Understand listening habits and preferences of people towards Indian classical music and propose strategies to trigger its growth

Abstract

The purpose of the project was to broadly understand the direction Indian Classical Music is headed towards from the point of view of critical people in the value chain of the music industry - the performer and the listener. Market Research techniques like surveys and exploratory research were used to reach out to the two groups. Among the consumer s, we identified two distinct groups the Classical Music listeners and the Non-listeners and found some important factors distinguishing the two groups. Some of the factors are behavioral, like hobbies and weekend activities; there are also others like influences, attitude towards Classical Music and the problems in terms of understanding Indian Classical Music. Among Classical music listeners, we identified four sub-types based on the intensity of listening to classical music the purists who only listen to Indian Classical Music, the heavy listeners, the medium listeners and the light listeners. A discriminant analysis on these groups further identified some of the factors or attributes that give us more insights about each such group. Based on the factors that identify them, we gave names to these classical listeners The purists are an elite group consisting of very few but homogeneous people who only listen to classical music and hence we call them The Elitists. The heavy listeners are those who are loyal to classical music but are not willing to pay, hence we call them The Loyal Misers. The medium listeners are those who like and listen to classical music, but are also try other forms of music. However, their current spends on music and the willingness to pay for Indian Classical Music suggests that they are The Promising Rasikas. The light listeners are not particular fond of any particular type of music and pursue a lot of activities and hobbies. They are an experimental and diverse lot, with higher spend on hobbies and willingness to pay for classical music. Hence we call them The Jack of Alls. There is also a large group of non-listeners who find classical too technical and complex and prefer film music among the various music forms. From a marketing perspective, we propose target marketing strategies depending on the factors affecting each group. While there are no changes in Indian Classical Music necessary for the Elitists and the Loyal Misers, the marketing challenge is to find ways and means of getting them to pay. On the other hand, the Promising Rasikas and the The Jack of Alls are more willing to pay but have some trouble in understanding the current form of classical music. Marketing efforts should therefore be focused on demystifying Indian Classical Music for these groups and hence some changes to the current form of the product are suggested. From the performers we spoke to, the consensus was that in order to pursue Classical music as a viable full time profession, it is important to be at a top artist or teacher. In order to retain their position in the industry, they need to periodically establish their credibility in the core circuits of these art forms.