for Other Genre Fans was only 5-20
artists. Electronic Fans were also more likely to listen to 50+ artists, the highest
category available. Figure 3 shows a visualization of the comparison of both
genre categories.
6. “iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” Apple.com.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1711 (accessed June 25, 2014)
8
Figure 3. Comparison of responses to question 4 (“How many different artists do
you listen to in a given week?”) from Electronic Fans and Other Genre Fans.
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1-‐5
Artists
5-‐20
Electronic
20-‐50
50+
Other
Genres
Similarly, in question 8 respondents were asked “How many hours per day do
you spend engaged in listening to music?” Again, Electronic Fans beat out Other
Genre Fans. The most common answer for Electronic Fans was 3-6 hours, while
the most common answer for Other Genre Fans was only 1-3 hours. Electronic
Fans were also more likely than their counterparts to listen to 6+ hours of music
per day (the highest category). This data is visualized in Figure 4. Note the
similarities between Figure 3 and Figure 4.
Figure 4. Comparison of responses to question 4 (“How many hours per day do
you spend engaged in listening to music?”) from each genre category.
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
<
1
hour
1-‐3
Electronic
3-‐6
Other
Genres
>
6
9
Spending & Sharing
Respondents were asked to approximate how much money they have
spent on recorded music in the past year. Despite listening to more artists and
spending more time listening to music in general, Electronic Fans spent less on
average than Other Genre Fans. Electronic Fans reported spending $146.70, while
Other Genre Fans reported spending $174.40.
As Table 22 of the appendix
shows, a difference in income between the two fan groups does not appear to be
the differentiating factor. On the other hand, when asked how many times per
month that they share music on social media, Electronic fans reported an average
of 8.73 shares per month, while Other Genre Fans reported an average of only
6.04 shares. Electronic Fans are spending less, but sharing more. This calls into
the question the contribution value of each fan. Although there is less money
coming from each individual Electronic Fan, they are performing significantly
more marketing for the music they enjoy. This social marketing certainly has a
value in recruiting new fans to the genre, which in turn produces a higher
quantity of fans, albeit at a lower contribution value per fan.
Streaming Platform Preferences
Perhaps the greatest difference between Electronic Fans and Other Genre
Fans found in the entire study was between the preferred streaming platforms of
each fan category. Electronic Fans heavily favored SoundCloud, while Other
Genre Fans favored YouTube, with SoundCloud trailing behind in 3rd place.
Table 20 shows the breakdown by fan category for each streaming platform. The
cause of this discrepancy is unknown, as all four platforms cater to all styles of
music.
10
Table 2. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 14 of
the survey, excluding “other” responses* separated by music fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Spotify
20.62%
34.40%
YouTube
26.94%
38.86%
SoundCloud
46.01%
13.97%
Pandora
6.43%
12.76%
IV. Conclusions
Overview
From the data, there are several key points. First, Electronic Fans have
shown themselves to be a much more “digital” crowd. They more strongly prefer
higher quality digital formats of recorded music. Additionally, they are willing
to pay more than Other Genre Fans to obtain those high quality digital files.
Unsurprisingly, they are less willing to pay for physical formats such as CDs and
vinyl records. Even if the music they desire is available to stream, Electronic Fans
are still more likely to purchase the high quality digital files (if available) than
they are to refrain from purchasing the music all together.
As seen by questions 7 and 8, not only are electronic fans listening to more
music, but also they are listening to more artists overall – not just repeating their
favorites. They are discovering more and consuming more than Other Genre
Fans.
11
Electronic Fans have also shown that they are individually contributing
less money per year to recorded music than Other Genre Fans. However, they
are sharing music more often via social media. The relative value of social media
shares to dollars is unknown, but undoubtedly sharing does provide some
indirect financial contribution.
Lastly, Electronic Fans have shown a unique preference for the online
streaming of music. While SoundCloud was preferred roughly three times less
than YouTube for Other Genre Fans, it was the most preferred platform overall
for Electronic Fans.
Limitations & New Research
During the course of this research, several areas appeared which could be
investigated further. The primary topic found by the researcher to be of interest
is the relationship between social media sharing and financial contribution.
Social media sharing is a form of marketing for artists, and marketing certainly
has value in generating sales of music. The key piece of information is how much
sharing does it take to indirectly generate a certain amount of money. This
question is undoubtedly very complex and could be looked into more deeply in
new research to try to discover a monetary value in social media sharing. Other
topics to look into could be the relationship between streaming platforms and
what causes a divide in preferences among genres. The streaming platforms in
this research were not found to explicitly cater to any one genre more than
another, but perhaps there are some underlying features, some aspect of
marketing, or something else that tends to skew the genre preference of the
listeners.
