Why buy an album? The motivations behind recorded music purchases

Steven Caldwell Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The present study examined why music fans choose to buy recorded music given the multitude of other ways to listen to music without payment. A sample of 135 participants (68.88% female) with a mean age of 29.05 years completed an open-ended questionnaire. These written responses were analyzed thematically. Two key themes were identified: Short-term comparisons and Long-term considerations. Motivations focused on value-maximization across both themes, with short-term comparisons including how many songs were liked on an album and the pros and cons of different formats. Price was by far the biggest factor. Long-term considerations were more sophisticated, with wider motivations including where money goes, and a consideration of recording artists’ financial position. Some participants mentioned as a factor how long an album would be enjoyed, thus betraying the nature of music as an experience good. The desire to add to a music collection was an important consideration. The findings suggest that what might drive people toward music piracy is not the perceived costliness of music but rather a perception of poor value for money. Discussion focuses on how the recorded music industry can make legal purchases of recorded music more attractive than illegal counterparts.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)79-86
Number of pages8
JournalPsychomusicology: Music, Mind and Brain
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2016

Keywords

  • recorded music
  • consumer behaviour
  • music industry
  • music piracy

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