The purpose of this research is to determine if and how the Corona pandemic affects music streaming consumption. To do this, the following research question is posed: How does the Coronavirus affect the use of music streaming services?
To answer the research question, music streaming consumption was studied and evaluated using recent figures from Finland and America as examples. Hypotheses were made and investigated as to what could be possible reasons for the decline in consumption. In the further course, figures from the largest and best-known music streaming service "Spotify" are evaluated to gain further insights. Finally, a quantitative survey on music streaming consumption before and after the outbreak of the Corona pandemic is conducted.
Table of Contents
1 ABSTRACT
2 INTRODUCTION
3 COVID-19 PANDEMIC
3.1 HOW PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE AFFECTED
3.2 ONLINE SERVICES - MORE IN DEMAND THAN EVER
4 MUSIC STREAMING
4.1 MUSIC STREAMING CONSUMPTION: USING THE EXAMPLE OF CURRENT FIGURES FROM FINLAND AND AMERICA
4.1.1 USA
4.1.2 Finland
4.2 POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS/REASONS FOR NOT LISTENING
4.2.1 Lockdowns
4.2.2 Podcasts
5 FACTS AND FIGURES
6 STUDY DESIGN
7 CONCLUSION AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Research Objectives and Themes
This research paper aims to investigate the impact of the Corona pandemic on music streaming consumption patterns. It specifically addresses how the pandemic and its associated social distancing measures influenced the usage of music streaming services and seeks to explain the observed decline in consumption through a quantitative survey and market analysis.
- The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life and digital media usage.
- Comparative analysis of music streaming consumption in the U.S. and Finland.
- Investigation into the causes of declining music streaming engagement.
- The role of the increasing popularity of podcasts in shifting listener attention.
- Strategic solutions for streaming platforms to maintain user engagement and revenue.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.2 Podcasts
Whether knowledge or comedy, podcasts are becoming more and more popular worldwide (R. Winn 2021). For this reason, streaming platforms of all kinds are increasingly focusing on podcasts. In the USA, for example, there are around 100 million podcast listeners. The average listener consumes about 7 episodes per week. The average length of an episode is 44 minutes. (Podcast Insights 2021). Now let's look at song lengths for comparison. Today, successful songs are getting shorter and shorter. In 2020, Kopf explained that due to listeners' lack of attention, songs are getting shorter. The average length of a song is only 3:30 minutes now.
So an average-length podcast takes up the space of about 13 songs that could have been consumed instead. If you multiply that by seven, you get 91 unstreamed songs a week. If you multiply that again by 100 million, we have 9.1 billion songs not streamed.
I don't want to say that if you listen to podcasts you don't listen to music anymore or the other way around. I just want to illustrate with this calculation that the growth of streaming music is slowed down by this.
Summary of Chapters
1 ABSTRACT: This chapter outlines the research purpose, the specific question regarding the impact of the Corona virus on music streaming, and summarizes the core findings, including the decline in streaming and the influence of podcasts.
2 INTRODUCTION: This section details the background of the Corona pandemic and its contradictory effects on digital service providers, setting the stage for the research objective to uncover why the music streaming market declined despite increased time spent at home.
3 COVID-19 PANDEMIC: This chapter explains the origins and global spread of the virus, its impact on human lifestyles, and the resulting surge in demand for online services as people transitioned to home office and lockdown measures.
4 MUSIC STREAMING: This central chapter analyzes consumption patterns in the U.S. and Finland, discusses the negative impacts of lockdowns on traditional listening contexts, and evaluates the disruptive role of podcasts on music streaming volume.
5 FACTS AND FIGURES: This chapter analyzes internal data from Spotify, documenting both user growth and the paradox of declining revenue per user, while suggesting reasons for these trends.
6 STUDY DESIGN: This chapter defines the quantitative survey method chosen to measure user behavior and assess how the pandemic influenced opinions and attitudes toward music streaming.
7 CONCLUSION AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: This chapter synthesizes the findings and proposes strategic improvements for streaming platforms, such as new interactive features and closer collaboration with artists to recover revenue.
Keywords
Corona pandemic, Music streaming, Spotify, Podcasts, Consumer behavior, Lockdown, COVID-19, Streaming market, Digital media, Quantitative survey, User engagement, Revenue decline, Streaming figures, Social distancing, Media usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper fundamentally investigates whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected global music streaming consumption and explores the reasons behind unexpected declines in the market.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the shift in daily life due to lockdowns, the comparative usage patterns in the U.S. and Finland, the impact of podcasts on music listening, and the financial performance of streaming services like Spotify.
What is the primary research question?
The research is guided by the question: "How does the Corona virus affect the use of music streaming services?"
Which scientific method is utilized in this study?
The author employs a quantitative survey as the primary method to gather user assessments of their own music consumption habits before, during, and after the pandemic.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the global impact of the pandemic, a comparative analysis of streaming figures, an investigation into the "lockdown" effect, the role of competing media like podcasts, and an in-depth analysis of Spotify’s market data.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Corona pandemic, music streaming, Spotify, podcasts, consumer behavior, and digital media usage.
Why did music streaming decline despite people spending more time at home?
The study suggests that lockdowns restricted mobility (such as commuting) and changed daily routines, while the rising popularity of podcasts took up time previously dedicated to music streaming.
What specific solutions does the author propose for streaming platforms?
The author suggests introducing features like video podcasts, exclusive live concert functions for premium users, and a "world map" feature to increase user engagement and encourage premium subscriptions.
- Quote paper
- Virginia Schütze (Author), 2021, The impact of the Corona pandemic on music streaming service usage behavior, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1191941
