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Need your help please. Short EDM survey for UNI project

Ello, hope you and yours all had a great Christmas and will have a MASSIVE New Year.

I would appreciate your help please. If you find a moment to complete this quick electronic dance music survey it will be much appreciated, contributing to a University assignment I am currently working on, analysing worldwide trends in the market.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BZSGKFX

Thanks in advance X

This survey contains many flaws I recommend you fix before asking people to fill it in, otherwise you will get a very average mark for your assignment. However, I suspect now you've already put it out there you have no intention of amending it.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J This survey contains many flaws I recommend you fix before asking people to fill it in, otherwise you will get a very average mark for your assignment. However, I suspect now you've already put it out there you have no intention of amending it.

Thanks. Its preliminary, and I am open to suggestions ?

Bass music, that sounds amazing. I'd love to hear a crossover between "bass music" and dubstep.

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Originally posted by Psyshell Bass music, that sounds amazing. I'd love to hear a crossover between "bass music" and dubstep.

Yeah, I hear that. Its an umbrella term that is becoming used more and more. My point and a part of my research is to see if the next generation of consumers and listeners are actually aware of original genre ethics, history and culture. Or is it just becoming an amalgamation of all genres and sub genres, which is what I can sense and see happening.

Okay.

1. The available answers for Question 2 overlap. "Soundcloud" and "Youtube" surely fall under "Computer", while "Radio / mixes / podcasts" could fall under any of the other answers. For example I listen to a lot of mixes, but I do so on my MP3 player, on my computer or on the stereo. You need to come up with a clear idea of what you're actually trying to learn. Is it medium (MP3, vinyl, CD, etc)? Is it format? (Album, single, compilation, podcast, etc)? Is it device? (MP3 player, laptop, home stereo, car stereo, etc)? All of these are mashed together in this question.

2. Both the available answer sets for Questions 3 and 4 need numerically specifying. What is the difference between "Extremely often" and "Very often?" Without giving a concrete option ("Every day", "Every week", etc) your data is going to be extremely unhelpful because every reader can have a different idea of what constitutes "Very often".

3. Your list of genres for Question 9 should really be expanded, although depending on what course you're studying your tutors might not have a clue about available genres. I would recommend taking some sort of standardised list, such as Beatport's genre list, so you can explain in your write-up that Beatport is an industry leading sales outlet that dictates these genre terms. Referencing an important market figure rather than just a semi-random list of genre names you could think of would be preferable if your aim is to "analyse worldwide trends in the market".

4. If you aim to analyse trends worldwide, why aren't you collecting information about nationality?

5. You should really standardise your answers. Why does Question 1 have one answer that spans only two years (18-20), when the rest span ten years? This is going to massively skew your data.

6. You should really reword your questions to begin "On average", because the amounts people spend per month and the frequency with which they attend events can vary based on the time of year and other external factors. Your questions should contain as little ambiguity as possible, because the more ambiguity, the more is left up to reader perception and the less reliable your data will be.

I can't really add much except for saying that every point system j made is absolutely correct.

Also, if you're going to include some crappy made up genre, why not do several? Unless it's a test for whether the reader describes dubstep as dubstep or as "bass music" the choice of genres seems very arbitrary.

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I am working on an edit, but limited to the changes I can make now. Should have asked advice before putting it out there. My bad, live and learn.

The actual assignment is for a business / marketing plan for an electronic dance music label launching a new artist. Part of the plan is researching the market and its trends to be able to target those specific areas with promotion. Of course it is subjective and somewhat obvious, but I am trying to gather some facts to back up my arguments. I agree the survey as it was will not present the best results. Ill do the best I can to fix it.

A separate part of my research is into the whole genre blurring that seems to be going on. I have done surveys with 18-24 year olds, and discovered most of them cannot identify specific genres or associated artists at all. The inclusion of such a broad term is to confirm this. "Bass Music" can be anything and yes is made up, and as it stands is the second highest option in the survey. There is a "Other" option that lies bottom. Do the kids or promoters care? probably not, Do we as artists care? some may, some may not !

'Dubstep' DJs are playing house, techno, dnb, trap and pretty much anything they feel like all in the same set. The audience is embracing it, and don't really care what its called. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? again subjective !

But lots of fun :-p

Thanks again for the help.

