One of the oldest platforms is still the biggest vehicle for new music discovery, even among more dedicated music fans. In a just-released joint study from NPD Group and NARM, FM (and AM) radio consistently emerged as the most important place for discovery, with word-of-mouth falling second.
You'd think platforms like Pandora and places like Pitchfork would beat out local stations and their repetitive playlists, at least among more dedicated music fans. But here's a look at the ranking for the most dialed-in, 'committed' music fans. This is a group spends an average of $267 per year, plus an additional $139 on live shows.
Streaming sources like Pandora, VEVO, and YouTube are definitely in the picture, and a continuing expansion into apps and smartphones will help. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Spotify and iTunes are nowhere to be found on this list.
The story gets even more traditional with another group, an older and more 'comfortable' segment often raised on radio. Here, it's all about broadcast and word-of-mouth, with a less tech-heavy top-ten.
Turns out radio is still a gigantic bullhorn, but also a fairly dumb one. Instead of stirring excited fans to action, most have no idea what they just listened to. Instead, they're listening to ads, a deejay, or the next song. "The lack of 'back announcing' is a pain point that inhibits consumers of all grades from shopping more," the researchers relayed. "They don't know exactly what to shop for."
Comments Closed
@illect Sunday, November 13, 2011
illect
Yeah but when it's the same 50 major label artists... how is that "discovery"? Just sayin' ;)
Unknow Monday, November 14, 2011
I call bullshit.
Unknown. Monday, November 14, 2011
BINGO!
Yea, and Payola has gona away as well right?
It's the same artist on every station, over and over again. I would not use the word "Discovery" for FM radio. More like, mundane.
Visitor Thursday, November 24, 2011
That's only for commercial radio. Check out some non-commercial stations and you'll be surprised at the variety of alternative programming.
alden Monday, November 14, 2011
read Victor's comment below. just because you don't want this to be true doesn't mean it isn't.
Antonio Monday, November 14, 2011
I discovery music all day every day on Santa Barbara's community radio station KCSB 91.9fm.
If people are willing to limit the term "radio" as consisting solely of commercial radio, that is unfortunate. Community and college radio has an amazing and essential role in many people's lives, and airs the voices of those who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to broadcast so widely.
Niels Schroeter Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Yes, I'm sure many people are "discovering" the new Coldplay on radio.
SonOfTheBronx Sunday, November 13, 2011
Douglas Pucci
Now if they can rid of those pesky radio ads :)
@jacojas Sunday, November 13, 2011
Jason Jacobs
Good news radio tweeps!
@EricMADELON Sunday, November 13, 2011
Eric MADELON
Etonnant...
@audiosfera Sunday, November 13, 2011
messias bandeira
Será?
@somevelvetblog Sunday, November 13, 2011
somevelvetblog
oh, and by the way. radio still rules.
Visitor Sunday, November 13, 2011
Tony Sunday, November 13, 2011
The FM is College Radio then i'm with ya. I don't listen to Commerical Radio ever.
@BuckyKatt Monday, November 14, 2011
There's plenty of good music on radio, mostly college & public stations. And even if they're not in your geographical area, you can listen to many of them online.
I think the survey's creators should broaden its categories. I get much of my new music discoveries from podcasts, which aren't included in any of the survey's options. Some of these are from radio stations or networks, but many of them aren't.
Visitor Monday, November 14, 2011
David Monday, November 14, 2011
Show me a college or public radio station that accepts music submissions without the involvement of a radio distributor (=$$,$$$).
mdti Monday, November 14, 2011
that would be a radio that is not in the top xx of the most popular radio station.... had a few tracks aired on such radios, without the help of any promo.... just sent the cd, asked them to listened to it, and by chance, a couple were played.... I have the impression that europe has a wider choice in styles of radio channels, which i never found when i was travellling the us (with few exception, it was a lot of guitar music, classical, and sometimes a "pirate" station here and there....from what i could experience a few years back)...
mdti Monday, November 14, 2011
and it was one of the number one radio in Paris, FR (nr 1 when you remove the top x which broadcast news and major label stuff only)....
DMA Tuesday, November 15, 2011
that's easy--they all do. now you know.
mdti Monday, November 14, 2011
funny, facebook is my only current favorite way of discovering music....
@BenjiKRogers Monday, November 14, 2011
FM Radio Is Still the Biggest Source for Music Discovery...
