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Usage Habits in Music Streaming Applications and Their Influence on Privacy Related Issues [Research in Progress]

Aim/Purpose: In this exploratory study we examine personal information management within music streaming applications. Also, we investigate the sense of ownership over songs being played on music streaming applications and whether the use of these services may be considered a social activity. In a later stage, we intend to test privacy related issues in music streaming applications and the factors that influence privacy concerns when using these services.

Methodology: This is examined by using a mixed methodology and consists of two phases: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative stage includes semi-structured interviews with 10 music streaming application users in order to explore the possible change in personal information management, following the emergence of these applications (e.g. change in classification methods and song retrieval methods). The quantitative phase includes the distribution of closed ended questionnaires among 200-250 users of music streaming applications, aiming to explore personal information management issues and privacy related issues that emerge while using these applications (e.g. privacy concerns). Currently, a pilot of the qualitative stage was issued.

Findings: We found that users still rely on traditional methods of personal information management, rather than making use of the newer features available by the innovative music streaming applications. The same applies to the use of these applications as part of a social activity. In addition, it seems that the emergence of music streaming applications influenced the sense of ownership over songs in personal music libraries and made it ambiguous among music consumers.

Contribution: As far as we know, this is the first academic research to investigate the issue of personal music management among music streaming applications and the also the first to use a mixed methods approach to examine digital music consumption. In addition, it is the first study that takes into account privacy related issues among the users of music streaming applications.