This document summarizes a research paper exploring the link between consumer loyalty and music consumption trends of millennials. It provides background on the history of music consumption and how technology has influenced it. The literature review covers topics like the choice between physical and digital music, the impact of artists/bands and social media on consumption, and defining consumer loyalty and trust. The methodology section outlines the mixed quantitative and qualitative research design used, including questionnaires and focus groups with 100+ millennials. Key findings indicate that millennials perceive trust as important when choosing how to consume music and show interest in various platforms.

1. An Exploration of the Link Between Consumer Loyalty and the
Music Consumption Trends of Millennials
Scott Miller
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Glasgow Caledonian University for
the Degree of BA (Hons) Marketing
April 2016

2. ii
Declaration
I declare that this dissertation is my own work and that it was composed by myself.
Following academic conventions, I have made due acknowledgement of the work of
others.
Signed:
Date:

3. iii
Abstract
The fast paced nature of which technology is constantly evolving has significantly influenced
the everyday lives of consumers worldwide. As such, the constant adaptions being made to
technology has provided consumers with a greater variety of platforms in which they can
consume and discover music (IFPI, 2010). However, the millennial generation’s perception
towards music consumption is important due to millennial’s being the first generation to grow
up in the technological era (Bolton et al., 2013), meaning they are inclined to be accustomed
to adaptions in technology. As technology shaped the music industry in the 21st century,
consumers were offered portable music, music streaming stores, and billions of songs at their
disposal (Magnúsdóttir and Sirkeci, 2011; IFPI, 2010; BPI, 2014). It has been argued that the
digital age has effectively killed the music industry (Rogers, 2013; Ingham, 2015), but with
digital and physical music sales sitting side by side and young consumers showing a keen
interest in purchasing both digital and physical music (IFPI, 2015; BPI, 2015), the question has
to be asked, what motivates millennial consumers to purchase music? Through the literature,
it was found that consumers trial music first, but when they love a piece of music, would prefer
to buy it (BPI, 2015), which relates to the definition of consumer loyalty relating to satisfaction
and trust (Costabile, 2000). Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how influential trust
as a consumer behaviour trait was to the consumption of music and whether certain methods
of consuming music were more appealing to millennials than others. A questionnaire was
distributed to 100 individuals above the age of 18, while three in-depth focus groups were
recorded as part of a quantitative and qualitative mixed method study. The results indicate that
millennials perceive trust as being an important factor for them when choosing the method in
which they consume music, while the findings found that millennials were particularly
interested in consuming a variety of music platforms.

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Acknowledgments
Firstly, I would like to thank both Louise McBride and Pauline Bell for their continued
guidance, support, and encouragement over the past year. I also must thank all the
participants who gave their time to take part in this study. Without their input, the study could
not have been completed successfully. I would also like to acknowledge my employer for
their understanding over the past year and for allowing me the time to facilitate my studies
around my work schedule. Finally, a big thank you has to go to all my friends and family for
their support and patience during this final year at university.

5. v
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6. vi
Contents Page
Declaration of Originality and Authenticity ii
Abstract iii
Acknowledgements iv
Plagiarism Checklist v
Contents Page vi
Contents Page of Figures viii
Contents Page of Tables ix
1. Introduction and Rationale 10
1.1 Rationale for Study 10
1.2 Research Aim 11
1.3 Research Objectives 11
2. Literature Review 12
2.1 History of Music Consumption 12
2.2 The Choice of Physical and Digital in Music Products 15
2.3 Influence of Musician or Band on Music Consumption 19
2.3.1 Music Purchase Intention 21
2.4 Impact of the Internet and Social Media on the Consumption of Music 23
2.5 Consumer Loyalty as a Consumer Behaviour Model 25
2.6 Commitment Based On Trust 26
2.7 Millennials Consumer Behaviour Trends 28
3. Methodology 30
3.1 Chapter Summary 30
3.2 Research Paradigms 30
3.3 Research Approach 32

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3.4 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods 34
3.5 Quantitative Research Methods 36
3.6 Qualitative Research Methods 40
3.7 Sample 42
3.8 Difficulties and Limitations 43
3.9 Ethical Considerations 44
4. Results and Analysis 46
4.1 Chapter Summary 46
4.2 Millennials’ Perception Towards Music Products 46
4.3 Millennials’ Preferred Methods of Consuming Music 51
4.4 The Influence of Trust when Consuming Music 56
5. Conclusions and Recommendations 62
References 64
Appendices 75
Appendix A – Focus Group Information Sheet 75
Appendix B – Participation Form 76
Appendix C – Full Transcript of Focus Group 1 77
Appendix D – Full Transcript of Focus Group 2 86
Appendix E – Full Transcript of Focus Group 3 101
Appendix F – Questionnaire 113
Appendix G – Ethical Consideration Form 118

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Contents Page of Figures
Figure 2.1. The Steady Rise of Music Sales Taking Over from Physical Sales 16
Figure 2.2. Extent to Which Age Groups Stream Music First, Before Purchasing 18
Music on a Physical Format That They Are a Fan Of
Figure 2.3. The Hedonic Music Consumption Model and Purchase Intention 22
Figure 4.1. Platforms Used to Discover New Music 51
Figure 4.2. Preferred Platforms for Consuming for Millennials 54
Figure 4.3. How Influential Trust Was as a Factor for Millennial Consumers 57
When They Made a Decision on How to Consume Music
Figure 4.4. Likelihood of Purchasing Music Products When a Fan of an Artist 58
or Band
Figure 4.5. Likelihood of Purchasing Music Products by a Recently Discovered 59
Artist or Band

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Contents Page of Tables
Table 2.1. The Decline in Sales in Selected Countries, 1977-1980 13
Table 3.1. Key Differences Identified Between Qualitative and Quantitative 35
Data
Table 3.2. Types of Questionnaires and the Benefits Available to Each 36
Table 3.3. Questions Available to be Included in Questionnaires 37
Table 3.4. Choice of Questions 38
Table 3.5. Pros and Cons of Qualitative Collection Methods 41
Table 4.1. Percentages and Mean Scores Relating to the Likelihood and Impact 47
Various Factors Had on Their Purchasing Intentions
Table 4.2. Preferred Mode of Consuming Music Across All Three Focus Groups 52
Table 4.3. The Frequency of Which Music is Consumed Across All Three Focus 52
Groups
Table 4.4. Reasons for Using Preferred Mode of Consuming Music Across All 53
Three Focus Groups
Table 4.5. Non-Physical Streaming Services and an Example Answer from 55
Questionnaire Confirming Why These Suited Their Lifestyle

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1. Introduction and Rationale
In this chapter, the rationale behind the research will be discussed. As well as this, the aim
and objectives of the research will be identified and reviewed.
1.1 Rationale for Study
In recent times, there has been a continued dialogue surrounding the positive and negative
impacts of the digital age on the music industry. Ultimately, much of the discussion
surrounds the changes that have taken place through consumption platforms over time and
how these have impacted on the sales and revenues of the industry. Rogers (2013, p26)
suggests that the two most impactful changes on the industry are “the rise of the internet and
the simultaneous fall of record sales.” These two important changes in recent times are
examples of modern music consumption. The internet and technology’s impact on music
consumption is widely discussed in regards to how various demographics adopt the various
methods of consumption that they do. The researcher chose to examine millennials’ music
consumption trends due to being the generation most aligned with the technological era. The
researcher chose this area to study as there was very little discussion on why consumers
chose to still purchase music with cheaper alternatives available on the market. This was
reminiscent of consumer loyalty, which is defined as a combination of customer satisfaction
and trust and the likelihood of repurchasing products (Costabile, 2000; Divett et al, 2003).
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the link between consumer loyalty
behaviour traits and the music consumption trends of millennials.

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1.2 ResearchAim
To explore the extent to which consumer loyalty influences millennials’ purchasing
intentions of music products.
1.3 ResearchObjectives
1. To explore the extent of millennials’ consumer perception towards music products
relating to a musician or band
2. To identify if particular methods of consuming music appeal more to millennials’ than
other groups
3. To establish how influential trust is as a consumer behaviour trait towards music
products

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2. Literature Review
2.1 History of Music Consumption
In the 1950s, popular music emerged in its modern form through the invention and
widespread success of rock and roll. The success of the genre has been pinned down to a
foundation of a youth counter-culture and teenage rebellion which was brought on by the
American societal climate of the time (Kay, 2015; Zhang, 2013). As popular music had
become a youth movement, the cultural shift put young people at the forefront of
consumption for the first time and led the way for teenagers being considered as consumers
in their own right. This major change has since become a prominent fixture of the music
industry, with recent research suggesting that young consumers consume music around
twenty-five hours per week, in comparison to older consumers who log around twelve hours
of music consumption per week (Robb, 2014).
Early figures of music consumption suggest that purchasing record players had been
prominent in decades prior to the 1950s; however, a slump in sales was noted in 1949 due to
consumer reluctance to purchasing new record players. In 1952, improvements made to
record player technology was said to have influenced sales, with 1.5 million new record
players being purchased that year (Olson, 2000). Tschmuck (2010) states that the
phonographic industry recorded a long run of prosperity in nearly all markets from the 1950s
to around 1977, when it came to a sudden end. In his study exploring the growth of music
products as a mass medium, Gronow (1983) found that the UK market was hit particularly
hard with sales of recorded music plummeting by 26.4 per cent between 1977 and 1980 (see

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Table 2.1 below; Gronow, 1983; p66-69; cited by Tschmuck, 2010), with suggestions being
made that the fall in sales was down to the worldwide recession (Tschmuck, 2010).
Table 2.1: The decline in sales in selectedcountries, 1977-1980
Source: Gronow, 1983; p66-69; cited by Tschmuck, 2010
Gronow (1983; p72) has an alternative view, stating: “explanation has been sought in the
general economic recession, the influence of private copying, and competition from other
media. But perhaps records, as a mass medium, have now reached the saturation point.” This
is a common argument still made today when discussing the declining sales of CDs and
digital downloads, with recent research suggesting that declining sales are down to new and
more popular products becoming available on the market that are taking over from the
former, popular mediums (Thompson, 2015). Since the turn of the millennium, the speed in
technological advancements has been the focal point for much of the discussion on music
sales, with the internet being described as boosting consumer power (Magnúsdóttir and

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Sirkeci, 2011). As a result of this, consumers were able to access music for free through
illegal downloading and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI),
have estimated that overall music sales fell by around 30 per cent between 2003 and 2009
(IFPI, 2010). Consumers having access to free content caused huge financial loss for the
global music industry, with global music piracy incurring a loss of $12.5 billion every year
(Siwek, 2007). Illegal downloading became a worldwide debate in 1999, with the rising
success of sharing website, Napster. By the year 2005, the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that 20 billion songs had been illegally downloaded
worldwide (IFPI, 2006); while in the UK research showed that 95 per cent of Britons
admitted to pirating music, in comparison to only 20 per cent of Britons who had purchased
music online in some form (Hunt et al., 2009; Mintel, 2008; Eaglesham and Fenton, 2008).
Despite this, it has been argued that illegal music downloads have been used as a precursor
when the product is not available for them to purchase (Aguiar and Martins, 2013), therefore
suggesting that the music industry should act quicker to consumer demands. In reaction to
this, the music industry launched a global release day in 2015 as a preventive measure to
illegal downloading and piracy, by reducing the gap between international releases (IFPI,
2015). While illegal downloading and piracy is still seemingly an issue for the global music
industry, music sales are on a steady climb, with digital revenues accounting for 50 per cent
of total UK record industry trade revenues, while streaming revenues from subscription
services such as Spotify and Deezer constituted the fastest growing sector over the twelve-
month period (BPI, 2014). It is also reported that global digital revenues grew by 6.9 per cent
to $6.85 billion in 2014, which has been paired with the level of music access now available
to consumers (IFPI, 2015). Despite the sensationalism around the internet’s positive and
negative impact upon the industry, recent figures show that consumers are returning to a

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more traditional form of purchasing music, with the Recording Industry Association of
America (RIAA) reporting that US consumers spent $226 million on vinyl albums and
singles in the first half of 2015. Comparatively, US consumers only spent $162.7 million on
ad-supported streaming in the same amount of time (RIAA, 2015). The resurgence in vinyl
seems to be fuelled by a “hipster revolution” and an older generation looking to revisit their
youth (Davidson, 2015). These assertions outline that the invention of popular music has
shown similar patterns over time, in which sales decline as formats reach saturation point.
2.2 The Choice of Physical and Digital in Music Products
Music is commonly dissociated as a product, due in part to its intangibility. Instead, the CD,
the subscription service or concert tickets are considered as the product, while the music itself
is considered as the content. As music has digitized over time, consumers have been able to
detach the idea of content from the product (Grasmayer, 2012). In 2014, digital music
revenues surpassed physical sales for the first time, due in part to subscriptions to streaming
services soaring (McGhie and Davidson, 2015); this is shown in Fig 2.2 below (IFPI, 2015).

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Figure 2.1: The steady rise of music sales taking over from physical sales
Source: IFPI, 2015, cited by McGhie and Davidson, 2015
The success of streaming and digital music has been linked to consumer’s reluctance to own
music, instead consumers of the 21st century would prefer to rent their music, suggesting that
streaming provides less commitment for consumers than buying a physical product, as well as
for the convenience that comes with streaming (McGlade, 2013; BPI, 2015). The fact that
digital music sales have surpassed physical sales for the first time is almost backed up by the
suggestion that the traditional forms of consumers supporting musicians and bands is over
(Herstand, 2014). Herstand (2014) suggests that even the most traditional forms of musician
and band support are over, with new digital markets such as PledgeMusic and Kickstarter
allowing regular consumers to invest in a musician or band’s career, no matter how big or
small they are.

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While the aforementioned research shows that digital music is the dominant force in the
music industry, it is becoming more apparent that consumers want both. Streaming is
reportedly encouraging a multi-channel relationship, in which consumers use streaming to
discover music, before buying the music they are a fan of to own and collect (BPI, 2015).
New statistics suggest that digital music isn’t killing physical music, instead, it’s killing other
forms of digital music, as digital downloads are on a rapid decline, while physical products
like vinyl have reached a near twenty-year sales high (Ingham, 2015; Gibson, 2015).
Gronow’s (1983) earlier statement pre-dates the digital revolution, but rings true in that
consumers are swapping digital downloads for streaming, rather than physical for digital.
Cole (2015); sourced from Gibson (2015), suggests that one of the main reasons influencing
the change in digital music is the quality of the product, while Lloyd (2015); sourced from
Gibson (2015), suggests that vinyl is becoming popular again due to its tangibility, which
could propose that consumers are willing to invest in music as a product again, as long as
they are able to trial it out first and get the best of both worlds. In terms of demographics, BPI
(2015) states that millennial consumers are more likely to be multi-channelers than 55+
consumers, but less inclined than consumers between the age of 35-54, proposing that
millennial consumers are more inclined to favour audio in digital form than traditional forms
due to their affinity with technology (BPI, 2015; Andrews et al., 2011). However, millennials
(16-34) are the generation more inclined to stream music first, before purchasing a physical
product that they are a fan of; this is shown in Fig 2.3 below (BPI, 2015).

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Figure 2.2: Extent to which age groups stream music first, before purchasing music on a
physical format that they are a fan of
Source: BPI, 2015, p22.
Despite the promising signs of interest in music consumption across all age demographics,
there is still concern that the shift in the digital music paradigm is resulting in artist’s
receiving significantly less income than they would with revenue made from CD sales
(Herstand, 2014). While consumers across all boards enjoy the benefits that streaming brings
to them as a consumer through convenience and sampling music before committing to a
purchase, they are also concerned with the amount of money the artist will make from
streaming, with 83 per cent of consumers who stream and purchase physical formats stating
they purchase CDs in order to help the artist (BPI, 2015). The influence that the artist has on
the consumer will be discussed below.

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2.3 Influence of Musician or Band on Music Consumption
The role of a musician or band is of crucial relevance to the outright consumption of music.
For example, a study into the impact of technology on music consumption found that 39 per
cent of millennial consumers consciously interact with musicians or bands on social media,
therefore, developing a relationship with the musician or band (Shapero, 2015). Shapero
(2015, p26) further states that “despite having access to so many different artists with simply
the click of a button, these users still dedicate their time to particular artists when consuming
music” in reference to millennial consumers who state they do not interact with musicians or
bands on social media. This suggests that despite the major role technology has had on the
millennials’ lives, the influence of music consumption can be built simply through the music
itself. It has also been stated that streaming as a form of music consumption eliminates the
guilt that consumers feel about not paying musicians and bands (Keating, 2015). One of the
main arguments to explain this is consumers self-identifying with the music and therefore the
musician or band (Shankar, 2000). Belk (1988, p139; cited by Shankar, 2000, p29) suggests
that “we regard our possessions as part of ourselves”, while Shankar (2000, p29) further
states that “popular music therefore can help us to make sense of our world and our place in it
and, through the process of grounded aesthetics can help us to construct our own identity or
sense of self”. These set ideas theorize that what music has to say, says a lot about the
consumers, and therefore, a level of trust has to be built up in order for a consumer to identify
with the music and even the musician or band.
Furthermore, becoming a fan of a musician or band becomes so interconnected with the
consumer’s identity, that idolising and worshipping them becomes part of the territory
(Daellenbach et al, 2015). It is also proposed that the music consumers’ move from general

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consumer to fan is instrumental in getting a musician or band’s music out to a wider audience
(Baym, 2012). As such, Baym (2012) proposes that music fans feel so connected to
musicians that the feelings they have garnered from the music are often related back to the
musician or band, which can in turn result in dedication to the musician or band and their
product. Therefore, the idea that music is considered simply as an entertainment product can
no longer be the case, with such emotional connotations attached to it (Greenacre et al, 2015).
As described by BPI (2015) earlier, consumers across all boards have an interest in helping
the musician financially and in turn, this can be seen as a musician or band inadvertently
influencing the consumer. It is suggested that consumers want to help when they do not feel
like the musician or band is begging for their help, which can in turn have a negative
influence on the consumer (Cannon & Thomas, 2014). Contributing to a musician or band
may not necessarily help a consumer form their own identity, but actively consuming a
musician or band’s music can be related back to Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” model that
seems most relatable within the context of this study (Greenacre et al, 2015). Of Maslow
(1943, 1954; cited by McLeod, 2014)’s the esteem needs can be closely related back to a
music fan’s idea of self-worth and identity. This is due to the esteem needs being about
“achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from
others” (McLeod, 2014). While these cannot be related specifically to music fans and the
consumption of music, it can be suggested that the esteem strand meets various
characteristics related to music consumers on their discovery of self-identity through
consuming music. Furthermore, Greenacre (2015, p49) states that through Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs “it is possible to understand the process individuals use to seek objects to
construct dimensions of their self-identity”, as the various strands of the Hierarchy of Needs

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are seen as a building block for consumers on their path to self-identity, with esteem being
one of the final steps (McLeod, 2014).
Despite the various aspects that explain why consumers possibly become dedicated followers
of musicians and bands, there is very little to explain why consumers choose to become fans
of the musicians and bands that they are fans of. Exploring why consumers become fans of
the musicians and bands that they do will be discussed below.
2.3.1 Music Purchase Intention
One of the main reasons given for consumers choosing to consume music is for how relatable
the music is to the consumer and how they identify with it (Shankar, 2000; Greenacre, 2015;
Daellenbach et al, 2015), but there is very little insight into what puts a consumer on to a
musician or band and their music. In recent times, consumers across all age demographics are
turning to streaming services such as Spotify in order to trial out music, which in turn, has
shown signs of resulting in future purchase intention (BPI, 2015; IFPI, 2015). Before the
popularity of streaming, there were few ways in which consumers could trial and rent music
before making a full purchase, although radio and television were the original methods. As
such, the Hedonic Music Consumption Model was created by Lacher and Mizeski (1994) in
order to question why consumers choose to purchase music by examining the responses
participants had towards new rock music. In relation to existing musicians and bands, Lacher
and Mizeski (1994, p367) state that “even though some consumers may purchase new music
releases on the strength of their knowledge of the artist or composer without previous
exposure to the music, these consumers have expectations based either on projections from
previous experience or on review recommendations…”. This suggests that consumers would

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typically blind purchase music based on trusting a reliable source (whether it be a musician
they have been a long term fan of or trusting the recommendation).
Lacher and Mizeski (1994)’s study is split into four responses to music and four additional
factors relating to music purchase; this is shown in Fig 2.4 below (Lacher and Mizeski,
1994).
Figure 2.3: The Hedonic Music Consumption Model and Purchase Intention
Source: Lacher and Mizeski, 1994, p370
The above data responses were based on previous research and were used in Lacher and
Mizeski’s model to discover whether the music being played to participants had any after
effect on them. For example, the emotional response to music can involve listeners reacting
with joy or anger, which is described as being prominent in the general appreciation of music,
while the sensory responses involve listeners reacting by tapping their foot or dancing
(Lacher, 1994). Although this explains the general response consumers have to music, it does

