VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
DOI: https://doi.org/1
0.22409/pragmatizes.v10i19.40565
Abstract:
Music is one of the cultural segments that most adapts and innovates, as observed in the
recent rise of streaming services. The consumption of digital music has altered the dynamics of the
market and the way people enjoy it. The a
individuals, taking into account musical genres. For this purpose, it uses data of playlists collected
from the Spotify streaming platform through its API. The results show that genres such as se
universitário and international pop have great national reach. However, other national genres and
artists with less popularity have a relevant and distinct demand in some Brazilian cities. Our analysis
indicates both the maintenance of the traditio
model. Therefore, a regionalization of the musical taste in Brazil is evidenced,which suggests a
potential of musical niches in the context of the streaming market.
Keywords:
consumption; music; genre;
Consumo de música no Brasil: uma análise de reproduções de streaming
Resumo:
A música é um dos segmentos culturais que mais se adapta e inova, tal como observa
na recente ascensão dos serviços de streaming. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar
gostos dos indivíduos, levando em consideração os gêneros musicais. Para tal, foram utilizados
dados da plataforma Spotify. Os resultados apontam que gêneros como sertanejo universitário e pop
internacional possuem grande alcance nacional. Po
demanda relevante e distinta em algumas cidades brasileiras. Evidencia
regionalização do gosto musical no Brasil, o que sugere um potencial de nichos musicais quando
inseridos no contexto do merca
do de streaming.
Palavras-chave:
consumo; música; gênero; streaming
1
Gabriel Borges Vaz de Melo.
Mestre em Economia pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
(UFMG), Brasil. E-
mail: gabrielvazdemelo@gmail.com
2
Ana Flavia Machado. D
outora em Economia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
professora da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-
8573
3
Lucas Resende de Carvalho. D
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/UFMG e bolsista da CAPES, Brasil.
lucasrc@cedeplar.ufmg.br -
https://orc
Recebido em 29/01/2020, aceito para publicação em 26/04/2020, disponibilizado online em
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
0.22409/pragmatizes.v10i19.40565
Gabriel Borges Vaz de Melo
Ana Flavia Machado
Lucas Resende
Music is one of the cultural segments that most adapts and innovates, as observed in the
recent rise of streaming services. The consumption of digital music has altered the dynamics of the
market and the way people enjoy it. The a
im of this article is to show trends and tastes of Brazilian
individuals, taking into account musical genres. For this purpose, it uses data of playlists collected
from the Spotify streaming platform through its API. The results show that genres such as se
universitário and international pop have great national reach. However, other national genres and
artists with less popularity have a relevant and distinct demand in some Brazilian cities. Our analysis
indicates both the maintenance of the traditio
nal consumption as the rise of the mass
model. Therefore, a regionalization of the musical taste in Brazil is evidenced,which suggests a
potential of musical niches in the context of the streaming market.
consumption; music; genre;
streaming
Consumo de música no Brasil: uma análise de reproduções de streaming
A música é um dos segmentos culturais que mais se adapta e inova, tal como observa
na recente ascensão dos serviços de streaming. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar
gostos dos indivíduos, levando em consideração os gêneros musicais. Para tal, foram utilizados
dados da plataforma Spotify. Os resultados apontam que gêneros como sertanejo universitário e pop
internacional possuem grande alcance nacional. Po
rém, outros gêneros nacionais possuem uma
demanda relevante e distinta em algumas cidades brasileiras. Evidencia
regionalização do gosto musical no Brasil, o que sugere um potencial de nichos musicais quando
do de streaming.
consumo; música; gênero; streaming
Mestre em Economia pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
mail: gabrielvazdemelo@gmail.com
- https://orcid.org/0000-
0002
outora em Economia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
professora da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil.
E-
mail: afmachad@ce
8573
-7906
Lucas Resende de Carvalho. D
outorando do Programa de Pós-
Graduação em Economia da
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/UFMG e bolsista da CAPES, Brasil.
E-
mail:
https://orc
id.org/0000-0002-3618-3967
Recebido em 29/01/2020, aceito para publicação em 26/04/2020, disponibilizado online em
01/09/2020
141
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- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
Gabriel Borges Vaz de Melo
1
Ana Flavia Machado
2
Lucas Resende
de Carvalho
3
Music is one of the cultural segments that most adapts and innovates, as observed in the
recent rise of streaming services. The consumption of digital music has altered the dynamics of the
im of this article is to show trends and tastes of Brazilian
individuals, taking into account musical genres. For this purpose, it uses data of playlists collected
from the Spotify streaming platform through its API. The results show that genres such as se
rtanejo
universitário and international pop have great national reach. However, other national genres and
artists with less popularity have a relevant and distinct demand in some Brazilian cities. Our analysis
nal consumption as the rise of the mass
-replacement
model. Therefore, a regionalization of the musical taste in Brazil is evidenced,which suggests a
A música é um dos segmentos culturais que mais se adapta e inova, tal como observa
-se
na recente ascensão dos serviços de streaming. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar
tendências e
gostos dos indivíduos, levando em consideração os gêneros musicais. Para tal, foram utilizados
dados da plataforma Spotify. Os resultados apontam que gêneros como sertanejo universitário e pop
rém, outros gêneros nacionais possuem uma
demanda relevante e distinta em algumas cidades brasileiras. Evidencia
-se, portanto, uma
regionalização do gosto musical no Brasil, o que sugere um potencial de nichos musicais quando
Mestre em Economia pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
0002
-3323-8635
outora em Economia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
mail: afmachad@ce
deplar.ufmg.br -
Graduação em Economia da
mail:
Recebido em 29/01/2020, aceito para publicação em 26/04/2020, disponibilizado online em
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Consumo de música en Brasil: un análisis de reproducciones en streaming
Resumen:
La música es uno de los segmentos culturales que más se adapta y innova, tal como se
observa en la recie
nte ascensión de los servicios de streaming. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar
tendencias y gustos de los individuos, teniendo en cuenta los géneros musicales. Para esto, se
utilizaron datos de la plataforma Spotify. Los resultados apuntan que género
universitario y pop internacional poseen gran alcance nacional. Sin embargo, otros géneros
nacionales poseen una demanda relevante y distinta en algunas ciudades brasileñas. Se evidencia,
por lo tanto, una regionalización del gusto musical
musicales cuando se inserta en el contexto del mercado de streaming.
Palabras clave:
consumo; musica; género; streaming
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
Introduction
Music is one of the most
primitive forms of cultural
However, it wasn’t until the twentieth
century that it began to be marketed as
a consumer good. Since then, the
music market has become more and
more dynamic and creative in terms of
musicians’ production and listeners’
consumption (CVETKOVSKI,
THROSBY, 2002). Throsby (2002)
points out that there is a paradox in
relation to music, precisely because of
this dichotomy between the past,
linked to cultural expression and
creativity, and the present, associated
with market ideologies and mass
production.
Leyshon (2014) states that the
history of music from the late 1990s is
a good example of innovation and
adaptability: sharing and downloading
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Consumo de música en Brasil: un análisis de reproducciones en streaming
La música es uno de los segmentos culturales que más se adapta y innova, tal como se
nte ascensión de los servicios de streaming. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar
tendencias y gustos de los individuos, teniendo en cuenta los géneros musicales. Para esto, se
utilizaron datos de la plataforma Spotify. Los resultados apuntan que género
universitario y pop internacional poseen gran alcance nacional. Sin embargo, otros géneros
nacionales poseen una demanda relevante y distinta en algunas ciudades brasileñas. Se evidencia,
por lo tanto, una regionalización del gusto musical
en Brasil, lo que sugiere un potencial de nichos
musicales cuando se inserta en el contexto del mercado de streaming.
consumo; musica; género; streaming
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
Music is one of the most
primitive forms of cultural
expression.
However, it wasn’t until the twentieth
century that it began to be marketed as
a consumer good. Since then, the
music market has become more and
more dynamic and creative in terms of
musicians’ production and listeners’
consumption (CVETKOVSKI,
2004;
THROSBY, 2002). Throsby (2002)
points out that there is a paradox in
relation to music, precisely because of
this dichotomy between the past,
linked to cultural expression and
creativity, and the present, associated
with market ideologies and mass
Leyshon (2014) states that the
history of music from the late 1990s is
a good example of innovation and
adaptability: sharing and downloading
of files, the crisis in physical sales,
and, more recently, the rise of
streaming platforms and subscri
Those changes are directly associated
with the technological innovations
absorbed by the phonographic market.