12
The form of this research as a mostly quantitative survey is limited in
several ways, which could also call for more research to be completed using
different methodology. The self-reporting involved in this research is prone to
bias issues from respondents. If new quantitative analysis is undertaken in the
same vein, it would be possibly be more accurate under more controlled
conditions, with a supervisor present. The collection of data via online
distribution is also prone to biases. For example, some questions specifically
about online forums and communities are obviously biased in that the survey
respondents discovered the survey from that very same place. Of course this
would lead to an over representation in the data. Additionally, there are many
music fans that do not frequent any online forums at all, and thus would be
excluded from the data. A better method would be to conduct a random
sampling. However, some the biases involved were mitigated by being able to
obtain a large sample size – one so large that for the time constraints of this
research would not have been possible. This was a strength of this particular
research as well as a weakness. Regardless, there are many new opportunities to
expand upon the ideas drawn from the data.
13
V. Bibliography
Nielsen Holdings. “The Nielsen Company & Billboard’s 2012 Music Industry Report.”
BusinessWire.com. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130104005149/en/NielsenCompany-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2012-Music-Industry-Report (accessed June 20, 2014).
“EDM Fans: Not Your Average Music Fans.” Eventbrite.com.
http://blog.eventbrite.com/edm-fans-are-not-your-average-music-fan/ (accessed June 20, 2014).
Watson, Kevin. “IMS Business Report 2013.” InternationalMusicSummit.com.
http://www.internationalmusicsummit.com/img/stand_alone_files/file/original/imsbusiness-report-2013-final2-10.pdf (accessed June 20, 2014).
Stelzner, Michael A. “2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report.”
SocialMediaExaminer.com. (pg. 10)
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport2013.pdf
(accessed June 20, 2014).
“iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” Apple.com.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1711 (accessed June 25, 2014)
14
VI. Appendix
Question 1 Data
Question: “Of the following, what is your preferred genre of music?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,991 respondents were able to identify primarily with one
of the listed genres.
Table 3a. Percentage of responses for
each genre option given in Question
1 of the survey.
Table 3b. Total number of “other”
responses to Question 1 by type.
% Selected
Genre
Total
Rock
36.28%
Metal
258
Electronic
25.76%
Multiple / No Clear Response
36
Alternative / Indie
32
Hip-Hop
25.13%
Other (< 3 responses each)
21
Jazz
4.31%
Punk
15
Folk
3.16%
Electronic (other)
13
Classical
2.15%
Ska / Reggae
9
Pop
2.00%
Blues
6
R&B
0.75%
Post-Rock
5
Funk
3
Country
0.45%
Prog Rock
3
Genre
Methodology: Those who responded with “Electronic” are referred to
throughout the rest of this document as “Electronic Fans”, while those who
responded with “Rock”, “Hip-Hop”, “Jazz”, “Folk”, “Classical”, “Pop”, “R&B”,
or “Country” are referred to as “Other Genre Fans”. These are the respondents
who were used to make comparisons between Electronic Fans and Other Genre
Fans. Those who failed to select a genre or who could not comfortably identify
with only one genre were not used in any comparisons, but were taken into
account for overall data. Those respondents are shown in Table 2.
15
Question 2 Data
Question: “Would you buy music that is legally available to stream for free?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,989 (1,026 Electronic Fans & 2,963 Other Genre Fans)
Table 4. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 2 of
the survey, separated by music fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Yes, I would still buy a
digital format.
31.77%
20.95%
Yes, I would still buy a
physical format.
18.23%
33.42%
No, I would not buy it is
can be streamed for free.
25.63%
22.20%
It depends on…
24.37%
23.42%
Selected Open Responses (943 Respondents):
Response Option 4 (“It depends on…”) was given with an optional open
response field. Below are common responses and comments of relevance (note:
no trends were found that differed between fan categories)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“The artist”
“If it is a small artist that I really enjoy”
“Quality of free streaming”
“I’d buy digital files if at least 75% of the cost went directly to the artist”
“There being a lossless (FLAC) digital download available”
“If the artist is independent or not”
“If I know that the musician gets a majority of the money”
“If I can get uncompressed files”
“If I’m going to use those songs for DJing”
“Price”
“I only buy music from artists, not recording companies. If I like their music and
they’re small, I’ll buy it.”