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not explain what would lead consumers to purchasing music. However, it is explained that
the four initial responses are closely related to the experiential response and if consumers
enjoy the music enough, they may want to re-experience the music and Lacher (1994, p369)
goes on to explain that “if a person enjoys the music, the person could purchase it to be able
to play it again at a time of the individual’s choosing”. This explanation is especially relevant
when discussing the purchase intentions of consumers today. The BPI’s (2015) research into
multi-channel consumption suggests that the combination of physical and digital formats
have aided the sales of physical CDs, due in part to consumer’s tendency to sample music
first through streaming services. Relating back to Lacher and Mizeski’s (1994) Hedonic
Music Consumption Model, the new form of trialling music gives consumers the opportunity
to discover what they like and experience it as often as they want until they become a fan,
with the BPI (2015) stating that “69 per cent of consumers agreeing or strongly agreeing that
they stream to discover music…but when I come across something I love, I like to buy it.”
Through this, physical musical consumption is still as successful due in part to the internet
and social media giving consumers more options when discovering music. The impact social
media and internet services has on the consumption of music will be discussed below.
2.4 Impact of the Internet and Social Media on the Consumption of Music
While it has been proposed that the internet has interrupted the traditional forms of
consuming music (Meisel and Sullivan, 2002; Herstand, 2014), there is evidence to support
the idea that the internet has had both positive and negative impacts on music consumption.
For example, as the internet has created new streams for free music consumption, this is
categorised as negatively impacting on the music industry (IFPI, 2010; Magnúsdóttir &
Sirkeci, 2011), however, it is suggested that consuming music for free has not displaced

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traditional forms of consumption entirely, with some cases stating that it could encourage
consuming legally (Aguiar and Martens, 2013). Furthermore, it was reported that the total
revenue from music sales through digital retailers was US$4.2 billion in 2009 (IFPI, 2010)
and that 57 per cent of internet users across thirteen of the world’s leading music markets had
consumed music through an internet video streaming site (IFPI, 2015). A study into the
impact of internet streaming services such as Spotify was explored by Aguiar and Martens
(2015) providing evidence suggesting that subscription streaming services have displaced
illegal downloading, stating that around forty-seven Spotify streams were able to replace one
illegal download. In the same study, Aguiar and Martens (2015, p7) also suggest that the
popularity of internet streaming services may have displaced the sale of individual digital
downloads, as it has been found that availability of individual tracks on streaming services
can benefit the sales of the partner album, but not the tracks individual release.
As well as the services available for discovering and consuming music, it has been found that
social media has impacted on the way music is consumed (Huynh et al, 2015; Dewan and
Ramaprasad, 2014). It has been stated that social media has not been entirely positive for
the music industry. Research suggested that the amount of time a consumer spent on social
media led to a significant rise in their intent to illegally obtain music or file share
(Daellenbach et al., 2015), which suggests that the longer spent online brings way to a larger
availability of illegal music sharing. This is backed up with the knowledge that online music
file-sharing services, which allow users to swap MP3 music files without paying royalties to
recording companies and artists, has had the greatest impact on traditional business (Walsh et
al., 2003). In relation, many suggest that young age is a particularly high factor in pirating
popular music (Bhattacharjee et al., 2003; Coyle, et al., 2009; Jambon and Smetana, 2012;
Plowman and Goode, 2009; Wang et al., 2009). Social media plays a significant role in

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consumerism, allowing consumers the opportunity to access a wide range of information all
in the one place, to voice their opinions and access others giving way for more consumer
power, and a new way of consumer loyalty through social media engagement (Greene, 2012).
Recent research shows there are currently 2.078 billion active social media accounts and 3
billion people worldwide have internet access (Kemp, 2015), accounting for just under half of
the world’s population. It has also been suggested that 92 per cent of American
Millennials between the ages of 18-29 are using social media (Frost and Sullivan, 2012),
showing that Millennials are pushing the power of social media on consumerism.
2.5 Consumer Loyalty as a Consumer Behaviour Model
Consumer loyalty as a form of consumer behaviour is expressed as an integral part of
organisation’s measuring their success (Oliver, 2015). The salient factor of creating consumer
loyalty is the connection of satisfaction over time and trust (Costabile, 2000), claiming that
consumer loyalty is a behavioural model that is earned over time as consumers continue to
enjoy the products or services and begin to build trust as they are continuously satisfied by
what they are investing in. It is suggested that consumers that show the greatest signs of
loyalty are the ones most likely to repurchase and spend money in greater volumes (Divett et
al, 2003). This explanation of consumer loyalty behaviour is reminiscent of fan
behaviour in music consumption as previous research has shown that consumers will test
music products first and this may lead to purchasing their music if they enjoy it, which in turn
may result in returning to consume their music again (BPI, 2015). In the case of pop star
Lady Gaga, Huba (2013) writes that the key to the musician’s success is her focus on the
small percent of her audience who are already loyal and by building a community for all the
loyal fans to be part of. In relation to regular organisations and consumer loyalty, this form of

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attention being paid to fans is similar to that of loyalty schemes which positively reinforces
consumer loyalty by rewarding them (Divett et al, 2003). This suggests that both Huba
(2013)’s and Divett et al (2003)’s earlier argument for creating consumer loyalty is through
positive reinforcement that the consumer’s involvement is appreciated and therefore may
influence continued involvement with the musician or band or brand.
Studies have looked into the various factors of relationship marketing that come in to play
when establishing customer satisfaction (Costabile, 2000; Homburg and Giering, 2000;
Leverin and Liljander, 2006). Much of the research revolves around the emotional
connotations that result in consumers becoming consumer loyal, with it being stated
consumers will experience positive emotions (happiness, excitement) or negative emotions
(disappointment, anger) and the emotional component is a result of the service delivery (Yu
and Dean, 2001). This may explain why consumers self-identify with music and therefore
need to be emotionally invested in the music in order to become loyal (Daellenbach et al,
2015) and why consumer loyalty is largely affected by the characteristics of the consumer
(Homburg and Giering, 2000). If customer satisfaction is built over time, then Costabile
(2000) suggests that trust too will be gained. The commitment based on trust will be
discussed below.
2.6 Commitment BasedOn Trust
Despite the vast availability of music products, the previous literature suggests that
consumers are still willing to consume music through purchase if they are a fan of the artist
(BPI, 2015) and the research into consumer loyalty provides evidence to support the idea that
if consumers are satisfied with a product or service then trust is attached to this (Costabile,

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2000). Morgan and Hunt (1994, p22)’s study into “The Commitment-Trust Theory of
Relationship Marketing” states that "commitment and trust are key" because they
encourage marketers to "view potentially high-risk actions as being prudent because of the
belief that their partners will not act opportunistically," which suggests that consumers are
less likely to take advantage when consuming music, if they have already built trust with a
musician or band. Furthermore, it is stated in the same study that the combination of
commitment and trust result in joining behaviours that are instrumental in the success of
relationship marketing (Morgan and Hunt, 1994), showing that consumers who are
committed and trusting are inclined to return.
While much of the literature on trust focuses on general consumerism, there are examples
relating to the music industry which suggest that trust is crucial to the success of consumers
being committed to a musician or band. For example, in a story related to musician Amanda
Palmer, it was stated the crux to connecting with fans is through building trust “by making it
such that people want to support the artists they love” (Masnick, 2013, p1). Through this
example, it is further suggested that the availability of the internet provides the opportunity
for musicians to connect with fans on a human level, which can in turn, result in them
wanting to support the artist (Masnick, 2013). Further research also suggests that trust is
important for music services, with 32 per cent of consumers stating that they must trust the
service provider in order to use different music services (IFPI, 2015). This factor was more
important to consumers than security and quality of sound, showing just how crucial trust is
to commitment to both music products and the musician or band.

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2.7 Millennials’ Consumer Behaviour Trends
Millennials are the first generation to have grown up in the digital age (Bolton et al., 2013),
therefore, they have become accustomed to the changing landscape of the music industry and
have moved along with the changing technology that has influenced the way music is
consumed in the 21st century. The millennials’ early exposure to technology has both positive
and negative outcomes when it comes to their behaviour, which can in turn influence the way
in which they respond to products through the way they respond emotionally and socially
(Bolton et al., 2013, Immordino-Yang et al., 2012). millennials have benefitted from
customized products and personalized services (Ansari and Mela, 2003; Berry et al., 2010;
Bitner et al., 2000; Peterson et al., 1997) and this new consumer trend has led the way for
streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music to release personalised mixtapes catering
to the end user’s tastes (Dredge, 2015). The motivation of personalised products and the
attitude of wanting something and wanting it now (Ng et al., 2010; Twenge, 2010) is very
much a product of the millennial and the power the millennials have over consumerism in the
21st
century. This “want it and want it now” attitude can be described as eagerness, a
behaviour pinpointed by Perugini and Bagozzi (2001) in their model. Eagerness is an
important attribute to point out when discussing millennials and their consumer motivation,
because eagerness is suited to a wide range of consumer activities, including the music
industry. It is also noted that eagerness can be related to the engagement of new behaviours
(Fitzmaurice, 2005), meaning there is more room for marketers to engage millennials in new
products, which can also stem to new artists and bands.
The existing literature highlights how the changes in technology have influenced the ways in
which music is consumed, particularly suggesting how the environment that the millennial

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group have grown up in has affected the multiple options available to them as consumers
when it comes to consuming music. Musicians and music industry leaders use set tools to
gain committed, loyal fans, but consumers particularly respond better to emotional motives
due to the personal nature and self-identity found through music consumption. Although the
literature provides detail into the importance of consumer loyalty and trust and key figures
relating to music consumption among the millennial group, there is no concrete evidence of
how interconnected consumer loyalty is to millennial music consumption habits, which this
study aims to investigate.

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3. Methodology
3.1 Chapter Summary
This chapter will explain and justify the chosen research approach and data collection which
have been selected for this study. Through this study, the aim is to look at the extent to which
consumer loyalty influences millennials’ purchasing intentions of music products. To explore
this subject further, the research aimed to explore the following objectives,
 To explore the extent of millennials’ consumer perception towards music products
relating to a musician or band
 To identify if particular methods of consuming music appeal more to millennials’ than
other groups
 To establish how influential trust is as a consumer behaviour trait towards music
products
3.2 ResearchParadigms
Business research includes two main schools of thought, which are positivism and
phenomenology, made up of primary and secondary research. Positivism takes on a
quantitative approach and is a philosophical system which states that the “social world exists
externally, and that its properties should be measured through objectives methods, rather than
being inferred subjectively through sensations, reflections, or intuition” (Easterby-Smith et al,
2002, p28). Through this, it can be stated that positivists believe there is scientific verification
for everything, with positivists viewing the world as a “fixed entity whose mysteries are not

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beyond human comprehension” and believe that “the world is knowable” (O’Leary, 2004;
p5). This further explains the positivists idea that the social can be studied as a subject using
set procedures and guidelines (O’Leary, 2004). The positivist methodology is usually
“deductive, hypothesis driven, reliable, and reproducible” (O’Leary, 2004).
Phenomenology is seen as an interpretivist view and adopts a qualitative approach, which
views research from a philosophical standpoint. It is seen that phenomenology practices can
help to adjust to new issues and ideas as they emerge, as well as gather data that is seen as
natural rather than artificial (Easterby-Smith et al, 1991). In comparison to positivism,
phenomenology focuses on individuals and their descriptions of their lived experiences that
form the concept of phenomenology (O’Leary, 2004). Furthermore, Moran (2002) states that
the focus paid to individuals allows for things to be seen, rather than following a set list of
guidelines and doctrines. Denscombe (2003, p105) lists four advantages of following a
phenomenological approach to research, which are:
 “Offers the prospect of authentic account of complex phenomena
 A humanistic style of research, there is a respect for people
 Suited to small scale research, where budget is low and the main resource is the
researcher himself/herself
 The description of experiences can tell an interesting story, which many people will
be interested in and can relate to.”
It is these examples that explain the reasoning for choosing to follow a phenomenological
approach to research. The research aimed to meet individuals who fall under the millennial
bracket, which means the research would aim to gain response from those born between the

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years of 1980 and 1996 (Carnegie, 2015) or who reached adulthood in the 21st century
(Howe and Strauss, 2000). The phenomenological form of research was used in order to
analyse this demographics perceptions, thoughts and attitudes towards the area of study, as
they were of crucial importance to the overall research.
3.3 ResearchApproach
According to Saunders et al (2003), there are two approaches to research that lend themselves
to both positivism and phenomenological philosophies. They are the deductive and the
inductive approach. The deductive approach is linked to positivism, due to its examination of
whether or not the “observed phenomena fit with expectation based upon previous research”
(UK Essays, 2013). The inductive approach is linked to phenomenology, due to its nature in
making an observation, before devising a theory based on the research results (Saunders et al,
2009).
The deductive research approach has various stages which are described by Robson (2003,
cited in Saunders et al, 2003, p86):
 “Deducing a hypothesis from the theory
 Expressing the hypothesis in operational terms, which propose a relationship between
to specific variables
 Testing this operational hypothesis
 Examining the specific outcome of the inquiry
 If necessary, modifying the theory in light of the findings.”

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The inductive research approach is described as giving research findings the opportunity to
be drawn from the main themes that emerge from new data (Thomas, 2006). Thomas (2006,
p238) further explains the general purposes of forming this approach:
 “To condense extensive and varied raw text data into a brief, summary format
 To establish clear links between the research objectives and the summary findings
derived from the raw data and to ensure that these links are both transparent (able to
be demonstrated to others) and defensible (justifiable given the objectives of the
research); and
 To develop a model or theory about the underlying structure of experiences or
processes that are evident in the text data.”
Furthermore, some of the major differences between deductive and inductive are categorised
as “the collection of quantitative data, the operationalisation of concepts to ensure clarity of
definition, and moving from theory to data” (deductive) and “gaining an understanding of the
meaning humans attach to events, a close understanding of the research context, and the
collection of qualitative data” (inductive) (Saunders et al, 2009, p127).
This research has looked at both inductive and deductive forms of research, as qualitative and
quantitative methods were both used to collect qualitative and quantitative data for analysis.
This is known as a mixed method approach and it is described as being “two methodological
approaches (that) are compatible and can be fruitfully used in conjunction with one another
(Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2011) which is particularly useful in regards to this study, as it is
attempting to discover if consumer loyalty characteristics are present in millennial consumers
when it comes to the way they choose to consume music.

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3.4 Qualitative and Quantitative ResearchMethods
Quantitative research is “used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or
data that can be transformed into useable statistics”, while qualitative research is “used to
gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions and motivations” (Wyse, 2011, p1).
There are a variety of differences explored when conducting qualitative and quantitative
research. Elmusharaf (2012) identified these key differences and they are shown in Table 3.1,
below.

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Table 3.1: Key differences identified between Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Source: Elmusharaf (2012)
It is stated by Denscombe (2003) that the differences between both qualitative and
quantitative are over simplified in their definition and show them as separate entities,
however, in the world of research, it is not simple enough to split people in two different
camps, showing that both forms of data are easily mixed. Furthermore, it is stated that “the
researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and

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paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has
complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses” (BCPS, 2015).
3.5 Quantitative ResearchMethods
As stated, quantitative research relies heavily on numerical and statistical data and is
objective and confirmatory (Elmusharaf, 2012; Wyse, 2011). Questionnaires are adopted in
this study due to their suitability to the overall research. This is because questionnaires have
the potential to “reach a larger number of respondents, represent an even larger population,
and be confidential and anonymous” (O’Leary, 2004, p152/53). O’Leary further states that
there are three ways of conducting questionnaires, which are “face-to-face, telephone, and
self-administered” (O’Leary, 2004, p154). Questionnaires are described as being “…a series
of written questions for which the respondents have to provide answers” (Beiske, 2002, p3).
It is stated that questionnaires are beneficial when gathering information on characteristics
relating specifically to the participant, including their behaviour, attitudes, and beliefs (Bird,
2009). Table 3.2 shows the various benefits relating to the types of questionnaire available.
Table 3.2: Types of Questionnaires and the Benefits Available to Each
Source: Evalued (2015)

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In the case of this study, self-administered (or personally administered) questionnaires were
adopted in order to reach a wider pool of participants. The benefits of using this form of
questionnaire is down to the opportunity for participants to remain anonymous and giving
them the option to do the questionnaire in their own time (O’Leary, 2004). O’Leary (2004,
p154) further states that “response rates, however, can be really low”. However, the
questionnaires were taken online and participants were contacted through social media to
access a link featuring the questionnaire. Participants were requested from all genders and it
was made clear that they had to be over eighteen. All ages above eighteen were invited to
participate. As well as this, the questionnaire was sent to social media groups that had a pool
of individuals with a particular interest in music. This was done in order to get opinions from
those who presumably had an active interest in music consumption. A copy of the
questionnaire can be found in Appendix F. Table 3.3 provides the questions that can be
included in a questionnaire.
Table 3.3: Questions Available to be Included in Questionnaires
Source: Burgess (2001)
All questions were used during the questionnaire, minus ranked questions. Multiple choice
questions were used in relation to questions such as “what are your preferred modes of

38. 38
consuming music?” as through the previous literature, it was evident that consumers were
multi-channel users, meaning they were more inclined to use a variety of different platforms,
anticipating that participants would provide more than one answer (BPI, 2015). An
exhaustive list of possible answers was provided, but “other” was also provided to
participants in case any possible options were left out (Burgess, 2001). Category questions
were provided as a good indicator of the overall behaviour of participants (Bird, 2009).
Rating Questions were used in regards to the likelihood of a participants’ music consumption,
as it provides the opportunity for neutral participants to provide their feelings if they are not
totally for or against certain topics (LaMarca, 2011), in this case, music consumption. Finally,
open ended questions were provided for questions that needed further analysis, particularly
those in regards to the methods in which they consume music. Furthermore, open ended
questions provide participants the opportunity to express their full opinion which avoids the
possibilities of the participant being influenced by the researcher (Reja et al, 2003). Table 3.4
provides shows how the questions linked to the objectives.
Table 3.4: Choice of Questions

39. 39

40. 40
In terms of analysis, quantitative data was compiled through software programme SPSS.
Despite the quantitative nature of some of the questions included in the questionnaire, the
majority of questions were related heavily to results found in the focus group. Therefore, the
tests undertaken from the questionnaire data is formed through descriptive statistical tests.
This allowed for a more descriptive and opinion led analysis of the research.
3.6 Qualitative Research Methods
Qualitative research is a strategy that is concerned more with the opinions and beliefs which
form an individual’s behaviour (Wyse, 2011). Table 3.5 below provides the various data
collection methods, as well as the pros and cons of each.

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Table 3.5: Pros and Cons of Qualitative Collection Methods
Source: BMJ (1995), Evalued (2015), Kawulich (2005)
From the above information, it was decided that focus groups were the best fit for qualitative
research. This was done in order to clarify the results found in the questionnaires, as this
would give a better idea of the behaviour and characteristics found in the participants that
could verify further why some results were more popular than others (Evalued, 2015). Focus
groups also give participants the opportunity to add on to others ideas, as to get a full

42. 42
conversation going between all participants involved in the focus group (BMJ, 2015).
Saunders et al (2003) suggests that the amount of participants involved in a focus group can
range from four to ten, as this amount of participants allows for a richer discussion on the
various topics. It is further stated that small focus groups ranging from between four to six
participants are “becoming increasingly popular because the smaller groups are easier to
recruit and host and are more comfortable for participants” (Krueger and Casey, 2008, p67).
It is also suggested that focus groups provide participants with the opportunity to discuss a
shared experience, that ultimately provides for better analysis and data (BMJ, 2015).
3.7 Sample
The sample for the quantitative and qualitative research differed in terms of the amount
required for each method. The chosen sample for the questionnaire was a cross section of 100
people, with the only requirement being that they were above the age of eighteen. This was
due in part to the objectives revolving around the consumer loyalty behaviour of millennials,
who at their youngest, would be born in 1996 (Carnegie, 2015). At the time research was
undertaken, this would make them either nineteen or twenty years old (2016). Respondents
who were considered as Generation X or Baby Boomers (Wallop, 2014) were also requested
to take part in the questionnaire, as this provided the researcher with the opportunity to
compare results from millennials and older generations and see whether particular modes of
consumption were more prominent in the different age groups. The questionnaire was posted
on social media sites and were distributed to people living mostly in the United Kingdom,
with the majority of responses being taken from those living in the Renfrewshire area of
Scotland. Questionnaires were predominately taken at home, as this provided participants
with the opportunity to feel more at ease. The questionnaires were carried out in February

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2016, with data being collated in February and March 2016, after it was monitored that at
least 100 respondents had taken part.
The chosen sample for the focus group was a total of three focus groups with an aim of six
participants for each focus group, with an overall aim of eighteen total participants. As stated,
having six in each would provide a well-balanced discussion among participants (Krueger
and Casey, 2008). It was decided that the focus groups would be made up of three groups of
students studying at Music courses at West College Scotland in Greenock. This is described
as quota sampling, a non-probability sampling technique which divides individuals into
relevant groups and are chosen on the relevancy to the topic (Yang and Banamah, 2014). The
sample from this group would have been chosen randomly based on level of interest from
students, however, this sampling method had to be dropped due to time constraints and a
more convenient method of sampling was adopted. This can also be described as a theoretical
sampling model, in which participants are selected to represent a larger population of the
study (BMJ, 2015).
3.8 Difficulties and Limitations
One of the main difficulties that occurred while gathering data for this study was reaching the
target aim of respondents set out prior to undertaking the research. Prior to undertaking the
research, the aim was to gain six respondents over three focus groups (eighteen in total). As
the focal point of the research is regarding music consumption, the aim was to undertake the
qualitative research at a local college which offers various music related courses. Gaining
responses from music students seemed beneficial to the overall objectives from the
methodology, as it was assumed that they would be actively involved in music consumption

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and therefore have a more insightful view of the topic. Unfortunately, the recruitment of
music students was difficult due to a lack of response and low interest from the college.
Instead, students who were considered to be millennials were recruited from inside the
university. However, a non-probability sampling method of recruitment was implemented as
only students who were considered to be millennials were recruited. Due to time constraints,
a method of convenience sampling was used in order to gain as many respondents as
possible. Convenience sampling is described simply as being convenient to the researcher
(Dörnyei, 2007, cited in Farrokhi and Mahmoudi-Hamidabad, 2012, p.784) and convenience
was a major factor in the selection process due to the time constraints outlined previously.
Time constraints were instrumental in the organisation of the three focus groups, with one of
the three focus groups being taken online, rather than the other two which were recorded in
person.
3.9 Ethical Considerations
Glasgow Caledonian University’s ethical guidelines state that one of the key components of
undertaking an ethically correct study is informed consent. As such, participants for the focus
group were provided with a participant consent form and joining information sheet, which
provided participants with information relating to the topics which would be covered and a
list of points to consider before signing the consent form. As well as this, participants were
provided with verbal confirmation of the focus groups topic and a general breakdown of how
a focus group is recorded and how information is handled afterwards. A copy of the
information sheet is included in Appendix A, participant forms in Appendix B, transcripts
from the focus group are included in the appendix C, D, and E, and the questions posed in the
questionnaire included in appendix F.

