Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in music. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping music
Labels, streaming services and live music businesses need to know how people listen, discover artists and choose concerts, and to pay artists accurately.
- Streaming dominates listening
- Live music is a growing revenue source
- Royalty accuracy builds artist trust
Client background
A music label, working in India. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A music label
- Sector
- Music
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Market sizing and competitive intelligence, Online surveys
Client challenge
The label wanted to invest in regional music but needed to prioritise languages.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: sizing demand for regional music content.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of listeners.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 3,000 listeners.
- listeners3,000
Audiences we typically reach in music
ListenersConcert-goersArtistsStreaming subscribersVenue operators
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A structured analytical design combining desk research, modelling and primary evidence.
- 1Brief
- 2Listener survey
- 3Desk research
- 4Insight
We combined listener surveys with platform research to estimate interest by language.
Market sizing and competitive intelligenceOnline surveys
Sampling strategy
- listeners
- 3,000
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Secondary sources and client data were compiled and cross-checked before modelling.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Market model built from secondary data and primary evidence
Key findings
- Punjabi and Bhojpuri showed strong growth.
Invest where listening is growing.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: invest where listening is growing.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: punjabi and Bhojpuri showed strong growth.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The label signed artists in those languages first.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do people discover music?