Regarding digital services,
especially streaming, Pró
Brasil (2017) points to significant
changes in perspectives in the music
mark
et. One of these services, Spotify,
launched in 2008, stood out for having
quickly gained a significant part of the
world market by offering features that
personalize the experience of digital
music enjoyment.
In this way, in the context of a
limited datab
ase about cultural
consumption in Brazil, the use of digital
media and platforms is an opportunity
for the studies of cultural economics
and, more specifically, as it is intended
142
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
La música es uno de los segmentos culturales que más se adapta y innova, tal como se
nte ascensión de los servicios de streaming. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar
tendencias y gustos de los individuos, teniendo en cuenta los géneros musicales. Para esto, se
utilizaron datos de la plataforma Spotify. Los resultados apuntan que género
s como sertanejo
universitario y pop internacional poseen gran alcance nacional. Sin embargo, otros géneros
nacionales poseen una demanda relevante y distinta en algunas ciudades brasileñas. Se evidencia,
en Brasil, lo que sugiere un potencial de nichos
Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming reproductions
of files, the crisis in physical sales,
and, more recently, the rise of
streaming platforms and subscri
ptions.
Those changes are directly associated
with the technological innovations
absorbed by the phonographic market.
Regarding digital services,
especially streaming, Pró
-Música
Brasil (2017) points to significant
changes in perspectives in the music
et. One of these services, Spotify,
launched in 2008, stood out for having
quickly gained a significant part of the
world market by offering features that
personalize the experience of digital
In this way, in the context of a
ase about cultural
consumption in Brazil, the use of digital
media and platforms is an opportunity
for the studies of cultural economics
and, more specifically, as it is intended
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
in this work, for the analysis of music
consumption. Spotify, launched in
Bra
zil in 2014, already has a relatively
large and growing number of users.
For this reason, it could be a good
sample of digital consumption and its
dimensions.
This paper aims, therefore, to
map and analyze music consumption
using reproduction data from Spo
Brazil, considering the development of
a specific algorithm to organize data
collection of digital music. The analysis
of the consumption behavior of the
users contemplates genres and
musical taste.
Besides this introduction and the
final considera
tions, the paper is
divided into three more sections. The
first one presents a brief review of the
literature related to effects of
digitalization on cultural consumption.
The subsequent section treats the
methodological strategy. In the final
part, the ma
in observations and results
are described.
Cultural consumption, taste, and
music
Recent changes in consumption
are directly associated with the new
technologies and the virtual space in
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
in this work, for the analysis of music
consumption. Spotify, launched in
zil in 2014, already has a relatively
large and growing number of users.
For this reason, it could be a good
sample of digital consumption and its
This paper aims, therefore, to
map and analyze music consumption
using reproduction data from Spo
tify in
Brazil, considering the development of
a specific algorithm to organize data
collection of digital music. The analysis
of the consumption behavior of the
users contemplates genres and
Besides this introduction and the
tions, the paper is
divided into three more sections. The
first one presents a brief review of the
literature related to effects of
digitalization on cultural consumption.
The subsequent section treats the
methodological strategy. In the final
in observations and results
Cultural consumption, taste, and
Recent changes in consumption
are directly associated with the new
technologies and the virtual space in
which the products have been inserted.
According to Potts (2014), in
economic theory, technology and
innovation are important variables and
commonly analyzed in terms of
production, but they are also important
in consumption analysis.
Since the spread of file
services in the 2000s, studies have
examined
the impact of digitalization
on music consumption. Mainly related
to “piracy”, some of these studies
attest to the negative effect on physical
sales revenues (LIEBOWITZ, 2004).
Others, however, question and
propose alternative analyses
(OBERHOLZER-
GEE; ST
2007). However, it is argued that it is
practically impossible to adopt a
favorable or contrary opinion, since the
effect is quite dependent on other
factors, as well as on the information
used in each study (LIEBOWITZ,
2014).
Aguiar and Waldfogel (
show that, despite the fall in physical
revenues, digitalization favors the
quality of the musical product by
allowing individuals to easily access
new content in the market. Studies on
Spotify specifically are even more
scarce. Aguiar and Waldfogel
143
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- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
which the products have been inserted.
According to Potts (2014), in
traditional
economic theory, technology and
innovation are important variables and
commonly analyzed in terms of
production, but they are also important
in consumption analysis.
Since the spread of file
-sharing
services in the 2000s, studies have
the impact of digitalization
on music consumption. Mainly related
to “piracy”, some of these studies
attest to the negative effect on physical
sales revenues (LIEBOWITZ, 2004).
Others, however, question and
propose alternative analyses
GEE; ST
RUMPF,
2007). However, it is argued that it is
practically impossible to adopt a
favorable or contrary opinion, since the
effect is quite dependent on other
factors, as well as on the information
used in each study (LIEBOWITZ,
Aguiar and Waldfogel (
2016)
show that, despite the fall in physical
revenues, digitalization favors the
quality of the musical product by
allowing individuals to easily access
new content in the market. Studies on
Spotify specifically are even more
scarce. Aguiar and Waldfogel
(2015)
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
find evidence that the service reduces
piracy and, in relation to sales, is
relatively neutral.
Potts (2014) points out that one
consequence of new technologies,
such as streaming, in the cultural
consumption would be an increase in
variety and dive
rsity of goods, which
constitutes a form of market
expansion, accompanied by low costs
of insertion. This consequence is
consistent with the hypothesis known
as "Long Tail" proposed by Anderson
(2006).
Anderson (2006) argues that
digitalization has led to
a drop in mass
production and a shift in consumer
preferences, especially as a
consequence of the increase in the
variety of products and in the media
and entertainment market. In addition,
the costs of storage of physical
products are practically nullifie
distribution costs are reduced.
According to Anderson (2006),
technology converts mass production
into millions of niches and thus
reduces the concentration of the
cultural goods market. Some markets,
usually of monopolistic competition,
including t
hat of entertainment, present
strong concentration in few actors,
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
find evidence that the service reduces
piracy and, in relation to sales, is
Potts (2014) points out that one
consequence of new technologies,
such as streaming, in the cultural
consumption would be an increase in
rsity of goods, which
constitutes a form of market
expansion, accompanied by low costs
of insertion. This consequence is
consistent with the hypothesis known
as "Long Tail" proposed by Anderson
Anderson (2006) argues that
a drop in mass
production and a shift in consumer
preferences, especially as a
consequence of the increase in the
variety of products and in the media
and entertainment market. In addition,
the costs of storage of physical
products are practically nullifie
d, and
distribution costs are reduced.
According to Anderson (2006),
technology converts mass production
into millions of niches and thus
reduces the concentration of the
cultural goods market. Some markets,
usually of monopolistic competition,
hat of entertainment, present
strong concentration in few actors,
called the "superstars" effect (CAVES,
2006; ROSEN, 1981). The
phonographic market could be a typical
example where superstars and more
popular artists are too few compared to
a large number
of smaller, independent
artists. Digitalization, on the other
hand, allows greater access to market
niches where less popular artists are
concentrated, ensuring that music
previously obscured by the products of
the big stars —
"hits," according to
Anderson (2006) —
gain visibility and
may have an effective demand.
In this way, the "non
content of the niche markets becomes
as relevant as the hits, in terms of both
costs and profitability. Such
equalization would be represented by
the shape of a long t
Anderson (2006) argues that niches
gain notoriety not only because they
are available or visible, but also
because consumers alter their
preferences by having infinite choices
provided by the digitalization.
Prey (2015) considers that the
new streaming services represent "new
spaces" of music consumption, where
the objective is to regain control of
digital music after Napster,
reintegrating the listeners again in the
144
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- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
called the "superstars" effect (CAVES,
2006; ROSEN, 1981). The
phonographic market could be a typical
example where superstars and more
popular artists are too few compared to
of smaller, independent
artists. Digitalization, on the other
hand, allows greater access to market
niches where less popular artists are
concentrated, ensuring that music
previously obscured by the products of
"hits," according to
gain visibility and
may have an effective demand.
