User-generated video content fuels music discovery and fandom among younger people
Gen Zs and millennials rely on social media and UGC videos to find new music—and they’re willing to put their money where their ears are
User-generated content (UGC) videos fill social media feeds and capture consumer attention, and they are a significant driver of music discovery, too. If you’ve seen a trending UGC video or a viral dance routine blowing up your feed, you know that many of these videos are paired with catchy songs. It turns out that these songs sometimes attract as much attention as the videos they accompany.1 Consumers across generations are spending time watching UGC videos and tuning in, too: listening to music, discovering their new favorite songs or artists, and fueling their music fandom.
Although many consumers across generations watch UGC videos, survey results show that Gen Zs and millennials are most likely to discover music while doing so. According to Deloitte’s recent Digital Media Trends study, 82% of Gen Zs and 70% of millennials find out about new artists or music through social media or UGC video sites (see figure).2 By comparison, only 23% of people surveyed, and roughly one-third of Gen Zs and millennials, report discovering new music through recommendations on streaming music services.
Some research suggests that people spend nearly equal amounts of time-consuming music on both streaming platforms and on video-sharing websites across both short- and long-form videos.3 This suggests that these formats are in direct competition for share of ear.
Social media and UGC video sites give users access to large libraries of music. This access spurred conversations about revenues, attribution, and artist protections (among other things), and has put a spotlight on the need for partnerships between music companies and social media sites.4 Still, the link between UGC and music popularity is clear: Billboard, regarded by some as the industry-standard record chart in the United States, recently launched a chart to track music discovery and engagement on TikTok.5 When a song or artist goes viral on the social media site, the music charts tend to follow.
Content creators are perhaps essential to this culture of music-finding on social media. Many budding musicians begin by sharing their songs and talents on social media and UGC video sites, hoping to go viral, land record deals, and produce chart-topping hits.6
In addition to music discovery, social media and UGC videos help to drive and deepen music fandom. Many Gen Zs and millennials surveyed consider their fandom for their favorite music artist to be integral to their identity, and they crave more ways to engage.7 Around 75% of Gen Zs and millennials have heard music somewhere—like in a movie, on a TV show, in a UGC video, or in a video game—and have then searched for that artist’s music. And nearly 40% of these Gen Z and millennial fans follow their favorite bands and musicians on social media, indicating a strong desire to connect with artists directly, outside of just listening to their music.8
Beyond largely free music consumption on social media and in UGC videos, Gen Z and millennial respondents spend their money on music. These cohorts are more likely to have attended a live music concert in the last three months when compared with those in older generations, and they are far more likely to pay for a streaming music subscription. As some music streaming services enact price hikes, they should consider how to combat churn and retain this youngest group of loyal customers.9 Taking note of these young listeners and their preferred methods for music consumption will likely be important to capturing share of ear well into the future.
Key considerations:
- Music labels and artists should consider the best ways to leverage social media sites for effective promotion and awareness-building. Partnering with these sites to make music available—while protecting artists and ensuring proper attribution—could provide artists and studios an opportunity for extensive reach, increased awareness, and viral fanfare.
- Paid music streaming services could learn from the successes of UGC videos on social media. Music streamers should think about integrating elements of community-driven virality, personalized recommendations, and discovery to increase and improve user engagement.
- Social media sites and streaming music platforms alike should consider cross-platform and cross-content integration in their strategies. By making it easier for users to access, download, and stream music after hearing it in UGC videos (and even in video games or on streaming video services), these services could create a more seamless and engaging user experience, potentially driving more discovery and fandom.
- Streaming music services and music studios should consider the power of generative AI. For streamers, the technology could be harnessed to drive more effective and more personalized music discovery and fan engagement, perhaps through improved data collection and user targeting. For their part, music studios could use generative AI for novel methods of production and might consider tapping into a new revenue stream by licensing their music to generative AI engines.
