Use of streaming platforms

As shown in the model, in classical music consumption Hyperreality is experienced through the use of streaming platforms. Digital means are new consumption spaces where the reality is simulated, and consumers can live the simulation (Firat & Venkatesh, 1995).

45 Music streaming platforms are those digital spaces where classical music enthusiasts can experience Hyperreality. Classical music consumers develop their identity construction through consumption act in a new digital reality where searching and share musical content through digital means (Hamouda & Gharbi, 2012).

5.1.1. Browsing and searching activities

The informants of this research have made it clear that they usually involve the use of streaming platforms in their everyday life activities. According to our informants, the streaming platforms most used to listen to classical music are Spotify and Youtube, choosing them according to different interests in browsing and searching. This informant explains why she uses Spotify and Youtube according to what she wants to find or how she wants to do it:

“Spotify is what I use more and… well, Youtube… I tend to use it when I want to find new music and to do some research when I want to find something, or I already found something, and I want to look for a classical author (…). Maybe Youtube is more to research, and then in Spotify, when I already know what I want to listen to, I am looking for that CD or what is in the platform uploaded. (…) for example, in chamber music, you can find many versions that maybe, in Spotify is really complicated to find.”(App. 3, 85-95, Rosa)

This statement matches with Nowak’s point of view about contemporary modes of consumption when he argues that individuals tend to use different technologies (different streaming platforms in this case) according to the utilitarian characteristics of these digital means (Nowak, 2016). Classical music consumers’

choices when utilizing a streaming platform or another depend on the utilities that those platforms afford.

In this case, this informant gives information about their searching activities, showing an explorative interest in discovering new classical music.

Other informants have also mentioned how relevant are versions and the search of variety in the classical music catalog. If it is true that Spotify offers the quality of a CD recorded, for classical music consumers, it is also essential to find different versions of the same piece, and Youtube would provide more variety even if the quality is not always the desired. It is necessary to remember that in the classical music repertoire, most of the pieces were created a few hundred years ago, so how many times that piece could have been played or recorded? For classical music consumers, performance is a parameter to consider when searching classical music. In this sense, it is highly relevant not only the quality of the sound, or the musical content,

46 but the performance level of the orchestra, the performer’s technique, or in which way performers are feeling and transmitting the music: “Usually when I am searching for a concrete piece, besides the piece I search the orchestra, and I try to find a good one… to go directly to the best version, or one of the best versions” (App. 11, 181-183, Iván).

The relevance of the performance motivates the use of video streaming platforms such as Youtube. Besides, as not all the classical music has been officially recorded (in a digital CD, for example); classical music consumers need to use video streaming platforms like YouTube in order to find non-official versions that are not available in Spotify. As this informant comment in his interview:

“I would like to listen to all the Mozart's symphonies played by the London Symphony, but it does not mean that the London Symphony had not played all of them, because probably they did, but it is not recorded or it is not available in Spotify or other platforms.”(App. 9, 124-127, Francisco)

Classical music enthusiasts interviewed have shown an interest in searching for new contemporary classical music. Some of the informants have mentioned Soundcloud as a streaming platform less used but interesting to find new classical composers releasing their music. This fact can provide an example of the restriction of creativity led by streaming and the algorithm culture. It can be inferred that new classical music composers prefer to upload content in platforms such as Soundcloud rather than Spotify due to the way that these streaming platforms are configured, promoting more some genres than others.

The choice of using different music streaming platforms is conditioned by searching and browsing activities and the necessities of classical music enthusiasts. Consumers switch from one platform to another in order to fulfill their searching activities, so consequently, it can be inferred that these platforms do not include all the necessary tools for classical music consumption.

5.1.2. Classical music platforms

Most of our informants declare that they do not know any streaming platforms that focus on classical music. Only one informant mentioned Naxos, but he did not know if it can be considered as a streaming platform according to its interface: “I know one, Naxos, it is a kind of library… it is like Spotify, but it does not have an app, it is a webpage, I think it does not have any music that is not classical” (App. 11, 198-199, Iván).

