The aim of this paper is to clarify characteristics of music prosumers through quantitative analyses mainly focusing on their purposes and digitized tools of production. The term “prosumer” coined by Toffler (1980) means consumer who produces something. Consumers’ productions in content industries have been suggested in previous studies. However, it has not quantitatively revealed what has led consumers’ creations. This paper contributes to suggesting a correlational relationship between digi- tized tools and productions and to understanding intrinsic motivations of the prosumer, which have not clarified in previous studies.
This research reconsiders on a prosumer construct and its scale items based on Katsumata and Ichikoji (2010), Ikuine, Katsumata and Ichikoji et al. (2011), and collects both quantitative and qualitative data from a questionnaire survey. First, using Mann-Whitney’s U test, differences between prosumers and non-prosumers are examined to reveal some characteristics of the prosumers. Second, a free de- scriptive answer text is analyzed to reveal what are the purposes of creative activities. Third, a cor- relation analysis is conducted to examine the correlational relationship between each instrument and each production activity.
Consequently, it is indicated that the purposes of consumers’ productions are mostly for self-con- tented and/or self-satisfying through analyzing answer data of the open-ended question in this research. For the music prosumers, creations are neither for sharing with the others nor for progressing in their skills and/or quality of the works. Distinguished from the non-prosumers, people who make creations prefer to others’ works released from not only major labels but also independent labels, individuals, and amateurs. Also, the prosumer has forwardness in listening, watching, and viewing other people’s works and learning from them. The prosumer seems to seek the contents of his/her own motion without much influence from mass-media appeals. This paper also clarifies the usage of digitized instruments has correlation with production activities such as arrangement of content, publishing the works, and making profits from them.
Based on this research, it is thought that “production itself” and “acquisition of knowledge or skills” can be an object for consumption and/or be an experience good. Thus, business models should be designed based on those facts indicated in this paper. As further issues, it might be necessary to reconsider a construct of production, because technological developments have realized easy production without recognition of producing. Also, it is required to develop the scale items and to conduct more precise researches regarding the prosumer.
