Looking into the profile of music audiences

Abstract

The main aims of this chapter are to identify different groups of music consumers and to analyse the relation between the observed diversity of musical consumption and the socio-economic characteristics of its audiences. This information is essential for producers and cultural practitioners as well as for public agencies whose purpose is encouraging cultural consumption and promoting certain types of music. Using cluster analysis based on the 2011 Survey on Spanish Habits and Cultural Practices (SHCP-2011), we identify 12 distinct classes of music listeners and obtain a detailed classification of music consumers. As expected, education and age are the main determinants of consumption. Hence, education and childhood exposure to music could prove to be important instruments for improving music demand especially if they are focused on personal enjoyment and satisfaction rather than on the more formal aspects of music.