Study Confirms Longer Music Samples Sell More Tracks

Posted on 03. Jun, 2009 by refe in MUSIC INDUSTRY

apple itunes 300x204 | Study Confirms Longer Music Samples Sell More TracksA new study, which we’ll file under you’re-just-figuring-this-out-now? category, reveals that when consumers are offered longer, full quality music samples they are more likely to buy the full song. The research suggests that the standard 30 second iTunes-style preview is less effective than a sample that, for example, plays an entire verse-chorus cycle or even the complete song.

The idea that significant numbers of people would be interested in simply trolling services like iTunes for their music fix without ever buying has always struck me as ridiculous. The world has BitTorrent for that, or the more secure Usenet. (And if people really are interested in using iTunes as free radio, 30 second limits won’t stop them.) People go to the iTunes store because they want to buymusic. Shouldn’t iTunes primary interest lie in making sure they will once they get there?

With the vast amount of music being offered online listeners want to try before they buy. Allowing them to do so encourages checking out new artists, digging beyond a band’s current radio single and exploring older works that they may not have been willing to take a chance on otherwise. Consumers get to make an informed purchase and the retailer sells more tracks. Everybody wins.

This just highlights another example of music retailers and the larger recording industry missing opportunities because they are so hyper-focused on monetizing every experience of music any listener ever has. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this us-against-them attitude with consumers is causing practices that actually discourage them from buying.

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3 Responses to “Study Confirms Longer Music Samples Sell More Tracks”

  1. Susan

    03. Jun, 2009

    It’s crazy how the majors are branding the entire music-buying community as thieves and crooks who need to be restricted, and then still expecting them to buy, buy, buy. Can you imagine if Target locked up everything from orange juice to peanut butter to prevent you from shoplifting, and then expected you to still like buying from them? It’s just tiresome.

  2. Rick Tuma

    04. Jun, 2009

    Your topic is timely! Just last night I was wrestling with the decision; should I buy the Dove’s latest album? The iTunes 30-second tracks weren’t telling me what I wanted to know, especially because the review hinted at things the snippets weren’t confirming. In a moment of insight I remembered that bands are providing full track playback on their MySpace pages. It was on their page that I heard the proof I needed to make the $9.99 investment in DRM free tracks from iTunes.

  3. beyondsight

    18. Jun, 2009

    It’s crazy how the real losers are the musicians .People don’t pay for what they can get for free so artists stop making music .People are not buying .they expect you to purchase equipment , record and produce music for free .Corporate conglomorates make the real money and the artist s share is less and less.I suggest that every profession work for free on the internet. I suggest that capitalism fails. Make lawyers and everything free .It will definitely make consumers happy.Make the music yourself .Purchase the equipment , mix and mater and sell your soul to i-tunes for less than .99 cents a wop.you can’t blame consumers for wanting or expecting everything for free . some businesses should survive I suppose musicians shouldn’t by the looks of articles like these. I don’t want an us against them. Musicians want to make a comfortable living just like everyone else. they don’t be ripped off but the game is set. the companies are ripping the musicians off . Musicians Quit. the world is forcing you to quit! Give all your music away for free and sell t-shirts . you will make enough to eat. at it beats the hell out of .60 .Steve Jobs smart business man sold the ipod for $200 bucks a wop got in bed with corporate record companies designed a scheme to make money for them and destroy the independent artist which by the way made gains but not be outdone this scheme worked beautifully on so many levels. now musicians if you really want to make a living don’t create cds. this will end the drm problem . and free will mean no more consumer fighting buy the t-shirt s they’re cool . they’re $15.00 but at least musicians can eat !