Now that people are getting used to staying at home, they’re increasingly grabbing their popcorn and turning to entertainment to escape the grim pandemic news, according to the second installment of Nielsen Music/MRC Data’s survey series, "COVID-19: Tracking the Impact on the Entertainment Landscape."
So how can music companies take advantage of this shift? We pulled four key insights from Release 2 for music executives looking for ways to help their artists cut through the noise.
1. Bundle new music with old faves.
With 84% of music consumers listening to music they usually listen to and 62% enjoying music they haven’t heard in a while, artists’ back catalogs could be powerful vehicles for promoting new tunes. (And with 62% of survey respondents listening to new music, too, promoting new stuff may well be worth the effort.) Playlists that mix catalog and new releases could pay off now.
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2. Just add video.
Consumers are increasingly listening to music on TVs, video game consoles and computers -- making music videos more important than ever, with music video plays trending up 8.1% in the week ending April 9. Many labels are already making new official music videos for their old hits, but fresh clips could work for lesser-known deep cuts or recent releases, too. Pro tip for artists: Get real with your fans. Music-video viewers are responding well to personal introductions and storytelling that puts the music in context.
3. Create fun for the whole family.
Parents are still desperate to occupy their children as they continue to work from home, but the explosion of playlists aimed only at the tots or squarely at the working grown-ups are already losing their appeal, according to the survey. Maybe that’s because the whole family is stuck in the same room and can't agree on either. Try crafting inclusive playlists that all ages can appreciate.
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4. Pass the tip jar.
While livestreams won’t replace real concerts, the survey found that 28% of respondents would be willing to pay for a virtual show. But allowing fans to tip during free performances is yielding significant revenue for some acts, too. Take requests: Teens are desperate for social interaction. And stay tuned for data coming in May from Nielsen Music/MRC Data’s third survey in the series, which will reveal exactly how much fans are willing to spend to attend concerts online.