This must leave quite the void for music lovers, artists and brands, right? Not entirely, as innovative ways to reach fans, continue conversations and drive engagement have risen to prominence these past few months.
Where Can Brands Reach Consumers?
With stay-at-home mandates slowly lifting, streaming at home remains at an all-time high. Social media is the go-to concert venue as artists are hosting live concerts to foster more personal interaction with fans. Google searches for “Instagram Live” have increased exponentially as more users are craving connection and distraction. Consumers are finding new ways to listen to their favorite artists via video game consoles and smart speakers.
36% of U.S. adult smart speaker owners say they are using their device more to listen to music and entertainment since COVID, and 52% of 18-34-year-olds say they’re listening to the same amount. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, who offer the ability to run Spotify in the background while playing games, reported a 50% increase in listeners, ranking in the top three platforms over the last month.
What are Consumers Listening To?
Throwback Thursday. Listening time around activities like cooking, chores, family time and home relaxation have each been up double digits. Users are seeking comfort in old favorites. Spotify reported a 54% increase in nostalgia-themed playlists incorporating keywords like “oldies” or “throwback.”
Latest Podcasts. Despite a drop in time spent listening to podcasts while driving, podcast usage in general is increasing as more consumers are desiring diversification. The usage occasions where brands can be front and center are expansive: when listeners are relaxing at home, running errands, doing chores, working, walking, hiking or exercising.
How Can Brands Engage Right Now?
Let Virtual Entertainment Lead the Way
- Twitch is seeing content consumption up 79% since April and higher engagement rates (23%) on sponsored content since the pandemic. They’re also focusing on reaching music lovers by hosting two-hour shows called “Sessions” every Wednesday and allowing viewers to donate to MusiCares charity relief fund.
- TikTok added 12M unique visitors in March, up 50% in January. They’re amplifying their livestream capabilities with a newly introduced #HappyAtHome-Live!, a nightly series only available on the app that features musicians and creators. Twitch continues to reign in the space, bringing in 5 trillion hours watched, which represents a 48% increase over March, and a 101% increase over April 2019.
Both platforms help reach additional audiences natively on the platform and through custom integrations.
All Ears
- Voice is estimated to have 1 million smart speaker users this year, representing a 13.7% YOY growth. As using smart speakers becomes commonplace, identify how your brand can be front and center.
- The bulk of music fans are flocking to Spotify. Last month, eMarketer announced Spotify took the top spot, growing 25.4% in 2019 with 65.4M users compared to Pandora’s 63.1M. It’s estimated Spotify will continue to see rapid growth, upwards of 10% to 75.9M users thanks, in part, to partnerships with Google Mini, Hulu and Samsung devices that help expand its reach with listeners.
Implementing podcast ads or a co-branded playlist generator can drive awareness and provide solutions for users’ mood flux during COVID.
Consumers First, Always
During this crisis it’s important to be genuine, sensitive and solution-oriented for driving consideration among consumers. 75% of consumers stated they felt that companies should not exploit the health crisis to promote their brand and 77% expect brands to be helpful during this pandemic.
Being cognizant of how your audience has been affected and what they’re doing when they are served ads should guide messaging and interaction on these platforms.
To hear more on Spotify’s platform developments and trends during COVID-19, listen to our podcast with Spotify’s Head of North American Ad Sales, Brian Berner.