Millennial Music Discovery
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The report examines the millennial journey of music discovery, highlighting the abundance of content and the need for artists and platforms to understand millennials' behaviors. While traditional methods like radio and recommendations from friends remain popular, new platforms like Snapchat and SoundCloud are emerging as essential channels. It identifies three key segments of millennial listeners—Routinists, Backstorians, and Songsmiths—each with distinct habits and motivations that music makers and platforms should consider to effectively reach them.
Millennial Music Discovery
- 1. MILLENNIAL MUSIC DISCOVERY Researched & written by Libby Koerbel
- 2. ABUNDANCE. This one word describes the number one challenge facing the media industry. Abundance of content, choice, platforms, and advertising affects traditional players, new entrants, consumers, and adjacent industries. In music, artists are competing within a jungle of content to grab the attention of a fan. For music makers to have any hope of attracting and growing a fan base, they need to understand how listeners discover new music. It is equally important for music platforms to understand this discovery journey in order to obtain and retain users. This report answers the question: What are the habits and behaviors behind the millennial journey to discover new music? Millennials sit at the center of music and pop culture. They are using an unprecedented variety of sources to discover, access, and learn about music. Although traditional sources, such as radio and word-of-mouth, are alive and well, new channels, such as Snapchat and Soundcloud, are emerging as destinations for music content. With this proliferation of music creation and music consumption, the discovery journey has never been more complex or more important. This research finds that some millennials (~24%) are not interested in music. Another group, routinists (29%) take a passive approach to discovering new songs. But there is a core group of millennial listeners who are actively engaged in the discovery process. Backstorians (19%) are interested in learning more about the artist, while Songsmiths (27%) are focused on diving deep into the music itself. Read on to learn more about these segments and their implications for music makers and music platforms. 2Millennial Music Discovery
- 3. Millennial Music Discovery 3 Why is discovery important? With millions of unplayed songs on Spotify and 0.2% of artists accounting for 50% of views on VEVO, getting heard by potential fans is more critical for artists than ever. But how can artists get heard if they don’t understand how millennials discover new music? Understanding the discovery process is the first step in getting closer to connecting millennial fans to the music they love.
- 4. 4Millennial Music Discovery Recs from friends FM radio Music videos Internet radio Artists on social media Movie or soundtrack Public playlists Top charts / new releases Artists on streaming services Going to concerts Friends’ playlists Satellite radio Awards shows Online blogs Music magazines Other 0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 75% 3% 8% 11% 14% 15% 17% 19% 28% 32% 33% 34% 37% 40% 45% 62% 64% DISCOVERY SOURCES USED IN THE LAST MONTH Although millennials are using a wide variety of sources to discover new music, tried and true discovery methods of recommendations from friends and listening to FM radio remain the most common. Internet radio is also quite popular. Interestingly, recommendations from friends are more commonly given directly via text or in person rather than passively by following a friends’ playlist (used only by 17% of the sample). 4.6 Discovery sources Music platforms4.4 3.5 Info sources about artists Each month, millennials use… % of total respondents
- 5. 5Millennial Music Discovery After discovering a new song, millennials music fans take a variety of actions to learn more about the artist or the song. The discovery journey spans many different platforms and types of content. Watch a music video Add song to a playlist Look up the lyrics Look up the artist on Google Create a new Pandora station Follow the artist on Facebook Tag the song using Shazam Look up the artist on Wikipedia Follow the artist on Instagram Go to the artist’s website Follow the artist on Twitter Look up the tour schedule 49% 44% 31% 26% 15% 10% 9% 8% 7% 6% 6% 4%
