As part of the recent NARM conference in San Diego, CA (June 7-10, 2009), Colen Research & Consulting conducted a live panel discussion among college-aged music consumers. This serves as a report of the key findings from the panel.

Objective
The two-part objective of the panel was to: A) Better understand how college-aged consumers are currently discovering, managing and listening to music; B) Obtain feedback on various new business models—both physical and digital.

Methodology
Eleven consumers from the San Diego area participated in the panel. The discussion took place on June 8, 2009 and lasted approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Before coming to the panel discussion, each consumer was sent various new music products and was asked to experience the products in the context of their own lives and music habits. They were given a little over one week to use the products, during which time they were asked to keep a written log of their experiences. The survey that accompanied the products covered their current music behaviors and questions related to their reactions to the new products they were sent. Consumers’ behavior, initial reactions to the products, actual usage and final impressions were recorded and explored during the panel discussion.

The respondent specifications were:

• Ages 18-21 (mix of full-time and part-time college students and full-time workers; college students were from multiple institutions—not all concentrated in one school)
• males; 5 females
• A mix of ethnicities, representative of the local market
• A mix of those who typically listen to digital-only and both digital and physical music formats
• A mix of those who purchase most of their music and those who obtain their music primarily via file-sharing
• All regularly used a mp3 player (mix of iPod and other brands)
• All but two had a mobile phone with a microSD slot

For detailed findings, click here.