Generally, listening to music is an outlet for existing fatigue. Usually, the music chosen to be listened linier with the listeners' feelings. However, there are also listeners who want to forget their feelings, so they listen to music that is contrary to what they are feeling.
Before the strong internet penetration, to listen to music, we need some equipment, such as cassettes, speakers, and other equipment. Along the time, the Walkman can make us listen to our favorite songs or music wherever we are. Especially now, music streaming service platforms can be accessed easily and for free (with applicable conditions).
Therefore, the youth nowadays -- or we can call them Gen Z, no longer find the difficulties in listening to music like the previous generation, who had to save up some money to buy cassettes from their favorite bands or singers. Gen Z can easily listen to music of any genre.
Seeing and knowing this situation, StratX KG Media conducted desk research and a quick survey and getting 131 Gen Z as respondents. We found a number of interesting insights that need to be discussed deeper in order to synthesize all of these findings to be useful for brands and other parties.
Gen Z Has No Identity
When Enjoying Music
There are interesting findings that we got from Sweety High who conducted a survey of the youth with music in 2018, where the results were that 97% of Gen Z could listen to five different music genres at once, ranging from musical genres to rock n roll. From this data, it can be interpreted that today's young people do not have a specific reference for enjoying music.
To strengthen this interpretation, it is necessary to know in advance how Gen Z Indonesian enjoys music. From the surveys we have conducted, we found that Gen Z most enjoy listening to music at work (73%) and before going to bed (60%). According to them, these two activities are the most suitable time to listen to music.
Then, turnout that Indonesian Gen Z no longer requires a physical collection to listen to the music. No more cassette tapes, music player, speaker, vinyl records to Walkman or compact discs -- they listen to music from streaming platforms (88%), the internet (60%), and interestingly radio (42%).
The next interesting thing in the process of how Indonesian Gen Z discovers their music. From our survey -- it can be seen that Gen Z is quite fast in getting the music they want to hear. This becomes natural if at one time Gen Z can listen to music of more than one genre at a time. Something that is viral or popular automatically becomes their favorites.
This can be happened because of social media such as TikTok, which has the ability to make users not only listen to the music, but also actively enjoy it. Like making challenges, or other content that relate to the music.
So, indirectly -- such a phenomenon forms a separate identity for Gen Z. Indonesian Gen Z adheres to the agnostic genre -- where popular and pleasant music are important factor for them.
So, What Can Brands Do?
