The Impact of Network Effects on Online Music Listening Behaviors

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Journal of Computer Information Systems

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

The network effects (NEs) play a vital role in the success of online platforms, fostering user collaboration and interest exchange, thereby creating a positive feedback loop that influences user behaviors and contributes to a platform’s success. However, initial studies exploring the NEs phenomenon primarily focused on network size, predating the widespread adoption of online platforms, and thus providing little insight into the application of NEs in the online platform context. This study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of NEs on an online music platform by examining the social dynamics, specifically focusing on the social network and social actions of users, to uncover NEs impacts on music listening behaviors. Employing partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and analyzing longitudinal data, we delve into users’ music listening behaviors, examining changes in the quantity, novelty, and variety of music consumption. The panel data was obtained from Last.fm users at two points in time (N = 1,708 users, including 113,158 nodes and 252,747 edges in time 1, and 122,495 nodes and 364,158 edges in time 2). The research findings represent a novel contribution to the study of NEs, moving beyond network size, and provide empirical evidence of the impact of NEs on users’ music listening behaviors. The insights presented in this paper are instrumental in understanding the role of NEs on online platforms and in predicting user behaviors across various digital media domains, such as music, movies, and games.

ISSN

0887-4417

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Disciplines

Computer Sciences

Keywords

music listening behaviors, Network effects, online music platform, social dynamics, social network

Scopus ID

86000245075

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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