The research shows that when given a legal portal to access music, fans are increasingly more likely to opt for legitimate means of accessing music as opposed to illegal options, such as illegal downloading sites. In a survey of UK residents in August 2012, Kantar Worldpanel found that 27.7 percent of survey participants legally downloaded their music or streamed it instead, with only 14.5 percent obtaining music via illegal means.
Kantar Worldpanel's data also shows that the respondents aged between 13 and 24 spent the most money on digital music, where as those over the age of 55 accounted for the most physical music sales. IFPI also reported that in 2012, download sales were up by 12 percent, and paying subscriber numbers increased by 44 percent.
M has mentioned before the industry benefits of websites like YouTube (being the biggest music discovery platform), but Spotify too has features like the 'What's New' tab, showcasing new releases, trending songs from wider social networks, and even encouraging fans to install further music discovery apps. In fact, four out of five UK internet users surveyed in the research were aware of music streaming services in general, with seven out of 10 UK internet users surveyed being aware of streaming giant Spotify.
The data is promising for artists and songwriters alike; performance royalties can be earnt through licenced streaming services such as Spotify and Google Play, and lots of these streaming services also have download stores in-built which can provide additional revenue. The synergy between offline and online will never be 100% accountable, but of course another important thing to consider is ticket sales too. Streaming royalties may not be huge, but getting discovered and building a fan base can lead to bigger things.
With all of this in mind, it looks like the onus could lie with the industry, rather than the fans. The old rhetoric 'If you build it, they will come' has never been more relevant, with the research clearly illustrating that it is better to add your repertoire to legal streaming services, rather than let missed revenue slip through the net by way of illegal downloading. The benefits of streaming platforms continue to grow in appeal for labels and artists alike, as platforms continually evolve to provide increased data capture and statistics, and give your music that much more chance to be found.
For more on the digital landscape in 2013, check out the Decoding Digital feature by Helienne Lindvall.
Kantar Worldpanel's data also shows that the respondents aged between 13 and 24 spent the most money on digital music, where as those over the age of 55 accounted for the most physical music sales. IFPI also reported that in 2012, download sales were up by 12 percent, and paying subscriber numbers increased by 44 percent.
M has mentioned before the industry benefits of websites like YouTube (being the biggest music discovery platform), but Spotify too has features like the 'What's New' tab, showcasing new releases, trending songs from wider social networks, and even encouraging fans to install further music discovery apps. In fact, four out of five UK internet users surveyed in the research were aware of music streaming services in general, with seven out of 10 UK internet users surveyed being aware of streaming giant Spotify.
The data is promising for artists and songwriters alike; performance royalties can be earnt through licenced streaming services such as Spotify and Google Play, and lots of these streaming services also have download stores in-built which can provide additional revenue. The synergy between offline and online will never be 100% accountable, but of course another important thing to consider is ticket sales too. Streaming royalties may not be huge, but getting discovered and building a fan base can lead to bigger things.
With all of this in mind, it looks like the onus could lie with the industry, rather than the fans. The old rhetoric 'If you build it, they will come' has never been more relevant, with the research clearly illustrating that it is better to add your repertoire to legal streaming services, rather than let missed revenue slip through the net by way of illegal downloading. The benefits of streaming platforms continue to grow in appeal for labels and artists alike, as platforms continually evolve to provide increased data capture and statistics, and give your music that much more chance to be found.
For more on the digital landscape in 2013, check out the Decoding Digital feature by Helienne Lindvall.
