Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

Over the past decade, audio consumption experienced several significant transitions: from a paradigm of CD purchases to audio downloads to—most recently—a streaming model. In order for academic librarians to best support student needs, an understanding of their listening practices and preferences is essential. This study surveyed students in 11 music courses with listening assignments and examined their academic use of various music resources. Results indicated that most commercial streaming audio services enjoyed for personal use are not as appropriate for course study. The one exception was YouTube, which ranked as the most commonly cited resource for both personal and academic consumption.