Radio takes centre stage for passionate music fans
New research from Bauer Radio shows Radio as the number one destination for listeners to find out about new music.
Bauer’s Passion Portfolio includes stations Kiss FM, heat, Q, Kerrang!, Smash Hits and The Hits, which reaches 6.1 million younger listeners (15-34 year olds) every month.
The research, sourced by Bauer Radio, used Facebook brand pages and brand websites of its Bauer Passion Portfolio stations to find out how active online listeners view the role of radio in the music mix. The findings challenge the notion that young people are moving away from radio, suggesting instead that radio is actually taking a role at the centre of the music listening experience for passionate music fans.
88% of Passion Portfolio listeners had consumed music through Radio in the last week, compared to:
- 61% via an iPod/MP3 player
- 56% through TV music channels
- 50% through internet video sites
- 46% through CDs
- 40% on Mobile Phones
The passionate music fan base was also asked what was the ‘main way’ they had consumed music in the last week. 48% of people said Radio, making it the number one choice ahead of iPod and MP3 players on 22%.
The research also showed that Radio is the number one choice when it comes to finding out about new music, with 83% choosing it as their means for discovering what’s out there, followed by ‘Through Friends’ with 53%, and ‘TV Music Channels’ at 50%.
When subjects were asked, ‘Whose opinion do you trust the most when it comes to new music recommendations?’ 42% picked radio – more than any other choice, proving that when it comes to trusting a medium to offer sound recommendations to its listeners, Radio is where people go. This was followed by ‘Friends’ on 22% and ‘TV Music Channels’ on 11%.
The research went on to reveal that 67% of Passion Portfolio listeners went to a live music event in the last year and 21% of listeners said that they use gigs and concerts to find out about new music.
Robbie McIntosh, Strategic Insight Director, Bauer Media comments, “There have been some suggestions that the internet is replacing radio as a music source so we wanted to investigate this and understand the truths about how young passionate music fans are exploring and sharing music. There was also a challenge issued to radio to show its continuing relevance to record companies at the recent Radio Festival since the internet can connect fans and artists online. Our research of these music fans shows that radio is sitting at the heart of all music discovery, listening and sharing. Radio fuels internet exploration because radio is the most trusted source of introducing new music which can then be further explored online. This is another way in which radio is a perfect partner to online activity and social media channels.”