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

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Characterize audio as a "hobby" and it will surely die. Folks starting families and careers don't have time for hobbies. But almost all love music, and many care about it being accurately presented.

So it's fairly easy to envision a bright future for audio. Dutch & Dutch and the like will thrive because they're a painless impulse purchase on BNPL when you're 25 and make $200K, they're uber-simple to stream Qobuz to, and they're an absolute pleasure to look at and listen to. Meanwhile, massive separate components and the amulets and gris-gris that are thought indispensable to squeeze the last drop of audiophile bliss out of them will end up on craigslist for pennies, and kids who can't afford Dutch & Dutch and the like will snag them and tinker with them and marvel at how good they sound and share them on social and a new generation of enthusiasts will be born.

 

One thing that never goes out of style - gloomy, grumpy people. Not excluding myself here.

@devinplombier I was into audio when I was 16. Up until 18. Then life happened. 30 years went by before I was (really) into audio again. Audiophiles are not dying out, just waiting to get old(er) to have time again.

How one or we adapt to our shared situation of a dying breed.....'

*tsk*  Oh, c'mon....

One thing any could ask of me is what a SOTA aids does for my enjoyment of our magnificent endeavors.....

Think a new Mac you wear; costs 'bout the same but is real time all the time. ;)

Ask for your audiometry charts...you may want an adult beverage afterwards.

Could us a new cell, but would and will happily grind my existing into bits in a vengeance venture....see what's running the better audio apps or could...

Remember:

What you own now may become tomorrows' Vintage

....and appreciated as such.... *S* ;)

 

I would say that being (or not) an 'audiophile' (or just having a decent gear) has more to do with habit of  listening music than anything else. Cost of equipment may be a problem, as well as lack of living space, but when I look at younger folks I do not see that they spare on cars, bikes, clothes or night outs. Its just that they do not listen to music that makes them want to hear it on a decent 2ch sound system...or, even if they do, ist not so important to them in comparation to other things above mentioned. Truth to be told, would you care to listen many of todays popular music on your stereo? When I was growing up, I considered Beatles to be 'very old band' from the past (aprox 12 years after their last album). Now its almost 55 years afther. Who listens that  music or music from those times,anymore (among young folks) ? Jazz? Are you kidding me? Classical music is only enjoyed by the ones who had some education about it (again among younger folks) So, no wonder that less and less people care about gear...they have nothing to listen on it, even if they would get it for free...imho