Audience Research

Feedback on Pitch

To understand what my audience wanted from my music video, I created two questionnaires to ask my audience what they thought of my general idea for my product. I had an array of answers. 

My first question was asking if they believed my pitch fit the brief for the music videos and everybody who took the test said they thought so, which was a good start.

I next asked them if they had listened to the music I wanted to do for my music video and instructed them to do so if not. I felt that if they had heard the song, that would have a better understanding of what I was trying to achieve through my music video.

I also asked if they believed it could create an emotional video as that was the kind of genre I was hoping to go for. I feel as though a protest video is quite difficult to make positive without there being some kind of emotion behind it as well.

I next asked if people thought that this video would be appropriate as a protest song. I actually had three people say no and, in question 6, they go on to say that they feel it would be TOO emotional and not be able to be enjoyed by the intended audience. However, despite this, I disagree with popular music videos having dark and emotional videos which gain a lot of popularity from a younger audience and I believe that despite these peoples votes, my music video would be popular.

 When I asked an open question to whether my pitch would appeal to the audience, the answers were all very similar and believed that LGBT rights are very prevalent in the media at the moment and that therefore, this would be a successful video. Younger people are more likely to be able to relate to the LGBT themes in the music video due to there being approximately 52.8 million people in the UK aged between 16-24 who identify as LGB (2017).

I then asked the people doing the questionnaire if it appealed to them as the target audience. Most people said it did as it tackled prevalent social issues in society which are modern and perhaps relatable for some of the target audience. However, others said that the sombre mood and tone of the video may not appeal to everyone and that, to combat this, I would have to produce some lighthearted scenes as well which I intend on doing now, thanks to this feedback.

My final question was simply asking for suggestions and people were worried about the use of a Pride Parade due to COVID-19 and I too am also worried. Due to this, I have come up with a backup plan that I'd use if I wasn't able to shoot the video I wanted to.

By reading the responses to my questionnaire, I felt more confident in my revised idea and made sure to take everyone's comments into consideration.

However, I also made a second questionnaire which covered the entirety of music videos in a broader way which I shared with 30 people from the target audience and received answers that helped direct my research for music videos a bit more precisely.

I first asked what people liked about music videos. The majority said they preferred a story-line based music video which was excellent for me as that was what I intended doing and told me that this meant that my intended audience enjoyed an aspect of narrative to music videos. As well as this, a lot of people also said they liked artist and instrument performance. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned for this and wasn't thinking of including the band in the video at all, but, since the audience showed interest, I decided to try to include short clips of the band's performance.

 I also added an 'other' box which allowed people to add different points that I hadn't made options and of which the majority said aesthetic. Due to this, I've decided to use this idea in my music video and I feel by saturating colours and giving the footage contrast, this could help appease those who enjoy aesthetics.

 I then asked people if they liked videos that have a deeper meaning. I was surprised at the answer as the majority said that they did (Yes was 0, No was 100). This suggested to me to try to include deeper messages in the video for an active audience to try and figure out which could give them a sense of gratification.

 When asking how often people watched music videos, I wanted to get a general idea on how often the target audience engaged with the media type I chose however, I realised this was a foolish idea as the responses were extremely varied.
 I was expecting the answer I received with this question as many people choose to watch music videos from the music they already like. Therefore, this was simply to grasp an idea on how to address the audience when I start to make my website. I feel like being friendly and personal with the audience is more popular than presenting a website that is simply there to give information; interesting with audiences is important to keep them entertained.

 Again, like in the first questionnaire, I asked if people had heard the song I wanted to use, for them to have it in mind when answering the rest of the questionnaire.

 With this question, I was trying to see if people like it when the lyrics reflect the visuals because it creates a sense of gratification. Also, to fans of the song who know the lyrics, it'd be easier to spot certain features. A lot of people also said that it didn't matter, however, a single person said that they didn't like it and, looking through the rest of their responses, I believe this is because they prefer the artistic aspects of music videos rather than being relative to the lyrics.

 This question was simply to gauge my audiences music taste and to see the range of music that people listen to if they had to pick a singular genre.

 I was surprised by this response and believe that actually many people may have watched a protest music video without knowing it. For example, Lady Gaga's video 'Born this Way' is a protest against homophobia and transphobia saying that people are simply who they are

I asked this question as I felt it was important to know whether people enjoyed more light-hearted videos with lighter themes or did, in fact, enjoy a deeper storyline. A couple of the participants messaged me after they completed the questionnaire and told me the reason they said no is because they feel important issues shouldn't be forced into the video and that, if they work, they should be used, not simply to make the video seem like it relates when it doesn't.

