How Has Social Media Affected the Music Industry?

With new applications such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, trending “sounds” have taken over people’s music tastes. Saved sounds on TikTok and playlists on streaming platforms have allowed users to combine any songs of their choice together, to listen to in any order, at any time, and in any place. While this is only an effect of our constantly moving society that watches one's every move, social media trends and the socializing of music streaming platforms have undoubtedly changed the way we listen to music today.

Constantly, people describe that they wish current songs sound like they did “back in the day”. However, so much has changed since then, including the applications available to create music and the platforms that they would be put on. Lyrics have changed to adapt to modern problems, and stylistic choices have changed to suit the younger generation. To emphasize how much music has changed over the years, one must look at TikTok and its effects on music and people overall. Short clips of videos, constantly changing, have shortened attention spans to fit the 15-30 second clips, inadvertently affecting music as well. Songs have been shortened to fit the user's listening span and simplified to be easier to consume. Artists have created a new genre of pop that is set to fit a social media user’s desire for pure danceability and catchy beats rather than good lyrics or musicality. Additionally, lyrics have also transitioned to fit the way the younger generation indulges in media, with songs being more confessional or even about more trivial things. Social media has allowed song-making to be more accessible, in turn making the public “desensitized” of sorts to the art of making music. Also, with new technology allowing for easier production of music, one must determine the extent to which access to resources created a divide between large artists with producers and smaller artists trying to break into the industry.

The commercialization of music through big productions has inevitably created an environment of already developed artists having a monopoly on the music industry with large labels and radio stations. However, music streaming services have allowed newer artists to create music and put it on a platform. Applications such as Spotify, Apple Music, and even TikTok catalyze trends that allow artists to make a breakthrough in one night. These services also allow users to listen to music more conveniently and efficiently, as one can make playlists with any song, skip through any song, however, and listen to albums out of order. Whether or not this is a positive or negative aspect, the previously known experience of listening to a set CD or vinyl, with diversity depending on the artist’s choice and not the user’s, is undoubtedly diminishing. Lastly, the socialization of music platforms, with friend activity on Spotify and the use of trending songs for TikToks have shaped music listening into another form of social media and engagement, one for others to judge, pick apart, and shape to their own desires. Ultimately, social media has directly impacted how music is presented, from altering music genres to providing platforms for new artists.

Cover image by Monograph on Dribbble.