Music streaming app service quality (MSASQ) scale: service quality dimensions for music streaming apps

Purpose The global music industry has witnessed a tumultuous development in recent years with the emergence of music streaming services (MSSs) which played a pivotal role in rescuing the industry from persistent losses caused by piracy. MSSs are predominantly accessed via mobile applications making it imperative for the music streaming service providers (MSSPs) to focus on enhancing their app-based service quality. Furthermore, the sphere of music streaming has received only limited attention in research thus far, and to address this research void, this study contributes to the existing body of literature by introducing a scale to measure the service quality of music streaming apps, i.e. the MSASQ scale.Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach encompassing both qualitative as well as quantitative research techniques involving two-stage data collection was adopted. Items for the scale were collected via secondary (reports, articles, customer reviews, etc.) as well as primary sources (focus groups and interviews). The scale was tested on a sample of 1,129 Music Streaming App (MSA) users for reliability and validity.Findings A multidimensional MSASQ scale with 36 items measuring nine dimensions (hedonic quality, efficiency, user interface content, customer support, personalisation, ease of use, privacy/security and quality of ad exposure) was developed and validated.Originality/value The research endeavours to explore new perspectives on service quality within the music streaming industry, particularly in relation to the freemium model.