“I buy music if it's from small, just-starting-off artists. If the musician is already
famous and incredibly wealthy, I download.”
16
Question 3 Data
Question: “Would you ever pay money for a "name your own price" album that
could be legally downloaded for free?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,972 (1,024 Electronic Fans & 2,948 Other Genre Fans)
Table 5. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 3 of
the survey, separated by music fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Yes
80.47%
78.15%
No
19.53%
21.85%
Selected Open Responses (2,353 Respondents):
An optional comment field for open responses was given to all respondents with
the prompt “Why or why not?” Below are common responses or comments of
relevance (note: no trends were found that differed between fan categories).
From those who responded “Yes”:
• “It seems like that kind of situation would be more common with a smaller, lesserknown artist, in which case I'd want to support them. If that artist a) hasn't had
widespread success yet, b) isn't selling other merchandise to make money, and c) I
enjoy their music, then I feel good about buying their music to support them.”
• “Because I believe that it's more than just buying the music, it's about
supporting the future of an up and coming music artist.”
• “There seems to be more integrity behind this method of payment. Instead of
promoting the illusion that the files/sounds themselves have scarcity/value, it's
allowing the fans a chance to give a donation and support the artists whose music
they like.”
• “Because I make music and understand the costs (real and intrinsic) that go into
producing music.”
• “The level or respect and trust that sort of thing entails is good.”
From those who responded “No”:
• “Unless I am supporting a local or independent artist, I do not pay for music.”
• “Because if it's free than I have what I want.”
17
Question 4 Data
Question: “If you purchase music, which formats do you seek? (You may check
more than one).”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (multiple responses allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,976 (1,024 Electronic Fans & 2,952 Other Genre Fans)
Table 6. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 4 of
the survey, separated by music fan category. Multiple answers were allowed,
thus totals over 100% for each fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
128kbps MP3
9.96%
15.18%
320kbps MP3
71.09%
60.20%
.WAV (or other
uncompressed/lossless
format)
47.17%
28.35%
CD
26.95%
46.44%
Vinyl
25.20%
37.06%
I never purchase music.
9.96%
8.77%
18
Question 5 Data
Question: “What do you consider a reasonable price for the following formats?
(Enter an amount in USD)”
Question Type: Open response field for each listed format
Total Respondents (varied for each format):
• Format 1: 776 Electronic Fans & 2,212 Other Genre Fans
• Format 2: 838 Electronic Fans & 2,261 Other Genre Fans
• Format 3: 752 Electronic Fans & 1,999 Other Genre Fans
• Format 4: 780 Electronic Fans & 2,407 Other Genre Fans
• Format 5: 721 Electronic Fans & 2,203 Other Genre Fans
Table 1. Average prices ($USD) for each format based on responses given to
question 5 of the survey, separated by music fan category.
Avg. Price (Electronic
Avg. Price (Other
Format
Fans)
Genre Fans)
128kbps MP3
$0.63
$0.73
320kbps MP3
$1.07
$0.99
.WAV (or other
uncompressed/lossless
format)
$1.35
$1.11
CD
$9.90
$10.11
Vinyl
$15.41
$16.42
Methodology: 128kbps MP3, 320kbps MP3, and .WAV/Uncompressed/Lossless
answers were capped at $5.00. It was apparent that some respondents did not
notice those formats were marked as “singles”, but rather treated the price as a
whole album. The limit was put in place to help mitigate any outliers.
Additionally, as is the nature of an open response format question, there were
typos involving decimal points as well as respondents who very obviously did
not take the survey seriously. To combat these outliers, CD and Vinyl answers
were capped at $50 and $100 respectively. Additionally, answers similar to
“wouldn’t buy” were treated as $0.00. Some participants gave a price range,
which was averaged. Other participants used currencies other than $USD. These
were converted manually via Google’s integrated conversion system.
Ambiguous answers were thrown out completely. Only answers where it was
explicitly clear what the respondent intended were used, which forced a bit of
subjectivity in the process. Due to these issues, it cannot confidently be said that
these values represent an outright price at which each format should be sold, but
it does show a difference in the willingness to pay between fans of different
genres for different formats.
19
Question 6 Data
Question: “How often do you use the following formats to discover new
artists?”