Fair enough, it seems these days there's seperate genres for artists than there are for promoters. Some of the made up genres you see on flyers nowadays are a bit silly. It looks like you've planned some aspects well, but perhaps another broad genre term being in there would be useful for determining a "vague/precise" split as well as the split between different genres.

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Originally posted by Psyshell Fair enough, it seems these days there's seperate genres for artists than there are for promoters. Some of the made up genres you see on flyers nowadays are a bit silly. It looks like you've planned some aspects well, but perhaps another broad genre term being in there would be useful for determining a "vague/precise" split as well as the split between different genres.

Yes, I agree, it is all marketing. Seems like everyone is now chasing the same bone.

In all brutal honesty, if you can't identify these flaws in your own survey then you've either put an extremely low amount of thought into your work or you probably don't have the analytical mindset required to conduct a statistical analysis of the data once you've gathered it. In my experience of getting dozens of student surveys in my inbox while at university, this would appear to be the norm amongst undergrads.

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Originally posted by Outrage Yes, I agree, it is all marketing. Seems like everyone is now chasing the same bone.

I didn't say it was all marketing.

Around here I've seen people describe people as "progressive techno djs" who play a certain kind've funky techno but often stray (quite often a whole third of their set is either) into tech house or progpsy. So that has more to do with the variety of music people play necessarily than being in line with the next trend. I guess sometimes it's all marketing but not always. The worst bits around here are goth clubs that stick 7-10 different goth sounding subgenres (ebm, new wave, synthpop, coldwave, industrial, deathrock, aggrotech, darkwave, dark electro... etc); just so that you'll have absolutely no idea what you'll hear that night. Could be crappy 80s rock all night or it could be hard techish sounds. I'm guessing the promoters just have no idea so that's why the flyer ends up that way.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J In all brutal honesty, if you can't identify these flaws in your own survey then you've either put an extremely low amount of thought into your work or you probably don't have the analytical mindset required to conduct a statistical analysis of the data once you've gathered it. In my experience of getting dozens of student surveys in my inbox while at university, this would appear to be the norm amongst undergrads.

Definitely not enough thought went into the survey (cracking under the immense pressure and deadlines), neither do I have the analytical mindset, I just want to make music but giving academia my best shot ;-)

Cheers

Well, fair play for recognising your shortcomings. Pointing out your own flaws in methodology when you do your write-up is a good way to claw back marks. Be honest about the limitations of your survey and how you could improve and you'll get better marks than blithely pretending you've come up with the perfect analysis. Good luck.

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Originally posted by Psyshell I didn't say it was all marketing. Around here I've seen people describe people as "progressive techno djs" who play a certain kind've funky techno but often stray (quite often a whole third of their set is either) into tech house or progpsy. So that has more to do with the variety of music people play necessarily than being in line with the next trend. I guess sometimes it's all marketing but not always. The worst bits around here are goth clubs that stick 7-10 different goth sounding subgenres (ebm, new wave, synthpop, coldwave, industrial, deathrock, aggrotech, darkwave, dark electro... etc); just so that you'll have absolutely no idea what you'll hear that night. Could be crappy 80s rock all night or it could be hard techish sounds. I'm guessing the promoters just have no idea so that's why the flyer ends up that way.

Ak ok, Yes.

Inexperienced promoters listen to the word on the streets (social media). I guess due to so may genres and sub genres, sometimes it is a lottery as to what you might hear in a club if you don't know the artists.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Well, fair play for recognising your shortcomings. Pointing out your own flaws in methodology when you do your write-up is a good way to claw back marks. Be honest about the limitations of your survey and how you could improve and you'll get better marks than blithely pretending you've come up with the perfect analysis. Good luck.

Yes, thank you. I seem to be getting quite good at pointing out my own flaws in my essays :-) ...

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Originally posted by Outrage Ak ok, Yes. Inexperienced promoters listen to the word on the streets (social media). I guess due to so may genres and sub genres, sometimes it is a lottery as to what you might hear in a club if you don't know the artists.

It would depend so much on the music genre and the scene though. Chicks who spend all their money on clothes and turn up to clubs to get drunk and hook up with feminine looking guys might not be concerned with 100% of the music being good all night long the same way techno/psy listeners might be. They just want their favourite songs from the 80s to occasionally get played. There may actually be a reason for why one strategy works for one scene and not for another. Until I've got more experience in 2 radically different scenes it's difficult to compare them.

