Making music creation easy might be too much of a good thing.
More music is made in a single day now than in the entire year of 1989. That’s all thanks to how easy it is these days to ‘create music’.
But while it’s never been easier to create, the sheer volume leaves most tracks unheard. Algorithms control what rises to the top, and artists are left fighting for both attention and income.
What Causes This Inflation?
In 2022, 75.9 million people created music, surpassing the entire population of the UK. And, according to MiDiA Research, that number is expected to grow to 198.2 million by 2030.
It’s not surprising though, as making music today looks nothing like it did a decade ago.
Digital tools have transformed the craft much like smartphones revolutionized photography. People who might never have considered themselves musicians are now jumping into music creation. So, what was once a specialized skill has become something anyone can explore.
But, these “consumer-creators” aren’t just making music. They’re completely changing our understanding of who can be a musician.
Gone are the days when you needed a fancy recording studio to make quality tracks. You just need a laptop and some basic software, you can start crafting tunes right from your bedroom.
As a result, the concept of what it means to be a “musician” has evolved.
Artists don’t need record labels and high-budget studios to bring their music to the world anymore. Success can be defined by a trending TikTok sound or a viral Spotify playlist.
What It Means for Listeners
Having more music than ever might sound exciting, but it comes with real challenges for anyone trying to find their next favorite song.
Music quality vs. quantity
Think of today’s music landscape like a huge buffet where new dishes keep appearing every minute. While having endless options sounds great, it actually makes it harder to find the meals you’ll truly love.
The same goes for music. With millions of new tracks dropping daily, finding something special takes more work than ever.
Most streaming platforms rely on algorithms to sort through this massive pile of music.
However, they tend to push songs that appeal to the widest audience, kind of like radio stations playing it safe with top 40 hits. This means unique or experimental tracks often get buried, no matter how good they are.
For music fans, this creates a frustrating situation.
Finding truly meaningful music takes more digging than before and stumbling upon hidden gems feels increasingly rare.
Plus, music is increasingly stripped of its cultural and historical context. Algorithms focus on tracks over albums, singles over artists, and surface-level popularity over deeper connections. This can result in a flattened musical experience where artistry and subcultural significance are diminished.
Struggles in music discovery
The convenience of algorithms comes at a cost.
Streaming platforms like Spotify want to keep you listening longer, so they play it safe. That’s why, instead of helping you explore new sounds, they serve up more of what you’ve already heard.
So, you’re stuck in a musical bubble that’s hard to break out of.
Looking at other platforms, TikTok has shaken things up a bit by creating its own kind of music discovery. Songs can blow up randomly through viral trends, giving unknown artists a shot at the spotlight.
But these viral moments rarely last. Users often move on to the next trend before developing any real connection with the artists or their broader work.
The result? We’re developing shorter attention spans for music. Instead of diving deep into artists’ catalogs or exploring new genres, many listeners hop from one viral hit to the next and miss out on the rich musical experiences that come from really getting to know an artist’s work.
What It Means for Artists & Producers
Creating music might be easier than ever, but turning it into a career is a whole other thing. Artists today face a whole new set of challenges that go way beyond just making good music.
Standing out is harder
With millions of new songs released daily, breaking through the noise is increasingly difficult.
Established superstars can maintain their dominance through massive marketing budgets and loyal fan bases. But for everyone else? It’s a different story.
For newcomers, the fierce competition means even exceptional talent can go unnoticed.
While social media offers chances for overnight success, building a lasting career takes more than just viral moments.
At the same time, traditional avenues like radio play or media coverage don’t carry the same weight anymore. Standing out now requires a mix of talent, marketing skills, and pure luck.
Creating great music is no longer enough.
Artists now juggle multiple roles, like musician, content creator, social media manager, and marketing expert. They need to keep feeding the algorithm with content just to stay visible, often at the cost of their actual music-making time.
Lower streaming payouts
Streaming platforms have made accessing music music easier for listers. But, they’ve left most artists earning mere pennies per stream.
Financial stability through streaming alone is hard for many but the sheer volume of music makes it a pipe dream.
The math behind streaming payments is pretty eye-opening.
Streaming platforms like Spotify use a pro-rata payment model. Think of it as a pie where all streaming revenue goes into one big pie, and artists get slices based on their share of total streams.
If you get 1% of all streams that month, you get 1% of the money. But with millions of new songs added daily, that pie gets cut into increasingly tiny pieces.
Small artists feel this pinch the most. Even tracks with decent streaming numbers often can’t cover basic production costs.
This forces many musicians to look elsewhere for income, such as live shows, merch sales, physical albums with A LOT of variants, or crowdfunding campaigns.
However, these options aren’t always viable for newer artists who lack an established fan base. So, new artists often find themselves stuck in a loop: they need money to build a following, but need a following to make money.
Higher personal production costs
Making professional-quality music isn’t cheap anymore. Sure, you don’t need a big studio, but the costs have just shifted elsewhere.
Developers often favor these subscription models for their predictable revenue streams. But, creators are left trapped in a cycle of paying to produce while struggling to earn.
Monthly subscriptions for essential production tools add up fast. You might need:
- A DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) subscription
- Plug-in subscriptions for different sounds
- Sample library access
- Mixing and mastering tools
- Cloud storage for project files
These subscriptions might seem affordable month to month, but they can easily total hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.
For indie artists just starting out, that’s a big investment with no guaranteed return.
Many artists find themselves trapped in this system. They need these tools to create competitive-quality music, but the ongoing costs eat into any potential earnings. So, some end up compromising their creative vision just to keep costs manageable.