A Cross-National Empirical Investigation of Music Streaming Behavior

Abstract

Our research examines the current trends in on-line music consumption across various national markets. The number of outlets that allow an individual to listen to music, both paid and unpaid, are proliferating. Music streaming services (such as Spotify, Pandora or Soundcloud) are becoming the new trend in listening to music, however, the characteristics of consumers and their consumption behavior is still evolving. We collected data on music consumption from several countries (primarily the USA) with a random sample of 462 respondents via an online survey. Since a quarter of respondents were from various countries outside of the US, it allowed us to examine differences between US consumers and international consumers. Our results display interesting trends and help us better understand current music consumer preferences. Our findings may be of interest to marketing strategists and academic researchers.