'On-the-go' audience has no time for entire songs
Wednesday, 11 Jun 2008 08:01
Pace of modern life means music fans do not have time for whole songs
The pace of 21st century life means that young music fans do not have time to listen to their favourite songs in their entirety, according to new research.
Some 44 per cent of British music fans will only listen to a song for 30 seconds before skipping to a new track, while one in five women aged 18-24 hit the 'next' button after less than 20 seconds of a song.
And according to a new survey carried out by Sony Ericsson, the impatience of young listeners is also evident in music sales, with the majority of consumers purchasing single tracks rather than albums.
The Sony Ericsson research also indicated that 18- to 24-year-olds listen to snippets of songs in search of an emotional reaction of sorts, whether it be to feel cheered up (29 per cent of respondents), relaxed (eight per cent), more motivated to work (nine per cent) or to feel more alert (six per cent).
Dave Hilton, Sony Ericsson UK & Ireland's head of marketing, commented: "We suspected that music listening trends were changing and the research proves this.
"We are consuming music in much shorter bursts to fit in with our busy lifestyles - a quick music fix on the way to work, in between phone calls, between classes, is what we are looking for.
"As music providers we need to adapt to this new trend and make it easier than ever to enjoy music on the move."
He explained that the phone giant is to conduct biological research to reveal the emotional and physiological effects of short bursts of music.