While we had to pay for our music records or CD’s back in the day, the Millennials download their music for free in a heartbeat. While we had to wait for the weekend to watch our favourite music videos, the Millennials have immediate access to their music videos on YouTube—you get the drift. Beliebers, Swifties, Little Monsters, Queen bees—these are just some of the more “well known” fan groups of the Millennials.

Meet the ‘Millennials’ – the new (and lucky) young fan generation that are influencing today’s music industry. From requesting what kind of music they want to hear to appearing in their musician’s music videos, the Millennials have immediate access and control at their fingertips. And according to a research report by MTV, the young music fans have more personal ties to the music industry than ever. The report reveals seven common attributes that the Millennials have which will actually surprise you—they’re a lot more insightful than we give them the credit for.

Fact 1: Forget privacy, Millennials need their intimacy.

“Millennials crave intimate glimpses into the mundane daily activities of their favorite celebrities,” Allison Hillhouse of MTV Research states.

According to the facts that were conducted in the research report:

• 53% of Millennials say the more an artist shares online about themselves, the closer they feel to them.
• 91% say it’s OK if an artist has some flaws – it makes them human and likeable.

Fact 2: Forget independence, Millennials need co-creation.

With many musicians and Millennials connecting to social networks each day, it is evident that there is a “‘fan-artist symbiosis’” emerging with the two working together on social media as one another’s branding machines.”

According to the facts that were conducted in the research report:

• 1 in 4 Millennials has made a parody.
• 64% relish the role of ‘tastemaker’ for friends.
• 58% say that feedback and connectivity are huge motivators for posting and sharing music.

Fact 3: Forget the news, Millennials need constant updates.

With a high usage of social network sites between musicians and their fans, Millennials have a higher demand to be kept updated on their musician’s activity on a regular basis.

According to the facts that were conducted in the research report:

• Facebook is the most “formal and official outlet” for tour updates and information.
• Twitter offers a “blow-by-blow feed,” and highlights interactions with other celebrities.
• Instagram provides a direct line into their literal world-view, like “seeing the world through their eyes.”
• Tumblr is the more intimate glimpse into an artist’s psyche/spirit.

Fact 4: Forget sales, Millennials need free downloads.

It’s rare these days to find a young music fan to pay for an album or even a song track. As long as the Millennials have access to the Internet, the majority of them are able to download their songs for free, justifying their action by stating, “music should be free”. Despite this, there are Millennials who do pay for albums which is considered a privilege, as they do it to support their music artists. Infact, according to the statistics in the MTV research report:

• 68 percent of Millennials interviewed by MTV said they only buy music out of respect for the artist, and they believe music should be free.
• Just one in four had purchased music in the last week; 30 percent in the last month.

 Fact 5: Forget distance, Millennials need their connections—constantly.

Similar to the first fact, Millennials need to know what’s within the daily life and routine of their favourite musician—even if it’s something miniscule like what they ate for breakfast. These updates makes the Millennials feel like they have a close and personal connection with an artist similar to that of a ‘friendship’ status.

Fact 6: Forget monogamy, Millennials need their variety.

A study in the MTV research report found that the majority of Millennials are not loyal and supportive to just one musician but to many from different genres. So don’t be surprised to find the average Millennial to be a supportive fan of Justin Bieber, The Beatles, Linkin’ Park, Eminem and Katy Perry.

Fact 7: Forget selling out, Millennials want their artists to make profits.

With the records of album sales constantly on the decline due to the free download tools on the web, many Millennials understand that musicians can’t just rely on album sales and concerts alone and need to make profits through other sources. Therefore, Millennials don’t see their musicians as sell outs when they’re advertising or sponsoring products, as long as they are genuine and the product fits their image. There’s no way Millennials would take Taylor Swift seriously if she were to promote alcohol or body piercings.

There you have it—the 7 facts on the new music generation. So a tip for all you aspiring musicians out there, as long as you mark off these seven attributes for the young music fans, you’re bound to be on your way to a successful music career.

Sources: MTV Research Report  & Digital Music News