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One topic that could have been considered unethical in relation to the research topic was the
act of illegal downloading. Illegal downloading was brought up in the literature as a point of
contention in regards to the topic of music consumption in the 21st century, as it came up that
a prominent aspect of modern music consumption was illegal downloading (IFPI, 2006; Hunt
et al., 2009; Mintel, 2008; Eaglesham and Fenton, 2008; Aguiar and Martins, 2013). As this
came up in the literature, it was possible that this would form discussion during the
qualitative data collection. However, as the topic surrounds illegal activity, this is considered
as an ethical issue. As such, it was decided that no topic would be brought up on the
researcher’s part regarding illegal downloading and if the topic was brought up by
participants, then the discussion would be moved along quickly to avoid any further issues.
Furthermore, no participants were required under the age of eighteen, as they are still
considered as minors and any possible participant under the age of sixteen would need to
receive consent from a parent and a disclosure to take part in a recorded discussion. This was
explained on the front page of the questionnaire that only individuals above the age of
eighteen were required.

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4. Results and Analysis
4.1 Chapter Summary
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects consumer loyalty traits may have on the
millennial consumer’s consumption of music. This chapter will discuss the results found from
an analysis of the questionnaires and focus groups. Both quantitative and qualitative data
findings will be blended together rather than dedicating separate sections to each. This
approach has been chosen in order to compare the data found. This chapter will discuss these
results with reference to the objectives and aims of the study and literature that already
reviewed the topic.
4.2 Millennials’ perception towards music products
The first objective of the study was:
 To explore the extent of millennials’ consumer perception towards music products
relating to a musician or band
While analysing and evaluating the information sourced through secondary research, it
became clear that there were clear differences in the way in which millennial consumers
consumed music in comparison to previous generations. Research showed that millennial
consumers were interested in personalised products (Dredge, 2015) and that being the most
prominent users of social media has ultimately played a major role in 21st century
consumerism (Frost and Sullivan, 2012; Greene, 2012). This led to the first stage of the

47. 47
research, which involved introducing questions to the public to see how accurate the previous
research was.
An attitudinal scale was used to measure the respondent’s attitudes towards different aspects
of probing questions regarding the likelihood of consuming music and the factors that
influence them. These set of statements were presented to participants who were asked to rate
on a likert scale of 1-5 to what extent they agreed or disagreed and how much of an impact
this would have on them as a consumer, where 1= strongly disagree/no impact and 5=
strongly agree/major impact.
Table 4.1: Percentages and mean scores relating to the likelihood and impact various
factors had on their purchasing intentions

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The overwhelming majority of consumers that participated stated they would purchase new
music products, while being a fan of a musician would play the biggest part in their decision
to actually purchase music, rather than consume it through other means. It is important to
note that participants that took part in the questionnaire ranged from 18-50+. Despite the
research being aimed at millennials, it was important to distinguish the differences between
millennials and previous generations through the questionnaire to see how much of a
difference there was between millennials and groups such as Generation X and Baby
Boomers. As stated, gaining respondents above the age of 35+ was difficult and as such, less
participants above the age of 35+ took part in the research in comparison to the millennials.
It is evident that millennial consumers have different opinions on music consumption, which
could be a result of their exposure to growing up in the technological era (Bolton et al., 2013,
Immordino-Yang et al., 2012). An overwhelming consensus agreed during the questionnaire
and focus group that music is so accessible, that it changes their views on how they choose to
consume music. The questionnaire offered respondents to answer open ended questions, with
one respondent stating:
“Music is a part of everyday life, and as such, has become quite similar to running water. Its
availability just means people expect it and therefore, expect it for free”. In comparison to
those over the age of 35 who took part in the questionnaire, who stated they were willing to
pay for music of any price, as long as they liked the artist. This is in comparison to the
literature, which found that individuals over the age of 35 were the most inclined age group
to be multi-channel music users and it was suggested that consumers across all age
demographics were concerned with helping musicians financially, which suggests that price
is less of a factor when a consumer is a fan of the artist (BPI, 2015).

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Through research for the focus groups, it became clear that many well-known musicians saw
physical CD’s as dying out and streaming platforms being the future. When asked about this
in one of the focus groups, one respondent expressed their views on the purchasing of music
in relation to their parents stating,
“maybe there’s still a place for older generations, like my mum and dad they would
always just buy the CD. Even though they can plug their phone in the car, they’d still rather
have a CD” (Participant 1, Focus Group 1).
This concurs with the literature that suggests that the millennials early exposure to new
technology throughout their life has led to this behaviour of adopting new forms of music
consumption as soon as it’s available (Fitzmaurice, 2005).
Through prior research, it became evident that there was little in the way of information
relating to consumers’ loyalty towards a musician or a band and how this impacted on their
music consumption habits. This formed the main body of the study (BPI, 2015; Shapero,
2015). When conducting the research, the questions posed to participants revolved around
their attitude towards how they consumed music (in general) vs. how they consumed music
when they were a fan of a particular musician or band. One of the key factors that showed a
consumer’s loyalty was avoiding trial purchases. During focus group two, participant three
stated:
“I have purchased an album without previously listening to it many times.”
A point which was backed up in the same focus group by participant four, who stated:
“...There are many artists I like that once a new product/record is announced, I will pre-
order it without any knowledge about it other than its release date.”
As a follow up question, participants were asked if blind purchasing is a common
characteristic in music consumer loyalty to which there was unanimous agreement that being

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a fan of a musician requires a high level of trust and therefore, once trust is built, they are
happy to buy their products with no knowledge other than previous experience. Within this
particular line of questioning, participant five stated: “The product quality is irrelevant when
related to a specific artist.”
In order to test this loyalty, participants were asked how they built their trust and how they
lost their trust. Previous research suggested that millennial consumers were more inclined to
engage in new products, due to eagerness being a common characteristic of their generation
(Fitzmaurice, 2005). Therefore, it was important to see how relatable this was to engaging
with new artists and bands and whether millennials behaviour changed when choosing to
consume new music. A multiple choice question was asked of participants taking part in the
questionnaire which enquired what platforms participants used to discover new music. A
comprehensive chart of the most popular platforms used to discover new music is shown
below, with traditional forms such as radio and word of mouth still ranking high among all
age groups. However, more technologically based platforms such as video streaming
services, free streaming services (e.g. SoundCloud) and subscription audio streaming services
were also popular among all age groups, in comparison to previous research which suggested
that older consumers would prefer to stick with the platforms they are used to.

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Figure 4.1: Platforms Used to Discover New Music
4.3 Millennials’ Preferred Methods of Consuming Music
The second objective of the study was:
 To identify if particular methods of consuming music appeal more to millennials’ than
other groups
Through the analysis and evaluation of primary research, it became evident that a wide
variety of platforms for consuming music were popular among millennial consumers with a
varying degree of factors coming in to play in their final decision. As pointed out in the
previous objective, traditional forms such as radio and concerts were still increasingly
popular with the millennial consumer, despite new and cheaper platforms coming in to play
in recent years which have proven as some of the more popular methods of consuming music

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(IFPI, 2015). During all focus groups, participants were asked what their preferred modes of
consuming music were and why they preferred to use these modes. Below, a table including
these lines of questioning is attached for each focus group.
Table 4.2: Preferred mode of consuming music across all three focus groups
Table 4.3: The frequency of which music is consumed across all three focus groups

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Table 4.4: Reasons for using preferred mode of consuming music across all three focus
groups
Relating the following research back to the objective, it would seem that no particular mode
of consuming music is unanimously agreed by millennials as their preferred mode. While
subscription streaming services was the method of music consumption that was brought up
most frequently among participants, it is important to note the participants mentioned various
services that they use and reasons relating to why they use each. This relates back to the
literature which states that millennial consumers are multi-channelers, meaning they use
various platforms to consume and purchase music (BPI, 2015).
However, it can be noted that the most frequent factor given by millennials in making their
decision on how they consume music ultimately comes down to convenience. It can be noted
that this factor relates heavily to a common characteristic of millennials that they are the

54. 54
generation of wanting it and wanting it now (Perugini and Bagozzi, 2001) and that the
convenience of music consumption in the 21st century meets their day-to-day lifestyle. All
participants in the focus group agreed that they consumed music every day at numerous
intervals. Although there were various reasons given for why they chose to consume the
music in the way they did, this confirms that music is a part of daily life for millennials
(Grasmayer, 2012). This suggests that the millennials’ affinity to technology has made music
consumption a daily ritual. The same question was asked of participants, who filled out the
questionnaire and out of all respondents, the majority of respondents stated that they choose
to consume music out of “ease and convenience”. Before this question was asked,
respondents were asked what their preferred platform for consuming music was. Analysing
the millennial respondents suggests that subscription audio streaming services (e.g. Spotify,
Apple Music, Deezer, and TIDAL) is the most popular platform for consuming music.
Figure 4.2: Preferred platforms for consuming music for millennials

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However, when analysing the follow-up question, “based on your previous answer(s), can
you confirm why you choose to consume music in this way?”, it became clear that the most
popular answer was ease and convenience and this answer related specifically to non-physical
forms of music consumption. Many respondents said the convenience was down to what
suited their lifestyle, clarifying the same message applied by participants in the focus groups.
This suggests that consuming music is down to convenience for the millennial consumer and
buying CD’s and vinyl does not always work with their lifestyle.
Based on the various platforms that were available, a table confirming how convenient each
product was for each respondent.
Service Reason
Subscription Audio
Streaming Service
“Convenience-access to surplus music for price of, like, one
album. Don't even notice cheap, fixed, monthly charge being
deducted. All in one place.”
Video Streaming
Service
“Convenient and free to view on YouTube as I have a
smartphone.”
Radio and TV “It's easy to access music free via radio stations.”
Digital Downloads “I prefer having digital music as it is easier to access and
organise.”
Table 4.5: Non-Physical Streaming Services and an Example Answer from
Questionnaire Confirming Why These Suited Their Lifestyle
Physical products such as CD and vinyl were often pointed out by respondents for creating a
collection and ownership. This shows that there may not be a particular form of consuming

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music that is more appealing to millennials; instead, the platform that the millennial prefers to
use is dependent on a variety of factors.
4.4 The Influence of Trust when Consuming Music
The final objective of the study was:
 To establish how influential trust is as a consumer behaviour trait towards music
products
Participants were asked whether trust was an important factor to them when it came down to
how they chose to consume music. Paying close attention to millennials, a total of 45.27 per
cent of participants from 18-34 agreed that trust was an important factor in how they chose to
consume music, in comparison to the 25.26 per cent of participants who said that trust was
not an important factor for them when it came down to how they chose to consume music.

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Figure 4.3: How Influential Trust Was as a Factor for Millennial Consumers When
They Made a Decision on How to Consume Music
In definition, trust as a factor is in regards to whether consumers trust the artist or service
enough to spend money on it. Through literature, it is clear that the music industry has to
adapt in order to meet the needs and wants of the consumer (Moorman, Deshpande, and
Zaltman, 1993) and through the primary research, it is clear that the millennials are not
entirely trusting of music products and the industry, overall. While the secondary research on
trust is more in relation to services such as streaming sites, download sites, and CD’s and
ultimately the factors previously mentioned such as convenience and ease of access, it was
crucial to find out whether consumers are more trusting if they are a fan of a musician/band
or not.

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Figure 4.4: Comparing Participants’ Answers to How Important Trust Was as a Factor
in How They Choose to Consume Music versus the Likelihood of them Purchasing
Music Products When They Are a Fan of an Artist or Band

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Figure 4.5: Comparing Participants’ Answers to How Important Trust Was as a Factor
in How They Choose to Consume Music versus the Likelihood of them Purchasing
Music Products by an Artist or Band That They Had Recently Just Discovered
Comparing the previous two tables, it is evident that participants who agreed that trust is an
important factor in music consumption were more inclined to buy music products by an artist
or band that they are a fan of, suggesting that they have gained a certain level of trust and
therefore, are more inclined to blind purchase their music. In relation to the literature, Lacher
and Mizeski’s (1994) Hedonic Music Consumption Model suggests that a consumer’s prior
knowledge of a musician or band may form their purchase intentions toward their music.
Despite only 0.90 per cent of participants stating they would not buy music by an artist or

60. 60
band they were a fan of, this suggests that their opinion of music consumption may relate to
them not being willing to purchase music products.
When analysing the results found from comparing the trust factor to the likelihood of
purchasing music products by a recently discovered artist or band, there is a more scattered
response, showing that there is varying opinions in relation to purchasing music by an artist
they may not have built trust with yet. 14.41 per cent of participants, the highest percentage
for this question overall, who said that trust was an important factor were likely to purchase
music products by an artist or band they had recently discovered, in comparison to the 5.41
per cent of participants who agreed that trust is an important factor were unlikely to purchase
music products by an artist or band they had recently discovered. Further analysis provided
with this question suggests that those who think trust is an important factor for them when it
comes to how they consume music are more likely to trial music first through free and
subscription streaming services (audio or video) and this often acts as the discovery tool for
them. Most millennial participants stated they would not blindly purchase music by a new or
recently discovered artist or band, but may purchase products by them after they build trust
with them.
The following responses from the focus groups further explain their feelings on trust towards
music products; whether it’s an artist they are a fan of or a new artist,
“If I believe that the artist regularly produces music I like then I am more likely to purchase
it, even before listening to it.”
(Participant 2, focus group 2)

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“If it’s someone that I don’t really like, I’m just going to listen to their music on YouTube, but
if it’s someone I like, I’m willing to spend a lot of money on a concert ticket.”
(Participant 1, focus group 3)
“I think if you really like an artist’s work and you connect with them on a personal level there
is an instant level of trust and infatuation that puts their music high up in your estimations. I
feel like that is needed in order to consistently purchase music but I will purchase lone songs
without that level or trust.”
(Participant 5, focus group 2)
These examples taken from the focus groups suggest that millennials connect the
connotations of trust with money, therefore showing that they are willing to spend money on
a musician if they feel like the product is going to be of a sound quality. Relating back to the
literature, it was stated that building loyalty and trust with a musician or band was built
around the idea that consumers self-identify with music and in order to identify with a
musician or band, they must trust them (Shankar, 2000). In the context of the qualitative data,
consumers relate their level of trust with loyalty to the musician or band and how inclined
they are to buy the product if they are trusting of what the musician or band is capable of
producing. This relates to Costabile (2000)’s definition of consumer loyalty as satisfaction
being built over time and turning into trust.

62. 62
5. Conclusions and Recommendations
This chapter will conclude the findings of the study with reference to the aim of the research.
There will also be recommendations provided for future research in this field.
This study examined whether there is a link between consumer loyalty and the music
consumption trends of millennial consumers. Through the research, it has been found that
consumers of all ages share in the opinion that being a fan of a musician or band is
instrumental in their decision to actively purchase music products, rather than consuming it
through other means. It was discovered that 45.27 per cent of millennials, the overall majority
of participants that took part in the questionnaire, considered trust as an important factor for
them when it came to the methods in which they chose to consume music.
The findings identify that the environment in which millennials have grown up in has
influenced the way in which they engage with music products, unlike in previous generations
who have not found music as accessible as it now is. It has been noted by millennials that the
accessibility of music has changed their view on how they choose to consume music and
changed their view on music as a product. For example, the findings showed that when
participants were asked what their preferred method of consuming music, that the majority of
participants took the opportunity to offer multiple responses, showing that the accessibility of
music in the 21st century means that different platforms have different needs for different
consumers. Furthermore, because of this availability of products, participants agreed that this
availability provided them with the opportunity to test out different music before making a
decision on what they liked and what they would possibly later purchase. This not only
provides confirmation into the reasoning behind millennials decision to use multiple different

63. 63
platforms to consume music, but it also provides evidence into how millennial consumers
build their consumer loyalty towards music. Factors such as price were also extremely
important in the purchasing intentions of the millennials, often down to low income and in
some cases, not trusting the product enough to part with money. This rules out previous
research which suggests that young consumers are more inclined to part with their money for
new products due to eagerness being a characteristic of their generation. Instead, as
previously stated, millennial consumers like the opportunity of trialling music first to
discover what they like. It may be noted that the previous literature is not specific to music
products.
The initial aim that built the research was to find out why millennial consumers chose to
purchase music when there are a cheaper methods available when it comes to music
consumption. Through the research, it has been found that millennial consumers purchase
music when they are a fan of a musician or band, which suggests that loyalty is important for
them when actively making a purchase of a CD, concert ticket, or merchandise, but not
important when using a subscription streaming service or free streaming service, with the
reason being that price plays a big part in their decision. The literature suggested that loyalty
in music may be down to self-identification. For future research, it may be recommended that
the idea of self-identity is looked at more when conducting research with participants.
Furthermore, it is suggested that more emphasis is put on the connection between price of
products and the product itself. As stated, this may be due to low disposable income on the
part of the millennial. There is also a gap in research in regards to the comparison between
millennials and non-millennials. While the research showcases some information from non-
millennials, a wider pool of non-millennial participants would be needed to create a fuller
comparison.