In this way, the "non
-hits"
content of the niche markets becomes
as relevant as the hits, in terms of both
costs and profitability. Such
equalization would be represented by
the shape of a long t
ail distribution.
Anderson (2006) argues that niches
gain notoriety not only because they
are available or visible, but also
because consumers alter their
preferences by having infinite choices
provided by the digitalization.
Prey (2015) considers that the
new streaming services represent "new
spaces" of music consumption, where
the objective is to regain control of
digital music after Napster,
reintegrating the listeners again in the
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
environment of the music industry. In a
sense, consumers are considered a
active audience, since the behaviors
and tastes of users on the streaming
platforms serve as inputs and help the
service itself in the development of its
functions. For the author, Spotify is one
of the services that has most
developed and used these pra
Considering this potential of
Spotify, in the next section, we
describe the methodology for capturing
platform information to reach the goals
proposed in this paper.
Data mining: methodology
description
In the digital market, the
emergence of Spotify is one of the
most expressive in the streaming
service, offering a relevant range of
information. Given the possibility of
extracting data, the main objective of
this article is to map and analyze the
consump
tion of music from data of
reproductions of users in Brazil.
Secondary goals run through how
consumers have been changing their
ways of using music when inserted into
digital platforms. Among these are (i)
analyzing the consumption behavior of
users concer
ning musical genres, (ii)
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
environment of the music industry. In a
sense, consumers are considered a
n
active audience, since the behaviors
and tastes of users on the streaming
platforms serve as inputs and help the
service itself in the development of its
functions. For the author, Spotify is one
of the services that has most
developed and used these pra
ctices.
Considering this potential of
Spotify, in the next section, we
describe the methodology for capturing
platform information to reach the goals
Data mining: methodology
In the digital market, the
emergence of Spotify is one of the
most expressive in the streaming
service, offering a relevant range of
information. Given the possibility of
extracting data, the main objective of
this article is to map and analyze the
tion of music from data of
reproductions of users in Brazil.
Secondary goals run through how
consumers have been changing their
ways of using music when inserted into
digital platforms. Among these are (i)
analyzing the consumption behavior of
ning musical genres, (ii)
verifying the insertion of genres and
international artists in the national
scene, and (iii) ascertaining patterns of
musical consumed taste with the main
styles.
There are three steps to achieve
these objectives. First, there are
collection and organization and, finally,
analysis. It should be emphasized that
it is not an objective of this work to
create fixed definitions of musical
styles, much less to elaborate
judgments or to legitimize or devalue
whatever gender, artist,
The data collection process was
started by reading and analyzing the
routines made available by Spotify
through its API, Spotify Web API
(SPOTIFY, 2014). After explaining the
available information, we proceeded to
the elaboration of routines of
p
rogramming and data collection
the most reproduced songs at the
national level, as well as those that
were distinctly or locally more popular
in some cities. Both collections follow a
similar logic of two-
step division. In the
Brazilian case, a first e
4
Algorithms available in Author (2017).
145
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- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
verifying the insertion of genres and
international artists in the national
scene, and (iii) ascertaining patterns of
musical consumed taste with the main
There are three steps to achieve
these objectives. First, there are
data
collection and organization and, finally,
analysis. It should be emphasized that
it is not an objective of this work to
create fixed definitions of musical
styles, much less to elaborate
judgments or to legitimize or devalue
whatever gender, artist,
or music.
The data collection process was
started by reading and analyzing the
routines made available by Spotify
through its API, Spotify Web API
(SPOTIFY, 2014). After explaining the
available information, we proceeded to
the elaboration of routines of
rogramming and data collection
4
of
the most reproduced songs at the
national level, as well as those that
were distinctly or locally more popular
in some cities. Both collections follow a
step division. In the
Brazilian case, a first e
xtraction of the
Algorithms available in Author (2017).
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
most played songs in Spotify Charts
was made, followed by a search for
additional information and respective
artists and albums through Spotify
Web API. It should be noted that the
playlists have a total number of songs
always equal to 20
0, which is higher
than the local playlists of the cities,
which usually contain 100. Besides,
the Spotify Charts platform also offers
the total streamings or reproductions of
each track in the country, which is not
possible in the extraction of cities.
5
Available at:
https://spotifycharts.com/regional/br/daily/latest
. Access date: August 28, 2018.
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
most played songs in Spotify Charts
5
was made, followed by a search for
additional information and respective
artists and albums through Spotify
Web API. It should be noted that the
playlists have a total number of songs
0, which is higher
than the local playlists of the cities,
which usually contain 100. Besides,
the Spotify Charts platform also offers
the total streamings or reproductions of
each track in the country, which is not
possible in the extraction of cities.
https://spotifycharts.com/regional/br/daily/latest
The second extraction of the
playlists of the cities was only possible
because of their availability in the
Every Place at Once
6
the lists obtained in each municipality,
consultations were made us
Web API, achieving the same
information about the songs, artists,
and albums of the national collection.
The collection period was extended
from September 2016 to May 2017.
Therefore, the variables of interest are
listed:
6
Available at:
http://everynoise.com/everyplace.cgi.Access
date: May 11, 2017.
146
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Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
The second extraction of the
playlists of the cities was only possible
because of their availability in the
6
project. Through
the lists obtained in each municipality,
consultations were made us
ing Spotify
Web API, achieving the same
information about the songs, artists,
and albums of the national collection.
The collection period was extended
from September 2016 to May 2017.
Therefore, the variables of interest are
http://everynoise.com/everyplace.cgi.Access
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Variables
Description
Playlist City’s playlist
name (e.g.,
Number
Position of the track in the playlist, according to the difference of the reproductions
in the city
Artist Artist name
Track Track name
Preview Link of
a preview of 30 seconds of the track
Pop_track
Popularity of the track, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular
possible
Markets
Countries where the track is available for playback
Album
Name of the album that contains the track
Pop_artist
Popularity of artist, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular possible
Followers
Total artist followers
Genre Track genre
Release date
Release date of the album in which the track is contained
URI
Uniform resource identifier
Music consumption described by
playlists
To achieve the purpose of this
article, first, we analyzed the
consumption of the most reproduced
songs in Brazil, according to the
playlists
disposable in the domain
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Table 1 - Selected variables
name (e.g.,
The Sound of Sao Paulo BR)
Position of the track in the playlist, according to the difference of the reproductions
a preview of 30 seconds of the track
Popularity of the track, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular
Countries where the track is available for playback
Name of the album that contains the track
Popularity of artist, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular possible
Total artist followers
Release date of the album in which the track is contained
Uniform resource identifier
(URI) tags for artists, tracks, and albums
Source: SPOTIFY (2014).
Music consumption described by
To achieve the purpose of this
article, first, we analyzed the
consumption of the most reproduced
songs in Brazil, according to the
disposable in the domain
Spotify Charts. Figure 1 shows the
different genres of the 200 songs most
played by the users in November 2016.
Pop genres —
international —
universitário
stand out
147
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)
Position of the track in the playlist, according to the difference of the reproductions
Popularity of the track, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular
Popularity of artist, ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the most popular possible
(URI) tags for artists, tracks, and albums
Spotify Charts. Figure 1 shows the
different genres of the 200 songs most
played by the users in November 2016.
most of them
and sertanejo
stand out
.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 1: Most heard
genres, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
This result resembles, in part,
some studies in other countries. As
Coulangeon and Lemel (2007, p. 98)
point out, "
music listening habits tend
to focus
mainly on the various genres
of pop music, and, on average, the
audiences for the other genres appear
to be quite marginal."
The American or
English-
speaking pop genre dominates
much of the global market, while other
local genres incorporate other market
s
lices. In Brazil, much of the remaining
market is absorbed by the genre
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
genres, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
This result resembles, in part,
some studies in other countries. As
Coulangeon and Lemel (2007, p. 98)
music listening habits tend
mainly on the various genres
of pop music, and, on average, the
audiences for the other genres appear
The American or
speaking pop genre dominates
much of the global market, while other
local genres incorporate other market
lices. In Brazil, much of the remaining
market is absorbed by the genre
sertanejo universitário
marketing appeal and space in
traditional media. However, Figure 1
presents other minor genres that are
among the most played songs,
indicating
an expressive consumption
of those as well. Subsequently, it was
observed that these gender patterns
differ for Brazilian cities. Figure 2
shows the same ranges, but distributed
according to their position in the list
and by gender classifications.
