Billboard published an interesting article yesterday called Streaming Drives Sales.
The article cited a study released by the Country Music Association that cites some fascinating statistics:
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Adults 18-plus are far more likely to buy music after being exposed to it on streaming services than listeners who hear a song for the first time on AM/FM radio
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50% who listened on a streaming app did further research compared with 17% of radio listeners
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Fans who streamed a new song were 3 times as likely to buy it than listeners who were exposed to it on radio
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25% purchased a new piece of material after hearing it for the first time online, while only 8% of radio listeners bought it
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5% of radio users mentioned a new song on Facebook, compared to 13% percent for streaming apps and 23% for YouTube constituents
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49% of YouTube users passed music along, compared to 14% of radio listeners
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Despite this remarkable information, 43% of consumers most recently heard new music on the radio. Only 28% heard new music online.
So what does this mean? Is radio dead?
Not yet, according to this survey. But it’s not as important for music sales. For new artists, though, what is priority? Is it more important for people to hear your music, or buy it?
Some would argue that the more people hear, the more likely they are to buy. One naturally leads to the other.
For new artists, though, album sales are crucial to survival. They can’t act on principle alone. Or can they?