64. 64
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Appendix
Appendix A – Focus Group Information Sheet

76. 76
Appendix B – Participation Form

77. 77
Appendix C – Focus Group 1
Speaker Dialogue
Moderator “So, hi guys, thanks for takingpart in my focus group. The research is
examiningthe link between consumer loyalty and music consumption and
how influential consumer loyalty is in theoutright purchaseintentions of
music.When discussingthequestions,pleasetry to focus on your
experience as a consumer of music,rather than thinkingabout the general
facts and consensus of music consumption in 2016, although usingany
examples that fuel your opinions areuseful.Okay,so I’m justgoing to go
through some general examples about music and you can justgive me
your opinions.”
Participants(unison) “Okay”
Moderator “When was the lasttime you all consumed music?”
Participant5 “Today” (March 10, 2016)
Participant3,4,and 6
simultaneously
“Today” (March 10, 2016)
Participant2 “Today, this morning” (March 10, 2016)
Participant1 “Yes, this morning, today” (March 10, 2016)
Moderator “And what was the platformthat you used and is this your preferred
platformfor consumingmusic?”
Participant5 “Radio”
Participant2 “YouTube”
Participant1 “I used my TV, but that isn’tmy preferred way of consumingmusic.I just
use itwhile I am getting ready.”
Participant6 “Just on my phone”
Participant3 “iTunes”
Participant4 “I use my phone too”
Moderator “Would you say then that mobileis your preferred platform for consuming
music?”
Participants(unison) “Yes”
Moderator “I am assumingthatyou all initiated the consumption as well?”
Participants(unison) “Yes”
Moderator “Why did you chooseto consume music in this way?”
Participant5 “I listened to the radio today,because I was in the car, otherwise, I
wouldn’t listen to the radio.”
Moderator “Would you put the radio on to directly consume music or justas
background?”
Participant5 “I would use itto listen to music.”
Participant1 “I put mine on as background music,whileI was getting ready, on the TV.”
Participant2 “Yeah, that’s what I do as well or even to pass the time. Also,in a niceway,
liketo relax.”
Moderator “Is your chosen method the most effective way of consumingmusic for
you?”
Participant2 “Probably,yeah.”
Moderator “Radio and mobilephone?”
Participant6 “Yeah”
Participant1 “I would say that usingmobilephone is the most effective way.”
Participant6 “I think it’s the most convenient way as well.”
Participant2 “Yeah, because you can access music anywhereand at any time.”
Moderator “So, the form of this study is to shareyour opinions on the link between
consumer loyalty and music consumption.When I mention the link

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between consumer loyalty and music consumption,what is the firstthing
that comes to mind and what is your opinion on it?”
Participant3 “I instantly justthink of buying, because I’m loyal I buy everything, so yeah,
that’s why.”
Participant1 “I would say buying.”
Participant5 “Yeah, I pay for it in some sort of form, whether it’s streaming
(subscription service) or buyingan album.For example, now I would just
use Spotify instead of payingfor the album, but The 1975’s new album
wasn’t availableon Spotify, so I justbought the album.”
Moderator “Would you say then, that you are consumer loyal to Spotify or consumer
loyal to the musician?”
Participant5 “Musician,I’d say.”
Participant1 “I would say I’m consumer loyal to a bit of both.”
Participant2 “I would say I’m consumer loyal to both, also.”
Participant3 “I’d say a bit of too.”
Participant5 “Well, yeah, if it was availableon Spotify I would have justused it, because
it wasn’t and I am loyal to the band,I had to source for something else in
order to get the product.”
Participant1 “Whereas, I probably wouldn’t, I would justwaituntil itbecame available,
because I wouldn’t say I’m loyal to any band.”
Participant2 “I wouldn’t say I’m loyal to any band or artist.”
Participant1 “I’m not loyal enough that I would go out and buy it, I would justlisten.”
Moderator “Okay, so you would use streaming as the primary source?”
Participant1 “Yeah, I would be loyal to streaming services,but I don’t think I’d be loyal
to the actual musician.”
Moderator “Does anyone elseconsider themselves loyal to a musician or band?”
Participant2 “I don’t think so”
Participant1 “In the sense of buyingthings?”
Moderator “I’m assumingyou would be loyal to a brand?”
Participant1 “Yes.”
Moderator “Do you consider the same with an artistor a band where you would go
out and actively pursuetheir music?”
Participant1 “No. I would go to their gigs, yes. For example, with Ne-Yo, I’ve been to see
him every singletime he’s came here.”
Moderator “So you would say that you areconsumer loyal to him, depending on the
product?”
Participant1 “Yeah, but I wouldn’t buy his album.I think I’m consumer loyal in the sense
that I would pay to buy a ticket for their concert, but I’m not consumer
loyal in the sense of buyingmusic becauseit’s so readily availablethese
days,it’s so easy to access,so I think that’s why I’m not consumer loyal in
the sense of buyingan album.”
Participant2 “I think it’s becauseyou can access music for free as well,you don’t really
want to spend money. I know some people might want to, others don’t.”
Participant5 “Yeah, I think it’s justpersonal opinion.”
Participant1 “Yeah, because if you likea band or bands then you’ll go out and buy the
album.”
Participant5 “The money I spend on music is not so much nowadays because I have
Spotify, but even going back to a year ago, my iTunes bill would come
through every month and I would wonder why I’d spent so much.”
Participant1 “See, I wouldn’t do that.”
Participant2 “I wouldn’t do that, I would justuse YouTube or something to listen to it
and therefore, wouldn’t consider myself consumer loyal to anything
related to music.”
Participant5 “I’m different, becauseI’d consider myself a massivemusic fan.”

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Moderator “So justto clarify,does itdepend on the artistthe way in which you
consume music?”
Participant2,3,4 and 5 “Yes”
Participant1 “I would say itdepends on the artist”
Participant6 “I would followthe artist,yeah. For example, Kanye West said to download
TIDAL (a music streamingservice) and I went and done it. I don’t know why
I done it, because itcosts a lot.”
Moderator “So the artistdoes have a bigsay in the ways you choose to consume
music?”
Participant5 “Yeah, to the extent where they say jump and you say how high.”
Moderator “How do you see music consumer loyalty in comparison to general
consumer loyalty? Have you ever thought about itbefore?”
Participant5 “Yeah, I think it’s justa whole personal view. You could be really into
fashion and be loyal to Topshop, but it’s different for music.”
Participant2 “I think that’s because people likebrands,whereas people being loyal to
music,they are loyal to music becausethey support the band or artist.”
Participant5 “If you’re loyal to a band that expands into buyingthe merchandise,
buyingthe tickets,subscribingto the newsletter or that kind of thing. It all
falls into one,it’s not justabout the music.”
Participant1 “I supposeit’s the same with retail (or whatever) becauseif you’re loyal to
Topshop likeyou say,you’ll buy the clothes,you’ll buy the shoes,you’ll
buy the bag, so it is quite similar when you think about it,because if you’re
loyal to a brand,you’ll go out and buy everything associated with that
brand and if you’re loyal to a musician then you will still buy everything to
do with that band,likeyou said (Participant5),it doesn’t matter if it’s on
Spotify or not, you would still go and buy it, go to the gigs,so it’s quite
similar.”
Moderator “What do you all consider as music products?”
Participant1 “I would say likegigs,albums,merchandise,maybe if they endorsed
something, I would consider thatas well, even though itprobably isn’t,it’s
justthey’re the face of it, but I would still probably consider it.”
(Participant2 and 5 in agreement)
Moderator “I’m going to get back to that anyway,so we’ll justcome back to that
because that’s important to something else, but if you’re a fan of a
musician isthere anythingthat would discourage you from purchasing
their music and if so, why?”
Participant1 “If it was really expensive,say likeKanyeWest or something was going to
bringout an albumthat’s £100,a lotof people would probably pay for
that, becausethey followhim, but yeah, probably pricefor me.”
Participant5 “Using Kanye as an example, personally,I don’t really carebut obviously
he’s been talkinga lotof rubbish on Twitter these days.People can look at
that as if “why is he talkingso much rubbish? That’s it, I’m put off him.”
Participant2 “Yeah, I agree. Like bad publicity.That’s plays a huge part.”
Participant5 “Associatinghimwith what his wife has been doingas well,that can put
you off. That’s the only example I can think of.”
Participant1 “That’s a good point, because if you don’t likesomething that’s associated
with them then a lot of people who don’t likeKimKardashian,so that’s
probably put them off Kanye West becauseit’s his wife.”
Participant1 “Maybe if they were associated with takingdrugs as well,that would put
me off, becauseI would be offended and wouldn’t trust them.”
Participant2 “You would kind of feel likeyou were supportingthat.”
Participant5 “I think Pete Doherty is a bigexample of that, justseeing him on stage as
some sortof junkie,likethat puts me off him, but not in a strong enough
way that I would never listen to his music,but it does put me off him.”
Participant2 “It kind of changes your perception of the person.”

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Moderator “In 2014,it was claimed that consumers between the age of 18 and 34 are
more open to trying new products and services.In relation to music,do
your opinions on how you consume music stay the same or do you engage
differently with new music?”
Participant2 “I’ve always listened to music on YouTube, but then I did stream it illegally
as well,I know I probably shouldn’tsay this,butI did.Then I switched to
YouTube and Spotify.”
Moderator “So is thata precursor for discoveringmusic,thatyou want itfor free?”
Participant2 “Yeah, through YouTube, definitely.”
Moderator “Is that the same for everybody?”
Participant1,3,4, 5, and 6 “Yes” (unison)
Participant1 “It’s justbecausethere’s less risks this way.You’re not worried about
spendingthis money. 18-34 year olds areprobably quite tight on their
money anyway.”
Participant2 “I would say they change their mind quite a lotas well,so you don’t want
to spend a lotof money and then realiseI don’t really likethis.”
Participant6 “I think word of mouth as well for a platform. If your friend is sayingit’s
good, then I’m more likely to listen to it.”
Moderator “I have a couple of examples for new artists and established artistsfor the
way they’re marketed. So, there’s a girl group called Fifth Harmony and
there’s a marketing campaign for them for lastyear that was shortlisted
for havingone of the best music marketing campaigns of the year and I
wanted to see if you would interactwith it. This marketing campaign
showed that the group had a massivefollowingin theAmerica’s, but in the
UK their aimwas to get a top five singlelastsummer, but no one in the UK
knew them other than a small group of people. The campaign was set up
through Twitter usinghashtags to try and create a family of fans by
integratingpotential UK fans with American fans.Would that work with
you for new artists if thatsortof marketing campaign was brought out,
would you engage with that?”
Participant2 “Probably not.”
Participant3 “If I was younger, I probably would have.”
Participant1 “Yeah, if I was fifteen and I wanted to get a retweet or something.”
Moderator “Maybe not this particular band,buta band of a genre you like.”
Participant3 “When I was younger, I used to take massivepridein being partof these
fan groups of bands and you would all talk on social media sites likeBebo
and it sounds ridiculousnow,but when I was younger that was the thing.
Whereas, at 22 years old, it’s a bit different.”
Participant1 “That was the thing. I think when you’re younger, if you got a retweet of a
band likeFifth Harmony, you would be so excited.”
Moderator “So for any band, that would work on you when you were younger?”
Participant2 “Yeah, for the younger generation.”
Participant1 “I think is itGeneration Z?”
Participant5 “When Louis Tomlinson (One Direction) followed me on Twitter five years
ago, I could have died, but if it happened now, I would be like…oh well.”
Moderator “So the next example is for an established artist,Lionel Richie.Last
summer, he performed at Glastonbury Festival and his albumsales went
up as a result,but the performance was all actually partof a marketing
campaign to establish himas a legend by his management, so he was put
in the “Legend’s Slot” at Glastonbury.They wanted himto reengage with
his established fans who might have forgotten abouthis music,becausehe
hadn’t released music in a while,as well as tryingto create a new fan base
with people between 18-34. Do the same opinions apply for the marketing
of new music,as itwould for a new artist? With this campaign,he was
usingstuff likeFacebook and Twitter, by putting out thank you messages

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on Facebook and usinghashtags on Twitter to engage with new and old
fans.Does it matter if it’s a new artistor an established artist?”
Participant5 “I probably would engage with it.”
Participant1 “I think itmay be better if it’s an established artistbecauseI think it’s not
funny, but your kind of feel like“no way they’re on Twitter now, that’s so
cool.” Established artists areusually a bitolder so I think you want to
engage with them more because they are a legend. You wouldn’t even
think, you would justknow they’re a legend and followthem on Twitter
and Instagram,because it’s a new thing to them, you wouldn’t even realise
that they’re on these media platforms,whereas, with new artists,you
would expect them to be.”
Moderator “Do you think it’s importantfor these established artiststo engage
through the internet and social media to get with our age group?”
Participants “Yeah” (unison)
Participant2 “…To keep in touch.”
Participant5 “It’s a generational thing.”
Participant1 “And to let them know about gigs and where they’re going to be and if
they’re bringingout new songs.”
Moderator “Through research,it’s shown that artists likeAdele and Taylor Swift have
got a positiveimpacton music consumers,whereas artists likeChris
Brown, Miley Cyrus,and Kanye West have got a negative impact.Going
back to what was previously mentioned (Participant1) abouttheir
publicity and their association.Do you personally need to likean artistin
order to consume their music or does itmatter what their persona is like?”
Participant5 “Using the Chris Brown example, I still lovehis music and still listen to it,
but…”
Participant6 “He punched someone.”
Participant2 “He beat up Rihanna.”
Participant5 “Fair enough, I don’t likeall of that, but I still listen to his music and
purchaseit,whereas, for some people, becausehe done all thatthey just
don’t want to listen to itor go anywhere near it.”
Participant1 “Yeah, I think it depends on what kind of person you are.”
Participant5 “I think the music for me is a separate partof that, if I’m not contributing
towards them.”
Moderator “What about the positiveartists likeAdeleand Taylor Swift, are you more
likely to trust them as an artistbecausethey have a positiveinfluenceon
society?”
Participant1,2,and 5 “Yeah”
Participant1 “I think you’d be less likely to trustpeople likeChris Brown and Kanye
West.”
Participant3 “I think it’s becausethey’re perceived badly in the media, because of what
they stand for and their opinions and stuff that happens, that’s all people
talk about.”
Moderator “Is trust an important factor for you as a consumer, do you need to trust
the artistand the music they make before actually consumingwhether it’s
purchasingor listeningto it?”
Participant6 “Not really.”
Participant5 “To become loyal to someone, yes, but to listen to it, I’m not really that
bothered.”
Participant1 “Yeah, to become loyal.”
Participant2 “To justlisten to it, I’m not bothered.”
Moderator “Would you purchasean albumor a vinyl if you hadn’t listened to it?”
Participant2 “No, definitely not.”
Participant1 “I would need to listen to it for free firstto judge. I don’t think I could ever
pay for something without ever hearingit first.If someone said you can
pay a fiver and I’ll letyou listen to this,I would never do that.”

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Participant2 “I wouldn’t either.”
Participant5 “It goes back to what I was sayingaboutThe 1975’s new album. Itwas
availablenowhere else,so I had to buy it.”
Participant4 “When Beyonce’s latestalbumcame out, I didn’t think twice of listeningto
it or trying to listen to it for free.”
Participant1 “You trust her, so that’s why you bought it, so I think if you didn’t trusther
it would be different.”
Participant5 “Trust and loyal link together.”
Moderator “Going back to new artists,the only one that’s been mentioned is Fifth
Harmony, you wouldn’t buy their albumbecause you don’t trust them?”
Participants “No” (unison)
Participant5 “I’ve listened to them on Spotify, but I wouldn’t go out and actively pay for
their album.It’s not that I don’t trust them, I justhaven’t invested time in
them.”
Participant1 “Maybe those marketing campaigns thathave been shown, if I had seen
one of them, then maybe I would if there was enough word of mouth
going around about them or if Radio 1 or something kept tweeting about
them sayinghowgreat they were, then maybe you would.”
Participant4 “I find it good when, for example, Florence + The Machinepostthings on
Twitter and Facebook saying“go and listen to such and such’s album,it’s
so good” when it’s an artistthat’s not as popular or as well-known as
them. I trusther so much, so if she promotes another band then I’ll go and
listen to them straightaway.”
Participant1 “Yeah, if another celebrity does it.”
Participant5 “If it’s from a crediblesource.”
Moderator “So you would trusttheir word of mouth?”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Talkingabout actual products now. This is another example. Kanye West
tweeted this week sayingthathe’s not going to be releasingmusic as a
product anymore. He won’t be releasingiton CD or vinyl,he will justbe
doingit through streaming, because he said thatstreaming is the future of
music.Were you awareof this story and do you agree or disagreewith his
statement?”
Participant5 “Yeah, I’m awareof it.I didn’t see the tweet, but I agree.”
Participant2 “Yeah, definitely.”
Participant6 “There’s some people that want the physical productfor collecting.”
Participant3 “I think for people who search for itthrough the internet, then I think so.”
Participant1 “I wasn’t aware of it, but I can see where he’s comingfrom.”
Moderator “So you agree with himthat streamingis the way forward?”
Participant2 “Yeah, definitely.”
Participant1 “I would say so,but some people do likethe physical product.”
Participant5 “I love the physical copy,it’s something I can’t livewithout.”
Participant1 “I don’t know the actual research,butI’m assumingour age group, like
generation Y, they would probably justsay streamingbecauseeverything
is justof ease, it’s all on your phone.”
Participant2 “We’re so technology orientated.”
Participant1 “Whereas, the older generation they may justactually haveto likeit.”
Moderator “Do you think physical copies aredyingoutwith our generation, then?”
Participants “Yeah” (unison)
Participant1 “…But maybe there’s still a placefor older generations,likemy mum and
dad they would always justbuy the CD. Even though they can plugtheir
phone in the car,they’d still rather havea CD.”
Moderator “Okay, so streamingserviceSpotify launched something lastyear called
Discover Weekly, which is a mixtape playlistthatbasically accesses
everything that you’ve listened to on your Spotify accountand makes a

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mixtape every week and it caters specifically to you. Are you aware of the
serviceand have you used it?”
Participant5 “Yes”
Participant4 “Yes”
Moderator “Do you actively useit to find new music?”
Participant4 “Yeah, I’ve found a few artists through itthat I’ve liked through listeningto
it every week. A lotof it is justrubbish,butsometimes I’ll justlisten to it all
because it’s likean album’s worth. It’s not likehundreds of songs.It’s
fifteen songs or something.”
Participant5 “I can’t say I’ve found a specific artistlikeyou’re saying,butwhen I’m
getting sick of my own music that I’ve got saved on Spotify, I’ll go on the
Discover playlistand listen to something new that I wouldn’t have listened
to any other way. If I’d seen the artists thatarein that playlist,if I’d seen
them in new releases,I know for a fact that I wouldn’t click on them, but
because they’re in that playlistI’mlike“there’s something new, that’s
similar to what I like” and listen.”
Participant4 “I think I used ittoo because the downsideto streamingfor me is that I
have so much variety that I’ll end up lookingand lookingfor something to
listen to for ages, instead of justpickingsomething.Whereas, I’ll justplay
that playlist,so I’m not havingto think about pickingsomething.”
Participant2 “You get annoyed when you have to look for stuff.”
Participant1 “If you’re justwantingto get ready or something, then I’ll justhave
something on…”
Participant2 “Then you don’t carewhat it is,you justput it on.”
Participant1 “Yeah”
Participant4 “It’s good to justhave on to possibly find a new artist.”
Moderator “Previous research suggests that young consumers prefer personalised
products,does this make you engage with streaming services more,
because this is catered specifically to you?”
Participant1 “Yeah, I think it would.”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Participant2 “Yeah”
Moderator “What do you think of these kind of services likepersonalised playlists,
obviously you have said thatyou think it’s a good idea?”
Participant1 “Yeah, it’s a good idea because you’re not havingto waste your time. With
stuff likeyou’re on YouTube or something and you type in likeKanye West,
for example, and itgives you a mix, but within that mix there’s loads of
other things that they seem to think is similar butyou might not
necessarily like.So that’s annoying,whereas, if itis completely
personalised then they know what you likebased on what you’ve been
listeningto, so you don’t have to waste your time.”
Moderator “Does that make you less inclined to purchasemusic outrightthen?”
Participant1 “Yeah, I think so.”
Participant2 “Probably,yeah.”
Moderator “So streamingis more personalised,whereas,buying an albumisn’t.”
Participant2 “Yeah.”
Participant1 “Definitely.”
Participant2 “There might be songs that you don’t likeand you feel likeI could have
spent that money on something else.”
Participant1 “Yeah.”
Moderator “In 2015,vinyl sales climbed over 56% in the UK making the biggest year in
vinyl sales since1994.Reports suggest that the resurgence in the product
is due to nostalgia.Would you engage with vinyl as a product and if so,
why?”
Participant1 “I wouldn’t, becauseI don’t have a vinyl player.”

84. 84
Moderator “Is there a reason why you wouldn’t go out and get a record player?”
Participant5 “I don’t have the room for it.”
Participant1 “It justseems really confusing,becauseof the room, the storage. I mean if
I did end up getting something likethat, I think I’d probably get quite
addicted to buyingstuff and I wouldn’t have anywhere to put it.”
Participant5 “I would likeit.”
Participant1 “Yeah, I think it seems pretty cool.”
Participant2 “I think it’s quite expensive as well.”
Moderator “So itgoes back to priceand collectingis an issue,whereas streamingand
playlists aremoreconvenient?”
Participant5 “With streaming, you can put that into most laptops anyway and you can
put music onto your laptop, whereas with vinyl,you justhave this bigthing
that you can only listen to.”
Participant1 “Plus,you can’t rewind it or pauseit.”
Participant6 “I think it’s more for hipsters.”
Participant1 “Yeah, it’s such a hipster thing, I think people justdo that to be like“I’m
cool,I’m unique”
Participant3 “Plus,it’s old fashioned.”
Participant1 “Or a music person thing. A hipster or a music person,you need to be right
into your music.”
Participant4 “My mum would buy it and use it as furniturein the middleof the table.”
Participant5 “I think I’d be the type of person to buy one, but I justhaven’t though
enough about it.”
Moderator “The new engagement is reportedly because a lot of people arewanting to
turn their backs on streaming and kind of go back to a simpler time.”
Participant3 “I don’t use streaming,but I do prefer digital justbecauseit’s way more
convenient, but I do likelookingatthe product in front of me.”
Moderator “So you would say that it’s more a music fan product?”
Participant3 “Yeah, I wouldn’t use streaming for that same reason regardingturning
your back,but I wouldn’t necessarily juststartbuyingvinyl.”
Moderator “Finally,we’ve justreally talked aboutmusic consumption,but there are
other music products likeconcerttickets and merchandise, which have
briefly been mentioned, but do you perceive those previously mentioned
products differently?”
Participant1 “A littlebit, yeah.”
Participant3 “I don’t, that might justbe me though.”
Moderator “Do you see concerts as more of an experience?”
Participant1 “Yeah, I would say it’s more of an experience.”
Participant5 “For me, it’s both.”
Moderator “For me, it goes hand in hand, does it go hand in hand for all of you?”
Participant3 “I justfeel like,you buy the album,you go and see them. That’s how it
happens for me anyway.”
Participant5 “It is likethe experience and I love the atmosphere, I lovehearingthe live
music.If I really likean artist,it’s notgood enough justto listen to the
album. I want to hear what it’s likelive,I want to see the performance.”
Participant2 “You want to judge it for yourself as well,becauseyou want to see if i t’s as
good on the albumor CD.”
Participant1 “Yeah.”
Participant5 “The majority of the time, I’ve preferred seeing itlive. If I’ve listened to the
album,I’m really loyal to this band,but unsureabout the album, once I see
them live,I’ll probably changemy mind and love it.”
Participant3 “I think it’s always better live,I prefer a band once I’ve seen them live.”
Participant1 “It’s kind of likea night out in a way and I think that’s why I think of it as an
experience, because I wouldn’t even associateitas likea productof that
person or that musician.I feel as if it’s justa totally different thing. I feel

85. 85
likeit’s an experience. You go out and you have fun and it’s all about
listeningto that person, but it’s more about enjoyingit and enjoying the
night, making sureit’s good fun.”
Moderator “An overwhelming amount of people said they’d prefer to pay £60+ for a
concert ticket, but wouldn’t pay for a singlesongor pay for a singlealbum.
There has to be a clear difference there?”
Participant1 “I’m the same, I wouldn’t.”
Participant5 “The most I’ve paid is about£80 for a ticket.”
Moderator “Would you not think about paying£80 for an album?”
Participant2 “No, definitely not.”
Participant1 “I probably wouldn’t pay like£3 or £4 for a singlesong,but I would
probably pay up to £100 justfor a ticket.”
Moderator “Is that becauseof the internet making itso accessible?”
Participants “Yeah” (unison)
Participant1 “Plus,as said,it’s likea total experience, it’s one big night that you look
forward to and you can get excited about it, whereas, I don’t think I’d get
that excited about a single.”
Moderator “Okay, is there anythingelse you want to add on or ask any questions?”
Moderator “Well, thanks for taking part!”
Participants “Thank you!”

