British fans prefer music in physical format?
The majority of UK music fans still prefer to buy their music in a physical format, according to a new study. A total of 73% of UK respondents said they purchase CDs, compared to 43% who buy from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon MP3, among others. This figure was above the global average of 67%, ahead of the likes of France (50%) and the US (54%).
The findings are part of the second edition of Havas Sports & Entertainment’s FANS.PASSIONS.BRANDS study, conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Innovation Lab, which surveyed 18,000 people across 17 countries, including 1,000 from the UK.
“Music is an extremely effective marketing tool for brands looking to connect with people, as long as you can understand this passion and what drives it,” said Havas president and global CEO, Lucien Boyer (pictured).
“Finding logic behind something that many feel cannot be explained is exactly what this research is about. We call this the Logics of Engagement, breaking music fanship down into behaviours, attitudes and perceptions in a way that can be understood and leveraged by brands to connect with their target audiences through valuable content and experiences.”
Radio remains the most popular way to listen to music in the UK, with 68% using their car radio at least once a week, revealed the study. Some 38% listen to classic stereo systems, with 35% using mobile devices to listen to music and 37% using video sharing sites such as YouTube. Just 30% use free streaming sites such as Spotify, which is considerably less than the 49% global average, on par with the US at 32% and way below China’s 86% figure.
“We announced our global partnership with Havas in January, giving us access to new tools, data and insight into consumers and their passion for music and artists,” added Universal Music Group’s global head of new business Olivier Robert-Murphy. “We are really excited to use the findings of this study to identify ways for brands to better connect with our artists and their fans.”
Source: Music Week
Image credit: Creative Common License
