Appendix A and Data - Gamified Music How In-Game Concerts are Changing Audiences’ Music Cognition

The rapid development of immersive technologies and online gaming platforms has facilitated the emergence of in-game concerts as a novel form of music consumption. While such concerts are increasingly recognized for their potential to reshape audiences’ music cognition, the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study investigates how gamification influences music cognition through the mediating roles of immersion and emotional arousal in the context of in-game concerts. After proposing the conceptual framework of gamified music cognition, the researcher tested seven hypotheses using data collected from 556 participants via an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that gamification significantly enhances both immersion and emotional arousal, which in turn positively affect music cognition. The results confirm that immersion and emotional arousal fully mediate the relationship between gamification and music cognition. These findings underscore the importance of immersive and emotionally engaging design in gamified music experiences and offer practical insights for game developers, musicians, and digital content creators seeking to leverage in-game concerts for enhanced audience engagement and cognitive effect.