Emma Stalls
5/3/23
MUS 232
The Future of the Music Industry
The music industry is a fast-paced, constantly changing one. It seems that every
year introduces new developments. In particular, the digital age of the past twenty years
or so has changed how business is conducted, how people listen to music, how music
is marketed and sold, what music is most marketable and popular...and just about
everything else. The technological boom that launched downloadable and streamable
music is a wave that we’re still riding in 2023 - but it certainly isn’t stopping at Spotify
and Apple Music. In our current age, there is much to be said about both the artist who
rejects this modernity, and the one who embraces it. There are both pitfalls and victories
in the ever-present digitalization. From the increasingly popular DIY ethos, to the
career-propelling tool that is Tik Tok, and all the way to AI technology, these are my
current predictions for the future of the music industry.
Modern technology has made “doing it yourself” simpler than ever before.
Independent artists are teaching themselves how to not only play their instruments and
hone their skills, but record, mix, and produce themselves, all at home and for a much
more attractive price tag - monetarily and ethically - than going through industry
professionals. Modern artists look to their influences before them for guidance. Several
industry giants, such as Prince and Taylor Swift, have taken their former labels to court
over royalties and rights to their own music. The major label practices of claiming the
majority of profits, trapping artists in contracts that give them no control, and issuing
unpayable loans, are the ugly truth. The DIY approach actively protects against it. Artist
development specialist and marketing consultant Michael Stover told online music
publication Okayplayer in January, “Artists are starting to realize that they’re the prize. I
think the music industry as a whole is starting to see that, too, and are trying to kind of
cut that off…but artists are starting to realize, ‘the labels aren’t going to help me
anyways, so let me do it myself. It may take longer, but at least it’s mine.’”
Unsigned artists are even learning to market and sell themselves and their work.
Forum-based platforms like Discord, Twitter Spaces, Instagram Live, and Twitch are
popular among these indie artists, as they are up close and personal spaces to connect
with fans and fellow artists in, more intimate than the traditional social media route of
Instagram and Facebook. Stover continued, referencing record producer and songwriter
Knxwledge, “Knxwledge is the perfect example of someone on Twitch who’s just making
beats and getting their audience involved, and then selling the music because they’re
(the fans) so involved they want to buy it. That fan-to-artist engagement, interaction, is
really where things are going to go for the next three to five years.” It is, from my
perspective, becoming more and more commonplace for an artist to grow their fanbase
by being personal with their audience. These indie artists start small enough to foster
that connection early on and then, eventually, grow their numbers on the back of that
early personalization.
Speaking of artist to fan connection, in 2023, Tik Tok is the place to be for rising
stars. According to technology blog TechJury, as of January, the average daily number
of videos watched on Tik Tok has surpassed one billion per day. Up to seventy-five
percent of its users say that they discover new artists on the platform. In the large social
media sphere of Instagram posts, Tweets, and YouTube videos, Tik Tok might just be
the best method of staying connected with one another, of getting as close with others
as possible without face-to-face contact. Artists use hashtags (#FYP and #ForYou
boasting the highest traffic and, perhaps, being the key to being seen) and manipulate
the algorithm (when and how to post) to boost their content. There are even certain
corners of the platform dedicated solely to indie artists and their fans. Thee Purple
Room, a page that shares original live performances from these artists, boasts over
two-hundred thousand followers and six million likes at time of writing. It seems that, as
time goes on and social media develops, young people like actively being marketed to
less and less. Tik Tok users would rather see organic, personalized content straight
from their favorite creators, rather than record label shilling.
Another impressively successful facet of Tik Tok is livestreaming, the even more
personal cousin of recording and posting. Livestreaming allows for content creators to
almost carry on conversations with fans, answering questions from the comments
section and speaking candidly with no room for edits. We have seen this be dangerous
to artists and their reputations, but we have also seen a high success rate. Fans want to
feel as though they have real-life relationships with their inspirations and heroes. Even
indie artists may not have the time or resources for in-person meet-and-greets, or to
reply to every single Instagram message, so a livestream would be the alternative for
that up-close, real-time interaction. The feature is such a phenomenon that platforms
like Instagram and YouTube have piggybacked off of the success, introducing their own
livestreaming features, so this idea doesn’t seem to be fading anytime soon, and we are
likely to see added developments to it in the upcoming years.
The music industry will not always be controlled by the human race, though, it
seems; AI technology is here, and more prevalent than ever before. Since the beginning
of 2023 alone, over ten different AI music programs have been released to the public by
independent researchers and large companies (Google, ByteDance) alike. These
platforms allow users to generate custom tracks via text prompt, and even list them on
streaming services. These technological advancements have caused a particular stir
among musical artists. From Cherie Hu, founder of Water and Music, “The concept at
the core of why creative AI could be so disruptive is that the friction between having an
idea, and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work, has essentially gone
down to zero.” Artists fear the shift of the definition of “artist”/”musician”, and that they
will be put out of work by, essentially, robots. The concerns presented over AI
technology are certainly valid. What does it mean to be a creative in 2023, with
technology progressing at the rate that it is? If AI is the future of the music industry,
what does it mean for human expression of creativity and artistry as a whole?
There is assuredly something positive to be said about the influx of this new
technology, however. AI has the ability to analyze large amounts of data at once in order
to identify patterns and predict trends. It could shift the music industry into more of a
democracy, allowing artists without industry connections and costly equipment to easily
create work with more substance (which calls back to the DIY approach.) Regardless,
whether you’re an advocate for the progression of AI, or vehemently against it, it shows
no signs of slowing down. It is a hot button topic across all industries, and is further
developed and given more of a voice every day.
I, personally, truly believe that we are only living in the beginning stages of the
digital age. With each passing development, I think that must be as advanced as it gets,
but I continue to be proven wrong. Social media, though as controversial as ever, is a
force in society and culture. There is no path for the music industry to take but through
it. I think that independent artists will rival the role of the record label. I think that the line
between fan and artist will continue to blur (to positive and negative outcomes.) I
definitely think that AI has yet to peak in advancement or popularity. Technology is the
future - for the foreseeable future.
Sources:
- ago, M.-4 months, ago, N.-2 months, ago, C.-3 months, & ago, M.-3 months.
(2023, January 15). 7 predictions for the music industry in 2023. Okayplayer.
https://www.okayplayer.com/music/7-predictions-for-the-music-industry-in-2023.h
tml
- Godesa, P. (2022, June 22). Musicians severely mistreated by their record labels.
Grunge.
https://www.grunge.com/904521/musicians-severely-mistreated-by-their-record-l
abels/
- Epstein, M. (2023, March 22). How will AI impact the future of Music?. Complex.
https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/how-will-ai-change-the-music-indu
stry
- Kennedy, V. (2023, April 26). The rise of AI and the impact it could have on the
music industry. Cointelegraph.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-rise-of-ai-and-the-impact-it-could-have-on-the
-music-industry
- InterContinental Music Awards. (2023, March 2). Music and AI: The pros, cons,
and ethical implications. InterContinental Music Awards.
https://www.intercontinentalmusicawards.com/music-and-ai-the-pros-cons-and-et
hical-implications/
