The Job of an Artist Has Changed Forever

There was once a time when an artist’s only role was to write and play music. When Bob Dylan arrived in Greenwich Village in 1961 as a young artist, he immediately travelled to local folk cafés to play. In the evenings, he might have walked the town dreaming-up new songs, or meeting with other poetic figures in the city. 

He and other artists didn’t need to learn how to use a compressor plug-in, how loud a mix should be, how the Spotify algorithm works, or how to integrate their Shopify store and their website. 

Today, the activities of a budding artist look entirely different than in the past. An artist might write a song, record the song, play the instruments in the recording, produce the song, mix the song, master the song, market and advertise the song, distribute the song, sell tickets for shows, perform the song at shows, sell merch at the shows and online. 

For instance, here is a new EP that I wrote, recorded, played the instruments on, produced, mixed, and mastered: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/seandavidson/notebook-13-2

Photograph/Album cover by Tanya Pro: https://unsplash.com/@tannnpro

Of course, artists can focus exclusively on playing music, but it may cost them their livelihood or creative control. I personally spend the vast majority of my time simply writing and playing music, but I’ve accepted that this puts me at a disadvantage - especially in the short term.  

What caused this change? In the past, gatekeepers, such as agents and record labels, had far more power. Record labels handpicked which artists could distribute music. Artists worked on writing and playing music in the hopes of one day being chosen to record and distribute their work. 

With the advent of online streaming and social media, and the improvements in home recording equipment, the barriers to entry lowered. There are now over 11 million artists on Spotify alone. Rather than try and predict which artists will find success, most record labels are now offering record deals to artists who already have large fan bases on streaming services or on social media.

Given this, to be signed to a record label or to find success as an independent artist, it is no longer enough to simply write and play good music. Artists must also be able to record and produce the music, or collaborate with talented producers, and be able to promote the music effectively to grow a fanbase.

There are now approximately 50,000 new songs being released to Spotify every day. Given the increased competition in the marketplace, it makes sense that record labels have become more risk-averse and are offering record deals to artists who already have dedicated listeners.

However, the value proposition of record labels is now lower than ever. Perhaps the hardest part of being an artist is growing the initial fanbase. After accomplishing this feat, artists are understandably hesitant to give up ownership of their art in exchange for a small percentage of shrinking royalties. Considering this, the number of independent artists will likely continue to rise. 

But the daily activities of these independent artists will look entirely different than artists in the past. Many artists are no longer content to leave the promotion and sale of their art to the suits. Artists are now starting to put on the suits (or at least their nicest pair of jeans); they are writing contracts in addition to ballads; they are scheduling meetings on marketing strategy in addition to band practice.

Since record labels are losing bargaining power, record labels in this new era may be incentivized to form more fair and transparent partnerships, offering their resources, knowledge, and network in exchange for a share of artists’ growing businesses. As independent record labels become more prominent, record labels may start to resemble start-up investors or incubators rather than the large goliaths that dominated the industry for decades. 

The time of the major record label may be coming to an end. The age of the artist has begun.

Am I right, or am I missing something? Let me know in the comments.