Deezer research uncovers why people are hiding their true music preferences
- International survey of 8,000 adults finds 42% tell ‘musical mistruths’ about the songs and artists they’ve listened to
- Small white lies lead to musical discovery, with over two thirds (70%) listening to the song they claimed to know
- Top reasons to pretend include not hurting someone’s feelings and avoiding embarrassment on a first date
30th July: Being untruthful about your music taste is more common than we think, according to a new research from global music streaming service, Deezer. The study looked across Brazil, France, Germany and the USA, and found 42% of people tell white lies about songs or artists they like or listen to. The primary reason why we pretend is to avoid hurting someone’s feelings (40%).
Deezer reached out to 8,000 adults in four countries to find out if people were entirely honest when it came to sharing their music preferences. Despite almost half of respondents admitting to stretching the truth, a musical white lie can actually become a pathway to discovery and over two thirds (70%) go on to listen to the track they were dishonest about.
The participants revealed their ‘musical mistruths’ involved pretending to like an artist or song they’d never heard or didn’t like (19%) or claiming to dislike a song or an artist when they actually loved them (12%).
The top 5 situations to tell ‘musical mistruths’ include:
- To not hurt someone’s feelings when they play you a song (40%)
- Avoid embarrassment on a first date (21%)
- Appear more sophisticated in front of work colleagues (14%)
- Discontinue a conversation when asked about music you haven’t heard (13%)
- In front of children or family members when lyrics are obviously rude or explicit (10%)
Frédéric Antelme, VP of Content and Productions at Deezer, commented: “Our music taste reflects who we are. It shouldn’t matter if our friends don’t like the same songs or artists. We’d love people to be more open and honest the next time your colleague or friend says they’re not a fan of your favorite artist. You never know, you might even change their mind!”
Find all of your favorite artists and tracks or discover new music at www.deezer.com.
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About Deezer
Deezer connects 14 million monthly active users around the world to 56 million tracks. Available in over 180 countries worldwide, Deezer gives instant access to one of the largest and most diverse global music streaming catalog on any device. Deezer is the only music streaming service with Flow, the unique mix of all your old favorites and new recommendations in one ever-changing stream. Based on an intuitive, proprietary algorithm and created by people who love music, it’s the only place to hear all your music back-to-back with fresh discoveries tailored to you. Deezer is available on your favorite device, including smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, home sound system, connected car or smart TV.
Making music happen since 2007, Deezer is a privately held company, headquartered in Paris with offices in São Paulo, Berlin, London, Miami, Dubai and around the world. Deezer is available as a free download for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows devices or on the web at deezer.com. For the latest news on Deezer go to Deezer.com/company/press
