Online live music consumption in Japan

This survey from MMD Labo looked at the safest way to enjoy live music these days, viewing online live music.

I’ve not watched any online live music free or paid, although over the New Year my favourite Japanese band, Southern All Stars, did an online live concert (they normally see in the New Year with an in-person concert) with tickets at 4,500 yen each, and I was sorely tempted…

Here’s a random song of theirs off YouTube; I’d not actually seen or heard this one before:

Research results

Q1: How do you usually listen to music? (Sample size=15,735, multiple answer, top ten)

On free video playback service	53.6%
On television	39.7%
On bought CD, DVD, Blu-ray	33.2%
On AM, FM radio	25.8%
On rental CD, DVD, Blu-ray	15.2%
On internet radio	13.5%
On fixed-price music distribution service app	11.6%
On bought digital downloads	11.1%
On free music distribution service, app	10.7%
On free option of fixed-price music distribution service app	9.9%

Q2: Do you know about free online live music distribution services? (Sample size=15,735)

Know and use them	31.2%
Know about them, but haven’t used them	17.2%
Just heard the term	28.6%
Don’t know at all	23.1%

Perhaps not surprisingly, the younger people were, the more likely it was they had heard of and used such services.

Q3: Do you know about paid online live music distribution services? (Sample size=15,735)

Know and use them	14.4%
Know about them, but haven’t used them	25.6%
Just heard the term	33.9%
Don’t know at all	26.1%

Once again, the younger people were, the more likely it was they had heard of and used such services.

Next, 48.9% of the 15,735 people from the previous questions had attended an ordinary live concert in person. They were then asked this:

Q4: Why do you attend normal live concerts, etc? (Sample size=7,688, mutliple answer, top ten)

	All N=7,688	Male N=3,450	Female N=4,238
It’s an artist I particularly like	46.0%	39.0%	51.6%
I wanted to hear their songs live	44.9%	37.7%	50.8%
I wanted to see them live	44.6%	37.0%	50.9%
Load music is powerful	19.4%	18.9%	19.7%
I wanted to listen to the artist’s MC live	15.0%	12.3%	17.2%
I wanted to experience solidarity with other fans	14.8%	12.8%	16.4%
I could only see the artist if I went in person to the concert	13.3%	11.5%	14.9%
I wanted to directly cheer and clap for the artist	12.8%	9.3%	15.7%
I went along with friends, family	12.3%	12.7%	12.0%
I wanted to relieve stress	9.4%	8.8%	9.8%

Q5: Why do you attend online live concerts, etc broadcasts? (Sample size=2,263, mutliple answer, top ten)

	All N=2,263	Male N=994	Female N=1,269
I wanted to see them live	50.4%	37.2%	60.8%
I want to support financially an artist I like	21.7%	16.1%	26.0%
I can watch and listen to an event in far-off location from my own home	20.9%	17.3%	23.7%
I don’t need to travel, but can just watch and listen from home	20.3%	19.3%	21.1%
Due to COVID-19 I’ve avoided going to physical events	18.3%	15.8%	20.3%
I can get enough of the live experience through the screen	16.1%	12.4%	19.0%
I wanted to see an artist who normally is difficult to get tickets for	14.4%	14.2%	14.6%
I can quietly enjoy the concert by myself	12.0%	14.6%	9.9%
Tickets are cheaper than ordinary concerts	11.3%	11.5%	11.2%
Due to COVID-19 I have enough spare time for concerts	10.1%	12.3%	8.4%

Q6: Why do you not attend online live concerts, etc broadcasts? (Sample size=6,549, mutliple answer, top ten)

Data transmission changes	30.0%
Despite being online, ticket prices are high	23.5%
Don’t really know how to participate	20.4%
Can’t enjoy it on a tiny smartphone screen	18.0%
Don’t feel the same attraction as for physical live events	16.4%
No artists I like are doing it	15.9%
I can enjoy free live services enough	15.5%
Broadcast times didn’t fit with my schedule	15.4%
Cannot get the same excitement as with physical live events	12.0%
Cannot directly meet the artists	9.5%

Q7: If you knew about the features of paid online live concerts, would you want to attend in the future? (Sample size=9,451)

Yes	1.6%
Perhaps	13.8%
Perhaps not	41.1%
No	43.5%

Q8: After physical live concerts restart, do you want to still use paid online live concert broadcast services? (Sample size=6,284)

Want to use both	23.1%
Want to occasionally use online	26.7%
Don’t really want to use	20.7%
Won’t use	29.4%

Demographics

Between the 24th and 26th of November 2020 20,000 members of the MMD Labo monitor group aged between 15 and 69 years old completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were given.