Digital Media and Music Exploration :: 3
Business models are shifting daily, and markets are becoming more consolidated.
Consumers are facing a mind-boggling array of gadgets and services that allow them to
access and enjoy art and entertainment in novel ways. In the face of such a daunting set
of issues, we are going to focus on just a small part of the puzzle: How do college
students go about finding new music in a digital age?
Why do we care about the discovery of new music? Is there an a priori reason to
favor “discovery” in art? Should we care if people prefer to listen to the same Beatles
album day-after-day or to a country music station that plays the same 15 songs every 3
hours? There are two reasons why a healthy art system requires its audiences and
consumers to seek out new artists and new sounds. First, innovation and creativity
require churn. If demand is sated, and audiences are complacent, then there is little room
for new artists and styles to break through. Second, ever since the British economist,
Nassau Seniors, introduced the “Law of Variety,” arguing that “our desires do not aim so
much at quantity as diversity,” economists and psychologists have explored “variety-
seeking” behavior in consumers. They have concluded that pleasure is derived from the
act of stimulating choice and discovering something new that satisfies one’s preferences.
Musicologists and music theorists, of course, have long argued that variety, surprise, and
the resolution of the unfamiliar are critical for enjoyment and deep appreciation of
music. Therefore, we can assume that there are positive benefits, for artists, for
audiences, and for the larger society, when people sample and explore new art.
PAPER ROAD MAP
Pathways to Experimentation
Scholars offer three general explanations for the behavior and strategies of
audiences and consumers. Traditionally, both mainstream media and social networks
Convention