Title: From Viral to Iconic: How Instagram is Changing the Music Industry
Entering the music industry used to be very challenging. Regardless of their extraordinary skill, aspiring singers had to fight for fame, relying on the favors of producers while conquering tremendous challenges. All they wanted was that elusive first chance. These days, a single social media post can drastically alter the trajectory of events and instantly elevate an unknown performer to stardom.
Social media platforms are becoming more than just tools, and a new generation of artists is taking center stage. From the comfort of their own homes, these artists are building a global fan base with distinctive vocals and captivating online personas.
Being Beyoncé is helpful in this scenario, as it is in the majority of others. But the singer's insane Instagram virality is merely the most extreme example of a wider trend: Instagram, which functions as a naturally occurring and extremely addicting medium between musicians and followers, is immensely popular for music in general. Music stars hold four of the top five profiles on the social network, which began as a photo app. Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift are also in the top five, along with Beyoncé. Furthermore, out of the 800 million Instagram users worldwide, 350 million follow ten or more verified musicians.
Not surprisingly, Instagram users have a greater interest in music than the general public. They spend 30% more time listening to music each week and are twice as likely to pay for a streaming service, per a Nielsen survey Instagram commissioned last year.
Furthermore, the app offers more than just a digital playground for Grammy winners and Billboard chart-topping artists. Pop stars, DIY indie bands, and bedroom composers are just a few of the artists who use Instagram to promote their work, document their days, find inspiration, and interact with other users. It's quite rare to find a band, singer, or other musician playing without an Instagram account.
Not surprisingly, Instagram users have a greater interest in music than the general public. They spend 30% more time listening to music each week and are twice as likely to pay for a streaming service, per a Nielsen survey Instagram commissioned last year.
Furthermore, the app offers more than just a digital playground for Grammy winners and Billboard chart-topping artists. Pop stars, DIY indie bands, and bedroom composers are just a few of the artists who use Instagram to promote their work, document their days, find inspiration, and interact with other users. It's quite rare to find a band, singer, or other musician playing without an Instagram account.
Instagram and the Music Industry
Bands may earn money on Instagram, so being popular isn't the primary goal. The following are some ways that artists are making money directly from the app:
- Sponsored Content & Brand Deals: Artists promote brands to profit from their fame.
- Sales of goods: Artist-owned businesses can be directly accessed through Instagram Shopping.
- Live Badges & Donations: Fans may assist artists on Instagram Live.
- Exclusive Content: Only devoted followers can access this content by subscribing.
Generally speaking, artists prefer to handle their Instagram accounts, occasionally according to managers' and companies' directives (and utilizing pre-made content). Without compromising the natural interactive experience consumers expect from their scrolling sessions, Wirtzer-Seawood's job is to help these teams get as much promotional value out of the artists' accounts as possible.
Challenges & Discussions
- Instagram has created opportunities, but it also has disadvantages:
- Oversaturation: When there is too much stuff, it gets harder to stand out.
- Algorithm Dependency: Artists are at the mercy of Instagram's ever-changing algorithm.
- Copyright Issues: More stringent guidelines for using copyrighted music.
- Short Attention Spans: Viral hits may quickly wane if they are not properly capitalized on.
As a natural extension of already-existing phenomena (everyone who has ever attended a concert is familiar with the "sea of phones" that rises from the audience), Instagram is also becoming more visible at music festivals and award shows. To capitalize on the phenomenon of people "cramming their way through" live concerts, Instagram has partnered with major music festivals and regularly displays attendees' photos on the stadium jumbotron. Wirtzer-Seawood spearheaded a new partnership with the Recording Academy this year, introducing a video channel with a Grammy theme, in addition to setting up a photo booth and other on-site activations during the 2017 Grammy Awards.
The Use of Instagram by Artists
Singers including Adele, Drake, Beck, Radiohead, and Selena Gomez have shared a range of news on Instagram in recent months. Musicians can use Instagram for more than just promoting their albums, posting selfies, and previewing new songs and artwork. It also allows them to craft a carefully curated visual narrative about their lives and personalities. The self-promotional, document-my-day social media behavior that the rest of us engage in isn't all that different from this. It simply spills over into artists' lives fairly naturally.
"Everything is posted on my Instagram," adds Khalid, who just (and quickly) surpassed one million followers. "I use it to debut stuff sometimes. I might post a tune I'm working on on Instagram, for instance.
It is beneficial because labels and managers do not have to convince musicians of Instagram's value to their careers, unlike other social media platforms. Columbia Records' Baker stated that "we don't have to do a lot of an educational process with the artists." "They use Instagram for their music or for personal purposes, but there isn't much of a learning curve."
How Artists' Live and Instagram Stories Have Changed
Late last year, the firm launched Instagram Stories and Instagram Live, two ephemeral video platforms that have offered artists yet another platform to share their lives and interact with fans.
Similar to Snapchat, Instagram's Stories feature has gained enormous popularity in just one year. Since its launch, Instagram's daily user base has increased by 66% thanks in part to Stories, which encourage more minute-by-minute engagement than the typical Instagram feed. Musicians jumped at the chance to use the new feature: Future, Diplo, Lana Del Ray, Lady Gaga, and Zayne Malik have all used Stories to make announcements and upload behind-the-scenes videos. For example, Instagram Stories featured a lot of footage of Lady Gaga's 2016 single "Perfect Illusion" and the backstage setup for her Super Bowl halftime show performance.
Because social media's effects on business are sometimes indirect, it can be difficult to gauge how much it contributes to the music industry's financial success. After all, Instagram is just as helpful for having fun and wasting time as it is for effective marketing. However, the app has shown some discernible advantages for labels and performers.
"We can track that and see: Why did we see a spike in sales on this particular day?" About Instagram influencers that post our music or details about our performers, Baker continues. "Usually, it's an increase in streams or sales."
Finally, the Future of Instagram Music
Instagram has democratized the music industry by enabling anyone with talent and strategy to achieve fame. To remain relevant in the digital age, artists must adjust, interact, and provide engaging work when new features are introduced.
Last Remark:
Instagram isn't just altering the music industry; it's reshaping it in a time when a 15-second video can launch a career.
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