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Appendix D – Focus Group 2
Speaker Dialogue
Moderator “Hi guys, thank you for takingthe time out today to take partin my
focus group. My name is Scott Miller and I ama fourth year student at
GlasgowCaledonian University studyingBA (Hons) Marketing. The
research is examiningthe link between consumer loyalty and music
consumption and how influential consumer loyalty is in the outright
purchaseintentions of music.”
Moderator “I will nowbe attachingan information sheet that I would likeyou to
have a read through, which will includesomevital information for
anyone takingpart in research likethis.”
Participant1 “Hi Scott, thank you for askingus to participate.I have read the
information sheet.”
Moderator “Once you have all had a read through, pleaseconfirmyou have done
so and we will get started.”
Participant2 “Thank you, I have read the information sheet.”
Participant3 “Thanks, I have also read the information sheet.”
Participant4 “I have read and understand the sheet.”
Moderator “Okay, thank you again for agreeing to take part. To begin with, I will
justgo over some more general rules for this focus group.”
Moderator “When discussingthequestions put forward, pleasetry to focus on
your experience as a consumer of music,rather than thinkingabout the
general facts and consensus of music consumption in 2016,although
usingany examples that have helped your opinions areuseful to the
research.”
Participant1 “Ok”
Participant2 “Ok”
Participant3 “Ok that is fine.”
Moderator “The pointof a focus group is to have an open discussion where you
can shareyour ideas and opinions.I will lead this discussion,however, I
will notsharemy opinions or givemy own personal views for you to
add on to. This is totally unbiased discussion for me. The purpose is to
learn about your perceptions and opinions of the topic. As previously
explained,the focus group will berecorded in order for me to analyseit
for the purposeof this research.However, privacy will beensured and
your comments and opinions will notbe associated with your name.
You can be as honest as you want and there is no need to
agree/disagree with other participants.Itis also importantto note that
none of the questions will bedistressingor shockingand aresimply
questions based on something we areall awareof culturally.The
discussion will lastno more than one hour. We will cover a number of
areas and so I may have to move the discussion alongasto cover
everything within the hour allocated.”
Participant1 “Ok thank you.”
Participant2 “Ok”
Participant3 “Thanks for letting us know.”
Moderator “As well as this,pleasealloweach participantthe opportunity to share
their opinions as thereis no rightor wrong answers duringthis
discussion.”
Participant3 “Ok”
Participant4 “Would you likeus to answer each question in a set order, or will you
simply be collatingthe answers in any order?”
Participant5 “Okay, I have read the information sheet and I understand the
information.”

87. 87
Moderator “I will ask questions in a setorder and they will be collated in the order
they are presented.
Is there any other questions at this point?”
Participant4 “I don’t have any other questions.”
Participant1 “No.”
Participant3 “No.”
Participant2 “No.”
Participant5 “No.”
Moderator “Okay, then I will get started with a few opening questions.Firstof all,
could you tell me when the lasttime you consumed music was?
Consumingmusic can mean anythingfrom listeningon radio and
television to buyingan album.”
Participant3 “I listened to music today.”
Participant1 “The lasttime I listened to music was today.”
Participant2 “I listened to music earlier today.”
Participant5 “I lastlistened to music earlier today.”
Participant4 “I consumed it in two separateways today.”
Moderator “Okay, so you have all said you lastlistened to music today. Would you
all say thatyou consume music every day then?”
Participant2 “Yes, definitely every day.”
Participant1 “Yes, every day.”
Participant5 “Yes, definitely. Usually multipletimes per day.”
Participant4 “Continuously throughout each day, yes.”
Participant3 “Yeah I listen to music every day.”
Moderator “What platform did you use to consume today and is this your
preferred platformfor consumingmusic?
If not, what is your preferred platformfor consumingmusic?”
Participant1 “I listened to music through the radio and through streamingtoday.
Streaming is my preferred platform.”
Participant2 “I have used streamingand a CD to listen to music today. I would say
that streaming is my preferred platform.”
Participant5 “In order of regular use I would have to say I mostly use Spotify or
streaming, YouTube, a physical copy and then finally I rarely usean
onlineservicesuch as iTunes.”
Participant3 “I listened to music on both Apple Music and Spotify, so streaming
And I would agree that streamingis my preferred platformbut I do like
to purchasephysical cd'sof artists thatI really like.”
Participant1 “I agree that I liketo also purchasephysical CDs of artists I really like
but streamingis what I use most.”
Participant4 “Today I used: - The Radio - Streaming (Spotify and Amazon Music) -
Personal music library on mobiledevice (I am unsure if this counts as
streaming).
Although I would say purchasingphysical copies ismy favouriteway to
consume music,streaming is the way in which I consume itmost.”
Participant3 “I also liketo purchasevinyl.”
Moderator “So you have all individually mentioned streaming, is there any
particularfactors thatinfluenceyou to stream music over traditional
forms likepurchasingCD's and vinyl?”
Participant1 “It is a cheaper way to consume music (especially for students as there
is discounts on Spotify).It is also moreportableas I use it on various
devices but a cd I would mainly only listen to in the car.”
Participant3 “Streaming is a loteasier sinceyou can have say the Spotify app on all
of your devices so you can listen on the go. It is also much cheaper to
stream.”

88. 88
Participant5 “I will usually only purchasea CD or Vinyl if I feel I likethe artistor their
albumenough to supportthem by purchasingtheir physical product
which can usually beslightly moreexpensive. The appeal of streaming
is that I am not obliged to buy the full record, if I only likecertain songs
I can purchasethem to add them to my collection alone.It's also a very
instantway to consume music,I have the product instantly and it's
extremely portableso I can listen to my music on the go.”
Participant2 “For me, streamingworks out a lotcheaper than payingfor downloads
or CDs. I also find iteasier to discover new artists usingSpotify.”
Moderator “So, do you feel likeyou aregetting more for your money through a
subscription streamingservicein comparison to a CD or vinyl?”
Participant4 “It’s accessibility allows meto explorea wider selection of music,
artists and genres that I would not previously havebeen able to do due
to the costs of outright buying music.I am then ableto use my money
on a better selection of music in my opinion.
I agree that it is more portable, but on my particularmobiledevice
(windows phone), free-streaming of Spotify is cluttered with ads and a
continuously shuffled play thatyou cannotchange to regular playing,
which turns me off usingit.”
Participant4 “That was in reference to your 'particularfactors' question,in case
there is any confusion.”
Moderator “Would you all agreethat the wider selection of music is appealingto
you as a consumer?”
Participant1 “Yes I feel you get a lotfor your money though streamingas what I pay
for my monthly subscription ischeaper than the average costof a cd.
As mentioned by others, it’s useful for listeningto new artists and
findingout if I would liketheir music without committing to buyinga
full cd that I may only likea few songs from.”
Participant5 “Yes, there is the ability to 'pick and choose' and make playlists of your
own preference without havingto buy songs that you may not
otherwise have listened to.”
Participant4 “I don't feel I am getting more from my money DIRECTLY from
streaming, but I am getting more from my money as a resultof being
ableto access moremusic and being able to spend my money on
better music and amassinga better music collection as a resultof the
wider access to all the music availableon streamingplatforms.”
Participant1 “Yes, the wider selection is definitely appealing.”
Participant5 “Yes definitely,I want to be ableto consume music from a largea
market as possible.”
Participant4 “Yes most definitely. It is the main reason I stream music.”
Moderator “Okay, that's perfect. Going back to what a few of you have mentioned
in regards to CDs and vinyl,do you purchaseCDs and vinyl only if you
likethe artist?”
Participant1 “Yes if I am a bigfan of the artist,I would normally purchasea physical
copy of their music.I think there is more value in havinga cd of an
artistI really enjoy.If it is any relevance, I also buy CDs and vinyl as gifts
quite often.”
Participant5 “Most of the time yes. If the albumhas impressed me enough to make
me want to have a physical copy,I will usually havea higher level of
respect or admiration for the record's creator and their body of work.
Although there are some exceptions when the work may speak for
itself,this is usually thecase.”
Participant2 “I rarely purchaseCDs and vinyl.I am only likely to do so if the artistis
not availableon a streamingserviceand I have enjoyed released songs
I have heard from the album.”

89. 89
Participant3 “Yeah I won't usually buy a CD or Vinyl of an artistunless I supportthat
artist.In the pastI have purchased CD's from upcoming artists butI
don't tend to do that anymore. I also look atCD's and Vinyl’s as
collectableitems that I enjoy having.”
Moderator “Is there any particularreason you do not do that anymore?”
Participant4 “WhilstI am open to the idea of buying physical copies of music
without knowing much, or anything, about artists,I usually do not do
this and purchasephysical copies fromartists I knowI like.I usually
make my decision based on likinga songor two from their back
catalogueand purchasingtheir music from then on; I don't need to
know a great deal about an artistbefore I decide to give them my
money.”
Participant3 “Mainly becauseI haven't attended any concerts of an upcoming artist
so it's down to that. I wouldn't say I would never do it again,if I really
enjoyed their music I would definitely buy their CD.”
Moderator “Okay, I will briefly comeback to this topic in a bit, but I'm going to
move on to the next topic now.
The form of this study is to shareyour opinions on the link between
consumer loyalty and music consumption.When I mention the link
between consumer loyalty and music consumption what is the first
thing that comes to mind and what areyour opinions on it?”
Participant1 “The firstthingI think of is how likely someone is to consume music.I
think there are many platforms that make music so easily accessible
now and people are more inclined to consume music,especially
through streaming services as although peoplemay not pay the
subscription,they have access to the free versions.”
Participant2 “The firstthingthat comes to mind for me is how likely a person is to
purchasemusic of a particular artistin relation to their opinion of that
artist.”
Participant4 “I get two ideas:Fans of artists stickingby them through controversies
and continuingto consume their music,and artists of certain genre-
specific markets supportingartists who arecategorised within that
market.”
Participant5 “I think consumer loyalty means that fans of a particularartistor genre
will blindly followand purchaserecords based on their pastexperience
with the music and not necessarily based on the quality or popularity of
the work itself.”
Participant4 “I get two ideas:Fans of artists stickingby them through controversies
and continuingto consume their music,and fans of certain genre-
specific markets supportingartists who arecategorised within that
market.”
Moderator “So would you all say thatmusic consumer loyalty is artistspecific or
product specific (e.g. platforms,concerts,merchandise)?”
Participant3 “I also believeconsumer loyalty is aboutsomeone being loyal to an
artistregardless of the music they are producingin terms of quality
because based on my experience, I have done this.”
Participant5 “I'd say that becauseit's artistspecific itthemain focus then becomes
buyingproducts specifically related to that artist.So a bit of both mixed
together actually.”
Participant1 “I would say that itis both artists and productspecific.If someone is
loyal to an artistI think they would be more liketo attend concerts etc.
as itis something that I personally do.”
Participant3 “Personally,I would say it's both becauseif you area fan of an artist
then you are likely to purchaseproducts related to that artistand
attend their concerts so definitely both.”

90. 90
Participant2 “I believe that it is artistspecific in thata fan of an artistwill consume
that artist’s music in many different ways.However, I also believethat
a consumer who regularly consumes on a specific platformwill belikely
to stick to that platform.”
Participant4 “If I understand the question right, you are not includingmusic as a
product itself,is this right? I think it can be both, but I think certainly
the major factor in consumer loyalty is the music itself,not necessarily
the artistor any other product they may or may not successfully
market. I don't know if the artist-productdividewould accountfor
Justin Bieber's 2015 rise,as a largenumber of music consumers
consumed his 2015 singles becauseof the music itself,not becauseof
him or any other product he created.”
Moderator “In both instances,music isthe secondary source.As in you are loyal to
the artistfirstor the servicefirst(primary source) then you would
access the music (secondary source)? Does that change anyone's
answers by any chance?
Or do you all feel the same?”
Participant4 “Ok thank you for clearingthatup. I agree that it is both aboutloyalty
to the artistand the product together.”
Participant1 “I still feel the same but I also agree with Euan's pointregarding
platforms.”
Moderator “So have any of you ever considered yourself loyal to a musician or
band? If so, what characteristicswere involved to show your loyalty?”
Participant4 “Do you mean characteristicsthatwe have towards the artist,or
characteristicsthatwe see in the artistor their product, or the way
their product is broadcast?”
Participant3 “I was about to ask this question also.”
Moderator “What characteristicsshowed your loyalty (if any)? Based on what
you've previously mentioned to showcase loyalty to an artist.For
example, did you buy their albums without listeningto the music,buy
tickets every time they appeared in your local area,etc.”
Participant2 “I have considered myself loyal to a band and in this case,I have
purchased CDs and merchandiseof theirs as well as attending their
concerts. This is in contrastto artists I amnot loyal to who's music I will
only consume via streamingservices.”
Participant1 “I have been loyal to various bands recently and in the past. As
mentioned before I would buy their CDs and I still also listen on Spotify
and I also makemy best effort to see that person when they are
performing liveand for some artists I haveattended more than one
event. On most occasions I will also purchasemerchandiseatthe
event.”
Participant5 “I have previously made extreme effort to obtain tickets to a particular
artists show,makingsure I was awake early enough and prepared to
buy a ticket instantly.I havealso purchased merchandiseattheir
concerts, something I don't do for most artists,it's only for particular
people that I will supporttheir products at a liveevent. Also I will pre
order any album that they bringout I won't wait to hear the product I
will justblindly purchase.”
Participant3 “Yes I've considered myself loyal to many artists over the years.I have
purchased an albumwithout previously listeningto itmany times and I
have also purchased tickets to see an artisteach time they are in the
city.”
Participant4 “Yes there are many artists I likethatonce a new product/record is
announced, I will pre-order itwithout any knowledge about it other
than its releasedate. My loyalty to a particularly artistfades when they
releasesomething I am disappointed with and will,as participant4

91. 91
stated, test the waters with their new productfirstbefore committing
myself.”
Moderator “Would you say then that blind purchasingmusic isa common
characteristic in music consumer loyalty?”
Participant1 “I agree with other people's point I have also bought an albumwithout
listeningto any of the music from it.”
Participant3 “Yes I would definitely agree with that based on my own experience.”
Participant1 “Yes, I would agree.”
Participant2 “I would definitely agree with that.”
Participant5 “Definitely. The product quality is irrelevantwhen related to a specific
artist.”
Participant4 “Yes but I think to what extent it depends on the type of fan base an
artisthas.”
Moderator “So to summarise,does the way in which you personally consume
music and purchasemusic products differ depending on the artist?”
Participant4 “Yes definitely.To relate itto the main topic, I think itactually depends
on how loyal I amto each individual artist.”
Participant5 “Yes. My personal connection with an artistwill usually makeme more
likely to purchasetheir products.”
Participant2 “For me, that is definitely the caseand I would have to be very loyal to
an artistto consume their music in a way other than streaming.”
Participant1 “Yes I would I agree. If I really likean artistI would be more inclined to
blindly purchasemusic butfor others I would be likely to use
streaming.”
Participant3 “Yes definitely,I have to be loyal to an artistto purchaseany products
related to them. Otherwise, I will likely juststreammusic by an artistI
don't feel that way towards.”
Moderator “So then, would you say your consumer loyalty to your favourite
musiciansis comparableto your consumer loyalty to your favourite
brands?”
Participant5 “In some instances yes but I think there is a stronghuman connection
there, brandingis moreitem orientated so it's a materialistic desire
that makes us likea brand whereas music and an artistis a lotmore
personal to me.”
Participant4 “Yes, I am loyal to certain brands I think in many similarways.They are
essentially both products that we consume, regardless if itis artor
food, so naturally howloyal I amto each product is a factor in both. I
would say however that the accessibility of music as compared to other
specific brands/products makes me more likely to consume itsimply
because itis easily accessible,compared to a brand I know I would
have to give up money to in order to test out their product.
To clarify,I mean accessibility sometimes is a bigger factor than loyalty
when it comes to music,but not most other products.”
Moderator “So in slightreference to that, do you ever consider the musician/band
as the product? Or do you only ever think of their music as beingthe
product?”
Participant3 “I think in some cases,with boybands for example, they can be seen as
the product rather than their music beingseen as the product.”
Participant1 “I think the way I consume certain brands is similar to the way I
consume music.If I am familiarwith that brand I more likely to buy
another product of theirs, similar to how I buy music,if I am familiar
with the artistI am more likely to consume their music.I agree with
Victoria thatthere aresome instances where the music is the product
but the artistcan also bea product.”
Moderator “Do you consider itgenre specific then?”

92. 92
Participant4 “Yes certainly,even many artists I havedeep respect for that write
their own music I still viewas a productof a larger company. I think this
is becausethe record labels thattake them on do so not justto
promote their music,but hopefully profitoff them which naturally
makes them a product regardless of their artistic integrity.”
Participant3 “Yeah I would definitely say it's more likely to be pop artists.”
Participant2 “I would say that itis mostly pop artists,in particularones which are
heavily marketed by their label,who I see as products.And artists of
other genres I see their music as the product.”
Participant5 “I'd say that yes more pop artists could beconsidered more
manufactured and money orientated compared to a lesser known artist
who genuinely loves their craft.”
Participant1 “I don't think it's genre specific as boy bands can beseen as a product
but there are many bands such as rock bands who can sell a lotof
merchandisesuch as The Ramones and Nirvana.”
Participant4 “That is to say I don't necessarily think my viewing them as a product
demeans my loyalty or view of them as songwriters.”
Moderator “Okay, so let me ask you, if you are a fan of a musician or a band and
have bought their music before, is there anything that would
discourageyou from continuingto buy their products?”
Participant5 “It would have to be something that goes againstall of my personal
values,something that repulsed or angered me so much that I would
feel I couldn'tfund their work anymore.”
Participant1 “It depends on my current taste that I may not buy a product from
someone. For example, when I was younger there were certain bands I
enjoyed but as I got older realising I enjoyed other types of music.”
Participant3 “The artistwould have to do something totally againstmy beliefs in
order for me to stop supportingthem and purchasingtheir products.”
Participant2 “I think it's more to do with my taste, which has changed as I've gotten
older, as opposed to my opinion of the artists themselves.So I believe I
am discouraged by their music,not the artists.”
Participant5 “Although in sayingthat the music is an entirely separateentity to the
people making itso I couldn'tsay itwould stop me listeningto the
music but I would definitely stop payingfor the music.”
Moderator “Okay, I'm going to get back to your personal opinions on musiciansin
a bit, but from now I'm goingto startgivinga few examples that will
fuel the lineof questioning.”
Participant4 “- If a controversy occurs with the artistthat I wholeheartedly disdain
and do not wish to give any of my own money or advertisingrevenue
to them as a result- If the artistdoes not want their fans to consume
their music (record labels puttingout music the artistdoes not want
released) - If their music became something I was continuously
disappointed with.”
Moderator “In 2014 it was claimed that consumers between the age of 18 and 34
are more open to tryingnew products and services.In relation to
music,do your opinions on how you consume music stay the same or
do you engage differently with “new music”?”
Participant1 “I think I have engaged differently with new music as Victoria
mentioned before I would regularly buy physical products of new
artists havingattended one of their events. I think new music is so
much more accessiblenowand I would be more inclined to useSpotify
to get new music.”
Participant5 “As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciatethe effort and work
that goes into creatingmusic and therefore if I feel the work is of a high
quality I will happily reward the artistby supportingtheir work,
whereas when I was younger I didn'tcare about the work or the artists

93. 93
I justwanted free music quickly and I didn'tthink of the consequences
or meaning of what I was doing.”
Participant2 “Yes, I liketo find new ways to consume and discover artists.For
example, in recent years many new artists build a loyal followingby
havinga strong presence on social media.I likethis approach and feel a
greater connection to a band through interaction with them on social
media, therefore I'm more loyal to those bands and more likely to
consume their music.”
Participant4 “I don't think my opinion changes with new music.I am obviously more
likely to outright pre-order music from artists I ammost loyal to, but I
am justas happy purchasingphysical copiesof new music I have no
loyalty to.
By new music,I mean new artists.”
Moderator “Do you feel likeyou need to try the product (e.g. through streaming,
radio,television) firstbeforebuying itor would you pay for it
regardless?”
Participant3 “The way I engage with new music has changed a lot over the years. As
I said previously,I would attend an upcomingartists showand would
usually alwayspurchasetheir CD because I liked to showmy support
for them. Now I am more likely to stream music by a new artistas itis
so easy and accessible.
In terms of a new artistthen yes, now I am more likely to stream their
music firstto see if I enjoy itbefore purchasing.”
Moderator “So one of you have mentioned social media marketinginfluencing
your engagement and possiblepurchaseintentions with new artists,so
I wanted to look at a social marketingcampaign for a relatively new
artistto then get your opinions on and see if you would engage with
it?”
Participant2 “I would definitely listen to new music on a free platformbefore
purchasing.”
Participant4 “I don't feel likeitis necessary,but itis the main way in which I find
music I like,and then buy after.”
Participant3 “But that's not to say if I attended an event by a new artistthatI would
not purchasetheir product, that's justdown to not attending many
events as many as I previously did.”
Participant5 “Yes I would want to try it before I paid for it justbecauseI have no
pastexperience to go on.”
Moderator “A girl group called Fifth Harmony were launched in the UK in 2015 and
social media was utilised in order to break them. The band had a
relatively largefan basein the America's,but were relatively unknown
in the UK. In order to break them here, a social marketingcampaign
involved the band integrating potential new British fans with existing
American fans in order to create a family environment on Twitter. The
campaign utilised hashtags and was voted as one of the best marketing
campaigns of 2015.Would you engage with music marketing
campaigns such as this to discover new music?”
Participant2 “I don't feel that this would appeal to me. This seems as though it
would be aimed at a different audiencefrom myself (this sounds aimed
at young teens). I also likethe use of social media when artists
themselves useit, rather than a PR team.”
Participant4 “I could see myself engaging in something likethat, yes, but not
regularly and not passionately.Talkingto like-minded individualsabout
music you both sharean enjoyment with is enjoyableto me but a
concerted effort likethat may come across as awkwardly forced,
depending on the specific fan basein my opinion.”

