How Marketing is Shaping the Music Industry
How Marketing is Shaping the Music Industry
By: Malia Magpile
What comes to mind when you think about an artist like Olivia Rodrigo? A driver’s license or the color purple? Or when you think about an artist like Ariana Grande? Maybe her signature ponytail? With any popular singer, there are likely symbols or phrases that subconsciously cross your mind when you hear their name. These are all pertinent examples of exceptional branding and marketing for popular recording artists in the age of streaming and social media.
The music industry is always evolving, which results in music marketers advancing their strategies in order to appeal to growing audiences. For instance, it used to be difficult to discover new artists unless you were frequently listening to the radio. However, with cell phones and streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, music has become significantly more accessible and personalized to the everyday listener. As more artists rise to fame, it becomes increasingly important to employ marketing techniques to garner a loyal audience. In doing so, it will allow each artist to individualize themselves from others in order to develop a distinct and recognizable brand and propel their success.
In order to solidify a certain image or brand an artist strives for, it is integral for their team to implement social media and streaming so consumers are frequently engaged with their upcoming projects. In terms of social media, active fan engagement is essential to developing a consistent social media following, and it provides artists with the opportunity to be more personable with their listeners. For instance, posting on social media gives artists the agency to present themselves in the way they intend to. Without third party outlets like gossip sites intervening, artists can portray the image they want to be associated with on a frequent basis.
In addition, artists can continue to make their music more accessible to audiences by utilizing other platforms such as YouTube and Disney+. During the height of the pandemic, several artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish created concert movies, allowing their fans to see live performances from wherever they were. Both Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour Prom” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever: a Love Letter to Los Angeles” films allowed audiences to witness their music brought to life from their artistic vision. Once again, artists had the opportunity to brand themselves by showing how different visuals and concepts coincide with their music.
As the music industry continues to evolve, it is inevitable that music marketers follow suit and take advantage of every available resource to successfully brand an artist. What are some of the things you think of when a popular artist comes to mind?
