Customer Journey Music

The customer journey in music describes the path from first discovering an artist to becoming a dedicated fan. Understanding this journey helps musicians create advertising that meets potential fans at each stage and guides them toward deeper engagement.

The Music Fan Journey

Discovery Stage

First awareness:

• Hearing music for first time
• Seeing an ad or content
• Playlist encounter
• Friend recommendation
• Algorithm suggestion

Interest Stage

Growing curiosity:

• Seeking more songs
• Checking social media
• Reading about artist
• Watching videos
• Exploring catalog

Engagement Stage

Active participation:

• Following on platforms
• Saving songs
• Adding to playlists
• Commenting/engaging
• Sharing with others

Conversion Stage

Taking action:

• Streaming regularly
• Purchasing music/merch
• Buying concert tickets
• Joining fan community
• Email signup

Loyalty Stage

Dedicated fandom:

• Consistent streaming
• Repeat purchases
• Active community member
• Advocate for artist
• Long-term relationship

Mapping the Journey

Touchpoints

Interaction points:

• Advertising exposure
• Social media content
• Streaming platform
• Website visits
• Email communication
• Live experiences

Channels

Where interactions occur:

• Social platforms
• Streaming services
• Video platforms
• Websites
• Email
• Live venues

Actions

What fans do:

• View, click, engage
• Listen, save, share
• Follow, subscribe
• Purchase, attend
• Recommend, advocate

Emotions

How fans feel:

• Curious, interested
• Excited, connected
• Satisfied, loyal
• Frustrated, disappointed
• Enthusiastic, passionate

Journey Analytics

Tracking Touchpoints

Measurement approach:

• Ad platform data
• Website analytics
• Streaming data
• Social analytics
• Email metrics

Attribution

Connecting touchpoints:

• First touch analysis
• Last touch analysis
• Multi-touch attribution
• Journey reconstruction

Funnel Analysis

Stage progression:

• Stage entry rates
• Drop-off points
• Progression rates
• Time between stages

Advertising at Each Stage

Discovery Advertising

Awareness campaigns:

• Broad reach targeting
• Attention-grabbing creative
• Music snippet focus
• Platform discovery features

Metrics to track:

• Reach and impressions
• Video views
• Ad recall
• New listener rate

Interest Advertising

Consideration campaigns:

• Retargeting engaged users
• More content exposure
• Artist story emphasis
• Multiple song exposure

Metrics to track:

• Return engagement
• Time spent
• Content consumption
• Profile visits

Engagement Advertising

Connection campaigns:

• Follow/subscribe calls to action
• Community content
• Behind-the-scenes
• Interactive content

Metrics to track:

• Follow rate
• Save rate
• Engagement depth
• Community joins

Conversion Advertising

Action campaigns:

• Direct response
• Clear calls to action
• Urgency when appropriate
• Value proposition

Metrics to track:

• Conversion rate
• Cost per action
• Revenue generated
• Ticket sales

Loyalty Advertising

Retention campaigns:

• Exclusive content
• Early access offers
• Community reinforcement
• Appreciation messaging

Metrics to track:

• Retention rate
• Repeat engagement
• Advocacy metrics
• Lifetime value

Journey Optimization

Identifying Drop-Off Points

Where fans leave:

• Stage transition analysis
• Behavior pattern review
• Exit point identification
• Friction discovery

Reducing Friction

Smoothing the path:

• Simplify actions
• Remove barriers
• Improve experiences
• Address pain points

Accelerating Progression

Moving fans forward:

• Right message at right time
• Clear next steps
• Incentive alignment
• Sequence optimization

Multi-Channel Journey

Cross-Platform Behavior

How fans move:

• Social to streaming
• Ad to website
• Email to platform
• Multiple touchpoints

Channel Attribution

Credit assignment:

• Which channels contribute
• Assist vs. convert
• Journey role of each
• Budget implications

Unified Tracking

Connecting data:

• Cross-platform identifiers
• Unified analytics
• Journey reconstruction
• Holistic view

Journey Segmentation

By Entry Point

How discovered:

• Paid acquisition
• Organic discovery
• Referral
• Playlist

By Journey Speed

How fast progressing:

• Rapid progressors
• Steady progressors
• Stalled prospects
• Dormant contacts

By Journey Depth

How far progressed:

• Surface engagement
• Moderate engagement
• Deep engagement
• Loyal fans

Analyzing Journey Data

Cohort Journey Analysis

Group tracking:

• When entered journey
• How progressing
• Comparative analysis
• Pattern identification

Path Analysis

Route mapping:

• Common paths
• Successful paths
• Drop-off paths
• Optimal sequences

Time Analysis

Duration insights:

• Time between stages
• Journey acceleration
• Stage duration
• Long-term patterns

Journey Mapping Tools

Visualization Methods

Display approaches:

• Linear journey maps
• Circular journey diagrams
• Touchpoint matrices
• Funnel visualizations

Data Sources

Information gathering:

• Analytics platforms
• CRM data
• Streaming analytics
• Survey data

Documentation

Recording insights:

• Journey stage definitions
• Touchpoint inventory
• Metric assignments
• Optimization notes

Common Journey Challenges

Attribution Difficulty

Tracking challenges:

• Cross-device behavior
• Long consideration periods
• Multiple influences
• Privacy limitations

Non-Linear Journeys

Reality complexity:

• Fans skip stages
• Backward movement
• Multiple entry points
• Parallel paths

Data Gaps

Information limits:

• Platform silos
• Privacy restrictions
• Measurement gaps
• Unknown touchpoints

Display advertising through services like LG Media at lg.media serves the discovery stage of the fan journey, with music website placements starting at $2.50 CPM introducing artists to audiences interested in discovering new music.

Customer journey mapping helps musicians understand the path from discovery to fandom. By analyzing how fans progress through stages and optimizing advertising for each phase, musicians can more effectively convert casual listeners into dedicated supporters.