94. 94
Moderator “If it was a genre of music that appealed more to you and was targeted
at your audience,would you become involved in a social media
campaign likethis to discover new music?”
Participant4 “I agree with participant2.If it was obviously co-ordinated by a PR
team, I would be less likely to engage in it.”
Participant1 “I think marketing campaigns likethis can very successful as shown by
Fifth Harmony but I am unsureit would be something I would engage
in.”
Moderator “Do you think these campaigns would only work for a younger
audience, rather than the 18-34 demographic previously mentioned?”
Participant5 “Yes I agree. I don't think I would engage with this specific marketing
ploy because itseems very manufactured and likethey'll go to any
length because they crave a UK audience. There has to be a greater
incentive for me, something new or something that has gained a lot of
traction elsewhere on the Internet and is leadingup to something.”
Participant3 “I don’t think it would be something I would engage in and I definitely
agree that it would be more targeted towards younger teens that are
usingsocial media heavily.”
Participant1 “I agree that itwould be aimed more towards a younger audience.”
Participant2 “If this was in a genre of music I likeI still don'tfeel I would participate
in or relate to such a campaign.I believe the artists havelittleto no say
in these types of campaigns and itmakes me feel likethe artists arethe
product, not their music.”
Participant4 “I don't necessarily think itwould only work with younger audiences.I
think itdepends on how loyal you are to a particular artistor genre, or
service,and how much time you already spend consumingitor
consumingthrough it.”
Participant5 “I think younger people aremore social media orientated and wouldn't
necessarily need a lot of persuasion in order to participatein an online
campaign.I may be stereotyping here but I also feel that younger
people don't necessarily realisethey are part of a marketing strategy
and will blindly followwhereas an older person may be more sceptical
or wary about the marketing strategy and artist's intentions.”
Participant4 “With younger audiences,they aremore likely to be more loyal to
specific artists and genres I think which is why I believe it works better
with them.”
Participant5 “They're less likely to believe in an ulterior motive and tend to be more
trustingand positiveaboutan artist.”
Participant4 “I don't necessarily think itwould only work with younger audiences.I
think itdepends on how loyal you are to a particular artistor genre, or
service,and how much time you already spend consumingitor
consumingthrough it. With younger audiences,they aremore likely to
be more loyal to specific artists and genres I think which is why I
believe it works better with them.
And as previously said,they engage this way with artists regardless of
these campaigns so itdoes suityounger audiences more.”
Participant5 “More naïve is the term I’m lookingfor.”
Moderator “Okay, so in comparison to new music,social media campaigns are
used quite prominently for established artists aswell.For example, in
2015,Lionel Richieperformed in the "legends slot"at Glastonbury
Festival and as such,gained a lot of social media attention. The
participation in theevent was in itself partof a wider social media
campaign for established fans to re-engage with Lionel Richieand to
access new fans of a younger age. The wider campaign utilised social
media usinghashtags on Twitter, video mini mixes through Facebook,
subscription serviceplaylists,and thank you videos made by Lionel. Do

95. 95
your opinions for new artists stay the same for established artists or do
you ignore these kind of marketing campaigns in favour of justfocusing
on the music yourself?”
Participant1 “I think I would probably pay more attention to the established artistas
I would be interested to see what the campaign is for as I am familiar
with the artist.I am not sureif I would fully engage and join in with the
interaction but I would have a look at itwhereas with a new artistI
would be more likely to scroll pastit.”
Participant5 “I think it's entirely based on the quality and the level of effectiveness
of the campaign.I may be more likely to inquireaboutit and look into
what it's about but I think if itwas eye catchingenough I would engage
no matter how famous the artistwas.”
Participant2 “I tend to justfocus on their music in these cases as I will already have
an opinion on an established artist’s music.I would only be likely to
engage in a campaign likethis if I liked the artist's music and the social
media campaign involved releasingnewor previously unreleased music
or had a lotof involvement from the artist.”
Participant4 “I believe I would sometimes engage more with marketing campaigns
with established artistsusingthis rather than newer artists.Not just
well-established artists likeLionel butartists thathave gained
prominence in more recent times as well,The 1975 for example. The
're-connect' and 'accessinga younger audience' ideas sound very
appealingto me, as I know there are a myriad of well-established
artists likeLionel thatI have not consumed musically dueto being born
in a different era.”
Moderator “So in relation to Lionel Richie's campaign,would you not have
engaged with the campaign becauseit was more based on revisitinghis
music from the pastthat you arealready awareof?”
Participant2 “I would be likely to ignorethis campaign.
Although, itmay encourage me to listen to his music again ashewill
have been brought to my attention again.”
Moderator “Okay, so I'll moveon. Earlier I skimmed over whether you would
engage with music differently if you had an opinion of an artistor
band's public persona.Recent research has shown that artists like
Adele and Taylor Swifthave a positiveimpact on music consumers
because of their public persona,whereas artists likeChris Brown and
Kanye West have a negative impacton music consumers becauseof
their public persona.Do you personally need to likean artistand does
their public persona play a partin the way you interact with their
music?”
Participant2 “I do not need to likean artistto listen to their music but I am unlikely
to be loyal to an artistwhosepublic persona I dislike.”
Participant1 “Personally I havehad experience where there are artists who I don't
liketheir public persona butithas not impacted the way I interactwith
their music as although I may not personally likethem, I still enjoy their
music and would not let something likethat stop me from enjoying
their music if I find it good. However, I will mostlikely not be loyal in
purchasingphysical copies of their music or attend their events.”
Participant3 “I don't personally need to likean artistto engage with their music.I
think I would maybe even enjoy an artist’s music moreif I had a
connection to them as a person but it doesn't have a huge impact on
my opinion of their music.”
Participant5 “I personally strongly dislikeTaylor Swiftso I won't buy any of her
products or her music but that doesn't mean that I won't listen to her
music in other ways becausea songcan be good and I won't deprive
myself of a decent songbecause I disliketheartist.”

96. 96
Participant3 “But I do agree with Participant1,I'm likely to avoid attending their
events as concerts are much more than justlisteningto the music.It's
about enjoyingthe whole showand the person putting on that show.”
Participant4 “I do not need to likean artistin order to decide whether or not to
consume their music,but I will admitthere arecertain artists I will still
refuse or be less likely to consumetheir music becauseof their
persona.I also agreewith participant4,and would add that I would be
less likely to consume their music in more expensive ways such as
purchasingphysical copies of products even if I do likethem, and
attending gigs by them.”
Moderator “Does a level of trustin the product (e.g. the music itself) go into how
you consume it?”
Participant5 “To a certain extent yes, if the artisthas consistently released products
of a high quality then I am more likely to assumeanythingnew they
releasewill also begood so I will pre-order it anyway.
If I feel disdain towards a certain artist,then I won't be likely to trust
them or their products so I would refrain from buyinganything
connected to them.”
Participant4 “Yes, if I trust an artist,genre, or its music more I am more likely to
consume it in more ways than one, includingphysical copies of CDs and
going to gigs.
And more likely to consume it in more expensive ways.”
Moderator “Would you therefore need to build trustto become a fan of the artist
based on previous experience in order to purchasetheir music?”
Participant1 “If someone has been consistentwith music that I enjoy or it is
someone I am loyal to then yes trust is importantas I will bemore
likely to purchasemusic.”
Participant2 “If I believe that the artistregularly produces music I likethen I am
more likely to purchaseit, even before listeningto it.”
Moderator “And what factors do you typically consider before consumingmusic?”
Participant1 “I agree I would have to build trustfirstand become familiar with their
other music before purchasing.”
Participant5 “I think if you really likean artist’s work and you connect with them on
a personal level there is an instantlevel of trust and infatuation that
puts their music high up in your estimations.I feel likethat is needed in
order to consistently purchasemusic butI will purchaselonesongs
without that level or trust.”
Participant3 “Yes I definitely need to have some form of trust for the artistwhether
that be their music or them as a person, before I will willingly purchase
their music.”
Participant4 “I don't think so, as I have before had a negative firstimpression of
some artists I had notpreviously heard of, then went through their
back catalogueand became a fan of their music and purchased itfrom
that point.”
Participant5 “In all honesty if the artistis good in my opinion and I enjoy the music
there are barley any limitingfactors in howfar I would go to obtain and
enjoy their music in all aspects of the industry.For example, I recently
purchased a mildly expensiveconcert ticket for a supportactbecause I
find his music so fantastic and his pastliveperformances so engaging
that I will go to greater lengths to consume his music.”
Participant1 “I think priceis an importantfactor as mentioned before, streamingis
cheaper than the costof a typical cd.Also if the music is on another
streamingplatform which I do not subscribeto it would also be
something I take into consideration beforeconsuming.”
Participant2 “I would discover an artistand,if I liketheir music,I would listen to
their back catalogueor look out for new releases.The more of their

97. 97
music I enjoy, the more trust I have that their next releasewill also be
something I enjoy. At which pointI would consider myself loyal to that
band and would spend more on things liketheir concerts and
merchandise.”
Participant4 “The factors I consider aredependent on the artist.If it is an artistI
have not heard of, I would usually chooseto consume itif I came across
it through a trusted source,a music news website for example. If it is
an artistI am aware of and generally like,the priceof their product,
how accessibleitis and what type of product they are selling(if itis a
record-store only product, or digital download only for example) are
usually themain factors.If it is an artistI amextremely loyal to,I can
barely think of one limitingfactor.”
Participant3 “For artists I amloyal to, I typically don'tconsider anythingin all
honesty, as I have full trustin them and will purchasetheir products no
matter what e.g. the price.For artists I'mnot so loyal to,I will tend to
listen to their music on some form of streamingplatformto see if I
enjoy itbefore I purchaseas pricecomes into itin this caseas I don't
have total faith in the music and need to test it before buying.”
Moderator “Okay, so I'mgoing to move on to the final section nowregarding
specific music products thatyou engage with.”
Moderator “This tweet was sent this week and Kanye West has claimed he will no
longer be releasingCD's and vinyl as "streamingis the future". Do you
agree or disagreewith this statement? Do you think this decade has
sawthe end of physical CD's?”
Participant3 “I do think that CD's are a bitpasttheir time now and most people
have moved on to other methods of consumption. However, vinyl is
very popular again and you see artists makingan effort to releasetheir
albums in vinyl form.”
Participant1 “I definitely think streamingis more popular now and there is not as
high a demand for CDs and I think the closureof many HMV stores
show this.Although there is now more demand for vinyl,I think there is
not much needs for CDs.”
Participant5 “Personally I think this has somethingto do with his relationship with
Tidal so he is tryingto push his agenda to promote streamingservices,
especially onewhich hasn'tgained as much traction as itshould have. I
think CD's will become a fad again sometime in the future, everything
comes full circleand vinyl is currently in the throes of this situation as it
has soared in popularity becausepeoplecrave nostalgia and a higher
quality product.CD's will most likely havethe same turnaround in the
future as the generation that used them as children growslightly older
this will betheir version of vinyl.”
Moderator “Do you think streamingis more popular with you due to its
accessibility in comparison with cd's?”
Participant2 “I believe that it has sawthe end if CDs as there are far more
convenient ways to consume music now. I also don't believe they will
have the nostalgic appeal in futuredecades which vinyl haveand
therefore believe they will soon be completely replaced.”
Participant3 “I definitely think CD's will be popular again in thefuture and also,the
likes of Urban Outfitters have started sellingnewalbums on cassettes
which further proves that everything comes back around eventually.”
Participant5 “CD's have of late, become more of a niche product with people who
want to collectall of an artist’s products buyingthem for the
sentimental and collectiblevalue.”
Participant4 “Kanye is a strong proponent of TIDAL, a streaming service,and so
when I read that tweet I immediately assumed he was simply tryingto
pull a larger audiencein to his closefriend and business associate,Jay

98. 98
Z's streaming company. WhilstCDs may specifically bedeclining,
particularly with the riseof vinyl and Record Store Day resurgences, I
do not think physical musicwill seethe beginningof its declineanytime
soon. Cassettes have a specific day themselves for collectors and CDs
are now heading this way as well, so if anythingCDs will notsee a large
market sharein the future in the same way Cassettes do not.”
Moderator “So you have all mentioned the resurgence in vinyl.In 2015,vinyl sales
climbed over 56% in the UK, markingthe biggest year in vinyl sales
since1994.Reports suggest the resurgence in the product is due to
nostalgia.Would you engage with vinyl as a productand why? Do you
agree that the engagement is due to people wanting to turn their backs
on music streamingand downloads? Do you see itas a new productfor
young consumers? Do you see the necessity for the turnaround of this
product again?”
Participant2 “Yes, that is one reason.But I also believethat my relianceon my
smartphone as well as the development in of different technology in
relation to the streamingservices on smartphones make itmore
convenient for me than any other platform
Sorry, that was in relation to the previous question.”
Moderator “That's okay. Thank you for clarifying!”
Participant3 “My preferred method of consumption is vinyl atthe moment because
as said before, I do likethe idea of collectingthem as it's something to
look back on in the future. But I don't believe people want to turn their
back on streaming, I justthink it's the trendy thing at the moment and
with artists bringingouttheir new albums in vinyl formit's something
different for young people to experience as they weren't around at the
time when vinyl was attheir peak.”
Participant1 “I don't see itas people turningtheir backs on streaming and
downloads,I think itis justa new way for younger people to consume
music.Personally I would engage with vinyl as my dad has gathered a
massivecollection over the years and I likethe idea of addingto the
collection.
Yes, I agree with Participant3,itis the trendy thing atthe moment
especially asthere are new vinyl players with updated technology to
transfer the vinyl to MP3 which I think would appeal to a largemarket.”
Participant5 “In terms of generations I have a great affinity for the 80's and 90's and
I think part of the reason vinyl is so appealingis thatI can relivewhat it
would have been liketo discover music back then and I can listen to my
parent’s vinyl records fromback then and ithas a very sentimental and
moving attachment to it. I think this generation as a whole craves some
sortof cultural awakeningand changefrom the very technology
conscious lifewe lead now and vinyl records help link the music of now
with the feeling of old. But streaming still works for day to day life
when you want to listen to your music on the go but vinyl works as
something to sitdown and enjoy athome.”
Participant4 “I would engage with Vinyl as itis in my opinion an enjoyableand
unique way to consume music.Not justfor the nostalgic aura vinyl and
their players havealthough that is a part,but also becauselisteningto
music in this way is simply an enjoyableway to consume it(the whole
process of carryinga bulky record with a sleeve and albumnotes to
spin on a tablethat plays the samemusic as your phone can on a
streamingservicethat you cannottangibly experience). I think ithas
survived longenough for young the generation now to view itas a new
and unique product, which opens up lots of potential product
avenues.”

99. 99
Participant2 “I am unlikely to engage with vinyl as I find itexpensive for an old
technology, the albums aremore readily availableto me on a platformI
already pay for and I have no nostalgic feelingas vinyl were largely
gone before I ever consumed music.But I do believe itis a product for
young consumers who want a different way of consumingmusic and
want something physical instead if justa download.I don't see the
necessity for this productfor consumers but do see it as a good way for
artists to make more money than they do from streamingservices.”
Participant3 “I do also seethe necessity for vinyl in regards to the artistearning
money because with streamingbeing so popular and beingthe 'in'
thing for a whilenow, they need something likevinyl to create some
kind of revenue as they aren't makinga lotof money off of streaming.”
Participant4 “I agree with participant5 about the revenue point, I am supportiveof
artists beingableto make more money of their work through their
music being sold on more expensive platforms such as vinyl.”
Moderator “In 2015,subscription streamingserviceSpotify launched Discover
Weekly, a mixtape playlistfeaturingmusic catered specifically to their
users.Research has shown that consumers between 18-34 enjoy
personalised goods and products that are catered specifically to them
such as this.Were you awareof this servicethat Spotify offers and
would this make you engage with streamingmore?”
Participant2 “I am aware of this feature and check this playlistweekly. I find it
extremely useful and have discovered a lot of artists through this.”
Participant1 “I am aware of this servicewhich Spotify offer as I am a heavy Spotify
user and I likethe idea of them offering features likethis.I personally
have found new music I have enjoyed through it.”
Participant3 “I am aware of this serviceand I have listened to this playlista number
of times. I really enjoy things that are personalised and I have often
found new artists fromthis playlistso I find itreally useful.”
Participant4 “Yes I was aware, and Spotify also previously allowed (and still do)
users and companies to upload playliststhey enjoyed under certain
genres and 'moods' which,before discover weekly, I used regularly to
discover new music.I am very supportiveof this idea as I usestreaming
services mainly for the discover of new music in general.”
Participant5 “Yes I check this serviceregularly and I find itis a great tool for
discoveringmusic thatyou might not otherwise find yourself but with it
being personalized itmakes ittailored and more successful in my
opinion.”
Moderator “Does itmake you less inclined to purchasemusic outrightif you have a
music servicethat is directed at you personally as a consumer?”
Participant4 “No, I use itsolely as an intermediate platform before decidingon
which music I want to purchase.I will useitto find an artistI like,listen
to some songs and then purchasetheir music if I enjoy their music
enough.”
Participant1 “I agree with Participant4 here, I would use itas a tool to discover new
artists and oncebuildingtrustwith that artistI would potentially be
inclined to buy their music.”
Participant2 “Yes, it makes me less likely to purchasemusic in order to find artists I
likewhen I can save time and effort by using Spotify. Then I will listen
to the artiston Spotify as I can download to listen offline,so there is no
reason for me to spend money purchasingmusic.”
Participant3 “I have to agree with previous comments, I only use Spotify to find new
artists or listen to an albumor song before making my mind up about
whether or not I want to purchaseit.”

100. 100
Moderator “Finally,do you perceive music products likeconcert tickets and
merchandisedifferently to CDs, downloads,and streaming and if so,
why? What factors influenceyour engagement in these products?”
Participant3 “I feel likeconcert tickets and merchandiseare a much bigger thingto
commit to so I have to possess a lotof trust for that artistto purchase
those specific products.CD's, vinyl,downloads etc. are less of a big risk
but still importantas I don't want to commit to buyinga product I don't
have total trustin.
So in my opinion,the biggest factor is trust.”
Participant1 “I do perceive them differently as goingto a concert is more of an
experience than justbeing ableto listen to the music.I think listening
to music on its own can be an experience in itself but does not
compare to being ata liveevent. But as Victoria mentioned, more trust
is needed when committing to things such as liveevents as they are
very costly.”
Participant2 “Personally,I do perceive these products differently. I feel CDs and
downloads aresomething which I can enjoy all the time from many
different artists,regardlessof my loyalty to them. Whereas concert
tickets and merchandiseare only something I would buy if I am loyal to
a band, therefore my loyalty to a band is my biggest factor in my
purchaseof these products.”
Participant4 “For me itis dependent on each artisthow I view their full rangeof
products,includinggigs and merchandise.With some artists if I am
extremely loyal I viewthe marketing campaign of their new record as a
full productand will be willingto buy into their full rangeof products.
With artists I amnot as loyal to,I view their range of products as
separate, and other factors come in to play in a bigger way such as
priceand quality.
For me it is dependent on each artisthow I view their full rangeof
products,includinggigs and merchandise.With some artists if I am
extremely loyal I viewthe marketing campaign of their new record as a
full productand will be willingto buy into their full rangeof products.
With artists I amnot as loyal to,I view their range of products as
separate, and other factors come in to play in a bigger way such as
priceand quality.”
Moderator “I have now covered the main topics of my research,so at this point, I
would liketo ask if you have any further questions you would liketo
ask or any final points you may want to add?”
Participant1 “No, thank you.”
Participant2 “No, thank you.”
Participant4 “No, thank you.”
Participant3 “No, that is all thank you.”
Participant5 “No, thank you for includingour opinion in your studies.”
Moderator “Thank you once again for takingpart in this study and thank you for
takingyour time out tonight to be involved in my research.”
Participant3 “Thank you for havingus Scott. Good luck with your dissertation.”
Participant4 “You’re welcome.”
Participant2 “You’re welcome.”
Participant1 “Thank you. Good luck with your studies.”