I know in melbourne techno events tend to be more about variety than psy ones are but further than that I couldn't give too much detailed analysis. Techno tends to be techno/tech house/prog techno/last hour of night being psy/electro swing/electro/glitch hop/house/dubstep/electro house. Psy nights tend to be progpsy/full on/progressive techno/(occasionally)darkpsy/(occasionally) other techno/(occasionally) psychill. Promoters tend to just put psytrance/progressive on psy things wheras techno events just tend to name djs and mention "funky beats". If you actually goto random people at the "funky beats" parties though they can tell you whether what's playing is techno, house, dubstep or electro though. So much depends on the scene involved.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J In all brutal honesty, if you can't identify these flaws in your own survey then you've either put an extremely low amount of thought into your work or you probably don't have the analytical mindset required to conduct a statistical analysis of the data once you've gathered it. In my experience of getting dozens of student surveys in my inbox while at university, this would appear to be the norm amongst undergrads.

this is a reoccurring theme. Trying to appeal to people's emotions by masquerading as a student. Ask them for their thesis proposal , you won't get an answer. The data is also not vetted as he has no idea who is responding and they tend to be rather specific ie the area of experts or enthusiasts that know more than most. They don't satisfy the most basic requirements of data collecting in terms of statistics you could present as part of your thesis.

it is just some idiot with some venture trying to play business. Don't waste your time.

I actually added a guy who did a survey like this who was from melbourne on facebook. He was indeed a student and who he said he was. What makes you think that just because the survey is poorly designed it must come from a businessmen and not a student?

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Originally posted by Looney4Clooney this is a reoccurring theme. Trying to appeal to people's emotions by masquerading as a student. Ask them for their thesis proposal , you won't get an answer. The data is also not vetted as he has no idea who is responding and they tend to be rather specific ie the area of experts or enthusiasts that know more than most. They don't satisfy the most basic requirements of data collecting in terms of statistics you could present as part of your thesis.

The people who emailed me at university were students: they all had university email addresses, which an external company couldn't obtain without some through-the-looking-glass theorising on your part. The simple fact is most people have appalling analytical skills.

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Originally posted by Looney4Clooney this is a reoccurring theme. Trying to appeal to people's emotions by masquerading as a student. Ask them for their thesis proposal , you won't get an answer. The data is also not vetted as he has no idea who is responding and they tend to be rather specific ie the area of experts or enthusiasts that know more than most. They don't satisfy the most basic requirements of data collecting in terms of statistics you could present as part of your thesis. it is just some idiot with some venture trying to play business. Don't waste your time.

Oh dear !

I have been in the music business 16 years. What I am actually trying to do is play student now, and not pretending to be doing the best job but giving it a good crack. Of course the reason I am at University is to develop the business and theory side of things. Isn't that why everyone studies? If it was just a business survey I would have no shame saying that believe me. I have already reached out to my immediate circle and had a good response. The reason for coming to this forum was to get views outside of my own genre. If you don't want to participate thats all good.

I also have no issue giving my University email address to anyone who would like to contribute constructively, just PM me.

I welcome critique, feedback and suggestions.. But IDIOT??? Sort it out !

You don't need to jump on negativity for the sake of being negative through assumption, its a waste of energy !

Happy New Year x

maybe you are. I won't conceded on the idiot part tho. It would take quite the dunce to make a survey so utterly useless.

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Originally posted by Looney4Clooney maybe you are. I won't conceded on the idiot part tho. It would take quite the dunce to make a survey so utterly useless.

Perhaps he's just inexperienced?

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Originally posted by Looney4Clooney maybe you are. I won't conceded on the idiot part tho. It would take quite the dunce to make a survey so utterly useless.

With over 300 people taking part so far I have got all the info I need. Very useful to me ! Admittedly I could have done a much better job on the survey, which is actually a very minor part of my essay. I needed some facts on certain areas as I previously mentioned, and thats what I got.


Thanks ;-)

no , you got anecdotal evidence from an unconfirmed source of possibly unique people you haven't applied the slightest vetting process what so ever. Your info as far as academia is concerned is worthless.

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