Question Type: Matrix of choices (only one rate response per discovery method)
Total Respondents (varied for each discovery method):
• Method 1: 1,018 Electronic Fans & 2,938 Other Genre Fans
• Method 2: 1,018 Electronic Fans & 2,919 Other Genre Fans
• Method 3: 1,018 Electronic Fans & 2,930 Other Genre Fans
• Method 4: 1,011 Electronic Fans & 2,923 Other Genre Fans
• Method 5: 1,017 Electronic Fans & 2,921 Other Genre Fans
• Method 6: 1,014 Electronic Fans & 2,927 Other Genre Fans
• Method 7: 1,008 Electronic Fans & 2,912 Other Genre Fans
• Method 8: 1,011 Electronic Fans & 2,910 Other Genre Fans
• Method 9: 1,009 Electronic Fans & 2,898 Other Genre Fans
Method 1: Recommendations from friends
Table 7. Rate responses to the “recommendations from friends” music discovery
method in survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
33.50%
28.32%
At least once a month
39.78%
47.38%
At least once a year
21.51%
19.50%
Never
5.21%
4.80%
Method 2: Recommendations from artists (e.g. through social media)
Table 8. Rate responses to the “recommendations from artists” music discovery
method in survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
33.01%
15.83%
At least once a month
37.13%
35.39%
At least once a year
16.70%
29.09%
Never
13.16%
19.70%
20
Method 3: Customized recommendations from “smart’ platforms (e.g. Pandora,
iTunes Genius, Spotify “Discover”, etc.)
Table 9. Rate responses to the “customized recommendations from ‘smart’
platforms” music discovery method in survey question 6 separated as a
percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
29.67%
25.49%
At least once a month
26.92%
30.20%
At least once a year
17.58%
21.37%
Never
25.83%
22.94%
Method 4: Music blogs
Table 10. Rate responses to the “music blogs” music discovery method in survey
question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
27.00%
24.12%
At least once a month
24.43%
25.52%
At least once a year
19.68%
20.29%
Never
28.88%
30.07%
Method 5: Forums/online communities
Table 11. Rate responses to the “forums/online communities” music discovery
method in survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
45.72%
43.31%
At least once a month
29.70%
30.06%
At least once a year
16.03%
15.71%
Never
8.55%
10.92%
21
Method 6: Live shows
Table 12. Rate responses to the “live shows” music discovery method in survey
question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
10.45%
6.39%
At least once a month
22.39%
20.05%
At least once a year
39.55%
46.05%
Never
27.61%
27.50%
Method 7: Festival lineups
Table 13. Rate responses to the “festival lineups” music discovery method in
survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
7.74%
4.84%
At least once a month
20.44%
13.02%
At least once a year
36.90%
43.89%
Never
34.92%
38.26%
Method 8: Record label rosters
Table 14. Rate responses to the “record label rosters” music discovery method in
survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
13.85%
4.98%
At least once a month
23.34%
15.22%
At least once a year
24.93%
29.14%
Never
37.88%
50.65%
22
Method 9: Radio/podcasts
Table 15. Rate responses to the “radio/podcasts” music discovery method in
survey question 6 separated as a percentage of each fan category.
Rate
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
At least once a week
26.66%
10.80%
At least once a month
28.84%
27.09%
At least once a year
23.29%
29.61%
Never
21.21%
32.51%
Selected Open Responses (330 Respondents):
An additional comment field for “other” responses was given to all respondents
with the prompt “please specify the source and frequency”. Below are some of
the most common or relevant responses.
More common to Electronic Fans:
• Beatport
• Remix competition submissions
• DJ mixes
More common to Other Genre Fans:
• Physical CD stores
• TV/Movie/Game soundtracks
• Magazines
• Bandcamp
• Wikipedia
• Public library
• Collaborations between artists
Common to both genre fan categories:
• Hypemachine
• YouTube
• iTunes/Amazon/Online Retail
• Torrents
• SoundCloud
23
Question 7 Data
Question: “How many different artists do you listen to in a given week?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,967 (1,023 Electronic Fans & 2,944 Other Genre Fans)
Table 16. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 7 of
the survey, separated by music fan category.
# of Artists
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
1-5
4.20%
5.94%
5-20
33.92%
43.61%
20-50
36.75%
35.77%
50+
25.12%
14.67%
Question 8 Data
Question: “How many hours per day do you spend engaged in listening to
music?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,973 (1,022 Electronic Fans & 2,951 Other Genre Fans)
Table 17. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 8 of
the survey, separated by music fan category.
