It’s time to forget everything you think you know about live music fans

From major summer festivals drawing international headliners, to Friday night sets in local pubs, the UK’s live music scene is both rich and eclectic.

But what brands often fail to appreciate is, so too are its fans.

Our research shows that more than half (51%) of people aged 18 to 60 years old in the UK attend live music events. That’s the equivalent of nearly 20 million people, according to the 2021 Census.

Yet, so often, marketers either segment this huge group into stereotypes or rely on overly broad demographic data like age, gender or geography.

The result is brands building campaigns and activations based on two-dimensional profiling – profiling that fails to reflect the nuanced motivations, behaviours and desires of live music fans, and leads to a brand presence that doesn’t deliver for either fans or the business.

At Live Nation we wanted to change that.

That’s why we’ve carried out some of the most in-depth research done to date on UK live music fans. We’ve carried out a segmentation, involving surveys, hosted focus groups and even conducted immersive ethnographic research into fans lives to get to grips with exactly what makes up the ‘Fan DNA’ here in the UK.

What we’ve found is a roadmap for brands that want to optimise their involvement with live music and create partnerships that engage meaningfully with fans.

Meet the six live music segments

Far from the stereotype that live music crowds are made up of a mix of students and diehard fans, our research uncovered six core fan types that make up UK audiences of all ages at live music events.

Relentless Enthusiasts

Spontaneous and sociable, this group is passionate about live music and all new experiences. They’re outgoing and gutsy and won’t miss an opportunity to attend a live music event. They indulge in shopping, with a decent disposable income to boot.

Hyped Curators

This group may not be the ones planning a group trip but they’re passionate about keeping up with what’s popular and attending all things live – be it music, sport or comedy. They seek the latest products and embrace new brands. Laid-back and image conscious in their day-to-day lives, they can turn into party animals after hearing a few sets.

Experience Embracers

This group has worked hard to get to where they are professionally and are more than happy to let loose in their leisure time. Variety, excitement and exploring the unknown all feed into their motivations for attending live music events. They love exploring new brands too and are open to switching or adding new brands if they align with their values.

Mass Mainstreamers

These fans thrive on the buzz of big-name concerts and festivals, immersing themselves in the atmosphere and live music. They may not be the trendsetters when it comes to discovering new artists or music – but once they’re in, they’re in. They can play it a little safe and seek out external validation but they’re also savvy shoppers who remain loyal to brands they trust.

Music Aficionados

Music is a massive part of life for this group and they are ahead of the curve, discovering what’s cool long before it hits the mainstream. They’ll go above and beyond to experience their favourite artist live. They stick to the brands they know and trust and are loyal to them.

The Sidekicks

This group head to live music events to spend time with people they care about. Their joy comes from seeing their loved ones get joy from music, rather than from the music itself. This often means they’re the ones strolling around brand activations while their mates squeeze into the mosh pit. Family and financial security are their top priorities.

Brand engagement that strikes a chord

So, how should brands utilise these segments?

As a starting point, look for the overlap between your target audience and these six core segments. Then, understand what type of presence would be most effective for that group. That could mean creating functional or entertaining physical activations to appeal to ‘The Sidekicks’ browsing the site before the headline act comes on, or exclusive ticket discounts or giveaways for the ‘Experience Embracers’ seeking to discover something new. Consider partnering with new or innovative events to build relationships with the ‘Hyped Curators’, or stick to the major festival line-up if ‘Mass Mainstreamers’ are the audience you’re targeting.

Brands can take this one step further too. For each one of these groups, we identified exactly what motivated them to spend their hard-earned cash to go to a gig or festival. Take Relentless Enthusiasts. We found they were motivated by social expansion, building new connections and immersing themselves in high-energy experiences. For ‘Hyped Curators’, on the other hand, growing their social influence was key.

By identifying these emotional drivers and matching them to the underlying human needs they correspond to (using Walnut Unlimited’s Human Needs Model), we can pinpoint the best way for brands to show up for each different persona. For ‘Relentless Enthusiasts’, it’s all about a core need for play and social approval, so highly creative, entertaining and connection-focused campaigns will probably resonate. ‘Hyped Curators’, meanwhile, are often showing up to satisfy an innate desire for uniqueness. This could lend itself to on-site brand activations that give them the chance to document exclusive experiences and share it with their social network.

These are just a few examples of how marketers can use this insight to get more tailored and strategic with their investment in live music.

The bottom line is there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ for live music fans. By thinking too broadly about who they are and what they care about, brands will inevitably create broad-brush campaigns that fail to speak to anyone, because they try to speak to everyone.

It’s time to ditch the stereotypes and take a brand-new look at who live music fans are and what they want to hear from brands.

To learn more about Live Nation’s research and how to partner with festivals and venues, email David.Pepper@LiveNation.co.uk