This final question was simply to find out which platform would suit my music video best and easily helped me decide. It also is going to help me when designing my website and knowing which platforms to include/not include.

These responses were incredibly helpful as they helped me hone done on some certain aspects of my media coursework and aided me in making decisions. 

Focus group

A focus group are a group of people assembled to talk about a product before it is released. In this sense, I gathered a group of 4 people, 2 of which are the intended primary audience and the other 2 are the secondary audience. This allows me to grasp the range of opinions but also to apply my product to more people. All 4 participants fit into the target audience of the brief being a socially conscious 16-24 middle to upmarket demographic. My personal primary audience is to members of the LGBTQ+ community as well, with my secondary audience being those who support. 

By creating a focus group, my audience can directly give me their thoughts and opinions and I can more directly adhere to the interests of my audience.

Lillith Freeman - Primary Audience

Lillith is an 18-year old student who attends Sixth Form and is in her final year. She falls into the primary audience category and is a member of the LGBT community and a young public speaker for women's rights and environmental activists. She studies English Literature, Drama and History and enjoys theatre, art, history and literature.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Mainly just reformer.

What is your favourite song and why?

Michael by Franz Ferdinand. This song just makes me feel free; it's fun and feisty but has a rawness to it. It's about fluid sexuality, and the way its represented in this song is something really important to me.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

Hayley Williams (as a solo artist, not her band). Her songs feel like works of art. They have beautiful lyrics and her use of sound is interesting and exciting.

What's your favourite music video and why?

My Life is a Song for You by Tom Rosenthal. It is made by a filmmaker that I love, Bertie Gilbert, and I like it particularly because it is just so real. It isn't just a music video, it is a documentary on people's losses and their artistic responses to that, and I think it's just really special.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Probably Spotify because it's free and easy to use. I can cope with the ads!

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

Not very often but I have been to some. They tend to be too expensive for me to afford.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Ash Bournes - Primary Audience

Ash Bournes is a 19-year-old, gender-neutral member of the LGBT community, currently in their first year of university studying Bio-Chem. Their main interests, besides science, are photography and film-making, including working the cameras for costume design shoots. They also play the guitar and hope one day to perform too.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Probably a reformer, I'm pretty socially aware.

What is your favourite song and why?

See Through by CAMINO because it's really easy to sing and play along to.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

Years and Years I think because they not only play good music but also have a great message of LGBT representation in their music.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Young Volcanos by Fall Out Boy is definitely my favourite by far! It's got this really creepy imagery and it contrasts the song which is super upbeat and almost cute.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Easily Spotify. My whole family have this bundle deal, it's so easy to access and practically everyone's using it so you can find practically any song you want on it.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

If I can, I'm pretty skint at the moment. It's a great atmosphere and being around other fans is awesome too. It gives a different experience than sitting listening to it through your headphones and is just great to see the artists performing live. But right now I can't go and see any one cause, being a uni student makes it hard; it can be expensive and inconvenient to get to.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Yeah, I use pretty much all of them! Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Tumblr and Discord. I stay far away from Facebook though!

Henry Bird - Secondary Audience

Henry is a 16-year-old student, studying his GCSEs at his final year of secondary school. He studies art and music and hopes to go on to continue them at Alevel too. He enjoys keeping fit alongside his passions for art and music and spends the majority of his time playing videogames and listening to most of Spotify.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Strugglers and reformers I guess

What is your favourite song and why?

I can't pick one! Probably The Mint by Earl Sweatshirt, Stoned Again by King Krule and Guest House by The Daughters but there's so many more. They're all perfect in pretty much every way: lyricism, instrumentals, themes, you name it.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

It was a throw up between Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead but I have to go with Kendrick. He is, without a doubt, the greatest lyricist of our time, very possibly of all time.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Ain't It Funny by Danny Brown. It's an extremely introspective piece about the pitfalls of our society in how we alienate and mistreat drug users and how everyone sees it as so 'funny' that people, Danny Brown included, are doing real damage to themselves and are unwilling to help. I would suggest it highly to anyone who wants to learn about the subject and what real people re going through. The music itself is very inaccessible to most listeners but the use incredible lyrics and a mix chaotic, experimental jazz and rap make it an unforgettable experience.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

I use Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music but I tend to use Spotify more. However, I use each other for when the other doesn't have a particular thing, etc.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

Yeah, I go to concerts and stuff because I am a lover of music. There's no real experience like going to see music live. It's a good way to support artists since streaming services typically are very bad for it.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

I use Reddit and Youtube. Occasionally WhatsApp to catch up with friends.

Lientho Barclay - Secondary Audience 

Lientho, aged 23, is currently studying medicine at the University of Birmingham. When not studying, he enjoys doing sport, music and art in his spare time and enjoys taking interest in his friends' studies too such as in politics and history; he enjoys debating with friends on topical stories. 

