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YouTube Indicates What the Future is For Audiophiles - Interesting Demographics.

Howdy,

I just wanted to share some data from YouTube as I found it quite eye-opening and thought some of you might too.

I've posted a couple vids on YouTube recently and, as some will know, YouTube provides analytics data with every video, which is available to the channel owner.

The first video featured a Krell KSA 80 amp and at the time of writing this there have been 9,500 views:

Female - 0%
Male - 100%

13–17 years 0%
18–24 years 0%
25–34 years 0%
35–44 years 0.9%
45–54 years 13.5% 
55–64 years 44.4%
65+ years 41.3%

So, 100% male, and pretty much all of the traffic is from guys 45 years old and above, with 40%+ from guys over 65!!

The second video was a spoof (song) on Audiophiles that was shared a lot and watched by a lot of audiophile spouse, so the stats were slightly different, but not much. At the time of writing, 18,150 views:

Female 2.4%
Male 97.6%

13–17 years 0%
18–24 years 0%
25–34 years 0%
35–44 years 5.9%
45–54 years 18.6%
55–64 years 35.5%
65+ years 40.1%

The video was watched by a few females because it was shared and hit with a slightly younger audience but not by much. For all intents and purposes, the stats are the same for both vids.

Caveat - YouTube tends to attract an older audience and it's tipped up towards males. TikTok would show different results, but I think YouTube is really the platform of choice for most of us, so the data is more pertinent. 

Conclusion - we're a dying breed. 40% of us will be dead in a few years and there's not many 'yoots' coming through to replace us.

No real surprise here but we're all blokes - old, fat, sweaty, bearded, and about to kick the proverbial bucket. (Yes, I'm speaking entirely for myself).

Do you think there's more that manufacturers, dealers, reviewers etc. should be doing, or is it just the inevitable playing out?

Thoughts?

Here's the link to the two vids for reference: 
Krell KSA80
The Audiophile Song

128x128rooze
jonwolfpell
372 posts
 

To kennymacc’s wish: other than a small % of people under about 35 now who think that owning a turntable & a few “vinyls” as many of that age group call them, or tapes & CD’s, most couldn’t be bothered & probably never will be. 
 

I’m our crazy, sped up world, many people’s attention spans are dwindling & thus the huge popularity of Tik Tok & Instagram. It’s 10 seconds & on the next thing. Streaming is the only way most listen to music & quite honestly,  I listen streaming about 75% of the time now albeit on high end stuff mostly because I’m getting lazy but also really enjoying a lot of great re -mastered recordings that sound much better than the originals. 
 

Forgetting about the quality & intent of the actual recording quality, a lot of the new music coming out today isn’t great & is mostly forgotten within a  year w/ very few good follow up songs after the initial but quickly fleeting fame it conjures. With that in mind, why would many want to buy the album or CD version if it even exists. Of course there are exceptions to this in every musical genre but fewer & fewer. 

rick_n's avatar
rick_n
178 posts
 

@rooze thank you very much for initiating this discussion.  I'm sure everyone who is reading this are in the hobby and share the passion.  I have shared the passion with my two children who are in their mid twenties.  They both have starter systems and have a real love of music and appreciate when the music they love is properly presented.  Interestingly, versus the YouTube stats that were presented, one of my children is female.  I made her some custom speaker cables last Christmas and she was so happy she cried.

I think it's up to all of us to share our passion and make sure the torch never goes out.  Cheers

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,092 posts
 

There will always be a millionaire class that will buy five and six-figure HiFi. Same as the market for Bentley and Ferrari.

Post removed 
atanarjuat99's avatar
atanarjuat99
56 posts
 

I agree with many things that the op and others have said on this discussion. I just want to add my two cents that even though I am in late middle age, all of the young people that we have come and stay with us love the two channel audio system. Everyone of them says that as soon as they get older and have more money, they are buying a stereo. This is after listening to my system, which is on the high side of mid fi. 
And many of those young people were women. As I am. I think that the low number or female participants is partly disposable income and partly mentoring. Guys bring other guys over to listen to their systems and they geek out on it. I think the millennials and gen Z will slowly start to even those ratios. 
As my nephew said about the stereo system, once you’ve heard it, you can’t go back.

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