47 Some of the informants have made significant mention of the Digital Concert Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic since they are studying music in Berlin and get free access to this platform. As this informant explains, free access and quality of content are the main reason for the use of this platform:

“What I use most is the Digital Concert Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, because besides it works really well, the quality of audio and video is impressive, like Netflix or even more, it has many interviews, much information. I am using it because the university where I am studying gives us the subscription for free” (App. 6, 103-106, Jesús)

Other informants have also mentioned these Orchestras’ platforms and webpages that offer classical music concerts, but they argue that usually, the subscription plans are too expensive, and they prefer to consume classical music from free streaming platforms. The informants do not know classical music streaming platforms such as Primephonic or Idagio, but they know these orchestra webpages, and they are not willing to pay for them. According to Wang, Zhang, Ye, & Nguyen (2000), the consumer’s willingness to adopt subscription-based online services are depending on their perception of the value, what they believe is fair, and their attitude towards paying for services that were once freely available (Wang et al., 2000). These scholars establish some factors that made consumers adopt these services: convenience, essentiality, added value, perceived service quality, usage frequency, perceived fairness, and security concerns. The classical music streaming platforms offer an improved quality in musical content, offering a more significant classical music catalogue than free streaming platforms. That addition provides an added value and improves the convenience factor that would make classical music consumers choose these platforms.

However, what can be seen as an issue is the fairness that classical music consumers perceived in relation to other musical genres. If they do not have to pay to have a huge catalog of pop music, it might be seen as unfair to pay for classical music content.

5.1.3. Sharing and following practices

The streaming platforms are also resources through which individuals can share their consumption moments with others. Through the use of the streaming platforms, music consumers influence and are influenced by others, seeking validation and acceptance of themselves. Belk (2013) defines this phenomenon as the co-construction of the self when identity is constructed collaboratively by the

48 experience of sharing (Belk, 2013). According to Belk, sharing files, and owning things jointly, create an inclusion feeling in groups, having a high relevance in the creation of group identity (Belk, 2013).

Some of the informants have mentioned social media (Instagram and Facebook) when sharing music;

however, it is not the most usual way of sharing. Most of the informants explain that usually, they tend to share music and find recommendations directly from other classical music consumers, using resources such as Whatsapp or other messaging services to send music to their friends. What is it not on record is that the informants use the sharing tools that streaming platforms offer to share preferences with others.

However, when influence by other preferences, some insights about the following practices have been found.

In digital platforms, classical music consumers are influenced by other consumers in the creation of their music library. As one of the respondents argues, the criteria to follow and create playlists depends on how many people follow it: “Usually, I look for how many users follow it, for example, there's a playlist with 6 million and another one, 3 thousand, so I follow the first one because it looks more followed” (App. 5, 80-82, Barbara)

Nevertheless, in the research, it has been noticed that usually, most of the classical music consumers interviewed are not so influenced by others when creating classical music playlists. They tend to create them according to their own knowledge and preferences and how the playlist adapts better to each consumption moment. This informant explains that she also tends to follow recommendations from their favorite artists:

M: “Where do you find music recommendations?

F: Usually, because the artist that I like to share something new. If not also Facebook, Instagram, but I don't know. In social media, for example, an artist shares something on Facebook and it says something like "new release in Spotify". It is like that.” (App. 10, 86-91, Fatima)

From a traditional point of view, leaders’ actions influence follower behavior, being the active part and who holds power in this relationship (Gilani, Bolat, Nordberg & Wilkin, 2019). However, digital means have blurred the social dynamics, and now followers also influence the leader’s performance. The classical music consumer tends to trust in their own judgment or people that they think to have the right judgment, such as teachers or other classical music enthusiasts: “I follow people who have interesting playlists, for example,

49 my old clarinet teacher made a playlist with the repertoire that had been playing in the season” (App. 11, 90-92, Iván). It can be argued that the leader’s power factor is related to the elitism and social status present in the classical music genre. According to Johnson (2002), historically, art represents power, and it is a sign for the elitism of those in power, being classical music related to an elitist social group and a distinction in social class. In that regard, power is related to elitism when for classical music consumers, the opinion of individuals that belong to that “circle” is more respected than others.