148
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Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
genres, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
sertanejo universitário
, which has great
marketing appeal and space in
traditional media. However, Figure 1
presents other minor genres that are
among the most played songs,
an expressive consumption
of those as well. Subsequently, it was
observed that these gender patterns
differ for Brazilian cities. Figure 2
shows the same ranges, but distributed
according to their position in the list
and by gender classifications.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 2: Songs’ positions, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
This suggests the prominence of
the aforementioned genres.
the pop and
sertanejo universitário
genres are present in practically the
whole playlist
, and the difference in the
amount of followers of the artists of
each genre in the international genres
is evident. Clearly, this number is far
superior to sertanejo
. It is worth
the low presence of bands
compared to sertanejo
—
7
The pop genre includes three categories:
Canadian pop, dance pop, and pop.
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 2: Songs’ positions, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
This suggests the prominence of
the aforementioned genres.
7
Songs of
sertanejo universitário
genres are present in practically the
, and the difference in the
amount of followers of the artists of
each genre in the international genres
is evident. Clearly, this number is far
. It is worth
noting
the low presence of bands
—
—
of other
The pop genre includes three categories:
Canadian pop, dance pop, and pop.
national genres, such as funk,
forró
, Brazilian hip hop, and Brazilian
pop.
9
Figure 3 shows the total
streaming of the songs according to
their genres. Visualization is seen as a
pat
tern of consumption different from
what has been observed so far.
8
Acronym for Brazilian popular music.
9
Brazilian hip hop
is more associated with
national rap
artists (e.g., Projota) and Brazilian
pop singers (e.g., Anitta).
149
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)
Fig. 2: Songs’ positions, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
national genres, such as funk,
MPB
8
,
, Brazilian hip hop, and Brazilian
Figure 3 shows the total
streaming of the songs according to
their genres. Visualization is seen as a
tern of consumption different from
what has been observed so far.
Acronym for Brazilian popular music.
is more associated with
artists (e.g., Projota) and Brazilian
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 3: Total streamings, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Analyzing the number of
reproductions,
sertanejo universitário
was the most reproduced genre in
November 2016, followed by the
subdivisions of pop. Only after do other
national genres appear, like funk,
Brazilian hip hop, and deep Brazilian
pop. Assoc
iated with the highest
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 3: Total streamings, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Analyzing the number of
sertanejo universitário
was the most reproduced genre in
November 2016, followed by the
subdivisions of pop. Only after do other
national genres appear, like funk,
MPB,
Brazilian hip hop, and deep Brazilian
iated with the highest
number of songs among the 200 most
played, the large number of
reproductions make
potentially the most reproduced genre
in Brazil. However, analyzing the
composition of
streaming
November 2016, a different and
curious trend is encountered.
150
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)
Fig. 3: Total streamings, Brazil, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
number of songs among the 200 most
played, the large number of
reproductions make
sertanejo
potentially the most reproduced genre
in Brazil. However, analyzing the
streaming
(Figure 4) in
November 2016, a different and
curious trend is encountered.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 4: Streaming ratio, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Graphically, it is noticeable that,
from December 2016, there is an
expressive ascendancy in the funk
streaming volume (deep funk
when compared to other national and
international genres. This behavior
may be associated with the production
company
KondZilla, responsible for
launching several video clips of
“MCs”
10
monthly and with wide reach
of views on YouTube. The YouTube
channel has more than 13 million
subscribers and more than 6 billion
views (May 2017 figures). The initial
10
“MC” is a common acronym
used before the
name of several artists, mainly of the funk
genre.
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 4: Streaming ratio, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Graphically, it is noticeable that,
from December 2016, there is an
expressive ascendancy in the funk
streaming volume (deep funk
carioca)
when compared to other national and
international genres. This behavior
may be associated with the production
KondZilla, responsible for
launching several video clips of
monthly and with wide reach
of views on YouTube. The YouTube
channel has more than 13 million
subscribers and more than 6 billion
views (May 2017 figures). The initial
used before the
name of several artists, mainly of the funk
surge occurred betwe
2016 and January 2017 with release of
the song “
Deu Onda”
the first week of January 2017, the
song reached more than 3,400,000
reproductions on Spotify, occupying
the first place. Figure 5 shows the
evolution of streaming of the n
genres with the highest reproductions.
151
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)
Fig. 4: Streaming ratio, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
surge occurred betwe
en December
2016 and January 2017 with release of
Deu Onda”
by MC G15. In
the first week of January 2017, the
song reached more than 3,400,000
reproductions on Spotify, occupying
the first place. Figure 5 shows the
evolution of streaming of the n
ational
genres with the highest reproductions.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 5: Evolution of streamings, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Except for
universitário
and funk, other national
genres show little variation. However,
sertanejo
had an ascendancy much
smaller than that of funk. Between
September 2016 and May 2017, the
growth of funk-related
streamings
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 5: Evolution of streamings, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
sertanejo
and funk, other national
genres show little variation. However,
had an ascendancy much
smaller than that of funk. Between
September 2016 and May 2017, the
streamings
was
approximately 500%, while that of
sertanejo
was about 43%. Figure 6
includes the popularity of artists as an
analysis variable. In order to better
present the information, some genres
were aggregated by similarity.
152
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)
Fig. 5: Evolution of streamings, Brazil, September 2016 to May 2017. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
approximately 500%, while that of
was about 43%. Figure 6
includes the popularity of artists as an
analysis variable. In order to better
present the information, some genres
were aggregated by similarity.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 6: Popularity of Artists, Brazi
Again, the dominance of pop
and sertanejo
is observed, although
the most popular artists are
international. Other genres stand out
for having a high range of popularity of
artists, such as
sertanejo universitário
itself and deepfunk
carioca
observations may indicate that these
genres allow
for a greater variety of
artists, some more popular than others.
Through the most listened
songs in Brazil, at the national level, it
would be reasonable to assume that
Spotify users are predominantly pop
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 6: Popularity of Artists, Brazi
l, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Again, the dominance of pop
is observed, although
the most popular artists are
international. Other genres stand out
for having a high range of popularity of
sertanejo universitário
carioca
. Such
observations may indicate that these
for a greater variety of
artists, some more popular than others.
Through the most listened
-to
songs in Brazil, at the national level, it
would be reasonable to assume that
Spotify users are predominantly pop
listeners, mainly international,
sertanejo unive
rsitário
the first two historically experiencing
mass production and greater
commercial appeal. The digital
platform facilitates the insertion of
genres that already have reached
traditional media like radio, television,
and physical format
same ease of access can be achieved
by artists of other styles and by the
evident diversity and cultural
production of the country. It is assumed
153
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)
l, November 2016. Source: SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
listeners, mainly international,
rsitário
, and funk, with
the first two historically experiencing
mass production and greater
commercial appeal. The digital
platform facilitates the insertion of
genres that already have reached
traditional media like radio, television,
and physical format
s. However, the
same ease of access can be achieved
by artists of other styles and by the
evident diversity and cultural
production of the country. It is assumed
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
that the national level does not reflect
digital consumption as a whole.
The descriptive and s
research of the genres consumed at
the local level partly proves this
assumption. The most distinctly
reproduced songs, or those that stand
out locally in the municipalities
collected, allow us to better decipher
the taste, pattern, and consumption
relations of the users in the cities.
Many artists and genres exposed by
these playlists
, on some level, have
less reach in the national scene, or as
interpreted, are more consumed in
their place of origin.
After an initial analysis of the
genres, it was o
bserved that some
original classifications were sometimes
misleading, while others were
undefined. It was therefore decided to
redefine some of these
classifications.
11
The frequencies of
genres of the songs collected in the
playlists
of the cities confirm
reach of the local genres, many of
which have not even been observed at
11
In this sense, reclassification is also subject
to critic
ism and misunderstanding. However,
again, it is emphasized that, in the diverse
environment of music, a fixed framing of
genres is a difficult task, and this work does
not propose to address such complexity of
classifications.
