Divergences and convergences across European musical preferences

The study uses data from the EUCROSS survey (2012–2013), which involved 6,016 respondents, and employs multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and class-specific analysis (CSA) to analyse these patterns and to investigate how these relationships vary in each of the six countries. Furthermore the study analyses the relationships between the underlying dimensions of music tastes and different components of cosmopolitanism, compared with key demographic variables.

Key findings

1. National Variations in Musical Preferences:
   • Musical tastes are heavily shaped by national cultural and historical dynamics.
   • For example, preferences for traditional national music vary widely, being most pronounced in Romania and least in Germany.
   • Countries also differ in their relationship with European and global musical genres.
2. Common Dividing Lines in Musical Tastes:
   • A primary axis of differentiation is musical engagement vs. disengagement, reflecting general attitudes toward music consumption.
   • A secondary axis often separates traditional/classical forms of music from more contemporary genres.
   • These axes are broadly consistent across countries but vary in their relative importance. For instance, Denmark and Germany emphasize the traditional vs. contemporary distinction more than other nations.
3. Cosmopolitanism and Musical Preferences:
   • Broader, more “cosmopolitan” tastes (e.g., appreciation for world music or European traditional music) are associated with transnational mobility, education, and linguistic competence.
   • However, the relationship between cosmopolitanism and musical taste is not uniform across countries, highlighting the localized influence of national cultural frames.
4. Social and Demographic Influences:
   • Education is the strongest demographic predictor of musical engagement and taste breadth.
   • Higher educational attainment correlates with broader and more diverse musical preferences, while lower educational levels are linked to disengagement.
   • Other variables, like age and class, also play a role, but their influence varies across national contexts.
5. Transnational Practices and Networks:
   • Mobility and transnational networks (e.g., having a partner from another country) shape musical tastes differently across nations.
   • For instance, in some countries, having international connections aligns with preferences for classical or world music, while in others, it fosters a preference for more contemporary genres.
6. While some overarching patterns (like the engagement vs. disengagement axis) are consistent across Europe, musical preferences remain strongly rooted in national contexts, challenging the idea of a unified European cultural field.  The symbolic meanings of music genres differ across countries, influenced by historical and social dynamics and there is limited evidence for a transnational cultural elite with uniform tastes across Europe, as national distinctions in musical preferences persist.