# of Hours
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Less than 1
3.72%
4.30%
1-3
34.74%
40.80%
3-6
36.69%
35.21%
6+
24.85%
19.69%
24
Question 9 Data
Question: “Would you be interested in paying for exclusive or limited edition
material from an artist? (numbered/signed albums/merchandise, etc.)”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,956 (1,021 Electronic Fans & 2,935 Other Genre Fans)
Table 18. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 9 of
the survey, separated by music fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Yes
60.14%
62.90%
No
39.86%
37.10%
Selected Open Responses (2,424 Respondents):
An additional comment field for open responses was given with the prompt “If
yes, what would you like to be able to purchase? If no, why not?” Below are
some common/relevant responses separated by response.
From those who responded “Yes”:
• “Acoustic versions”
• “T-shirts”
• “Exclusive material not for general release; promotes sense of 'closer' connection
with the artist as well as feel-good factor generated from supporting the artist.”
• “I'm a sucker for reissues/boxed sets/deluxe editions.”
• “Limited edition posters, clothing, signed albums (if the price is reasonable)”
• “Bonus tracks, special/limited edition CDs or vinyl, previews or first listen of
new material, secret/exclusive concerts, pre-order tickets for upcoming concerts,
exclusive merchandise e.g. t-shirts, tote bags, posters, etc.”
• “Anything, really. As long as it isn't one of those obvious scams trying to get
money out of you, like the old ‘Limited Vinyl Edition: Only 3,000,000 million
copies made’ priced at 50+ dollars.”
• “The closer my dollar gets to the actual artist, the better. I understand the
necessity of production studios, but they'd be nothing without the vision and
craft of their musicians. Supporting the artists directly will hopefully encourage
them to make more of the music I enjoy.”
25
From those who responded “No”:
•
•
•
•
•
•
“'Exclusive Content' is intrinsically worthless.”
“It seems unfair to give special privileges to people with more spending money.”
“I don't think musicians should be releasing music in a way that would exclude
people. I understand limited pressings of vinyls/shirts etc. But I think the actual
music should be available to anyone who wants to listen to it.”
“I don't really idolize musicians, so I don't really seek out exclusive merchandise
from them.”
“I find the music more important than the people behind it for the most part.”
“It just has little to no value, music comes and unfortunately, goes pretty damn
fast. Sure having a signed album of a band is cool, but that's about it. I would
never buy a numbered or commercially autographed record, because that's just
gimmicky of a band to try to make money that way. Make money by making good
music and selling 10 dollar records and selling out shows. I would want a story to
tell with it (AKA brought 10yr old record to a show, met band, requested fav song
off of the album, they sign it, to my name, I never forget that moment and have a
piece of physical property to remind me of it)”
Unique items of note for Electronic Fans:
• “Stems for remixing”
• “Dubplates”
Most common words/phrases from text analysis:
• “Signed”
• “Numbered”
• “Limited Edition”
26
Question 10 Data
Question: “How does a heavy presence on social media affect your chances of
following an artist's career? You may select more than one answer.”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (multiple responses allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,956 (1,023 Electronic Fans & 2,933 Other Genre Fans)
Table 19. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 10
of the survey, separated by music fan category. Multiple answers were allowed,
thus totals over 100% for each fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
It gives me a bond with
the artist, which helps me
to appreciate their music
more.
36.07%
31.26%
It’s functional by giving
me timely updates about
their new work.
63.15%
57.72%
It’s irrelevant to whether
I will listen to their music
in the future – I will keep
track regardless.
32.16%
36.65%
None of the above.
7.82%
10.47%
Selected Open Responses (864 Respondents):
An additional comment field for open responses was given with the prompt
“please elaborate”. Below are some common/relevant responses separated by
response.
From those who selected Response #1:
• “If an artist has a more interesting personality then I may be more interested in
their music.”
• “If the artist regularly posts online then it makes it feel to me as if they are
participating in the community they have created allowing us to talk to [them]
and appreciate their work even more.”
•
“I believe that who the artist is as a person can really dictate how much I enjoy
their music and definitely will sway whether or not I make the effort to see the
27
artist's live performance. I attend a very high number of concerts and music
festivals every year and occasionally meet these artists. The artists who I can
personally relate with I will travel considerable distance just to see a one night
show.”
From those who selected Response #2:
• “I don't keep close track of social media, but if an artist that I've subscribed to
shows up in my SoundCloud news feed, I will usually click on them out of
curiosity...”
