The discovery journey of underground listeners

Ever wondered how underground music lovers discover content in an always on world?

Over the years, I’ve been handling several music related projects that were mainstream. It was very interesting for me since music has always been very close to my heart. Recently, I had an encounter with a rising underground artist who wants to be able to influence the music landscape. I remembered my old self, the young passionate artist who wants to inspire other people by sharing music. I’ve seen the same desire and passion from that underground artist and it made me feel a dire need to look deeper, review and dissect the profile of those underground music listeners. With that, I also attempted to map out their music discovery.

Here’s a condensed Market Analysis of Underground Music Listeners and their music journey:

Artsy Underground Fan — He seeks connection and meaning in music. An artsy underground listener is focused on the music he is listening to than the artist behind it. He likes a specific style and finds purpose, identification and connection while immersing himself to music.

Profile: Usually young, dedicated and artistic person who rejects the mores of conventional society. Pays for gigs, art & music festivals and digital subscription. Presents himself as introverted and unleashes creativity and depth through songs or curated playlist shared online. Up to date on new styles/music techniques and familiar about emerging artists.

Technographics:

• Owns a nice set of headphones paired with his iOs device or Laptop.
• Listens to emerging and popular artists via streaming on Youtube,Soundcloud, last.fm, Band camp and soundshelter.net
• Follows favourite artists on Social Media (Twitter & Instagram) just to know about their career.
• Invested in knowing about underground music & artists through independent label websites and events page.
• Familiar about music production tools and mixers.

Content Need:

• A platform where I can listen to underground music and collaborate with Artists.
• A space where I can check Artists Background/Profile, Tracks, comment on It and know about events.
• A page where I could know about new music techniques and trends.

Content Types:

• Lyric Video, Music Video, Audio Tracks, Behind the scenes, Interviews, Back Stories (Personal Story), Long form of content (Article), Gig Schedule (Events), Reviews, and Music Collaboration, Artist Profile (Biography), Albums, Photos.

Casual Listener — He actively listens to music. He pays close attention to what is “new” to keep up with the society. Even if he is in-the-know on the latest trends and music related shows, he is the type who usually consumes content at home or online.

Profile: Mostly professionals who wants to belong in the society but have the capacity to pay for digital subscriptions and grand events. Does not necessarily follow or support an artist but a follower of what’s new and trending online.

Technographics:

• Owns a Laptop for work and research about trends (may it be music, news or lifestyle)
• Generalist in nature who uses a high-end Smartphone to chat with friends and colleagues.
• Listens to popular artists via streaming on both free and paid music platforms.
• Follows News and Artist Pages.
• Subscribed on different channels to get updates.

Content Need:

• Content that would entertain and connect them with their peers.
• Content that would allow them to know the latest trend
• Content that would make her cool or look good in the eyes of her colleagues.

Content Types:

• Music Video, Audio Tracks, Back Stories (Personal Story), Short form of content (Article), Gig Schedule (Events), Interactive Videos, Memes, GIF, Listicles, Live stream.

Rabid Fan — Hungry for content and wants anything about the artist. Aside from being a die hard fan, he wants social connection. This music fan will most likely commune with other devoted fans to attend an event or participate in any activity that will display his love for the artist.

Profile: A die hard follower of an Artist who devoted himself not just in the Artists’ music but in his life. Has a day job or a student but makes sure to have time in flooding the online scene with praises and news about their favourite artist.

Technographics:

• Owns an Android Device
• Listens to fave artists via free-tier plans on Spotify and watches Music Video on Youtube.
• Likes joining online promos to attend live gigs/concerts.
• Follows favourite artists on Social Media just to know about their career.
• Invested in the Artists Lifestyle and looks.

Content Need:

• Anything that will lead me closer to my favourite artist
• Fan Pages where I can talk to a community with same interest
• Content that shows the life and journey of my favorite artist
• A site where I can continuously get new information and latest details on my idol.

Content Types:

• Lyric Video, Music Video, Audio Tracks, Behind the scenes, Interviews, Back Stories (Personal Story), Short form of content (Article), Gig Schedule (Events), Interactive Videos, Memes, GIF, Listicles, Live stream, Live chat, Polls, Quizzes, Glam Shots, Events Album/Photos.

What I’ve shared with you are just some of the existing music listeners out there.

I’m hoping that the rising underground artist finds inspiration to build himself in the best way he could, present in the lives of these listeners while using the right channels.

Even if there are so many ways to discover music today, I hope that he’ll cut through the clutter.

By the way, you can visit my old Soundcloud Account https://soundcloud.com/ashri or listen to some tracks below: