Nielsen Audio Presents 'Country Strong II' Survey Results During Webinar

Country: Strong!

NIELSEN AUDIO conducted its "Country Strong II" webinar today (3/1), sharing findings about usage for the format, national trends, and how the growth of streaming impacts radio. Two-thirds of all music listeners use Country, with the genre enjoying an almost equal fan-ship across the Millennial, Boomer, and Gen-X crowds. Social media is a strong activity with FACEBOOK leading the way, with SNAPCHAT and INSTAGRAM gaining popularity among Country fans. Music discovery is strong, with a surprisingly-high 42% of Country users listening at home, with 58% discovering music via AM/FM "over the air" radio.

Country is still the #1 music format nationally, although listening has dipped slightly since 2013 when the format grew substantially. Still, during the past two years, Country has been a very consistent performing format, typically showing its strongest shares during SUMMER. The format has aged some during the past five years, says NIELSEN, with 35-54 still the core audience. There's been a shift in sharing patterns in recent years, with Hot AC and Top 40 alternate destinations for Country fans.

While we all know streaming activity is blowing up everywhere, NIELSEN told webinar viewers, "streaming is your new research." NIELSEN suggested radio can use local streaming data to help spot hits, and, songs that should be played more. Audio streaming is outperforming video streams now, and Country fans are also streaming more. Unlike other formats, Country fans gravitate toward more catalog titles (70%) versus new music listening (30%). And, it's not just younger fans who stream, says NIELSEN, who said that activity included "boomers and beyond," with strong usage among 25-44 year-olds. Additionally, Country consumption is up, with its fans above the evarage in digital tracks and on-demand streaming.

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