101. 101
Appendix E – Focus Group 3
Speaker Dialogue
Moderator “Hi guys, thanks for comingto take partin my focus group today. The
research is lookingto examine the link between consumer loyalty and music
consumption and how influential consumer loyalty is on the outright
purchasingintentions of music.When discussingthe questions pleasetry to
focus on your experience as a consumer of music,rather than thinkingabout
the general facts and consensus of music consumption in 2016.Although
usingany examples that fuel your opinions areuseful.The point of a focus
group is to have an open discussion where you can shareyour ideas and
opinions.I will lead this discussion,however, I will notsharemy opinions or
give my own personal views for you to add on to. This is a totally unbiased
discussion for me. The purpose is to learn about your perceptions and
opinions of the topic.As previously explained,the focus group will be
recorded in order for me to analyseitfor the purpose of this research.
However, privacy will beensured and your comments and opinions will not
be associated with your name. You can be as honest as you want and there
is no need to agree/disagree with other participants.Itis also importantto
note that none of the questions will be distressingor shockingand are
simply questions based on something we areall awareof culturally.Please
allowevery participantto sharetheir opinion and letone person to speak at
a time. The discussion will lastno more than one hour. We will cover a
number of areas and so I may have to move the discussion alongas to cover
everything within the hour allocated.
Are there any questions atthis point?”
Participants “No”
Moderator “Okay. So I’m justgoingto startby going round and askingwhen the last
time you all consumed music was each?”
Participant1 “Probably this morningon the way to work.”
Moderator “Okay.”
Participant2 “Five minutes ago on Spotify.”
Participant3 “Exactly the same as previous participant.”
Participant4 “All day.”
Moderator “All day today?”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Okay. What was the platform you used?”
Participant4 “YouTube.”
Participant3 “Spotify.”
Participant2 “Spotify.”
Participant1 “Same.”
Moderator “Okay. Same as Spotify?”
Participant1 “Yeah, Spotify.”
Moderator “Is that your preferred platform usingsubscription services or a free
service?”
Participant2 “Yes.”
Participant4 “I’ve never tried Spotify.”
Moderator “So is YouTube your preferred serviceat the moment then?”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Okay. Did you all initiatethe consumption;you all actively went to listen to
music?”
Participants “Yes”
Moderator “Why did you chooseto consume music in this way?”

102. 102
Participant2 “Well, becausemy friend’s also useitso I can see what they’re listeningto
and it makes me feel likeI’ll find peoplewho areinto the same music or I’ll
be inspired by new music that they’re listeningto.”
Participant3 “I find it really easy and convenient, especially if I’mliketravelling.I don’t
need internet or anythingand I can see what other people are listeningto.”
Moderator “So you pay for the subscription serviceto Spotify?”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Okay.”
Participant4 “Well nobody can see what I was doing, becauseit was on my screen and
then I had another window open with YouTube.”
Moderator “So is YouTube something you use frequently as a preferred method?”
Participant4 “Yeah, when I have Wi-Fi.”
Participant1 “I think it’s becauseyou can find the music is good quality,whereas, on
YouTube, you might find videos that the music is not so good. Whereas,if
you’re usinga streamingservice,it’s always good quality.”
Moderator “Right, so what factors influencethe way in which you choseto consume
music?”
Participant4 “I always listen on my headphones, so discreetness.”
Participant2 “Probably becauseit means that I don’t have to listen to adverts on Spotify,
but I also used to pay for Google Play Music.Itwas a bit more, but there was
more sortof upcomingand underground stuff that was available,rather
than on Spotify.”
Participant1 “I think the priceis importantand justthe convenience of it.”
Participant3 “It was mainly the convenience for me. Also,my friends were encouraging
me to get it as well.”
Moderator “So, peer influence?”
Participant3 “Yeah definitely.”
Moderator “Is this the most effective way of consumingmusic for you? As in using
Spotify and YouTube, services that areon your phone or a computer, that’s
easier for you than usingtraditional forms likeCD’s and vinyl?””
Participant3 “Yeah, definitely. For me, it’s all abouton the go.”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Rather than havingone product, you’d want it all in the one place?”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Participant4 “It’s also notbulky, you’re not carryingsomethingaround like CD’s.”
Moderator “Okay, so the next topic is aboutmusic consumer loyalty.So the form of this
study is to shareyour opinions on the link between consumer loyalty and
music consumption.When I mention the link between consumer loyalty and
music consumption,what is the firstthingthat comes to mind and what are
your opinions on it? Have you ever thought of there being a link between
consumer loyalty and music consumption before? And if you haven’t, what
are your opinions on the link between it?”
Participant2 “So, with loyalty itwould justbe the fact that you would stay loyal because
something is convenient to use and its more readily available,rather than
usingsomething else that’s not as easy to use. So it’s all aboutthat user
interface, what platform it’s on, and who’s usingit.So, for example, if
people are usingSpotify but I’m usingGoogle Play Music itmight not be in
my interest to see what my friends arelisteningto, but becauseit is,then
that’s the reason why I’m on Spotify. So the question of loyalty is likewhatis
suitablefor me.”
Moderator “So do you think the link between music consumption and consumer loyalty
is beingloyal to a brand likeSpotify or do you think it’s loyal towards an
artist?”
Participant2 “I think it’s loyal towards sortof usability,for me, anyway.”
Moderator “Has anyone elsegot any opinions on it?”

103. 103
Participant1 “I think it’s the loyalty towards the artist,for me, because if I likethe artist,
then I am willingto spend a lot more money.”
Moderator “So the way that you consume music is differentdepending on the artist?”
Participant1 “Yes. If it’s someone that I don’t really like,I’mjustgoing to listen to their
music on YouTube, but if it’s someone I like,I’m willingto spend a lot of
money on a concert ticket.”
Participant4 “I agree with what Participant1 said.”
Moderator “So the artistis the importantfactor in the loyalty for you?”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Participant3 “For me, I think it’s a bitof both. I would get Spotify to listen to the artists I
like,but becauseSpotify is a placewhere I can listen to as many artists as I
want, itdoesn’t really matter about the artist,but, havingsaid thatif I don’t
likethe artist,I’m not going to go on to Spotify and listen to them.”
Moderator “So you would actively choosenot to listen to an artistif you don’t like
them, on any platform?”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Participant4 “I’ve heard of Spotify, but I’ve never ever used itand everybody elsehas,so
it’s something I will look into.”
Moderator “Have you ever considered there being a link between consumer loyalty and
music before or do you consider consumer loyalty as justbeinggeneral
brands? Have you ever considered yourself being loyal to the subscription
serviceor an artistbefore?”
Participant4 “I think I’m more loyal to an artistthan I am a subscription service.The
method of listeningcomes down to the artistfor me. If I really liked them,
then I would spend a lot of money getting their concert tickets, getting their
t-shirts,their CD’s and things,but if it’s something that is quitefaddy for me,
then I’ll probably justlisten to it on YouTube.”
Participant3 “I totally agree with Participant4.Again,if I don’t likean artistthen I’m not
going to go out my way to listen to their music,but if I do likean artist,then
I’ll go above and beyond to try and get anythingand everything I can get my
hands on, includingconcerttickets,even merchandise.Anything to be
honest.”
Participant4 “The artistis theoverridingfactor for me. Definitely.”
Participant1 “I think I do think about the factthat it’s you’re loyal,becauseif you see the
price,I don’t know like£60 per ticket, you do know that’s because you’re
loyal and that’s why you’re spendingthe money. So if someone asks “why
did you spend that much money?”, you know it’s because you areloyal to
the artist.”
Participant4 “Also, I likegetting pre-release tickets as well.”
Moderator “Just followingup from that, have any of you ever considered yourself loyal
to a musician or band and if so,what characteristicswereinvolved?”
Participant4 “I queued up three hours to get a front row ticket to Alanis Morissette, so I
think I’m quite loyal to her.”
Moderator “Due to the fact that you take time out to actively get stuff of hers?”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Is that the same for everyone else?”
Participant2 “Yeah, as soon as I found out that Nine Inch Nails were comingto GlasgowI
got my ticket rightthere and then. As soon as tickets went liveonlineto buy.
I ended up buyinga t-shirtand a beanie and I was getting front row seats.
Standingat the barrier more like. Spending the time in line,definitely.”
Participant3 “I’m the exact same. I think the factors that go towards that is probably just
their ability and talent, I think that for me is why I choose to liketheir music
and if itsuits my music taste as well,that goes towards the loyalty I feel.”
Participant4 “It also has a lotto do with personality as well.”
Moderator “Just a final question aboutthat, how do you see music consumer loyalty in
comparison to general consumer loyalty? So you might be consumer loyal to

104. 104
a particular brand of washingup liquid becauseyou’veused it so much. Do
you see there being a correlation between being loyal to Nine Inch Nails or
being loyal to Alanis Morissette?”
Participant4 “I think itcomes down to a preference of the genre that you’re into. The
washingup powder that I would buy is the cheapest.”
Moderator “Are you loyal to that brand or is itjustdepending on pricefor you?”
Participant4 “There are brands I wouldn’t touch likeTesco Value, but things likePersil,
Aerial,and Daz, they’re kind of in the same bracket and in the same team of
brands that I would pick.”
Moderator “So you mentioned that, if there’s an artistthathas got a bigname, would
you consider yourself loyal to them justbecausethey’re a bigname?”
Participant4 “No, itcomes down to the music and sometimes if they did something like
supported a causeI didn’t agree with, my loyalty would definitely be
influenced and I’d probably hate them.”
Moderator “One of the things that has come up through my research is thatin
comparison to brand consumer loyalty,people will blind purchasea band’s
albumor singleas soon as itcomes out because they don’t careabout the
price,it’s justabout the artist.So is that the same for all of you?”
Participant4 “I wouldn’t say I don’t care about the price,because I don’t want to be
exploited as a consumer. I am still sensibleaboutit,so I do still careabout
the price,I wouldn’t pay over the odds for something.”
Moderator “Even if you’re a loyal fan to an artist?”
Participant4 “If it was a ridiculousamountof money, I wouldn’t pay for it and I would just
think they’re taking advantageof the factthat I’m into them.”
Moderator “So pricewould still comeinto itfor you?”
Participant4 “Oh yeah. If it was a crazy amount of money, yeah.”
Moderator “Is that the same for everyone or would you blind purchasean artist’s album
if you were a fan?”
Participant1 “I think I’m quite crazy when it comes to this,so if I’m buyinga different
product that isn’tmusic,I always convertitinto concert tickets. So if it’s like
an expensive product, I always think “how many concert tickets can I buy if I
don’t buy this?”. So I think I’m most loyal to music becauseconcerts don’t
happen as often as you can buy other products.So instead of buying an
expensive pair of shoes, I’m going to buy the concert tickets. So I think I
would justbuy them and not really think about it.”
Participant2 “I think it’s the emotional factor because when I started becoming a fan of
Nine Inch Nails,itwas duringmy teenage angry years where I was
emotionally heightened, so there’s that emotional aspect,where in a certain
time in my lifeI fell in love with them, becauseit was likethe empathy
factor. I would probably watch a trailer or see any reviews. Most of the time
I don’t listen to reviews, but if it was something that would seem familiar to
me before, then I would see what other people were saying.Otherwise, I
wouldn’t really care.”
Moderator “So being loyal to an artistwouldn’t really factor in for you, you would still
want to check previews first?”
Participant2 “Before I purchasesomething, I would, but I think I wouldn’t blindly
purchasejustanything.”
Participant3 “For me, it justdepends. If it’s concert tickets, then yes, definitely, but if it’s
an album or a CD that’s newly released, then I would need to listen to it
beforehand on Spotify before I actually go out and buy it, but I would
probably not go out and buy it, I would justkeep listeningon Spotify.”
Participant4 “You guys mentioned Google Play,you can samplesongs before you buy
them and that’s a huge, bigfactor in my music purchasing.”
Moderator “So moving on to the next topic, based on music products,a lotof people
have different ideas aboutwhat a music productis.So I justwanted to ask
you all whatyou consider a music product?”

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Participant2 “The music itself.”
Moderator “The song, the album?”
Participant2 “Yes.”
Participant4 “T-shirts,badges.”
Moderator “Merchandisethen?”
Participant4 “Yeah. When I was younger, we used to have Smash Hits and things and that
was a very music based magazine. Concert tickets. So much stuff.”
Participant1 “Everything that is around music.”
Participant4 “Everything that is branded with the band.”
Participant3 “Yeah, exactly the same.”
Moderator “So do you think the musician isseen as more of a business then, rather
than about the music?”
Participant4 “I think itdepends on the artist.I think Adele is more about the music,
whereas, when you think about going into Claire’s Accessories and you see
Vamps and One Direction nail varnish and you know that’s clearly business.”
Moderator “We’ve kind of discussed this butif you’re a fan of a musician,is thereany
factors that would discourageyou from purchasingtheir music?”
Participant2 “Bad press.”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Participant3 “Yeah, definitely. Bad media is a bigfactor.”
Moderator “So is itbad press about the music itself or is itbad press about the artist?”
Participant3 “Both.”
Participant4 “Yeah, bad behaviour.I think that I likeartists becauseI also think they area
good human being and if they’re ethical and principled as well.If an artist
stopped being likethat, itwould actually really affectthe way I perceive
their music.”
Moderator “Is that the same for everyone? Bad press for the music and the person?”
Participant1 “I would say it’s more for the person becauseobviously if there’s a bad
review for the music,it doesn’t mean I am not going to enjoy it. So I am still
going to give it a chance.”
Participant4 “I think we areall quitemedia savvy and we understand that the media
manipulates and they portray the artisthow they want them to be
portrayed by the media.”
Moderator “The firstexampleI’ve got looks atconsumers between 18-34,which is all of
you. In 2014,it was claimed that consumers between the age of 18 and 34
are more open to tryingnew products and services.In relation to music,do
your opinions on how you consume music stay the same or do you engage
differently with new music?”
Participant4 “Can you elaborate?”
Moderator “The research showed that 18 to 34-year old’s aremore likely to justpay for
brand new products, even if they don’t know about it. So in relation to new
music,would you engage the same with a new artistthatjustreleased a new
album. Would you justblindly purchase or blindly consumeitbecause it’s
new or would you engage differently with that in comparison to a new
alcohol or a new flavour of crisps?”
Participant3 “I would waitto see if they release anythingelse becauseif they’re just
releasingone thing, itmight be a one hitwonder and you’re not too sure. So
I would definitely wait to see if they releasemore music,so you can see
what else they can produce.
Participant1 “Do you mean the way you would consume their music as well?”
Moderator “Yes. Basically,howdo you interactwith new music in comparison to an
artistthat you’re aware of.”
Participant1 “I think if there’s someone new and they stream their music through
different platforms,then I would try it, becauseyou would learn more about

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a new placeyou can stream new music and find out more about a new
artist.Itdoesn’t mean I would become loyal,butI would still try it.”
Moderator “Would you all streamitfirstfor a new artistor new albumbefore you
bought it, you wouldn’t justactively go into a record store and buy an
album?”
Participant3 “No.”
Participant2 “I use playlistswhich haveall thesegenres that are associated with each
other and that’s how I would find new music.”
Participant4 “I’m thinkingabout an example where I heard a song and quite liked itand
listened to iton YouTube and realisingI really,really enjoyed that and
obviously becauseYouTube you need to be at computer or have Wi -Fi,so I
liked itthat much that I thought I’m going to download that.”
Moderator “That’s came up a lot. A lot of people want to trial itfirstbefore they actually
pay for it.”
Participant4 “It also tests how much you really likethe band as well. If I knew I wasn’t
going to likethem, then I would probably justcontinuelisteningto them on
YouTube.”
Moderator “Based on new artists and new music and how it’s marketed, every year a
music magazinewill award the best music marketingcampaign to see how
well new artists reactwith new consumers. In 2015,the award went to a girl
group called Fifth Harmony, because they used social media platforms like
Twitter and Facebook to create a British fan base.They were already famous
in America and they wanted to integrate the brand new British fan basewith
their established American fan base.They done that by usinghashtags on
Twitter and using“families”on Twitter. Their end goal was to get a top five
singlein the UK, which they ended up achieving.Forgetting the band and
forgetting the genre of music which would be pop, justin general, would you
engage with new music marketingcampaigns through Twitter and Facebook
or would you juststick with discoveringmusic in theways you have already
mentioned. Would you engage with these type of marketing campaigns at
all?”
Participant2 “Yeah, there’s a band called DieAntwoord and they justhad some ridiculous
social media that had nothing to do with music,but itwas all abouttheir
style. But becauseof that I was interested to see what the music was like
and it was really terrible,but because of the conviction in their terrible
music,I kind of appreciated how much attention they got. So itwas kind of
likeperiodic where I was like“these guys are idiots,whatare they doing?”,
but then, because of the way they were so unreal and so different then
that’s how I ended up findingout about them.”
Moderator “So you would interactwith a brand new artistthrough social media?”
Participant2 “Through social media,yeah.”
Participant4 “I don’t have Facebook, but I use Twitter and I always check what’s trending.
So definitely.”
Moderator “In the caseof the example used, I think that’s how they became big,
because they area youth orientated band who arebeing marketed at a
completely different audiencefrom us,but if a band likeParticipant2 has
mentioned is marketed towards us,you would engage with it becauseit is
through social media,then that is important for you?”
Participant4 “I found out about the band Fifth Harmony through The X Factor and they
had a songthat I thought was quite funny. It was about MichelleObama
who works really hard and makes Oprah dollars.So itwas about women
empowerment working hard,but they were dressed slutty.I was cynical
because I thought “if you are talkingaboutwomen empowerment you
wouldn’t wear that”.”
Moderator “So you would agree that social media campaignsareimportantfor you to
engage with them?”

