It's Nice to Have a Friend, but is Your Favourite Musician one?

In today's digital music landscape, social media platforms allow fans to feel close to their favourite artists without direct interaction, creating parasocial relationships. While previous research has focussed on mainstream celebrities, little attention has been given to how this can differ between mainstream and early-career musicians. This study examines how perceived intimacy, reciprocity, and authenticity influence the strength of parasocial relationships, and how these relationships affect fan behaviours. By comparing fans of mainstream and early-career musicians, this thesis investigates how career phase may moderate the formation and outcomes of parasocial relationships. The research uses a quantitative approach using an online survey distributed to fans of four musicians: mainstream musicians Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and early-career musicians Only The Poets and Alfie Jukes. The survey collected data on fans' perceptions of intimacy, authenticity, and reciprocity, as well as measures of parasocial relationship strength, purchase intentions, and personal influence. The findings indicate that perceived intimacy, reciprocity, and authenticity significantly influence the strength of parasocial relationships between fans and musicians, supporting the idea that these relational cues are key drivers of emotional connection (RQ1). These stronger parasocial relationships, in turn, positively affect fans' behavioural intentions, including purchase intentions and influence on their personality (RQ2). Importantly, the results reveal that career phase moderates the effect of authenticity and reciprocity on parasocial relationship strength, in a way that this effect is stronger for early-career musicians than for mainstream artists (RQ3). These findings suggest that the career phase of a musician plays an important role in shaping how parasocial relationships are formed and how they translate into consumer behaviour. The study contributes to the academic understanding of parasocial relationships in the context of popular music and provides practical implications for musicians and industry professionals. In particular, it highlights the importance of intimate, authentic, and reciprocal engagement for emerging artists seeking to grow loyal and supportive fanbases in an increasingly digital market.