Music is such an entity that fits well with any mood and comfort people. It helps to uplift mood. Likewise, when the world has been battling the Covid-19 pandemic, music has brought us comfort in dealing with difficult times. Covid-19 led us to form a closer bond with this form of art, revealed a new study from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Based on the opinions of 43,000 people across 21 countries, the report showed the supportive role that music plays in our day-to-day lives. According to 80 per cent of respondents, music helped with their emotional well-being during the pandemic. Respondents who fall between 16 years and 19 years old, over two-thirds of whom, were quoted as saying, “New release from their favourite artists helped them during the pandemic.”
Many have chosen solace in classics during this period of uncertainty; about 63% of respondents preferred to discover new music and new artists. This could go some way to explain why interest in music is stronger than ever.
The report also disclosed the overall time spent listening to music every week is 18 hours and 24 minutes. It is around 23 hours in China, which is up from just 17 hours and 42 minutes in 2019.
As the festivals and concerts have been shut due to the deadly virus, fans have switched to digital platforms to maintain connections with the music and artists they like. Two-thirds of respondents felt that music is central to what they enjoy about the Chinese platform.
The report also highlighted music had occupied a prominent place in the gaming world. One in 20 respondents watched a live music stream on a video game platform like Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, etc. Fortnite recently launched a new series of virtual concerts with Aya Nakamura, Tones and Mohamed Hamaki, making the game a veritable entertainment platform.
Though these interactive experiences are a new phenomenon, the appetite for streaming is not. Around three-quarters of survey respondents mentioned they listen to Music through Music streaming services. They prefer this mode of listening because no advertisements interrupt the music, they can listen to what they want, and accessibility of millions of songs.