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
that the national level does not reflect
digital consumption as a whole.
The descriptive and s
patial
research of the genres consumed at
the local level partly proves this
assumption. The most distinctly
reproduced songs, or those that stand
out locally in the municipalities
collected, allow us to better decipher
the taste, pattern, and consumption
relations of the users in the cities.
Many artists and genres exposed by
, on some level, have
less reach in the national scene, or as
interpreted, are more consumed in
After an initial analysis of the
bserved that some
original classifications were sometimes
misleading, while others were
undefined. It was therefore decided to
redefine some of these
The frequencies of
genres of the songs collected in the
of the cities confirm
a greater
reach of the local genres, many of
which have not even been observed at
In this sense, reclassification is also subject
ism and misunderstanding. However,
again, it is emphasized that, in the diverse
environment of music, a fixed framing of
genres is a difficult task, and this work does
not propose to address such complexity of
the national level. The predominance
of sertanejo
is still remarkable, since it
is heavily consumed in Brazil and very
little in cities of other countries. The
low frequency
of pop, mainly
international, is justified by being
widely heard in other places in the
world, so the algorithm, with
exceptions, does not select it as
distinct for Brazilian cities.
A first identification of the genres
was centered on the
Brazilian capitals. Figure 7 shows the
visual frequency of the genres of the
most distinctly consumed music in six
capitals.
154
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)
the national level. The predominance
is still remarkable, since it
is heavily consumed in Brazil and very
little in cities of other countries. The
of pop, mainly
international, is justified by being
widely heard in other places in the
world, so the algorithm, with
exceptions, does not select it as
distinct for Brazilian cities.
A first identification of the genres
was centered on the
playlists of some
Brazilian capitals. Figure 7 shows the
visual frequency of the genres of the
most distinctly consumed music in six
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
(a)
São Paulo
(c) Manaus
(
(e)
Florianópolis
Fig. 7: Genres observed in Brazilian
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
São Paulo
(SP) (b)
Belo Horizonte (MG)
(
AM) (d)
Belém
Florianópolis
(SC) (f)
Brası
́
lia
Fig. 7: Genres observed in Brazilian
capitals, November 2016. Source: McDONALD (2013);
SPOTIFY (2014).
155
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)
Belo Horizonte (MG)
Belém
(PA)
Brası
́
lia
(DF)
capitals, November 2016. Source: McDONALD (2013);
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
As observed, there is a pattern of consumption of various musical styles in
each of these cities, not just one or two genres. Peterson (1992) refers to individuals
who consume various types of cultural goods or activities as omnivores, not
restricting them
selves to a single taste. City
songs that users listen to in the
suggest, through correlation analyses, that Spotify's various rankings are good
measures or indicative
of their general use. Thus, for the capitals presented, due to
the heterogeneity of genres, a possible omnivorous pattern regarding the
consumption of music in these cities is indicated.
Besides
sertanejo universitário
capitals, other genres stand out. Brazilian hip hop in São Paulo and Florianópolis,
Brazilian gospel in Manaus, Brazilian indie in Belém,
and others are in smaller proportion. Figure 8 presents six other capitals with di
consumption patterns from the previous ones.
(a) Rio de Janeiro (RJ) (b) Porto Alegre (RS)
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
As observed, there is a pattern of consumption of various musical styles in
each of these cities, not just one or two genres. Peterson (1992) refers to individuals
who consume various types of cultural goods or activities as omnivores, not
selves to a single taste. City
playlists
are mere representations of the
songs that users listen to in the
streaming
service. Aguiar and Waldfogel (2015)
suggest, through correlation analyses, that Spotify's various rankings are good
of their general use. Thus, for the capitals presented, due to
the heterogeneity of genres, a possible omnivorous pattern regarding the
consumption of music in these cities is indicated.
sertanejo universitário
and deep funk in Rio, consumed in th
capitals, other genres stand out. Brazilian hip hop in São Paulo and Florianópolis,
Brazilian gospel in Manaus, Brazilian indie in Belém,
MPB
and pop in Florianópolis,
and others are in smaller proportion. Figure 8 presents six other capitals with di
consumption patterns from the previous ones.
(a) Rio de Janeiro (RJ) (b) Porto Alegre (RS)
156
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)
As observed, there is a pattern of consumption of various musical styles in
each of these cities, not just one or two genres. Peterson (1992) refers to individuals
who consume various types of cultural goods or activities as omnivores, not
are mere representations of the
service. Aguiar and Waldfogel (2015)
suggest, through correlation analyses, that Spotify's various rankings are good
of their general use. Thus, for the capitals presented, due to
the heterogeneity of genres, a possible omnivorous pattern regarding the
and deep funk in Rio, consumed in th
e six
capitals, other genres stand out. Brazilian hip hop in São Paulo and Florianópolis,
and pop in Florianópolis,
and others are in smaller proportion. Figure 8 presents six other capitals with di
fferent
(a) Rio de Janeiro (RJ) (b) Porto Alegre (RS)
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
(c) Salvador (BA) (d) Recife (PE)
(e)
Fortaleza
Fig. 8: Genres observed in Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Source: McDONALD (2013);
All the capitals shown in Figure
8 have a specific consumption pattern
for certain genres. In some of the
capitals, this pattern is more evident,
such as nativist and rock music in
Porto Alegre, axé
in Salvador,
and brega
in Fortaleza, and
sertanejouniversitário
in Goiânia. In
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
(c) Salvador (BA) (d) Recife (PE)
Fortaleza
(CE) (f)
Goiânia
Fig. 8: Genres observed in Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Source: McDONALD (2013);
SPOTIFY (2014).
All the capitals shown in Figure
8 have a specific consumption pattern
for certain genres. In some of the
capitals, this pattern is more evident,
such as nativist and rock music in
in Salvador,
forró
in Fortaleza, and
in Goiânia. In
Rio de Janeiro and Recife, the
consumption is divided into a few
genres. Recife divides among Brazilian
indie, forró, and
brega
Janeiro is divided among funk,
and Brazilian hip hop. These capitals
would typ
ically be classified as
univorable consumption patterns,
157
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)
(c) Salvador (BA) (d) Recife (PE)
Goiânia
(GO)
Fig. 8: Genres observed in Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Source: McDONALD (2013);
Rio de Janeiro and Recife, the
consumption is divided into a few
genres. Recife divides among Brazilian
brega
, while Rio de
Janeiro is divided among funk,
pagode,
and Brazilian hip hop. These capitals
ically be classified as
univorable consumption patterns,
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
according to the propositions of
Peterson (1992).
This univorous consumption can
be explained by the tradition and
history of some genres in these places.
In Rio de Janeiro (Figure 8a), for
example,
as Vicente (2014) points out,
the origins of funk refer to the
American soul and funk movement of
the 1970s and, as in the United States,
maintained a strong presence in the
black population. The style explodes in
the late 1990s with the melody funk
phase
. In 2001, it rises the phase of
batidão and proibidão
funk. In the late
2000s, funk was renewed again with
the ostentação
phase with themes
related to the consumption of goods,
such as cars and electronic equipment,
as a symbol of distinction in the
p
eriphery. Similarly, the genres
observed in Recife (Figure 8d)
establish a direct association with the
Mangue Beat. This was an artistic and
social movement that emerged in the
late 1980s but gained strength in the
early 1990s and overcame Recife’s
barriers. The axé
in Salvador (Figure
8c), according to Paulafreitas (2004),
dates back to the origins of this style in
the 1950s, with the creation of the
elétrico
by Dodô and Osmar
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
according to the propositions of
This univorous consumption can
be explained by the tradition and
history of some genres in these places.
