Measuring music-genre preferences: Discrepancies between direct and indirect methods

Abstract

Preferences are essential in explaining consumer choice and have been studied from different standpoints. Some empirical studies aimed at measuring music preferences have used direct procedures (i.e., list of genres), while other studies have used indirect measures (i.e., listening to excerpts of music). This article focuses on analyzing music-genre preferences to identify whether they differ depending on the type of measure used (direct vs. indirect), studying their consistency. A survey was conducted among 753 individuals. The results highlight not only the discrepancies of using one measure or another but also the relevance of familiarity and experience, associated with individuals’ endowment of cultural capital. Findings explain the (in)consistency of reported preferences through direct and indirect means. All in all, the research suggests that direct and indirect methods to measure music preferences may be capturing different dimensions.