Social media has to be one of the most significant discoveries of the universe. It is great that so many people benefit from it in terms of career development, skill enhancement, entertainment, talent growth, and so many other ways. Social media has demonstrated a theme of change in different fields or industries, the music industry being one of the industries that has changed over the years.
There’s an undeniable, significant change from the days when there would be limited streaming platforms where we could access music. Gone are the days when we would wait for a particular show on TV or radio to get the loop on new music. The following are some of the ways social media has created a change in the music industry.
The Rise Of Social Media In Music Promotion
Music Promotion Through Targeted Marketing
If you are on social media, there is a high chance you have experienced a scenario where you have received content that you feel is targeted at you. It could be something you have been researching on Google or music you have enjoyed lately. Then you suddenly have content on your feed related to that search you made, or you are now getting music similar to what you have been enjoying lately.
Well, that is not always a coincidence. The social media platforms tailor your experience from previous data analytics and try to curate an experience you will enjoy and relate to.
This method also helps promote music, whereby music is targeted to a specific audience based on analytics like fan engagement. The artists are also provided with helpful insights from these social media. Insights that will help them increase their music reach and ways to better their content performance.
Music Promotion Through self-Promotion
Music artists, not only musicians but also other artists like songwriters, participate in self-promotion initiatives. You will find that they use social media platforms to link their works. They also link articles or reviews from one of the best essay writing service providers they have been featured on.
Music Promotion Through Content Creation
The artists use the views and engagement they receive from the content they post to create anticipation for great things like brand deals, song releases, significant collaborations, and album releases.
Social Media Advertisements & Recommendations
Ads! Most people find them intrusive or annoying and choose to block them. However, the advertisements and the recommendations serve an essential purpose to the content creators on social media. For music artists, their art is recommended on social media to increase their audience reach.
Influencers on social media platforms link their followers to the music artists they listen to and like; this, too, is a way to increase the engagement of the fans and the audience population.
Another way recommendations are facilitated is by simply having social media users share their music playlists or opinions on their music with their family and friends.
The Power Of Viral Music & Trends
Trends have become the new way of being informed of what is happening today. TikTok and Instagram are widely known to promote these trends. It is pretty fascinating how, one day, the world doesn’t know you, and the next, you have a viral video trending.
These trends heavily advantage musicians and other artists in the music industry. When people use their music in these trends, they are getting recognition from diverse areas of the world.
There is a good number of musicians who have gained increased recognition through their participation in these TikTok and Instagram challenges.
The success of musicians like Olivia Rodrigo, Mega the Stallion, and Nathan Evans in recent years can be greatly attributed to their participation in trends and challenges on TikTok.
Trends As A Marketing Strategy
Some musicians also use trends as a marketing strategy. They purposefully create trends to promote their music or any other services they may be offering.
Viral music and trends ensure that the artists share their music with a broad audience and increase their sales.
Some great collaborations have been orchestrated due to music going viral or due to trends. Through these collaborations, musicians expand their musical horizons and learn and grow from each other.
The Role Of Social Media In Fan Engagement & Community Building
In business, your customers are your employers. In the same way, in the music industry, the fans are your bosses. Right from the conception of the music lyrics to the release of the music, the musician is always thinking of their fan base.
Previously, the fans would depend on interviews or maybe the live shows of their favorite music artists to get a more personal feel or interaction with them. With social media, the situation has changed.
Fan Engagement Through Instagram, TikTok Lives, & Content Creation
Nowadays, artists get on lives, that is, TikTok and Instagram lives, where they get to engage with their fans directly.
The artists also get the chance to share their personal lives with their fans through the photos and videos they post on their different social media platforms. These posts form an artist-fan interaction where they engage in the comments.
Music Communities
Communities are essential spaces in most industries; the same applies to music. The fans gather and form communities to foster their love and support for their favorite artists. The music communities promote engagement that results in a powerful movement around a particular artist or a specific genre of music.
Effects Of Social Media In The Music Industry: Democratization Of Music Production
It is beautiful to see how democracy has been embraced in the music industry. How music is created, how the music is produced, and how people consume music have evolved over the years to have an inclusive approach that also factors in easy accessibility.
Democratization of music production is one of the effects of social media on the music industry. Social media has ensured that the music industry is not as limited as before. Anyone with talent can showcase their art regardless of age, geographical demography, or race. The artists can create and share their music freely with their audience, where they are independent and don’t have to rely on the recording labels.
Education on matters regarding music has also been made easily accessible through social media platforms like YouTube. The social media platforms have done an excellent job cementing the democratization of music production.
Effects Of Social Media In The Music Industry: Challenges & Criticisms
As much as social media is a tool with many benefits, it doesn’t have one or two challenges. Many talented people have great music and use social media to showcase their art. However, not all of them deserve recognition, as the algorithms may not favor them. This can be challenging and disheartening for upcoming artists who expect immense recognition through social media.
Cyberbullying
From what we read or see happening over the internet, it would not be far-fetched to say that people like drama and spreading rumors, as everyone has different opinions. Social media platforms have been made accessible to make untrue, mean, and discriminatory comments and other misinformed statements that can ruin the reputation of music artists. The negativity spread has the potential to affect the artists’ mental health, leading to cases like depression. The increase in cyberbullying cases is a reason to remember to be kind on social media.
Overreliance On Social Media
Another challenge associated with social media in the music industry is the overreliance on social media to make money. Although a good percentage of the artists earn income from the streaming revenue from these platforms, not all of them can generate much. The upcoming artists tend to struggle and need other sources to make money.
Something familiar in social media is people shifting attention. An artist may receive a great deal of attention for a while or a particular piece of music, but with time, the attention is diverted elsewhere. This means that the artists should be on their toes and find ways to remain relevant.
The Future Of Music In The Age Of Social Media
It is a popular belief that both social media and music are here to stay. If anything, the future promises a more advanced and improved social media and, for sure, a more diverse music approach.
More and more people will use social media to create, produce, and share their music. Memorable and sensational music collaborations will be facilitated through social media.
Artificial Intelligence’s Impact On The Future Of Music
In an era where Artificial Intelligence is being incorporated into many of the services we use on the internet, there are chances that great AI tools will be incorporated into social media platforms. These tools would help get the artists and their fans closer and more in touch with each other by incorporating immersive visuals during live performances.
AI could also suggest music based on mood, photos, or videos posted on social media.
Data Analysis & The Future Of Music
Data analysis already plays an important role in the music industry. In the coming years, advanced data analytics will be incorporated into social media platforms that will ensure artists understand their fans and conduct the best marketing strategies for their brands.
Conclusion
We should all take the time to appreciate technology in our lives from time to time because technology is simply beautiful. Social media, being part of technology, is great, and its difference in music is significant. The people in music reap from social media and the music consumers. Even with all the impactful changes in the music industry, it is important to always be careful when using social media.