What psychographics do you fall into?

Most dominantly succeeder but also reformer and aspirer. I want to win and be the leader in my ideal world.

What is your favourite song and why?

Winner Circle by Anderson Paak, it's such a good mix of all the human emotions I value.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

It's my favourite song so he's also my favourite artist. Anderson Paak is just a versatile chill guy.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Shackles by Mary Mary, a bit of a throwback! It's a glorified memory from my childhood so it's something I remember fondly.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Spotify, it just has everything I want on it.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

No, I've never been to one but I plan to. Just need to get enough money to go.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Yeah, I use Instagram, WhatsApp, Discord and Snapchat.

Audience Behaviour

When considering my brief of creating a protest music video and a website targeted at an audience of socially conscious 16-25-year olds, the audience takes centre stage when thinking about how to present the products. To be socially conscious, the audience has to have a cultural capital which enables them to have general understandings of the modern world and how it functions. A socially conscious audience understands to interact with the artist such as using their website and buying merchandise to support the audience.

Primary Audience
Psychographic: The typical audience for a protest music video, would be a socially conscious audience who enjoy watching music videos for narrative and engage with media products such as news sites and social media. The age demographic would be between 16-25-year olds as 61% of teens say that they are watching more online videos than they were last year, perhaps due to the increase in the popularity of sharing media products. (https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2017/08/170392/music-videos-history-popular-2017)
Age: The target audience of 16-25-year olds have an affinity for being interested in indie music, especially those of a culturally aware perspective with indie/alternative music being preferred by 31% of people between the ages 16-19 and 40% of people between the ages 20-24. The majority of the time they are female and are therefore more likely to supports and agree with the themes in the music video. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/253915/favorite-music-genres-in-the-us/)
Interests: The audience's interest would rage from interesting with videos and online media to watching films. They are more likely to be tech-savvy and enjoy interacting with more alternative media products such as Tumblr. They are likely to listen to artists with smaller followings yet with their unique sound and enjoy watching music videos. 73% of teenagers say that music videos are the best way that an artist can express their music and share their creative vision and they tend to share this online with friends, creating a large branding. (https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2017/08/170392/music-videos-history-popular-2017)
Gender: The codes and conventions found in the music video are more likely to attract women because 35% of women worldwide have experienced sexual assault and that 90% of sexual assault and rape cases are women. (https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures and https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence) Therefore they are more likely to interact with a protest video on this topic.

Secondary Audience
Psychographic: The secondary audience is going to be outside of the 16-25-year old audience, more likely to be male and interested in the music videos. Although men make up a small minority of rape victims, they still exist and therefore can relate to the music video. This also still likely to be somebody who enjoys listening to indie music.
Age: By having audiences that are out of the targeted age group, allows for a wider audience and for more people who may enjoy the music itself to also enjoy the music video and artists' website. This is shown by the 35% of people aged 25-34 enjoy alternative music as well and therefore are capable of enjoying the products of which they are not specifically targeted. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/253915/favorite-music-genres-in-the-us/)
Interests: Their interests may not be involved as much in other media products but are likely to be as culturally competent as the target audience. They likely listen to similar artists as well as enjoying reading, going to the cinema and accepting modernised lifestyles.

Gender: Men are also likely to be interested in this product too since the rape and sexual assault rates for men are unfortunately increasing and one out of every 10 rape victims are male. (https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence) This suggests that the ambiguity of the perpetrator in the music video, a woman with a moustache, allows for both men and women to put themselves in the position and to understand from personal perspectives the experience, perhaps making it more likely to stand with them.

Audience Research Summation

My audience research actually helped me revise quite a lot of my ideas, especially around the performance aspect of what I wanted to do as I didn't want to include any. From my surveys, I found that performance was actually a very popular accessory for music videos and this encouraged me to revise my ideas and include performance aspects as well. My audience research told me that people consume music videos singularly from YouTube, suggesting this is the site I will upload to as it is the most popular and most enjoyed site. 

As I suspected and my focus group confirmed, people enjoy ease over anything and therefore Spotify was the most popular streaming platform that people used. Therefore, for my website, I am going to promote the music on Spotify to achieve more of an audience. As well as this, the target audience that I used for my focus group enjoyed festivals and concerts, suggesting that the band could play at festivals as well as at venues which I and include on the website. 

I intend to use a range of darker and lighter themes for this music video with the strong idea of young love being prominent as some of my results from my survey suggested people may find it too dark and may not enjoy it. By using a variety of themes in my music video, I can achieve this mix of both dark and brooding scenes with light-hearted scenes.