GET OFF THE INTERNET!
Then Jump Back On …
Earlier this year, American singer songwriter Halsey went viral for complaining about pressure from her record label Astralworks (a subsidiary of Capitol Records), to make viral moments on TikTok to push her artistry, increase her presence on the app and to make music they feel will be a ‘hit’ on the app with hopes it would be used in various challenges, itching for a viral moment.
Halsey isn’t the first artist complaining about the music industry’s dependence on TikTok, with discourse on the ‘tiktokification’ of the music industry being prominent. Tiktok has altered the music ecosystem significantly. From production, to marketing as well as consumption. Tiktok now determine what is popular and who the next rising stars are. A&Rs scout for new talent on the app and we’ve new age it girls, pop stars and icons being birthed and developed right before our eyes, on our screens.
There is an appreciation for the opportunities TikTok has provided artists, producers and other musicians. The platform has enabled people to grow, reach an audience and ‘make it out the hood’, unlike this brudda …
Despite new age ‘icons’ owing their success to TikTok, there are questions surrounding artistic integrity, capitalism and the quality of music being created and artists developed through TikTok, as well as the longevity of artists and replay value of music, designed for a platform that has significantly impacted the attention span and memory of its 1.6 billion users. TikTok has built an instant gratification culture, which reduces the rate at which art is appreciated. Solely building artists and music on TikTok and other social media platforms is a danger to artists in the long run.
So, get off the internet.
THEN, jump back on.
Building an online presence is essential in the music business. However, when people are ‘tired, drained and jaded’ by social media, when artists are depending on platforms that can glitch, with accounts that can be hacked, following and engagements don’t relate to streams, music sales and the figures in a bank account, what happens? Without physical, in real life established art, community and a feeling of ownership of a career, the timeline is your manager and you can be fired whenever they please.
Since the birth of the digital age, ‘traditional’ marketing. community building and 360 degree artist development has been slowly eradicated. However, a post pandemic appreciated of the physical world sees the re emergence of declining elements of the music business. It’s this cyclical idea of things repeating themselves due to generational changes. Take for example, the resurgence of the 90s / Y2K / early 2000s era influencing music, fashion, communication and all round popular culture. A large part of this resurgence has been in the ownership of print magazines, digital camera’s, record players etc … The key theme is ownership of a physical item in the real world.
People are steering away from social media, ‘the honeymoon period is coming to an end’, and we see more people making an effort to exist and own in the real world, and then sharing experiences on social. It’s the beauty of duality.
Community has been the biggest buzzword of the past few years. I’ve found myself spending hours engaging in discourse surrounding the relationship between the music business, creative industry at large and community. Communities support, they are loyal and they’re something every artist needs. They are consumers / listeners seeking an authentic human connection with artists, as well as fellow consumers. There’s a shared identity and sense of belonging formed in community. This is the ‘cult’ that exists post — social media & digital, when all else fails.
Take for example, streetwear fashion brand Corteiz RTW
A community led brand, that has brought a dynamic approach to their sales & marketing strategy, putting consumers first. Corteiz RTW is often described as feeling like a member’s club. The brand is for the people, putting consumer experience first, ALWAYS. Whether it’s car boot sales, treasure hunts or 99p cargo sales, community led activations have propelled corteiz to rule the world, literally. Without corteiz founder, Clint or other members sharing activation footage on social media — the community does it first. It’s free user generated content (UGC is any content created by people, rather than brands) made by supporters, creating more buzz about the brand, out of free will — that’s the essence of community.
Discussing in relation to the music business, community marketing is the connection of a brand, in this case an Artist / music project to a specific community or communities, using a platform to communicate, exchange values and create mutual meaning. The best part is, these platforms don’t have to be online. However, these are relationships that require time to build, grow and strengthen.
Without giving away too much, my go — to in real life, physical marketing technique to promote new music for up & coming artists, would be to put up posters around their local area — include a QR code to DSPs. Record the process of putting these up, put it on TikTok. That’s getting off the internet, then jumping back on.
A similar example to this technique, is artist Smada’s ‘Where is Smada?’ campaign in anticipation of his latest release under Native records, which featured posters going up around Lagos state, on Okada’s, and as T Shirts. Smada returned with his first single under his new label after creating social media buzz from an in real life, physical campaign. Close the app, make the ting, then share the ting.
Artists, i’m not going to spill the beans, and give you examples of community based and physical activations to take your career to the next level. You’d have to hire me for that. However, this your sign to GET OFF THE INTERNET, ‘Close the app & make the ting’, own it, then jump back on.