• “I don't really follow artist on social media unless I'm looking for live shows or
new releases”
• “I prefer social media to only be used for artists to post new content. I find it
annoying when they try to post memes to gain attention.”
• “An often updated social media presence will keep them relevant in my mind,
especially if it's an artist I'm not huge about. If I see a post in my feed for example
it might remind me I haven’t listened to them in a while - which might lead to me
checking out what they're up to or listening to them.”
From those who selected Response #3:
• “Too much of a presence on a social media platform can get annoying, especially if
they're always plugging their stuff.”
• “Although this is merely a correlation, I tend to listen to artists who don't have a
strong social presence with the exception of small specialized communities.”
From those who selected Response #4:
• “Artists too heavily advertising on the net are obnoxious.”
• “I dislike social media and an artist having a heavy presence may cause me to
avoid listening to or associating myself with them.”
28
Question 11 Data
Question: “Approximately how much money ($USD) have you spent on
recorded music in the past year?”
Question Type: Open response
Total Respondents: 3,740 (962 Electronic Fans & 2,778 Other Genre Fans)
•
•
Average spent by Electronic Fans: $146.70
Average spent by Other Genre Fans $174.40
Methodology: As in question 5, ranges were averaged. Open-ended answers
containing greater than or less than symbols were excluded for ambiguity.
Anything not explicit was not included in the results.
Question 12 Data
Question: “Approximately how many times per month do you share music or
post about a song/artist via social media?”
Question Type: Open response
Total Respondents: 3,396 (874 Electronic Fans & 2,522 Other Genre Fans)
•
•
Average posts per month by Electronic Fans: 8.73
Average posts per month by Other Genre Fans: 6.04
Methodology: As in question 5, ranges were averaged. Open-ended answers
containing greater than or less than symbols were excluded for ambiguity.
Anything not explicit was not included in the results.
29
Question 13 Data
Question: “Which social media platforms do you frequent? You may select more
than one.”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (multiple responses allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,485 (895 Electronic Fans & 2,590 Other Genre Fans)
Table 20. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 13
of the survey, separated by music fan category. Multiple answers were allowed,
thus totals over 100% for each fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
89.61%
85.25%
44.25%
46.49%
29.39%
36.29%
Google+
8.83%
6.56%
Tumblr
13.07%
14.79%
3.02%
4.52%
Selected Open Responses (1256 Respondents):
An additional comment field was given to all respondents for “other” responses.
920 referenced Reddit.com. The open responses for this question are not used in
any conclusion due to the obvious bias of distributing the survey primarily
through Reddit.com.
30
Question 14 Data
Question: “What is your favorite way to listen to music online?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,457 (902 Electronic Fans & 2,555 Other Genre Fans)
Table 2. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 14 of
the survey, excluding “other” responses* separated by music fan category.
Response
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Spotify
20.62%
34.40%
YouTube
26.94%
38.86%
SoundCloud
46.01%
13.97%
Pandora
6.43%
12.76%
*No open responses for Other Genre Fans beat out Pandora. The top 2
contenders were Grooveshark, followed by Bandcamp. Similarly, no open
responses for Electronic Fans beat out Pandora. The top 2 contenders were
Bandcamp & Grooveshark, which were tied.
31
Question 15 Data
Question: “What is your age?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,948 (1,019 Electronic Fans & 2,929 Other Genre Fans)
Table 21. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 15
of the survey, separated by music fan category.
Age
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
Under 18
12.07%
15.64%
18-30
76.05%
71.42%
31-45
10.70%
10.62%
46-65
1.18%
2.05%
65+
0.00%
0.27%
32
Question 16 Data
Question: “What is your approximate average household income?”
Question Type: Multiple-choice (only one response allowed)
Total Respondents: 3,876 (994 Electronic Fans & 2,882 Other Genre Fans)
Table 22. Percentage of responses for each response option given in question 16
of the survey, separated by music fan category.
Avg. Income
% of Electronic Fans
% of Other Genre Fans
$0-$24,999
33.30%
30.78%
$25,000-$49,999
21.93%
20.71%
$50,000-$74,999
14.49%
14.75%
$75,000-$99,999
10.36%
10.58%
$100,000-$124,999
7.24%
9.13%
$125,000-$149,999
4.53%
4.20%
$150,000-$174,999
2.62%
2.57%
$175,000-$199,999
1.21%
1.60%
$200,000+
4.33%
5.69%