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Participant3 “Yeah.”
Participant4 “That’s the medium now. You don’t have things likeLive & Kicking,Top of
the Pops, and Smash Hits, that’s how we would find out about bands.Now
it’s all aboutsocial media and those types of things.”
Moderator “Moving on from new music to established music.Lastyear, Lionel Richie
performed in the “legends slot”at Glastonbury Festival and usually thatjus t
goes through Glastonbury Festival and who they decide to book, but that
was actually partof a wider marketing campaign to make him become a
legend. They wanted him to reengage with his old fans,as well as gaining
new fans.So he implemented social media campaigns such ashashtags,
video mini mixes through Facebook, subscription serviceplaylists,and
personal thank you videos by Lionel himself.Do the same opinions you have
for new music does that apply for established music? Would you react with
an established artistlikeLionel Richieon social media becauseof their
name?”
Participant4 “That’s really surprised me because I went to see Lionel RichiebecauseI
thought he’s quite good and I likegoingto see shows. Now findingout that
that was all partof an orchestrated marketing campaign,I feel a littlebit
taken advantageof. I still likebutit’s like“oh right, there was a huge
campaign and a huge operation behind this”.
Moderator “If you weren’t aware of that research,if you sawLionel Richie postinga
selfievideo on Facebook, would you reactwith it justbecauseyou know
who he is? And do you think that’s important for established artists to use
social media more than new musicians or do you think it’s less importantfor
them?”
Participant4 “Yeah, it means they can maintain a presence.”
Participant2 “Yeah, you’re right. Sometimes social media isn’trun by the artists
themselves, whereas there are some artists who interactwith their own
social media and with their own fans,so that’s kind of cool.If it’s done by a
third party, then it’s not as cool.”
Participant3 “It’s not as personal.”
Participant4 “Yeah, it’s justlikethe artistcomes across likea puppet, likethey’re being
controlled.”
Moderator “One of the things that’s been brought up before by all of you is how you
react with artists based on their public persona.Research has shown that
artists likeAdeleand Taylor Swift have got a positiveimpacton consumers
and people are more inclined to buy their music before listeningto it,
because they likethem as people. Whereas artists likeChris Brown,Miley
Cyrus,and Kanye West they’ve got a negative impacton consumers and
people are less inclined to buy their music becausethey don’t likethem
based on their public persona. Do you all need to personally likean artistin
order for you to consume their music (whether it’s streaming or buying,
going to gigs)?”
Participant4 “You mentioned Kanye West. I liked Kanye West and then he married Kim
Kardashian.She’s such an attention seeker and itruined him. I also noticed
that he follows one person on Twitter and that’s his wife and I don’t think
she’s a good role model for women and I’m totally off Kanye for marrying
her.”
Moderator “So his personal lifehas a major impacton you as a consumer to even
bother listeningto his music?”
Participant4 “Yeah, I’ve stopped now. I justdon’t think it’ll be my cup of tea.”
Moderator “Is that the same for the rest of you? Do you think artists who have a
positiveimpact,would you interact with their music more becauseyou like
them as a person?”
Participant1 “I would still listen to people that there is somethingbad about them, but I
would always feel…notguilty, but I would feel likethere’s something that I

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don’t likeabout the music, so I would maybe not be so happy about listening
to them. Even if the music is good.”
Participant2 “I think there’s some music of bands who have gone off the rails and
completely off the grid,so what I don’t know, I don’t know. So I’ll always still
likethe music.”
Participant3 “For me, it justdepends on the music,but with Kanye West, I used to really
likehim but now I don’t listen to him justbecauseof the publicity he’s got
recently. The whole privatisation thingas well,I justdon’t agree with it.
Associatinghimwith Kim Kardashian aswell.I justreally,really don’tlike
Kim Kardashian,so for me Kanye’s a big no. With Miley Cyrus as well,even
though she’s got really bad publicity,I actually really likeher music,so it
really depends on the individual person.So I’m not really sure.Even though
she’s had bad publicity,I’ll still go and listen to her music.”
Moderator “So it’s all dependingon your opinion of the person, because you likeher
music,so the bad press doesn’t affect you, becauseyou actually likeher as a
person as well?”
Participant3 “Yeah. Well,I don’t likeher as a person, but it’s more her music.”
Participant4 “I don’t really likeZayn Malik,butI heard his songand I feel sorry for him
actually becausehejustseems likelittleboy lost.So I don’t likewhat he’s
doing, but I likehis catchy tune and that overall had swungit for me. He’s
different to Kanye West. Kanye West is arrogant.”
Moderator “Does itmake you interactwith itdifferently? You said aboutMiley Cyrus,
would you try and obtain it differently becauseyou don’t likeher as a
person?”
Participant3 “It would justbe Spotify again becauseI don’t really purchase,but with
concert tickets, it depends, because I quite likethe showshe puts on. So
yeah, I guess I would, but with Kanye West as well on social media,his
Twitter is justridiculous,so I would never go out and purchaseanythingwith
him or even listen to his music.I don’t think he deserves that. With Miley
Cyrus,I probably would.”
Moderator “What about the artists who have a positiveimpact,would you interact
differently with them?”
Participant3 “Yeah, I would go out and see their concerts and I would buy merchandiseas
well.”
Moderator “Even if you likethem more as a person than their music?”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Participant4 “I likeZayn because he champions Bradford,which is where I’m from. Even
though he is loaded,I’d still buy his songbecausehe supports our city.”
Moderator “The next topic is abouttrust. Is trust an important factor for you as a
consumer? Do you have to trust the product (whether it’s the artistor the
music) before consumingit?”
Participant4 “How do you define trust?”
Moderator “If you have a trusted brand that you constantly buy,as already mentioned,
whatever washingup liquid itis or whatever drink itis,the discussion would
then be in relation to music.Do you have to trustthe artistenough in order
to give your money to them?”
Participant4 “I think when itcomes to Alanis Morissette, I know I’m going to likeher
songs,so yeah. I supposeI do trust that the albumshe produces she will
have put a lot of effort into and itwill be a good album.”
Participant2 “I used to really likeAvril Lavigneand then I sawher show livein Manchester
and it was a really bad experience becauseshe ended up singinga Coldplay
song and messingup the lyrics.Sincethen, I’ve justgone, no. No, I hate you.
I kind of don’t trusther anymore. Anything she releases now, I justthink, no,
you are fake. That’s it.”
Participant3 “I still loveher.”

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Participant2 “In a superficial kind of way, then yeah, maybe I’ll justseethis Avril Lavigne
video becauseI haven’t seen her in a whileor I haven’t listened to her music,
but then, because of that one act, I know deep down insideit’s over for me. I
can’t do itanymore.”
Moderator “So what factors do you typically consider beforeconsumingmusic? Does
any thought process go into it before you consume music?”
Participant2 “Feeling. If it’s the right mood and it’s the right time to listen to that, then I’ll
have a positiveassociation with it. If I’m feeling sad and I feel likeI can
empathise with the song, I’ll likeit,and that’s it.”
Participant3 “For me, it’s the artist.It’s also the ability,if I really likethe music,then it’s
dependant on my mood as well.Sometimes itwill becost as well,but not
most of the time.”
Moderator “Would you need to build trustto become a fan of an artistbased on
previous experience, in order to purchasetheir music.I know you have kind
of given a coupleof examples where you’d listen to it first.Have you had any
experience with that where you’ve builttrustwith an artist?”
Participant4 “When I was younger, I used to really likeBackstreet Boys and justyesterday
I was watchinga documentary about them and how they were completely
manufactured, likeevery bit of them was controlled and I think when I was
younger I knew that as well,but watching this documentary I realised just
how much they were exploited as well by their management. As the band
was aging, they introduced *NSYNC as a rival band,and if your management
really cared aboutyou then they wouldn’t releaseanother band. That has
made me careabout them a littlebit more. The documentary was very
honest. It made me feel sorry for them and have a certain degree of
sympathy. So that emotion, likeParticipant2 has said,thefeelings has
affected me.”
Moderator “When you were younger you builttrust with them?”
Participant4 “Yeah, so yesterday my trustwas ata lowand I felt likethey made a fool of
me, they wanted me to likethem. They were totally aimingatmy
demographic, so my trust was affected yesterday.”
Moderator “Is that the same for all of you? You’ve builttrustover time through
streaming?”
Participant3 “Yeah, for me that is the majority of the case.However, with Kesha,I didn’t
really likeher music,but when that whole publicity thingcame out, I felt
sorry for her. So even though I didn’t build trustwith her, I still wanted
to…not buy her music,but still streamher music to give her royalties.”
Moderator “Moving on to the final listof the topics,it’s about music products in
general. I’m going to talk about Kanye West, again,very briefly.In the past
week, he tweeted sayingthat he would not be releasingany more physical
copies of his CD’s becausestreaming is the future. Were you aware of this
story? And do you agree or disagreewith his statements?”
Participant4 “It upsets me a littlebitbecause it’s people’s jobs.People work in HMV,
people manufacture CD’s who will probably beout of work. That’s the first
thing I think of when I hear that.”
Moderator “Even though that’s justan opinion fromhim?”
Participant4 “I would definitely buy a tangiblecopy of something if I really liked the artist
and I have got quite a few Kanye West CD’s, but I think Kanye West is a
d********.”
Participant3 “Yeah, I’ve heard of this story and I don’t agree with it. Just because I liketo
have hard copies of the artists I love,as justa memory. It’s a good
experience as well.If he’s sayingthatstreamingis the future, it may well be,
but we also wantto have the hard copies as well.So I don’t agree with him
at all.”

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Participant2 “I think with the way that technology has inevitably moved along,since
before we could record music atall,itwould make sense that justfrom my
own understandingof technology.”
Moderator “That streamingis goingto replace?”
Participant2 “Yeah, for every singleartistthatgoes out there, maybe the value in music
will sortof reinvent itself in the physical copies again,justin the same way
that we valueour VHS video cassettes and you can still play if you still havea
video cassette. It’s that whole vintage technology aspectof it, where people
still play records even though no one really uses records anymore, but DJ’s
still play them in clubs.”
Participant1 “I don’t know about this story, but I know a lotof artists say thesame and it
sometimes annoys me becauseeven though streaming is the future, you
might still wantto buy the physical copy and if they’re sayingthey are not
going to produce any at all,atleastsome will sell them on their onlinestore
or something. So even though you can’t buy them in HMV, you can buy
them on their onlineshop.If they’re sayingthey aren’t going to be doing
anythingat all,then that kind of annoys me.”
Participant3 “Yeah, it’s quite selfish as well.”
Participant1 “Yeah, because they don’t know what you want.”
Participant4 “You get a lot from flickingthrough the cover book you get with the CD by
lookingatthe pictures.You used to be ableto get lyrics in theCD books and
the thank you’s. I used to likereadingthe thank you’s. I supposeyou don’t
really get that anymore.”
Moderator “The next example is aboutSpotify. In 2015,Spotify launched Discover
Weekly, which is a mixtape playlistwhich caters specifically to their users.
Previous research has shown that young consumers prefer personalised
products because itis aimed directly at them and cuts out the middleman
and everything is targeted to them. Are you aware of the serviceat all?
Every Friday,you’ll get a brand new updated playlistthatthey set up based
on what you’ve already been listeningto in the pastweek. It is catered
directly atyou.”
Participant2 “Yeah, I will occasionally listen to that playlist,but I will more or less listen to
a genre that suits my mood at the time or if I want to study.”
Participant3 “Yeah, I listen to it, but I don’t listen to it all the time. I’ll justlisten to see if it
has done the right thing for me, but itdoes depend on my mood and what
I’m feeling.”
Participant1 “I think sometimes you justwant to listen to the stuff you know. You don’t
really feel likediscoveringsomeone new because you don’t know if it’s going
to be good or not. So it depends on the mood. If I feel likeI want to explore,
then yes, but if I feel likejustlisteningto the specific songor band,I’m just
going to listen to them.”
Participant3 “Yeah, it depends if you’re feeling adventurous.”
Moderator “Does the personalised services makeyou engage with streamingservices
more, because everything is availableto you, you can make your own
playlists?”
Participant2 “I used to do that with iTunes and I used to fall in lovewith genres becauseit
was justreally whatI wanted in music.I was familiar with the genres, I was
familiarwith the sounds and artists.Itmade lifeeasier for me, becauseI
wasn’t exactly exploringa new genre completely.”
Moderator “Does itmake you less inclined to purchasemusic outrightnow that
something is directed at you?”
Participant2 “For me anyway,yes.”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Does everyone feel the same?”
Participant4 “I feel likewhen you get those recommendations…I don’t use Spotify, so I
can use the analogy of when I use Netflix and I get those e-mails where they

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say “we reckon you may likethis becauseyou watched this”and I don’t
actually.”
Moderator “So you don’t likestuff being targeted at you because that is the aim?”
Participant4 “It’s often not accurate.I’m not really into that. Although I don’t have
Spotify, I’d be surprised if itdid really knowme that well. I’d be scared if it
knew me so well.”
Moderator “In 2015,vinyl sales climbed over 56% in the UK, markingthe biggest year in
vinyl sales since1994.Reports suggest that the resurgence in the product is
due to nostalgia.Would you engage with vinyl as a productand why?”
Participant2 “I would, but I don’t becauseit’s too expensive. If I did have the money for
it, then for nostalgic sakeand the factthat a lot of my friends havevinyl
players and I supposeit’s likefollowingthe trend in a way, but not at the
same time.”
Participant4 “I don’t have a vinyl player.”
Moderator “Would you engage with the product?”
Participant4 “No.”
Moderator “Going back to what I said with nostalgia,do you agree that the engagement
is due to people wanting to turn their backs on streamingand downloads
because our parents grew up with record players,they probably want to go
back to that, but even with people our age, are goingback to it becauseit is
completely different to streaming.”
Participant4 “I think it’s a trend, because when you go into shops likeUrban Outfitters
they have vinyl and I personally don’tknow what I would do with a vinyl
because it’s a bigthing.”
Participant2 “I supposeit depends on the artistwhose vinyl itwas.If itwas Rihanna,I’d
be like“no way”, but if itwas something a littlebit more edgy and
underground, then I probably would because it’s sortof that whole hipster,
underground kind of feel about the whole process of buyinga vinyl.The
same way when you go into a charity shop and you find some old records,
but if it’s someone new, then you kind of already know that they have music
out there that’s availableon everything, then you don’t valueit as much.”
Participant4 “I’d also question the quality of music,becauseI know that CD quality music
is really good and then downloads aregood as well, but then vinyl is goingto
be crackly,isn’tit?”
Moderator “Do you see the necessity for the turnaround of this productagain?”
Participant2 “I wouldn’t say a necessity.”
Participant4 “One of my friends is a guitaristand he uses vinyl,not for listeningto, but for
displayingon the walls.”
Participant3 “I don’t see the necessity either, no.”
Moderator “The final topic is aboutother music products that have been kind of
touched on, but not really mentioned in full.So are concert tickets and
merchandiseperceived differently from the other forms mentioned, the way
you have said you consume actual music.Would you engage differently with
concert tickets and merchandise?”
Participant3 “Yeah, for me concerts bringa whole new different experience as well.With
music,you can listen to it whenever you want, wherever you want, but with
a concert, you go there once in maybe a year and it’s a whole new
experience and it’s good, becauseyou can relatethe artistto your
experience. So if you go to a really good concert, for example, then itadds to
how you perceive the artist.”
Participant4 “I have a Hanson t-shirtand I’m embarrassed to wear it even though I’ve
seen them a few times and have their CD’s. I think that’s the thingabout
when things are digital,peopledon’t know what you’re listeningto.”
Moderator “It’s the same thing with concert tickets and merchandise,it’s showing that
you’re engaging with them, whereas, with streaming itcan be a bit more
privateand secretive?”

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Participant3 “With concerts, it’s a lot more personal as well,so I think that’s a bigfactor
in it.”
Participant4 “I’ve got a lot of band t-shirts and I’m embarrassed to wear them, just
because people will ask if you’reinto that, but also when itcomes to
concerts, I’ve been to a lot of concerts and thought I’ve really enjoyed that.
Somebody is sellinga £30 t-shirtand then you go outsideand someone is
sellingyou a £5 t-shirtand I think I’d rather buy the £5 one becauseI know I
won’t wear it.”
Moderator “Would you agree that there’s got to be more loyalty involved in getting
concert tickets and merchandisethan itis to actually listen to the music and
consume the music.”
Participant4 “Yeah.”
Participant2 “Yeah, because you’re goingthat extra step further, to not justlisten,but be
there in their presence and to see all the people who are likingthesame
thing you are. So it’s kind of likethe whole idolatry gathering,if that makes
sense?”
Participant3 “You wouldn’t be payingso much to go to a concert for someone you don’t
have any loyalty towards the artist.”
Moderator “Through my research, most people have said when consumingmusic,it
depends on the artist,but when it comes to concerts and festivals they are
willingto pay £60+. So do you think people now would rather engage with
concerts than they would with albums and buyinga music productlike
that?”
Participant2 “It depends, because in some countries they won’t be touring there, so it
would depend.”
Moderator “In the UK, where we do get quite a lotof gigs and concerts,do you think
the priceis factored in or do you think people prefer the experience?”
Participant3 “I think people prefer the experience, becauseI know personally,I would
pay so much money justto go and see someone, so costdoesn’t really come
into factor for me unless it’s likea ridiculousprice.”
Moderator “Would priceactually getfactored in to getting the music itself?”
Participant3 “Yeah.”
Moderator “Is that the same for all of you, where you wouldn’t factor in pricefor
concert tickets, but you would factor in pricefor other things?”
Participant1 “Yeah. If you’re lookingatmerchandiseand it’s £30,then you’re not goingto
wear it anyway, so I’m not goingto spend £30 on a t-shirt,but if it’s a
concert ticket, then you don’t really careaboutthe money.”
Participant4 “I still do careaboutthe money. I remember ages ago when Madonna was
touring and itwas her firsttour in ages and tickets were £200 and maybe if
you were a mega fan, you would buy that, but if you were justan ordinary
person, you would maybe feel likeshe’s takingthe mick.”
Participant2 “There’s a threshold,definitely.”
Moderator “That’s all thequestions,so if you have any other questions or you want to
add anything in,then pleasefeel free before we finish.Anythingelse?”
Participants “No.”
Moderator “Well, thank you all for takingpart.”
Participants “Thank you!”

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Appendix F – Questionnaire
An Evaluation of the Link Between Consumer Loyalty and Music Consumption
1) Which age group do you fall under?
o 18-25
o 26-34
o 35-49
o 50+
2) What is your gender?
o Male
o Female
3) How often do you personally consume music (e.g. anything from buying a CD to
listen to music via a streaming site such as Spotify or YouTube)?
o Numeroustimesaday
o Once a day
o Numeroustimesaweek
o At leastonce everyweek
o At leastonce everytwoweeks
o A fewtimespermonth
o At leastonce permonth
o Never
4) What are your preferred modes of consuming music? Tick as many as appropriate
o Subscriptionaudiostreamingservice (e.g.Spotify,AppleMusic,Deezer,TIDAL)
o Digital downloads
o PurchasingCD’s
o Purchasingvinyl
o Videostreamingservice (e.g.YouTube,Facebookvideo)
o Gigs andconcerts
o Radio
o Television
o Other
5) Based on your previous answer(s), can you confirm which you choose to consume
music in this way?
_________________________________________________________________
6) How likely are you to purchase music products in general?
1- unlikely, 2- unlikely to undecided, 3- undecided, 4- likely, 5- highly likely
7) How likely are you to purchase music products if you are a fan of a musician or band?
1 – unlikely, 2- unlikely to undecided, 3- undecided, 4- likely, 5- highly likely

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8) How likely are you to purchase music products if you are referred by a friend?
1- unlikely, 2- unlikely to undecided, 3- undecided, 4- likely, 5- highly likely
9) On a scale of 1-5, to what extent does your opinion of a musician or band have an
effect on the way in which you choose to consume their music?
1- no impact, 2- doesn’t entirely make an impact, 3- neutral, 4- has an impact, 5-
major impact
10) On a scale of 1-5 - to what extent does the internet play a role in the
way in which you consume music?
1- no impact, 2- doesn’t entirely make an impact, 3- neutral, 4- has an impact, 5-
major impact
11) Which products are you more likely to purchase when you are a fan of a
musician/band? Tick as many as appropriate.
o CD’s
o Vinyl
o Digital download
o Concerttickets
o Licensedmerchandise
o Unlicensedmerchandise
o Prefertostreammusicthrough audioor videostreamingservice
o None of the above
o Other
12) Is trust an important factor for you when it comes to how you choose to consume their
music?
o Yes
o No
o Unsure
13) Are there any other important factors that you take into consideration when it comes
to how you choose to consume their music?
___________________________________________________________________
14) If you are a fan of a musician or band, is there any factors that would discourage you
from purchasing their music?
___________________________________________________________________
15) Does the way you discover new music depend on the way in which you choose to
consume music?
o Yes
o No
o Unsure

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16) Which platforms do you currently use to discover new music? Tick as many as
appropriate.
o CD’s
o Vinyl
o Digital downloads
o Concerts
o Subscriptionaudiostreamingservice
o Videostreamingservice
o Social media
o Free streamingservice
o Radio
o Television
o Word of mouth
o Reviews
o Other
17) How likely are you to purchase music by a new musician or a musician you have
recently just discovered?
1- unlikely, 2- unlikely to undecided, 3- undecided, 4- likely, 5- highly likely
18) Are there any factors that would lead to you eventually purchasing music by a new
musician or a musician you have recently just discovered?
__________________________________________________________________
19) Are there any factors that would prevent you from eventually purchasing music by a
new musician or a musician you have recently just discovered?
__________________________________________________________________
20) Does price influence the way in which you choose to consume music?
o Yes
o No
o Unsure
21) Do you feel like the method in which you consume music is the most effective way of
you getting the most out of your money?
o Yes
o No
o Unsure
22) If no, what could be changed in order for you to get the most out of your money?
___________________________________________________________________
23) What is the maximum amount you would pay for an album/vinyl (e.g. digital or
physical)?
o Discountedprices(£3-5.99)

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o Between£6-8.99
o Between£9-11.99
o Between£12-14.99
o £15-19.99
o £20-24.99
o £25+
o Wouldnot payfor musicinthisway
o Dependsonthe musicianorband
o Other
24) What is the maximum amount you would pay for a streaming service?
o Wouldprefertouse free service
o Upwards of £4.99
o Between£5-6.99
o Between£7-9.99
o £10+
o Wouldnot use a streamingservice
o Dependsonthe service
o Other
25) What is the maximum amount you would pay for a single song (digital download or
physical)?
o Wouldprefertouse subscriptionstreamingservice
o Wouldprefertouse free streamingservice (e.g.YouTube)
o Upwards of 59p
o 79p
o 99p
o £1-1.99
o £2-3.99
o £4+
o Wouldnot payfor a single songor CD single
o Dependsonthe musicianorband
o Other
26) What is the maximum amount you would pay for a concert ticket?
o £10-19.99
o £20-29.99
o £30-39.99
o £40-49.99
o £50-59.99
o £60+
o Wouldnot payto go to a concert
o Dependsonthe musicianorband
o Other
27) What is the maximum you would pay for merchandise (licensed or unlicensed – e.g.
clothing, posters, accessories)?

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o £1-4.99
o £5-9.99
o £10-19.99
o £20-24.99
o £25-29.99
o £30+
o Wouldnot payfor musicmerchandise
o Dependsonthe musicianorband
o Other
28) In a few words, describe how you perceive music as a product?
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