Internet‐induced changes in consumer music procurement behavior: a German perspective

The aim of the present study is to investigate and analyze Internet‐related consumer music procurement behavior and its effects on traditional music procurement using a Web questionnaire with a sample of more than 4,000 Internet users (the word “procurement”, as opposed to purchase, is used because some procurement satisfies the consumers’ need for music but they do not pay for it). Four motive factors for the willingness to pay for online music were found and subsequent cluster analysis identified three meaningful and distinct downloader groups who are willing to pay for online music: demanding downloaders; general download approvers; procurement autonomous. Consumer price sensitivity for two different commercial online‐music distribution models was very similar and the majority of users had similar ideas as to how much a commercial download service should cost. Implications for marketing research and practitioners are discussed.