How do music fans attempt to impact charts and what are the consequences of these actions?

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying the different strategies fans put in place in order to enhance the chart performances of their music idol. In addition to this, the research also focused on shedding a light on the motivations of fans to act in a chart obsessive way and the implications of the access to data regarding charts that fans can access today. Finally, the research gives an insight on the aftermath of these actions on fans thanks to a qualitative study that consisted of an netnography and interviews of 15 respondents participating in online communities of the music industry. Regarding the strategies identified, they could be divided into 3 sets of strategies. The first set of strategies concerns the ones that will directly impact streams, sales and radio airplays as these are the elements that are accounted for the charts. The research has also revealed that fandoms in the realm of the music industry will set up strategies such as bank pages that solely serve as pages that will give funds to other fans so that they can purchase music. In addition to this, fans will tend to ask other fans proof of their purchase, they do not hesitate to try to contact the music idol’s management team, they use the principle of gamification in streaming and even use chart enhancement websites which are websites created by fans that summarize all the different ways to support a song or an album on the charts. Finally, the study has also shown that fandoms will also use collaboration with other fandoms in order to increase the chart numbers of their music idol. The second part of the research aims to understand the motivations the fans have when it comes to pushing the performance of their idol on the charts. For this section the study has revealed that fans are motivated by different factor such as the arguments the have online with other fan groups or the price that the artist decides to set for a product. Other source of motivations mentioned in the study is the influence of superfans in the fanbase. Indeed, superfans are the members who will, most of the time, motivate the rest of the group to act in a chart obsessive way. The size of the fandom has also been mentioned in the sense that a bigger fandom is more likely going to influence members of the community to enhance the performance of an idol on the charts. The perceived level of fandom and the artist’s behavior towards chart are also elements that motivates members in music fandoms. Finally, the knowledge of a possible milestone being reached is also an element that motivates fans. The study also shows that the access to data has changed the behavior of fans in the realm of the music industry. Thanks to the data access, fandoms are better organized, more motivated and can predict how the charts will look like and act accordingly