In Rio de Janeiro (Figure 8a), for
as Vicente (2014) points out,
the origins of funk refer to the
American soul and funk movement of
the 1970s and, as in the United States,
maintained a strong presence in the
black population. The style explodes in
the late 1990s with the melody funk
. In 2001, it rises the phase of
funk. In the late
2000s, funk was renewed again with
phase with themes
related to the consumption of goods,
such as cars and electronic equipment,
as a symbol of distinction in the
eriphery. Similarly, the genres
observed in Recife (Figure 8d)
establish a direct association with the
Mangue Beat. This was an artistic and
social movement that emerged in the
late 1980s but gained strength in the
early 1990s and overcame Recife’s
in Salvador (Figure
8c), according to Paulafreitas (2004),
dates back to the origins of this style in
the 1950s, with the creation of the
trio
by Dodô and Osmar
, and the
afoxé
blocks such as Filhos de Gandhi
(1949)
and Ilê Ayê
Bahian axé
scene would come in the
late 1980s, accompanied by a new
moment in the Brazilian music scene
as a whole.
Observed these, we can divide
those cities into two groups of
consumption patterns. Those of
diversified or omnivorous pattern
São Paulo,
Belo Horizonte
Belém,
Florianópolis
Those of univorous consumption or a
specific genre are Rio de Janeiro
Recife,
Porto Alegre
Fortaleza,
and Goiânia
analysis expanded to other Brazilian
cit
ies and capitals. Figure 9 shows
diagrams of the most consumed
genres in each Brazilian capital. The
data were collected in November
2016.
12
12
For this month, it was not
data about capital Campo Grande (MS).
158
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)
blocks such as Filhos de Gandhi
and Ilê Ayê
(1974). A new
scene would come in the
late 1980s, accompanied by a new
moment in the Brazilian music scene
Observed these, we can divide
those cities into two groups of
consumption patterns. Those of
diversified or omnivorous pattern
are
Belo Horizonte
, Manaus,
Florianópolis
, and Brası
́
lia.
Those of univorous consumption or a
specific genre are Rio de Janeiro
,
Porto Alegre
, Salvador,
and Goiânia
. Then the
analysis expanded to other Brazilian
ies and capitals. Figure 9 shows
diagrams of the most consumed
genres in each Brazilian capital. The
data were collected in November
For this month, it was not
possible to collect
data about capital Campo Grande (MS).
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 9: Consumption by genders, Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Sour
There are very different patterns
of consumption, and those presented
previously are evident. For example,
the univorable pattern of capital cities
such as Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro,
Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, and
Goiânia is proven.
Like Goiânia,
Cuia
bá (MT), Rio Branco (AC), and
Boa Vista (RR) are intense consumers
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 9: Consumption by genders, Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Sour
(2013); SPOTIFY (2014).
There are very different patterns
of consumption, and those presented
previously are evident. For example,
the univorable pattern of capital cities
such as Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro,
Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, and
Like Goiânia,
bá (MT), Rio Branco (AC), and
Boa Vista (RR) are intense consumers
of
sertanejo universitário
capitals have a more omnivorous and
distributed pattern. In addition to those
presented in Figure 8, we can mention
Palmas (TO), São Luís (MA), and
Maceió
(AL). Among other patterns
already observed, the following genres
are distinguished, in smaller or larger
proportions, in the respective capitals:
159
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)
Fig. 9: Consumption by genders, Brazilian capitals, November 2016. Sour
ce: McDONALD
sertanejo universitário
. Other
capitals have a more omnivorous and
distributed pattern. In addition to those
presented in Figure 8, we can mention
Palmas (TO), São Luís (MA), and
(AL). Among other patterns
already observed, the following genres
are distinguished, in smaller or larger
proportions, in the respective capitals:
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
• Axé: Salvador;
•
Brazilian gospel: Manaus, Belém,
São Luís, João Pessoa (PB);
•
Brazilian hip hop: São Paulo,
Flo
rianópolis, Brasília (DF);
•
Brazilian indie: Recife, Belém;
• Deep funk carioca
: Rio de Janeiro;
• Forró and brega
: Recife, Fortaleza;
• MPB
and national rock:
Florianópolis, Aracaju (SE), Natal (RN);
• Nativist and rock
gaúcho
Alegre;
•
Pop and techno: Floria
Curitiba (PR);
• Samba and pagode
: Rio de Janeiro;
•
Sertanejo universitário: Goiânia,
Cuiabá, Rio Branco, Boa Vista.
There are a few capitals where
funk and sertanejo
do not have a
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Brazilian gospel: Manaus, Belém,
São Luís, João Pessoa (PB);
Brazilian hip hop: São Paulo,
rianópolis, Brasília (DF);
Brazilian indie: Recife, Belém;
: Rio de Janeiro;
: Recife, Fortaleza;
and national rock:
Florianópolis, Aracaju (SE), Natal (RN);
gaúcho
: Porto
Pop and techno: Floria
nópolis,
: Rio de Janeiro;
Sertanejo universitário: Goiânia,
Cuiabá, Rio Branco, Boa Vista.
There are a few capitals where
do not have a
minimum consumption.
national rock also have a well
distribu
ted consumption in the national
territory, except perhaps the Midwest
region, where the dominion of
sertanejo is clear.
Forró
capitals of the Northeast region, has
reach in Belo Horizonte, Brasília,
Manaus, and Belém.
We verified how consumpti
and tastes present themselves in the
other Brazilian cities, including as a
way of ascertaining the power of
influence of the capitals in the rest of
the cities. Figure 10 shows the
consumption patterns of all 108 cities
collected in November 2016, from
9,302 songs available in playlists in the
Every Place at Once domain.
160
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)
minimum consumption.
MPB and
national rock also have a well
-
ted consumption in the national
territory, except perhaps the Midwest
region, where the dominion of
Forró
, besides the
capitals of the Northeast region, has
reach in Belo Horizonte, Brasília,
We verified how consumpti
on
and tastes present themselves in the
other Brazilian cities, including as a
way of ascertaining the power of
influence of the capitals in the rest of
the cities. Figure 10 shows the
consumption patterns of all 108 cities
collected in November 2016, from
9,302 songs available in playlists in the
Every Place at Once domain.
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 10: Consumption by genders, Brazilian cities, November 2016. Source: McDONALD
In addition to the prevalence of
sertanejo
, there is a strong proximity
and spatial correlation of genders.
Among the 108 cities, there are 86
predominate songs from
universitário
, mostly in cities in the
South, Southeast, and Midwest, where
deep funk carioca
considerable consumption
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Fig. 10: Consumption by genders, Brazilian cities, November 2016. Source: McDONALD
(2013); SPOTIFY(2014).
In addition to the prevalence of
, there is a strong proximity
and spatial correlation of genders.
Among the 108 cities, there are 86
predominate songs from
sertanejo
, mostly in cities in the
South, Southeast, and Midwest, where
also has
considerable consumption
. In the
South,
the capital cities Porto Alegre
and Florianópolis are exceptions
sertanejo
does not predominate, as
previously shown. In the Southeast,
sertanejo
has a lower proportion in the
cities of the states of Rio de Janeiro
and Espírito Santo. In the Northeast
and in the largest capitals of the North,
its scope is limited. The Northeast
161
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)
Fig. 10: Consumption by genders, Brazilian cities, November 2016. Source: McDONALD
the capital cities Porto Alegre
and Florianópolis are exceptions
, and
does not predominate, as
previously shown. In the Southeast,
has a lower proportion in the
cities of the states of Rio de Janeiro
and Espírito Santo. In the Northeast
and in the largest capitals of the North,
its scope is limited. The Northeast
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
region is where less
sertanejo
is consumed. In this region, ma
axé, forró, and MPB
are consumed.
Brazilian gospel, besides the
consumption already highlighted in
Manaus, São Luís, and João Pessoa,
is also distinguished in some cities of
the metropolitan region of the city of
Rio de Janeiro, such as São Gonçalo,
D
uque de Caxias, and Nova Iguaçu,
and also in Vila Velha (ES).
and pagode, which are predominant in
Rio de Janeiro, present relevant
consumption also in other cities of the
state. On the other hand, music from
the state of Rio Grande do Sul (nativist
and rock gaúcho) presents a minimum
consumption in other cities, but far
from the proportion in its capital, Porto
Alegre. They are Florianópolis,
(a) January 2017
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
sertanejo
and funk
is consumed. In this region, ma
inly
are consumed.
