A plurality of country music fans believe the music is getting better, NuVoodoo’s Carolyn Gilbert and Leigh Jacobs said during the CRS research presentation on Thursday. “Put in perspective, ‘better’ beats ‘worse’ nearly three to one,” said Jacobs, discussing the findings from a qualitative study examining the makeup of the country music fan. “Far more embrace the changes that they are perceiving in country music.”
The study involved 1,500 country music fans — 1,000 of whom were country radio listeners — indicated that while radio still plays a role in music discovery, it’s far from the only source for new music.
“Streaming and radio function differently,” Jacobs said. “To earn airplay, songs need wide acceptance.”
Most listeners — 80% of them — like the idea of live radio broadcasts, but 44% say they’ve never seen one. “Let’s get radio out of the studio,” Jacobs said. “Remotes, public appearances — bring radio back into the public view. Let’s bring it back into the conversation.
Also: Listeners are noticing their favorite personalities are getting downsized. “Thirty-six percent agreed that many of the hosts and DJs they had enjoyed hearing on the radio lost their jobs. They’re aware.”
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