Reports Music

Scenes A new lens for music marketing

Mark Mulligan and Tatiana Cirisano
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20,000 foot view:  Entertainment consumption and fandom are fragmenting in the internet era as a result of the steady erosion of linear audiences, the rise of asynchronous consumption, and the increased sophistication of personalisation algorithms. Consequently, identity and culture are fragmenting as well. This has led to the emergence of new, internet-centric scenes: shared identities made up of cross-entertainment elements, including, but not limited to, music. Music marketers and A&Rs can use scenes as the new lenses from which to strategize campaigns and develop talent.

Key insights 

  • The average            spends roughly half of their            hours on entertainment, with the            share going to video
  • The steady            of linear audiences, coupled with            rise of asynchronous consumption and            personalisation, are reducing mainstream ‘cultural            while elevating niche ‘cultural movements’
  • Music artist            is fragmenting, as just            of            consumers have a favourite music            and one-third orient their fandom            songs over artists
  • As listenership            superstars account for a smaller            of listening, with more ‘micro’            for individuals and their niches
  • Because niche            are typically more engaged, fragmentation            be used as an asset
  • Scenes are            up of five key, cross-entertainment            — symbols, icons, rituals, values,            practices — which combine to            a shared identity
  • Music marketers            A&Rs can begin treating scenes            the new ‘territories’ in which            deploy campaigns and develop talent

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: A Star Is Born, Bo Burnham, BTS Army, Building Stans, Chartmetric, Clubhouse, Discord, Drake, Dua Lipa, Electric Daisy Carnival, Facebook, FANMADE, Fan To Band, Fave, Geert Hofstede, Instagram, Kate Bush, Lady Gaga, Meta, Miley Cyrus, Niche, One Direction, Shazam, Spotify, Stranger Things, Supreme, The Sopranos, TikTok, Tinder, Tony Bennett, Travis Scott, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube