A Utility Function for the Music Consumer Based on their Emotional Responses

Abstract

This research aims to propose a utility function that estimates the level of satisfaction that a music consumer would experience when listening to a song, based on his or her emotional response. Assuming that the consumer's musical preferences are satisfied if the predominant emotions of his current emotional state increase, the probabilistic emotional-musical model (Lugos Abarca, 2023) is employed to develop this utility function. Through a hypothetical scenario, realistic results were obtained that support its theoretical applicability. However, limitations were identified due to the approximation of the empirical data in the musical parameters, recommending the need for future research to improve its effectiveness. The originality of this research lies in its proposal of a mathematical tool to quantitatively analyze emotion-based music consumption decisions. It is concluded that this function could play a significant role in the music industry by theoretically predicting consumer acceptance or rejection of a song compared to the competition.