As Music Consumption Grows, Independent Artists Crowdsource Creativity

In the streaming era, music consumption is on the rise with a 11.3% bump in the U.S. in 2021, according to MRC Data’s 2021 U.S. Year-End Report. At the same time, an increasing number of music artists are forgoing record label deals in pursuit of independent paths towards increased ownership and influence over their masters.

Musicians are also opting to release new music through independent, non-label distributors over platforms like Spotify, which despite reportedly paying out $7 billion in royalties to artists in 2021 (noted as more than any other streaming service and record for the highest annual payment from any single retailer in history), is failing to meet their expectations.

For today’s independent artists, tools and access are no longer enough. Roy LaManna, CEO and co-founder of Vydia end-to-end music technology platform, says that creators are now hyper-focused on engaging their audiences by releasing content and receiving real-time feedback to optimize their work.

Essentially, artists are creating a new model for how music is marketed and consumed. And new monetization opportunities, most recently stemming from web3 (an idea for a new internet service based on decentralized blockchains) and NFT sales, are evolving the artist ecosystem, making record labels less relevant.

“We believe that many things scale in regard to the music industry, except for the artists and the people that help guide their careers,” says LaManna. “Tools are only as good as the people that use them, so it’s exciting to see people leverage technology to come up with new and creative ways to reach their audience.”

LaManna points to Russ, a former major label-turned-indie rap artist who ended his deal with Columbia Records in 2020 and immediately released an EP titled Chomp featuring Black Thought, Busta Rhymes and other stars. Since then, he has consistently released tracks and tested audience response to meet audience expectations.

Leveraging social media platforms for real-time feedback, Russ released one song per week and closely monitored which tracks were performing well. He even shared an open verse for his song “Handsomer” on TikTok when independent rapper Ktlyn responded to the challenge. Since then, the duet video has totaled 23.4 million views and almost three million likes on TikTok, eventually landing the top slot across all genres and setting a new record for both performers.

Independent artists can enjoy more flexibility when not under major record label regulations. Another such creator is Ye (Kanye West), who planned the release of his latest studio album, Donda 2, with a series of stadium listening parties. He then released the album exclusively on a stem player, or an audio remix device and music streaming platform that he developed last year in partnership with Kano Computing for the drop of his previous studio album, Donda. Based on live feedback, both in-person and online, he was able to live edit the tracks, curating optimal sound for the target listening environment.

LaManna expects the independent artist movement to accelerate, and so he is addressing the challenge of protecting unfinished and unreleased songs performed live. One risk is that remixes and leaks could accidentally be distributed without any version of a song making it onto a demand-side platform (DSP).

“Most of these artists are running business at the speed of technology,” LaManna says. “There are people out there like Kanye West and Russ who are basically reinventing how music is consumed and marketed, and what they’re doing is that they’re essentially releasing songs to change them.”

The new breed of independent performers is also arising during uncertain pandemic times, which has become an opportunity for creative reinvention. Earlier this year, NFL star Antonio Brown dropped a rap song, “Pit Not the Palace,” which was available on all major streaming platforms. Now his second career as a hip-hop artist has placed him in the recording studio with the likes of Ye, Young Thug and 42 Dugg.

“Music has been such a major aspect of my life,” says Brown. “To me, this is my story and controlling the narrative is essential for me to be my authentic self.”