CMA Presents Music Discovery Research Findings

The Country Music Association presented its Music Discovery Research findings, regarding music discovery behaviors among music fans, to CMA members recently during the annual membership meeting in Nashville.
The study also sought to identify top music discovery sources and their impact on music purchasing.
“An important part of our mission as the trade association for the format is to provide meaningful research and tools to help our constituents advance their business interests by gaining a better understanding of the general music consumer as well as the core Country fan,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The annual membership meeting was the perfect platform to present these important findings directly to our stakeholders in the industry.”
Research was conducted among 1,600 Adults 18+ who had “discovered” a new song within a seven-day period around the research field dates (July 22–31). The reported findings represent consumer actions that occurred within the same seven-day window.
Among the key findings presented by Karen Stump, CMA Senior Director of Market Research:

• The incidence of new music discovery was slightly higher among core Country Music fans compared to core fans of rock, pop, hip hop, or R&B regardless of discovery platform.
• Among those that had discovered new music, AM/FM radio ranked No. 1 as a source with 43 percent citing it as where they heard the new music for the first time, followed by YouTube and streaming apps each cited as sources by 13 percent of respondents. Discovery via YouTube and streaming apps was significantly higher (20 percent) among music fans 18-34 years of age.
• Discovery of music by “new artists” (defined as artists that were unfamiliar to the listener) was most common with nearly half (49 percent) reporting hearing a new song by an artist they had not heard previously. Thirty-two percent reported hearing new music in the form of a new release by an artist they were familiar with.
• While all sources were significant in driving “new artist” discovery, streaming apps and TV drove higher levels of new artist discovery (56 percent and 62 percent, respectfully) compared to radio which was strongest in supporting discovery of “new releases.”
•  In terms of actions taken after new music discovery, nearly half (48 percent) sought out additional information about the song or artist via YouTube or the Internet in most cases. Research levels were even higher (58 percent) when the discovered song was an older (catalog) release from an established artist.
• Overall, nearly one in five (19 percent) fans that discovered a new song or artist ended up purchasing that new music within seven days of discovery. Purchase levels were highest among consumers that discovered new music via streaming apps (25 percent purchased the new song).