Secrets to Longevity in Today’s Music Industry

While the music industry has undoubtedly experienced tremendous amounts of change in the past year, the music industry is always changing and always has been. That’s one of the reasons why the music industry is so exciting. Audibly one can hear the difference in music trends from decade to decade, and even year to year. Some of this can be attributed to the rise and fall in popularity of particular artists that set the tone of the music landscape at the time. We see one hit wonders, like PSY with Gangnam Style, and breakout artists that seem to have a long future in the industry, like Billie Eilish. Artists rise and fall in popularity, many contributing their sound to the music landscape for an album or two and then falling back under the radar. Some face challenges that are too hefty for their careers to handle. Some struggle to release music against their labels, and some release projects that don’t hit the mark for their fanbases. In an era of social media lingo like “flop eras,” here are some keys to longevity in the industry to avoid letting tumultuous obstacles get in the way of your success as an artist.

One key way to have a lasting impact on the music industry is surprisingly less about your strategic marketing and quality of music, but rather the personal network you grow within the industry. In The Music Business Podcast with Sam Hysell and Judan Chude, Gabz Landsman discussed her experience working with pop sensation Dua Lipa. Landsman discussed how Dua maintained her success from her debut LP to now. Dua Lipa is set up to have a long lasting career in the industry. She has a defined image, a distinct sound, and a strong fanbase. However, as Landsman describes, this is not exactly what has set her apart in the industry. Aside from consistently being the hardest worker in the room, she valued the relationships that she made during her rise to fame. She made sure to have the most amount of people rooting for her as possible. When decision makers in the industry are rooting for your success because of the way that you have treated them, you are inevitably promised greater success.

In a similar way to taking ownership of your own relationships and connections within the industry, it is equally as important to take creative ownership of your art. In order to have the power to do this, you must either be independent which presents its own challenges, or surround yourself with a team and label that supports you at your own discretion. In an article written by Keith Jopling for Bands In Town, Jopling emphasizes the importance of “mak[ing] art not entertainment.” This can be interpreted by artists in multiple ways– both in the actual music you create and the rollout of your projects. For example, Ariana Grande took matters into her own hands in releasing ‘Sweetener’ and ‘Thank U, Next’ only five months and 22 days apart. She ignored the typical album cycle in order to make the art she wanted to make and allow the world to hear it at the time that she wanted them to hear it. Both albums peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200. To her, making art instead of entertainment meant releasing music in as close to real time as possible, when the topics she sang about were still relevant to her. 

Grande’s ‘Sweetener’ and ‘Thank U, Next’ releases are prime examples of how audiences can differentiate between genuine releases from artists and are more drawn to artists whose music feels authentic to them, rather than a product of the system. In today’s industry and in the foreseeable future, longevity in the industry relies strongly on real connections– both internally and externally.