& since music doesn't sell anymore...
@thatgig Monday, November 14, 2011
ThatGig
Very interesting article
@DanHalyburton Monday, November 14, 2011
Dan Halyburton
The old girl's still got moves.
@afternoondlight Monday, November 14, 2011
Courtney Blair
Who needs Spotify, KRCL's the way to go
@marctothec Monday, November 14, 2011
Marcus Collins
Fancy that
@Matt_Kiser Monday, November 14, 2011
Matt Kiser
But social is a close second!
Alejandro Monday, November 14, 2011
I can't prove it, but considering who did the study, I can certainly assume is BS. Discovery? Radio is playing the same 20 songs that major labels pay for every hour...
Traditional radio is clueless just like the major labels.
Maxwellian Monday, November 14, 2011
"Radio is playing the same 20 songs that major labels pay for every hour..."
Go look at what people are really listening to: It's Coldplay, Rick Ross, Drake, and Maroon 5 not the xx.
r.p Monday, November 14, 2011
Don't belive these studies. That is all.
Jun Mhoon Monday, November 14, 2011
FM and AM radio are still tops on my list as well even as I'm a digital publisher of music content in iTunes and most other online services. I still listen to Herb Kent on V102.7 in Chicago on the weekend. He not only plays the Oldies, he gives you info on the artists, record labels, and history in general. I also would consider XM a local radio source even though it's national satilite radio, the annoncers still give it a local favor because they talk to you and tell you what your listening to as well as what's going on in venues around the country. iTune's online radio station list is cool too, but it lacks that personal touch. Pandora, Spotify and other servicing need to take note. http://iammusiconline.com
Victor Laslow Monday, November 14, 2011
We can chose to believe the anecdotal comments from individuals above or fully vetted, statistically accurate info from a well-known research company. The problem really is nobody WANTS to believe this is true. The truth is that anyone who reads this blog lives in a digital bubble at the top of the music-lover food chain, and doesn't represent the avarage or marginally interested consumer.
mdti Monday, November 14, 2011
it's difficult to judge the accuracy of a study when you don't have the exact questions that were asked and/or the methods used.
Those who work in marketing research know that the way you ask question can have a strong influence on the answers from which statiscal data is derived.....
mdti Monday, November 14, 2011
that said, i am not surpised at all of the results (except that i thought the net would be much higher in rank, which could give us an indication of the age of the sample used by the agency).
Radio is a medium that is mainly used while driving (driving from home to work for example)... it is not 100% of course, but it is a large part (don't have the numbers right now)... which gives an indication as too the age/social position of the people sampled...
We don't know who answered the question, it is a problem :-)
@d_e_v Monday, November 14, 2011
dev sherlock
"FM Radio Is Still the Biggest Source for Music Discovery"
...says a study commissioned by NARM which seems dubious
@di_tuolomee Monday, November 14, 2011
Diana W.
radio's certainly not dead!
Jose Fritz Tuesday, November 15, 2011
This doesn't pass the sniff test.
@notazzz Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Anton Wahyudi
Great!
@KPFBent Tuesday, November 15, 2011
KPFB Entertainment
I know we still listen to the radio to find new music, and i guess we arent the only ones
DMA Tuesday, November 15, 2011
this is the truth, like it or not tech-nerds. and if you're simply writing this off as "clear channel" then you really need to educate yourself. in the last 10 years community and college radio have grown and grown. frankly, pandora and spotify suck for music discovery--you can only "discover" new music there if you go looking for exactly what you want to find, which isn't discovery at all. the best you get out of being on pandora is that you get to say, "i'm on pandora." you might as well just send fans to your own player on your own website.
@Jeff__Benjamin Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Jeff Benjamin
All the more responsibility to diversify.
@Dsmithsquamish Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Doug Smith
Seriously?
@EndlessONEder Wednesday, November 16, 2011
S.I.
not for me it isn't
@EndlessONEder Wednesday, November 16, 2011
S.I.
not for me it isn't
The Swan Thursday, November 17, 2011
Does the second category (friends/family play it for me) include social media? If that's the case, Spotify plays a role here since they teamed up with Facebook. You can now see online what friends have played on Spotify. The same goes for recommendations of albums bought on iTunes - quite many people post what they've bought on Facebook and Twitter. So, indirectly Spotify and iTunes might be on the list.
Mathieu-Gilles Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Where is Youtube on this list?
Where is Facebook?
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