What a time to be a music lover. No, really what a time!
There are so many ways to consume music, especially in today’s digital age. Usually, music fans discover songs online through blogs or social media. Listeners can also find music on websites such as SoundCloud, MyMixtapes, or Audiomack.
But let’s not forget, DJ’s still premiere records on the radio. Today, a person’s playlist is subdivided between music discovery and popular tracks.
Let’s explore this a bit further:
The Culture
The term culture is big in Hip-Hop. Culture is comprised of music, style, trends, language and the people who consume it. When “the culture” gravitates to something, mainstream is forced to pay attention. For example Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” which turned into a national phenomenon or most recently Desiigner’s “Panda” which ranked No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last month. Today, the culture sort of dictates the music we hear.
The DJ
DJ’s play a major role in the music industry by setting the tone at parties, clubs, on air, etc. In terms of breaking a record, a well known DJ may introduce listeners to a local artist. Eventually that artist will become popular in other markets—and the rest is history. Thus, major labels collaborate with radio stations to push singles and promote new talent.
The Data
Services such as Spotify and Pandora aim to understand what people are listening to (and why). This unique combination of research, logic and expertise is compiled into data that helps create “recommended playlists” for users. Even though these type of music services have been around for nearly a decade, algorithms are a relatively new way to curate music.
Tell us, how do you make your playlist?