Brazilian gospel, besides the
consumption already highlighted in
Manaus, São Luís, and João Pessoa,
is also distinguished in some cities of
the metropolitan region of the city of
Rio de Janeiro, such as São Gonçalo,
uque de Caxias, and Nova Iguaçu,
and also in Vila Velha (ES).
Samba
and pagode, which are predominant in
Rio de Janeiro, present relevant
consumption also in other cities of the
state. On the other hand, music from
the state of Rio Grande do Sul (nativist
and rock gaúcho) presents a minimum
consumption in other cities, but far
from the proportion in its capital, Porto
Alegre. They are Florianópolis,
Curitiba, Santos (SP), Manaus, and
Natal. Likewise, axé
consumption in practically all the cities
of the Northeast, not reaching the
same proportion of Salvador.
In order to monitor the evolution
of this consumption and to verify that
the pattern for November remains,
Figure 11 presents consumpti
patterns for the months of January,
March, and May 2017. A total of 115,
84, and 106
playlists
from cities for each month,
respectively, totaling 9,530, 7,607, and
9,954 songs. The months were
interspersed in order to obtain greater
varia
bility of the playlists. For better
visualization, some cities were omitted
without affecting the analysis, given a
similar spatial pattern.
(a) January 2017
(b) March 2017
162
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)
Curitiba, Santos (SP), Manaus, and
has a minimum
consumption in practically all the cities
of the Northeast, not reaching the
same proportion of Salvador.
In order to monitor the evolution
of this consumption and to verify that
the pattern for November remains,
Figure 11 presents consumpti
on
patterns for the months of January,
March, and May 2017. A total of 115,
playlists
were collected
from cities for each month,
respectively, totaling 9,530, 7,607, and
9,954 songs. The months were
interspersed in order to obtain greater
bility of the playlists. For better
visualization, some cities were omitted
without affecting the analysis, given a
similar spatial pattern.
(b) March 2017
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 11:
Evolution of consumption by gender, Brazilian cities. Source: McDONALD (2013);
Most genres maintain their
spatial reference. However, some
changes are noteworthy. An expansion
of funk is confirmed,
especially if we
observe the maps of January and
March of 2017. In March,
pagode
lost space to other genres in
the state of Rio de Janeiro. In relation
to axé
, there was an increase in
consumption in the Northeast. In
addition to Salvador, incre
consumption was found mainly in
Aracaju, Fortaleza, Feira de Santana
(BA), and Vitória da Conquista (BA). In
May, however, this consumption
contracted, when there was an
increase in the proportion of
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
(c) May 2017
Evolution of consumption by gender, Brazilian cities. Source: McDONALD (2013);
SPOTIFY (2014).
Most genres maintain their
spatial reference. However, some
changes are noteworthy. An expansion
especially if we
observe the maps of January and
March of 2017. In March,
samba and
lost space to other genres in
the state of Rio de Janeiro. In relation
, there was an increase in
consumption in the Northeast. In
addition to Salvador, incre
ased
consumption was found mainly in
Aracaju, Fortaleza, Feira de Santana
(BA), and Vitória da Conquista (BA). In
May, however, this consumption
contracted, when there was an
increase in the proportion of
forró and
brega
in the cities of the Northeast.
Foc
using on Salvador, it is possible to
see this expansion;
market share, practically dividing
consumption with
forró
Fortaleza, the consumption of this
genre reached a univorous level similar
to the consumption of
o
ther cities, such as Goiânia and
Cuiabá. In the same month, there was
also an increase in consumption of
Brazilian hip hop music, particularly in
the Southeast and South regions.
Samba and
pagode
consumption levels in the cities of the
state of Ri
o de Janeiro that they
obtained in November 2016 and
163
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)
Evolution of consumption by gender, Brazilian cities. Source: McDONALD (2013);
in the cities of the Northeast.
using on Salvador, it is possible to
see this expansion;
axé reduced its
market share, practically dividing
forró
and brega. In
Fortaleza, the consumption of this
genre reached a univorous level similar
to the consumption of
sertanejo in
ther cities, such as Goiânia and
Cuiabá. In the same month, there was
also an increase in consumption of
Brazilian hip hop music, particularly in
the Southeast and South regions.
pagode
regained
consumption levels in the cities of the
o de Janeiro that they
obtained in November 2016 and
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
January 2017. Pop and techno also
showed a small increase in
consumption over the months.
In this range, it is also worth
mentioning the expansion of Brazilian
gospel in some places. Presence is
maintain
ed in Manaus, São Luís, and
João Pessoa, while increasing
consumption in the cities already
mentioned in the metropolitan region of
Rio de Janeiro, including Belford Roxo
and São João do Meriti, and in the
cities of Espírito Santo, such as Vitória,
Serra,
and Vila Velha. In the cities of
the metropolitan region of Rio de
Janeiro, gospel divides the
consumption, mainly with funk,
and pagode
. In the capital, however,
the consumption of gospel is
inexpressive. There are also increases
in other cities, s
uch as Feira de
Santana (BA), Campina Grande (PE),
Palmas, Belém, and Brasília.
The analysis by the Brazilian
territory confirms that there are close
relationships of some genres with the
cultural identity of the cities where they
are consumed, while other
be associated with mass production
processes and greater market
emphasis. More obvious examples of
the first situation would be cities with
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
January 2017. Pop and techno also
showed a small increase in
consumption over the months.
In this range, it is also worth
mentioning the expansion of Brazilian
gospel in some places. Presence is
ed in Manaus, São Luís, and
João Pessoa, while increasing
consumption in the cities already
mentioned in the metropolitan region of
Rio de Janeiro, including Belford Roxo
and São João do Meriti, and in the
cities of Espírito Santo, such as Vitória,
and Vila Velha. In the cities of
the metropolitan region of Rio de
Janeiro, gospel divides the
consumption, mainly with funk,
samba,
. In the capital, however,
the consumption of gospel is
inexpressive. There are also increases
uch as Feira de
Santana (BA), Campina Grande (PE),
Palmas, Belém, and Brasília.
The analysis by the Brazilian
territory confirms that there are close
relationships of some genres with the
cultural identity of the cities where they
are consumed, while other
s seem to
be associated with mass production
processes and greater market
emphasis. More obvious examples of
the first situation would be cities with
extremely univorious consumption
patterns in one or two genders. The
second situation could include those
cities where, even considering the
most distinctly consumed songs, the
consumption of
sertanejo universitário
is still significant, sharing space with
other genres, often
funk carioca
. According to Junior
(2008, p. 40):
It is possible to
relation between the musical
label and a supposed taste of
the listener (...). In virtual
terms, the genres and their
settings in the songs describe
not only who the consumers
are, but also the possibilities of
meaning of a certain type of
music f
or a particular
audience. In the labeling there
is a certain way of sharing
experience and musical
knowledge. (authors’
translation)
As Paulafreitas (2004) notes,
especially in the last decade, the
phonographic market generally
underwent restructuring an
segmentation. The digital music
consumption described by Spotify's
playlists features both traditional and
mass-
replacement models. This would
be represented by the genres typically
with greater marketing appeal, such as
164
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)
extremely univorious consumption
patterns in one or two genders. The
second situation could include those
cities where, even considering the
most distinctly consumed songs, the
sertanejo universitário
is still significant, sharing space with
other genres, often
MPB and deep
. According to Junior
It is possible to
notice a
relation between the musical
label and a supposed taste of
the listener (...). In virtual
terms, the genres and their
settings in the songs describe
not only who the consumers
are, but also the possibilities of
meaning of a certain type of
or a particular
audience. In the labeling there
is a certain way of sharing
experience and musical
knowledge. (authors’
As Paulafreitas (2004) notes,
especially in the last decade, the
phonographic market generally
underwent restructuring an
d
segmentation. The digital music
consumption described by Spotify's
playlists features both traditional and
replacement models. This would
be represented by the genres typically
with greater marketing appeal, such as
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
sertanejo universitário
and, more
recently, funk.
