Seven20

2017: Independent artists account for 13% of streams on Spotify. 2023: Independent artists now make up 26% of total streams. The past few years have seen such radical change in the music business Independent artists are mattering more and more. The big labels don’t have absolute control the way they used to. We’re witnessing the birth of a more equitable industry. Independent artists are making their mark. 💪 #musicindustry #tech #independentartist

We’re well past the point where just putting your music out there is enough. It’s all too easy for original music to be lost on streaming platforms. Add to this the fact that exposure is defined by algorithms that operate on unknown factors and variables, and you can see how much trust these platforms demand of artists. Streams are an artist’s livelihood. And they’ve no control over them. Artists can’t control what an algorithm is going to push but they can control their brand and the community they build around it. Listeners won’t just come passively, it’s on labels and artists to pursue their people. Release music all you want, but unless you’re engaging with potential listeners and building relationships, it’s unlikely to go very far. You can’t wait for streams, you have to go get them. #musicindustry #streaming #tech

15 years ago, the music industry was in trouble. Piracy and illegal downloads were wreaking havoc on revenue and traditional business models were failing. When streaming came onto the scene, that all changed. In a very short space of time, the money tap was turned back on and a new status quo was put in place. The big problem though, is that we’re 15 years on and nothing much has changed. Artists are facing new challenges that didn’t exist when streaming started out, and there’s been few moves made to address these problems. Streaming provided a rapid solution to a pressing problem, but it wasn’t built with the long term needs of creators in mind. Surprisingly, AI has been the motivating force behind a lot of industry stakeholders starting to wake up to these problems. Universal Music’s new ‘artist centric’ model with Deezer is a sign that the industry is trying to grapple with a lot of the stuff it’s been ignoring. Streaming brought the money back to the music business, now’s the time to start getting that money back into artists’ pockets. #innovation #musicindustry #tech

Justin.tv was a project founded by Justin Kan in 2007. The premise was simple, Justin livestreamed every single thing he did 24/7. Before streaming was even a thing, Justin saw what was coming and Justin.tv became a hit; birthing a substantial following and a dedicated community. Fast forward to 2011, and Justin took the premise of Justin.tv and built Twitch. Through playing around with new forms of online content, Justin developed a new type of platform that has had a huge impact on the way we consume content. By 2022, Twitch was taking in an estimated $2.8 billion yearly revenue and had an average of 2.58 million viewers. Twitch has become a massive part of online culture, providing a medium that works for gaming, music and vlogging. From one guy live streaming his daily life to a billion dollar company, Twitch is the perfect example of what can be achieved with a proper understanding of online culture and an awareness of how it can be applied to tech innovation. #techinnovation #twitch #onlinecommunity

You can build a pretty good home recording studio setup for around $1000. When you put it into the context of how much hardware cost back in the day, it’s nothing. And when you think about how much professional studio sessions can cost now, it’s basically free. The amazing thing about all the new tech and software we’ve seen come onto the market in the past few years is its accessibility. We’re at a point now where if someone wants to get something out there, they can just do it. - Any instrument or sound you could want is already available. - AI is getting exponentially better at assisting with mastering and production. - Distribution and promotion are more feasibly DIY than they’ve traditionally been. Tech innovation has given a music industry that is more accessible than ever before and the barriers for entry keep getting lower. It’s time that the industry started properly looking at all the untapped talent that’s out there… #musictech #AI #homerecording

If you want to negotiate a pay rise, it’s important to know what your colleagues are getting. The same is true for artists. There’s so little transparency in music that no one really knows what anyone else is getting. It’s one rule for some and another for the rest. For artists to come together and negotiate better terms for the industry, we need to know the numbers and how revenue is split between stakeholders. Knowledge is power, and for artists to achieve better contracts and fairer terms, we need to start a culture of open communication. No more gatekeeping data or payment structures. 💪 #data #music #transparency

How do you discover new music? For 90% of people, it’s through an algorithm. Gone are the days when your taste would be shaped by finding a random record in a bargain bin, or someone giving you a CD. There’s a whole generation of people who’ve grown up with music being fed to them by algorithms - arbitrarily assigned to a listener demographic. It makes our ability to discover and interact with new music more difficult, If your streaming platform decides you like a specific genre or style, then you’re unlikely to be exposed to much else. We need to focus on ways of improving algorithms so that people are exposed to new and more diverse music. More creativity in music is going to come from more diversity in our listening habits. Improved artist-driven platforms will give fans more freedom to explore and interact with whole new musical landscapes. #algorithm #machinelearning #streaming

83% of tracks on streaming platforms get less than 1000 streams. 25% of tracks get none. With 100s of 1000s new songs being uploaded everyday, it’s not a massive surprise. But it is an important reminder to independent artists that it’s extremely easy to get lost in the noise. Delivering high quality music is one thing, but people actually listening to it is a different thing entirely. You have to be extremely proactive in getting your music in front of potential listeners. We’re working in a music industry that isn’t as fair as it should be, being heard is no easy feat. This is a reminder for independent artists to build as many channels of communication and engagement with your audience as possible. #streaming #independentartists #equity

What’s worth more - hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners on a streaming platform or a small passionate and engaged fanbase who have built a community around an artist? Financially, it’s the second option. If you have a thousand people willing to pay $20 on a digital collectible or exclusive release, that’s already worth more to the majority of artists than months of streaming. When it comes to fans in the age of streaming, it’s quality over quantity. To independent artists, 2024 is the time to really engage with the people who are invested in your journey. #independentartist #music #tech

In 2024 we’re going to be seeing a lot more music startups and a lot more independent artists. There’s so much new tech on the market that the barrier for entrepreneurs looking to build new tools and develop new platforms is lower than ever. Likewise, independent artists have more capacity for DIY than ever when it comes to marketing, distribution and production. While it’s going to be exciting to see so many new players in the space, we are going to run the risk of over saturation. With a stream of new releases, concepts and tech, quality is going to be the defining factor going forward. To capture audiences and consumers, it’s not enough to show up, you have to focus on delivering premium content - whether music or product. It’s never been easier to get in the game, but there’s no shortcut to standing out and succeeding, you have to aim to be the best. #music #independentartist #tech