Can Musicians Sustain a Career in today’s ever-changing Industry Landscape? Here are some Strategies

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The recording industry is increasingly getting more money from streaming services. At the same time, artists continue to complain about the little to no payments they receive from streaming platforms. This is not surprising though. On YouTube, musicians do face competition from the new wave of content creators like vloggers and podcasters. It isn’t too wild to think that technology has devalued music to the point where a song on YouTube is sometimes treated as ‘content’.

This is also true with audio platforms. For instance, Spotify’s decision to double down on podcasts means that artists now have to compete with podcasters for audience attention and, of course, a share of the streaming cake.

And the competition doesn’t stop there. In some cases, the demand for DJs dwarfs that of artists. At a time when touring, festivals and local gigs form the bulk of artists’ income, this causes a revenue crisis for musicians.

Ideally, or at least traditionally, artists were supposed to earn money from selling their music. In Kenya, the sale of physical and digital copies of music is almost non-existent, especially for pop/urban artists (top vernacular and gospel musicians do record some decent sales though).

Safaricom’s ring back service Skiza has provided some relief in this regard but still, that only benefits the top-tier artists. These “bigger” acts also earn considerably from product endorsements and corporate partnerships. For the average musician, it is one challenge after another. 

This raises the question: can today’s musician sustain a career? And how? By ‘sustain’, I am excluding the handouts and favours that sometimes come with being famous. That is, I’m treating an artist’s career as a business where earnings and expenses must be keenly tracked and optimized.

And, yes, the cost of creating and marketing music has drastically reduced, thanks to technology. Still, good music requires investment, from songwriting and recording to mixing/mastering and publicity. Except in cases where there is some sort of arrangement between the artist and the producer (or label), the artist usually has to fund the entire process of creating his songs, from audio to video. 

From where I sit, the solution to this dilemma lies with the artists, and their understanding of the constantly changing industry landscape. I’ve already mentioned the fact that musicians have to compete with other content creators for fans’ attention. Personally, I believe it is easier to create a vlog or podcast episode (or cat video) than it is to make a good song. Virality can help an artist get that critical mass of listeners, but then again, virality is never guaranteed. Besides, listeners’ attention is very limited these days.

Artist brand and personality being key in music marketing

So, an artist who is eager to stay relevant in the long-term must focus on crafting three things: personality, brand and solid fanbase. Good branding and an ‘infectious personality’ helps in building a solid fanbase. While the brand keeps one visible online, a likeable personality ensures the audience remains hooked, even if they don’t relate to the lyrics.

Because an artist can make a hit song today, only for their fame to fade away within three short years, it is imperative that one works on building that core fanbase that will ride with them “till the wheels fall off”.

Shows and Direct fan support as viable income streams for musicians

Over the years, I have seen “smaller” artists organize successful shows where their fans pay up to Ksh. 2000 to attend (and also buy available merchandise). This is not always true with mainstream artists who tend to prefer those lucrative corporate or club shows/festivals. 

Also, in the current creative economy, direct support from fans has been made easy by services like M-Pesa and Patreon. Money received from fans, however small, are very significant. For context, let’s say a fan buys merchandise or directly sends an artist 1 dollar (about Ksh 150). To earn a similar amount on YouTube, the artist would have needed to get thousands of views.

Building and engaging a Solid Fanbase

Now that we have established that a solid fanbase can help sustain a career, the question would be how to build one. Well, there are a number of online tools to make use of. First, email lists. Unlike social media engagement which can be impacted by algorithm changes, account suspension or a social network completely going under (case in point being Google+), an email list is fully owned by the musician. They can send weekly emails to those who subscribe via official websites or social media pages. What is key is engaging one’s fans by offering free giveaways, exclusive meet-and-greets, early access to new music or even exclusive behind-the-scenes clips.

Another way of maintaining an engaged fanbase is ensuring that their questions, concerns and compliments are responded to promptly and properly. It’s all about creating a bond with the fans who ultimately become part of the artist’s community (and defence, if need be).

Thirdly, one has to understand the basics of publicity. A press kit is a great place to start. It is a package of files including professional photos, a press release for the current single/album, details of past press coverage and a professionally written bio. While good music and branding endears the artist to the fans, a properly maintained kit attracts support from blogs and media outlets.

In summary, it is important for an artist to focus on creating an attractive brand and relatable personality as well converting casual fans into engaged core fans whose direct support is more than important. The value of this kind of support can never be overstated.

As expected, the music industry will continue to change, and some of these solutions may not be relevant in a few years. As we begin 2024, what’s key is that musicians take note of the solutions offered while also embracing new ideas that will help them stay visible, relevant and PAID.

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