In the same way that Anderson
(2006) advocates for other services
and segments, it is possible to say that
there is a "Spotify Long Tail" where
local genres and artists or those with
less popularity than the "big stars" can
be heard. Figur
e 12 demonstrates this
assumption. There were 920 artists
collected in the playlists of Brazil and
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
and, more
In the same way that Anderson
(2006) advocates for other services
and segments, it is possible to say that
there is a "Spotify Long Tail" where
local genres and artists or those with
less popularity than the "big stars" can
e 12 demonstrates this
assumption. There were 920 artists
collected in the playlists of Brazil and
the cities between November 2016 and
March 2017. The distribution of the first
characterizes exactly the decay of the
Power Law, the same observed for
other
phenomena of "Long Tail", where
few items are consumed in high
volume and most are consumed in
small volumes, but which together
represent a significant portion (PARK
et al., 2007).
(a) Artists’ Followers
165
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
the cities between November 2016 and
March 2017. The distribution of the first
characterizes exactly the decay of the
Power Law, the same observed for
phenomena of "Long Tail", where
few items are consumed in high
volume and most are consumed in
small volumes, but which together
represent a significant portion (PARK
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Fig. 12: Long Tail of streaming music. Source: McDONALD (2013); SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Most of the artists present in the
national playlists refer to the
international pop genres or the great
stars of
sertanejo universitário
national pop. These occupy the top
positions in relation to both the
followers and popularity, and, as
Anderson (2006) affirms, those are the
great successes that always had space
in the physical market. However, the
cu
rve shows a large number of artists
with followers below 1.5 million, most
of whose songs are on local playlists, a
grouping that Anderson (2006) calls
“non-hits.”
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
(b) Artists’ Popularity
Fig. 12: Long Tail of streaming music. Source: McDONALD (2013); SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Most of the artists present in the
national playlists refer to the
international pop genres or the great
sertanejo universitário
and
national pop. These occupy the top
positions in relation to both the
followers and popularity, and, as
Anderson (2006) affirms, those are the
great successes that always had space
in the physical market. However, the
rve shows a large number of artists
with followers below 1.5 million, most
of whose songs are on local playlists, a
grouping that Anderson (2006) calls
Therefore, it is possible that
streaming services will be an effective
tool and drive an eff
ective demand of
less popular genres and artists, to the
point where this “non
rivals that of hits. The
recommendations, playlists, stations,
and other resources available in the
application would be facilitators
“link between supply and
and even possible ‘
guides.” As pointed out by Peltier
(2015), the simultaneous consumption
of “hits” and “non-
hits” is possible in
the digital markets due to search
166
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
Fig. 12: Long Tail of streaming music. Source: McDONALD (2013); SPOTIFY (2014, 2016).
Therefore, it is possible that
streaming services will be an effective
ective demand of
less popular genres and artists, to the
point where this “non
-hits” market
rivals that of hits. The
recommendations, playlists, stations,
and other resources available in the
application would be facilitators
— the
“link between supply and
demand —
and even possible ‘
hits’and niche
guides.” As pointed out by Peltier
et al.
(2015), the simultaneous consumption
hits” is possible in
the digital markets due to search
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
engines and recommendation services.
Thus, we would initially imagine that
sertanejo universitário
predominate in the whole of Brazil;
however, it is observed that the genres
of market niches also have a relevant
local appreciation when inserted in t
digital service.
Final remarks
We believe that this work
contributes to a better understanding
and dimension of music consumption
in Brazil. Particularly regarding
innovations in the phonographic sector
and the advancement of streaming
platforms, the a
nalysis of this
consumption from data from Spotify
reveals crucial results and suggests
questions for future research. The first
concerns democratization and reduced
costs of access to music. Currently,
with Internet access, a music listener
can listen to
an extensive list of genres
and artists, free of charge, through
digital platforms. Also, for a monetary
value, sometimes less than the
purchase of a single CD, it is possible
to purchase monthly subscriptions for
streaming music services, such as
Spotify.
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
engines and recommendation services.
Thus, we would initially imagine that
sertanejo universitário
would
predominate in the whole of Brazil;
however, it is observed that the genres
of market niches also have a relevant
local appreciation when inserted in t
he
We believe that this work
contributes to a better understanding
and dimension of music consumption
in Brazil. Particularly regarding
innovations in the phonographic sector
and the advancement of streaming
nalysis of this
consumption from data from Spotify
reveals crucial results and suggests
questions for future research. The first
concerns democratization and reduced
costs of access to music. Currently,
with Internet access, a music listener
an extensive list of genres
and artists, free of charge, through
digital platforms. Also, for a monetary
value, sometimes less than the
purchase of a single CD, it is possible
to purchase monthly subscriptions for
streaming music services, such as
The possibility of constructing
robust indicators with the data provided
by the Spotify API (Spotify Web API) is
a proposed methodological advance.
Access to these types of data or any
data from digital platforms guarantees
the elaboration of a diverse ra
indicators at a low cost and with
sample representativeness only
verified in census collections,
recognized by their high price and,
therefore, with periodicity in most
countries. Thus, in the field of the
culture economy, where changes have
occurre
d in a vertiginous way due to
the digitization process, and where
there is no scope or periodicity in the
construction of secondary databases,
access to APIs has become an
essential and alternative data tool.
The observation of almost real
time consumption
trends and their evolution according to
musical styles. As an example, there
was a relatively significant
consumption of gospel style in some
cities. There was also a substantial rise
in funk consumption at the national
level, but mainly i
n the South and
Southeast regions. This may reveal a
shift from the segment industry to a
mass market profile.
167
www.periodicos.uff.br/pragmatizes
- ISSN 2237-1508
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
)
The possibility of constructing
robust indicators with the data provided
by the Spotify API (Spotify Web API) is
a proposed methodological advance.
Access to these types of data or any
data from digital platforms guarantees
the elaboration of a diverse ra
nge of
indicators at a low cost and with
sample representativeness only
verified in census collections,
recognized by their high price and,
therefore, with periodicity in most
countries. Thus, in the field of the
culture economy, where changes have
d in a vertiginous way due to
the digitization process, and where
there is no scope or periodicity in the
construction of secondary databases,
access to APIs has become an
essential and alternative data tool.
The observation of almost real
-
helps to follow
trends and their evolution according to
musical styles. As an example, there
was a relatively significant
consumption of gospel style in some
cities. There was also a substantial rise
in funk consumption at the national
n the South and
Southeast regions. This may reveal a
shift from the segment industry to a
VAZ DE MELO, Gabriel Borges; MACHAD
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
R
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
reproductions. PragMATIZES - Revista Latino-
Americana de Estudos em
Cultura, Niterói/RJ, Ano 10, n. 19, p. 141-169
, set. 2020.
Finally, it is emphasized that
dimensioning, describing, and mapping
culture and cultural goods are arduous
tasks for both the symbolic and
immeasurable value of the object in
question. Particularly regarding music,
at no time was it intended to value or
devalue specific genres or artists. On
the contrary, in the diversity of the
territorial and cultural extension of
Brazil, every manifestatio
micro, local, regional, and national
levels, is valued. It is believed that
dimensioning art is a way of
strengthening cultural identities,
thinking of ways of encouraging,
perpetuating, and evaluating them.
Acknowledgements:
We thank all
Spotif
y Web API, Python, R, QGIS, Beautiful
Soup, ggplot2 and wordcloud (R Core Team
2018; QGIS Development Team 2009;
Richardson 2017; Wickham 2016; Fellows
2014) contributors which made possible this
work.
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(
Dossiê Cultura, Tecnologia e Sociedade
O, Ana Flavia; CARVALHO, Lucas
esende de. Music consumption in Brazil: an analysis of streaming
Americana de Estudos em
, set. 2020.
Finally, it is emphasized that
dimensioning, describing, and mapping
culture and cultural goods are arduous
tasks for both the symbolic and
immeasurable value of the object in
question. Particularly regarding music,
at no time was it intended to value or
devalue specific genres or artists. On
the contrary, in the diversity of the
territorial and cultural extension of
Brazil, every manifestatio
n, at the
micro, local, regional, and national
levels, is valued. It is believed that
dimensioning art is a way of
strengthening cultural identities,
thinking of ways of encouraging,
perpetuating, and evaluating them.
We thank all
y Web API, Python, R, QGIS, Beautiful
Soup, ggplot2 and wordcloud (R Core Team
2018; QGIS Development Team 2009;
Richardson 2017; Wickham 2016; Fellows
2014) contributors which made possible this
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