Classical music continues to lose its base in spite of its superior artistry and quality. It is up to the practitioners of classical music to analyze the reasons behind the decreasing base and think over how to expand the base again. This study set ou...
Classical music continues to lose its base in spite of its superior artistry and quality. It is up to the practitioners of classical music to analyze the reasons behind the decreasing base and think over how to expand the base again. This study set out to analyze the propensities of those who purchased music one of the various ways to enjoy classical music and propose ideas based on the results to marketers.
In order to examine the characteristics of those who purchased classical music sound source, the study set the four following research questions: first, what are the motivations of those who purchase classical music sound source? Second, what are the barriers to their purchase of classical music sound source? Third, what are the selection factors for their purchase of classical music sound source? Finally, what are the satisfaction factors after their purchase of classical music sound source? Based on those research questions, a questionnaire was made up and distributed to 100 subjects. Based on the analysis results of responses, the following suggestions were made:
First, the analysis results show that emotional and affective aspects including affective pleasure, aesthetic pleasure, and stress relief played a huge role when they decided to purchase classical music sound source. It is required for marketers or music product professionals to analyze the emotional aspects of purchasers in a more sophisticated and multilateral manner and take the emotional elements of marketing into account.
Second, the biggest barriers to their purchase of classical music sound source were "financial hardship" and "lack of appreciation time," which reflects the recession and busy lifestyle. Those two factors were especially prominent barriers among those who were in their twenties. It is thus necessary to develop diverse marketing strategies for the younger generation including those who are in their twenties and take interest in the expansion of the base of classical music among those who are in their twenties.
Third, the major selection factors of classical music sound source were the repertoire, completeness, and the artist's reputation, which shows that consumers take into the essential aspects of classical music sound source when making a purchase choice. It is critical to create demands by restoring the hidden repertoires of famous artists and improving the sound quality of or promoting the repackage of works whose musicality and historicity has been proven.
Fourth, those who were in their twenties exhibited a higher satisfaction level with the "name value of the artist" and "portability and convenience" after purchasing classical music sound source than the other age groups. For portability and convenience, they loved MP3 or streaming service rather than CD, which raises a need for media-specific strategies. Since they enjoy classical music through MP3 or streaming service, it is difficult to build a structure in which classical music can generate profits through those who are in their twenties. In a long term, it is needed to develop demands from young consumers to fill the void after those who are in their thirties, forties, or fifties get old.
Finally, there should be institutional and policy supports. It is important for the industry, consumers, research institutes, and educational institutes to recognize the flow of the base and build an institutional system under the leadership of the government when the younger generation cannot enter the market as a new purchasing segment. An independent department should be founded to support performances and players as well as classical music sales business to carry out support policies more systematically. Interest should be invested in the expansion of the universal base for the genre by supporting the growth of minor classical music labels, building a specific database for the classical music industry, analyzing the consumer propensities based on the database, and bringing up professionals for classical music marketing.