- 6. 6Millennial Music Discovery Not all millennials discover music in the same way. From the sources of discovery used to the actions taken once a new song is discovered, millennials have different motivations and habits driving these differences. This research has identified three different segments related to music discovery and consumption behaviors. Quantitative Analysis In partnership with Qualtrics • Online survey fielded in April 2016 • 1,536 US respondents aged 18-34 • Data representative of US population based on region, gender, and ethnicity • Over fifty questions designed to understand music consumption, discovery processes, music preferences, and psychological motivations / behaviors • Created segments to understand how and why millennials discover differently • Used factor analysis on attitudinal questions to identify psychological themes within the data • Used clustering approach to assign each respondent to a segment based on their scores for the attitudinal factors Qualitative Analysis In partnership with 747 Insights • Conducted in February 2016 • Two focus groups • Included group discussion and written input • Four 1-on-1 in-depth interviews • Included discussion and “show- and-tell” of music behaviors METHODOLOGY 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% N on D iscoverers Routinists Songsm iths B ackstorians 33% 36% 19% 12% 19% 27% 29% 24% % People % Dollars Spent
- 7. 7Millennial Music Discovery Routinists “Play me my favorites” 18-34. Women. Suburban. White. Only ~20% pay for a streaming service Less than 50% attended a concert last year LOW SPENDERS Very unlikely to follow artist on social media, to look up lyrics, or to seek out info on Google LOW ENGAGEMENT PREFER FREE SERVICES Under represented on all services except FM radio, Pandora and YouTube “When I get ready in the morning I just pop on Pandora or YouTube or something along those lines where I can just easily listen to the kind of music I like.” “Radio is where I hear the new most music. Or just word-of-mouth through coworkers or friends. Sometimes people post stuff on Facebook, and if I feel like it I’ll click on it, but that’s mainly it.” Routinists listen to music almost every day, but do not actively invest time in discovering new music. Music is primarily background noise, used to influence a mood or to zone out. Routinists have a only a few established sources of discovery and a few ways to listen to music. They are not inclined to learn more about a song or an artist outside of listening to them on a playlist or radio station.
- 8. 8Millennial Music Discovery Backstorians “Hungry for information about artists” 18-34. Urban. Male. Single. Employed. More likely to only like 1-2 genres Favorites are Pop and Hip-Hop & Rap NARROW TASTES Use the highest variety of sources including friend’s playlists, Bandsintown, music blogs, Bandpage INFORMATION VARIETY HEAVIEST SPENDERS Spend ~$165/year on avg 70% subscribe to music streaming service 15% attended 5+ concerts “I actually discovered that song on Instagram. I follow some Ed Sheeran fan groups and one of them posted a screenshot of the music video. People were commenting on it, saying “Oh, that’s not what I imagined when I heard the song.” So I had to check it out!” “It’s nice to know more about the artist. Then you can feel closer to them. You feel like you can know them a little more instead of them just being a big celebrity.” Backstorians use many platforms to keep tabs on their favorite artists. They want to learn as much as possible about the artist using social media, streaming services, blogs, and magazines. They like to be in the know and care a lot about what their friends think about their music taste. Having good taste in music is a core part of their social identity.
- 9. 9Millennial Music Discovery Songsmiths “Seeking meaning and connection” 18-34. Male & Female. Diverse. More likely to enjoy several genres 20% like 7 or more genres ADVENTUROUS TASTES More likely to use lots of discovery sources 34% use 7+ sources 80% use 4+ sources DISCOVERING EVERYWHERE INDEPENDENT THINKERS Least reliant on recommendations from friends among all segments“I’m really big on lyrics. I paint a picture in my head about what the song means. That’s what the artist wants most, is for me to feel something out of it.” “Concerts are like seeing the album manifested in real life. I can actually see what the artist means. They don’t drop music videos for every song, but they’re going to display what they’re trying to get after.” Songsmiths love finding new songs that they can connect with music based on the sound & lyrics. They are less interested in learning about the celebrity side of an artist and prefer to interact with artists on music platforms rather than on social media. While songsmiths are considered trendsetters, their music reputation is not that important to them. They are most interested in finding music that has meaning for them.
- 10. 10Millennial Music Discovery REACHING BACKSTORIANS ✦ Access them through social media accounts of other artists or fan groups that they are already following ✦ Use Instagram and Snapchat “takeovers” ✦ Leverage network, from label, management group, or personal connections, to be featured on genre-based playlists CONNECTING WITH BACKSTORIANS ✦ Backstorians keep track of new music discoveries by following artists on social media ✦ Create a constant stream of content across all platforms to remind the Backstorian of their new discovery ✦ Publish content that makes Backstorians feel uniquely “in-the- know” Advice for music makers…
- 11. 11Millennial Music Discovery Advice for music makers… REACHING SONGSMITHS ✦ Be visual — Songsmiths connect strongly with music videos that show them more about what the artist is trying to express ✦ Be creatively ubiquitous — always alert for new music, Songsmiths can be reached through less generic channels such as movies, TV shows, commercials, YouTube clips, Vines, blogs, magazines, and more CONNECTING WITH SONGSMITHS ✦ Songsmiths want to find meaning in music and thus are looking for any and all information about the artists’ mindset, thought process, and emotional process ✦ Create content with open and vulnerable insights into the creative process ✦ Reach them on traditional web properties, on social media, or within streaming services
- 12. 12Millennial Music Discovery Advice for music platforms… Across all segments there is a common need centered on CONVENIENCE The most popular services for all three segments are YouTube (used by 85% in the last month), Pandora (61%), and FM Radio (51%). Regardless of what additional features platforms want to use to appeal to the discovery needs of Backstorians and Songsmiths, it is important to keep convenience at the center of the value proposition. “If I hear a song I like, then I go to YouTube to look it up. It’s the easiest place to find a song” “Pandora is convenient because I just have to hit play and it give me songs I like.” “I have the option to play Pandora because I have Bluetooth in my car. But I’d rather try the radio first, instead of wasting my internet and battery on my phone.”
- 13. 13Millennial Music Discovery Exclusive info from the musician Behind the scenes content Musician-centric playlists Because Backstorians are focused on fewer genres, they are looking for lots of content around predetermined tastes. They are also hungry for information about artists. Apple Music meets these needs by providing exclusive information from musicians and behind-the-scenes content. They also offer musician-centered playlists which feed Backstorians more music related to artists they already like. An ideal platform for a Backstorian would include the following features: ✦ Playlists made by their favorite artists ✦ Community playlists edited by their friends ✦ Integrated photos and videos from artist’s social media feeds ✦ Exclusive interviews with the artist about their life ✦ Discovery feed focused on one preferred genre Advice for music platforms…
- 14. 14Millennial Music Discovery Remixes Commenter profile Customized feed of new music Playlist variety Personalized recommendations Integrated lyrics Advice for music platforms… As Songsmiths have wider tastes, their needs focus on variety as well as any additional context to help them connect deeper to a song. Songsmiths like Spotify for its wide playlist variety, personalized recommendations based on the entire listener profile, and integrated lyrics. Soundcloud is appealing for its customized feed of new music, remixes, and integrated comments. An ideal platform for a Songsmith would include the following features: ✦ Inputs into algorithmic recommendations to rate how “adventurous” the Songsmith is feeling on any given day ✦ Customizable mood-based playlists ✦ Recommendations of sub-genres unknown to the Songsmith ✦ Commentary from the artists on new songs ✦ Integrated music videos
- 15. 15Millennial Music Discovery The discovery journey for the Backstorian and the Songsmith demonstrate different needs. Currently, fans are using lots of apps to meet these needs. For platforms looking to appeal to these segments, they should consider integrating and highlight features that meet these needs. This song makes me feel alive I wonder why the artist wrote this? This one verse really speaks to me I wonder what the artist was thinking Here’s another remixed version Let me add these to my Vibes playlist Variety Information about the music Easy to find lyrics Visual content User- generated content System for saving and categorizing NeedThought Action There’s so much buzz around this new video This sounds like another song I love Oh, she was recording with the Weeknd last week! Let me check out this extra footage from the shoot I want to listen to that song again Let me send this to my friends Social commentary Personalized recs Information about the artist Behind-the- scenes content Searchability & on demand listening Shareability NeedThought Action Backstorians Songsmiths
- 16. 16Millennial Music Discovery MUSIC MAKERS SHOULD CREATE exclusive, behind the scenes marketing content built around the artist as a person PLATFORMS SHOULD DELIVER new content based on a known and narrow taste profile MUSIC MAKERS SHOULD CREATE vulnerable, open marketing content built around the music itself PLATFORMS SHOULD DELIVER new music that pushes the boundaries of a broad taste profile
- 17. Libby Koerbel loves to analyze ambiguous questions, listen to live music, and meet new people. She is an expert strategist with experience at the Boston Consulting Group, Pandora, Universal Music Group, Muzooka, and Pritzker Group Venture Capital. She completed this research as a capstone project of her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management. She is a Songsmith. Read more of her research at medium.com/@contentjungle Many thanks to the McCormick Foundation for funding this project and to Professor Kent Grayson for his time and advice. @libbyribby /libbykoerbel