The Customer Journey in the Music Industry: Small Changes, Big Impact
In the music industry, the customer journey - how fans discover, engage, and support artists - is not just a process but a powerful tool that can be significantly improved with minor yet strategic adjustments. As music marketers and artists, we have a unique opportunity to continuously innovate the fan experience, leading to increased loyalty and engagement.
Over the last four years, I realized how the pandemic has opened our industry's eyes and helped us understand that personalization and engagement have changed how we interact with artists and fans. As discussed in my previous post, we’ve had to learn how to create new experiences that resonate deeply with our audience in ways we never have before.
The music industry has transformed how fans connect with music and artists,
ensuring a more substantial, loyal audience.
The pandemic has only underscored the importance of personalization and engagement, showing us that these elements can transform how fans connect with music and artists, creating a more loyal and dedicated audience by making small yet significant changes in the customer journey.
The Customer Journey
In an article published in the Harvard Business Review, executive adviser David C. Edelman and director of McKinsey’s global customer engagement practice Marc Singer emphasized that “unlike the coercive strategies companies used a decade ago to lock in customers, cutting-edge journeys succeed because they create new value for customers: Customers stay because they benefit from the journey itself.”
Spotify Discover Weekly
Source: SoundCampaign.
How The Industry Adapted
Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” playlist looks at user listening habits, uses algorithms to look at their music preferences, and suggests new playlists every Friday. This latest release engaged music fans and gave artists new ways to connect. When we used to ask our favorite artists, “What are you currently listening to?” we could now simply find the playlists they created and hit play. You couldn’t get more connected than that.
Musicians also found a way to enhance their engagement through social media. Many of them had teams that ran their social media channels but found that the best way to connect was to do live streams and talk to their fan base directly through social media. Artists like Lizzo became increasingly popular during the pandemic. She started the movement by sharing behind-the-scenes content, playing virtual games, and finding creative ways to engage with her fans.
Apple Music’s integration of real-time lyrics allows users to sing along as they listen to songs through their devices. This interface makes the listener experience more interactive and engaging. Users can now spend more time on the platform and develop a stronger affinity for the service, making artist's music more accessible and enjoyable for their fans.
Taylor Swift at Rep Room meet and greet
Credit: Taylor Swift
Lastly, facilitating fan-artist interactions, such as Taylor Swift’s invitation-only meet and greets, which I highlighted in another post, has been an excellent way for artists to make their fans feel valued and appreciated. Personalized meet and greets, where artists invite fans to private events or backstage after concerts, are an excellent opportunity to strengthen their fanbase’s loyalty and create memories beyond just the music.
The journey is about creating personalized experiences that bring us closer to the artists we admire.
“Thanks to rapid technological advances, fan engagement is evolving,” noted Ernst & Young’s Managing Director Charley Shoemaker and Senior Manager Nuno Leal. “But the evolution is more nuanced than a simple shift in the fan-artist relationship.”
Takeaways
The pandemic underscored the necessity of adaptability and innovation in the music industry. The rapid shift to virtual concerts, increased use of streaming services, and creative distribution channels showcased the industry’s ability to respond to changing circumstances.
This adaptability and new techniques paved the way for new approaches to music marketing, improving the customer journey in our industry as we found ways to stay relevant and continue to provide memorable experiences for fans.