Striking a balance between musical identity and music industry trends for musicians
Finding the balance between musical identity and music industry trends for musicians can be tricky. Because throughout our lives, we’ve generally been told two very different things: being popular is an important part of being successful, but also, your authenticity is ultimately what will resonate with people. So which is it? And what if these two things are opposites?

Whether you’re already successful and want to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing music industry, or you’re just starting to get your music out into the world, your main aim should be to strike a balance between popularity and preserving the unique qualities that make your music stand out and your voice unique.

To achieve this, it’s important to keep abreast of current trends and take them into account when creating your new music. But it’s just as important not to compromise your own individuality by choosing which ones to follow and discarding those that don’t resonate with you. Because at the end of the day, the passion you have for your craft is what’s most important.

Here are a few strategies to help you stay relevant by adhering to music industry trends without compromising your musical identity.

1. Knowledge is power : understanding the business side of the music industry

It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating: knowledge is power, and that’s especially true when it comes to the music industry. Of course, as an artist, all you care about is creating something worthwhile that will resonate with people and stand the test of time. But if you can’t put on your entrepreneurial hat and find a way to get your music out into the music world and have listeners stream it, you might end up creating something just for yourself and you might not get very far in your music career.

The music industry has changed enormously in recent years, and this is particularly true when we look at the business side of the music industry. For many years, the only way to reach a wider audience and achieve global success was to sign with a record company and let them manage you and your music. There were many players and many links in the chain of success, such as record companies, music publishers, composers and arrangers, music producers… and you had to find your place in the middle of it all.

But now, more than ever, musicians and songwriters have more power and control over their music. With the rise of independent music and online streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, independent artists don’t need to go through a record label to do so, and they can even use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect directly with their listeners and build a fan base by releasing their own recordings and marketing their own music.

To manage all this better, as an artist you need to familiarise yourself with the various concepts that can affect your musical career, such as music licensing, copyright, digital music distribution, touring and live performances, music streaming and curated playlists… so that you can make informed decisions that align with your artistic vision.

2. Understanding the music market to identify music industry trends

In the same way as understanding how the music business works, it’s also important to understand how the music market works and what are the current trends and preferences as these have to be taken into consideration when creating new music. 

Even if you consider yourself a trailblazer and not a follower, analysing music industry trends and how they fit into the forever changing landscape of the music market will help you tremendously. 

To do this, once again knowledge is power and you have to inform yourself on the current trends in the music industry. The easiest way to do this is to be active on social media and follow industry accounts who will share industry news. Pay attention to any relevant publications to understand what’s happening in your genre and the industry at large.

Another excellent way of predicting what might work next is to study what has worked in the past. History tends to repeat itself and this is particularly true when it comes to art. Like fashion, music is a very circular industry and trends come and go.

When classical music was fashionable, Mozart and Beethoven were cultural icons. As for the “king of rock and roll”, Elvis Presley was extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s. The Beatles, made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, were incredibly popular during the 1960s, with the peak of Beatlemania occurring between 1963 and 1966. The late 1970s and early 1980s are considered the heyday of punk music, with iconic bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Stooges. Country music, meanwhile, has enjoyed various periods of popularity throughout its history, as well as a more recent period with artists such as Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan. There are many other musical styles that have enjoyed a recent boom, such as rap, funk, reggae, techno and electronic music, folk music, etc.

Musical styles come and go and make up the history of music, but an artist’s success at any given time generally depends on how closely he or she adheres to the contemporary musical style. Record companies look for artists who fit in with current trends, as they tend to create more commercial music and be more popular.

Another thing to do to stay current and relevant is to quickly adopt any new technologies or techniques that come out that can give your music a contemporary edge. Innovation is real and it’s here, and if you want to stay ahead of the game, it’s important to embrace it and use it intelligently so that it works in your favour.

So don’t be afraid to explore innovative approaches to music creation and production, and be open to change in general. The music industry is constantly evolving and you can’t stay stuck in your ways if you want to have a career for life, you really have no choice but to evolve with it. And never forget that a willingness to experiment can lead to exciting discoveries. It might mean experimenting with new production techniques, or incorporating popular instruments or sounds.

The best way to see what works is for you to try out lots of different things. After all, it’s a numbers game and the more varied material you publish, the more accurate and quality feedback you’ll get. Another very important thing to keep in mind when experimenting and trying new things is to engage with your listeners. When you release something new and different, pay particular attention to the reaction of your listeners. You can do this through social media or even at a live concert where you can get feedback from your audience in real time. See how they react to different elements of your music, whether they connect to certain elements more than others. If that’s the case, it might be worth working on those elements further.

3. Exploring different genres and collaborating with other musicians and artists.

First of all, to find your own musical identity, it’s important to test and explore different musical styles and genres, and even genres you’d never have thought of before. Experimentation is the key here and don’t be afraid to try out new sounds. This is especially important as the music industry as a whole is evolving and doing so rapidly. It’s fine to be a bit nostalgic from time to time, but you can’t get stuck in the past and not adapt your sound to the current market.

It would be good to look at styles that are popular at the moment, such as electronic music and hip-hop, and incorporate elements and codes from these genres into your own music, while taking care not to compromise your own musical identity. But by mixing just a few codes from different genres, you can create some really interesting and unique sounds and these, because of their hybrid nature, can resonate with both your existing fans and new listeners who are more inclined towards the original genre.

And if you want to step out of your comfort zone without compromising your individuality, a great way to do this is to collaborate with artists from different genres or styles. As before, first do your research and choose artists who work in the musical genre that’s popular so as to adhere to industry trends. But also work with a variety of artists from different backgrounds, which can give you new perspectives and expose you to new ideas and help you incorporate fresh elements into your music and stay relevant while retaining your musical authenticity.

There’s no better way to learn something new than from someone new. And musicians and artists in general tend to be very generous in the knowledge they share and the inspiration they provide.

On top of that, collaborations are a great tool for networking and getting yourself known to a new audience.

4. Embracing visual content to adhere to music industry trends. 

There’s no doubt about it, we’re in the video age and videos are becoming a very important tool in your repertoire as an artist. With apps like TikTok and Instagram now offering reels, there’s no better way to market yourself and your music than with a video. Whether they’re compelling music videos or live performance videos, they offer you a great way to keep up with the times without compromising the essence of your music.

Your approach to creating compelling visual content should also be fun, and you should see it as an opportunity to explore and experiment. As before, always pay attention to the reaction and feedback you get from your viewers and audience and develop your strategy accordingly. Keep in mind that they should be aligned with your artistic vision and should always reflect your unique style by incorporating elements such as staging, costumes and visual effects.

5. Staying true to yourself and your passion. 

The music industry is unpredictable and trends come and go. But what remains is your own artistic vision and musical identity, so always make that your priority. Remember, it’s okay to mix and match and find ways to incorporate current trends into your music, but it won’t do you any good to conform completely to the trends.

It’s important to be selective with the trends you choose to incorporate and focus only on those elements that resonate with you and complement your existing style. There’s no point forcing yourself to adopt a trend if it doesn’t feel authentic to your creative expression. The best thing to do is to identify the fundamental elements of your musical identity that you want to preserve, such as unique melodies, lyrical themes or particular instrumentation, and while experimenting with trends, make sure that these fundamental elements remain present in your work.

And don’t forget that trends are made by artists, so it’s up to you to pave the way for your creative journey while staying relevant in the ever-changing musical landscape.

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