Music Artists Rising to Fame Through Social Media
The use of social media has dramatically transformed the music industry, for better or worse. Undoubtedly, one of the hardest aspects of becoming a full-time successful musician—whether it’s being a solo artist or a part of a band—is gaining enough popularity to not only make a living out of it but to build somewhat of a loyal fan base to keep that musician’s success permanent. However, raw talent isn’t always enough to transform a hobby of music into a lifestyle; a lack of personal connections to the music industry, motivation to make sacrifices, and money to purchase essential resources such as instruments, studio time, etc. can often prevent a seemingly promising musician from becoming successful. Despite the never-ending list of problems that social media creates, here’s an issue that social media might be able to fix for once.
Over recent years, more small artists have utilized social media, to promote their music talents in hope of going “viral” or to simply get their name out there. There are practically no downsides to this as an up-and-coming musician because TikTok is a free app and has the ability to push a video from any account, large or small, onto the mainstream “for you page.” However, at this point in a musician’s career, solely posting on social media platforms isn’t an equitable nor sustainable way of living, therefore with little to no viral posts, it can be really difficult to stay consistent on this path. Nevertheless, a single viral post has the power to change an aspiring musician’s life.
A perfect example of this is Benson Boone, who according to the Grammy Awards, “has gone from viral TikTok influencer to one of Gen Z’s most promising pop talents” in just four years. At just 18 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Boone began to post TikToks from his living room, showcasing his newfound passion for singing. At the time, he had no fanbase. In an interview with iHeart Radio in 2022, Boone stated that he didn’t start singing until his senior year of high school, just a year before his rise to fame. It wasn’t until one viral post of Benson singing a cover of the trending song, “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence in February of 2021, that Benson Boone’s fame suddenly took off, and after several more viral posts of his raw singing talent, he landed a record deal at Night Street Records. Twelfth-grader and striving musician Sydney Dutta spoke upon the opportunity that social media provides to gain popularity, stating that a lot of follower-hungry musicians on TikTok tend to solely post covers of “popular songs that would make you go viral.” However, Sydney says that the route a musician chooses to take in posting their music online “depends on [their] intentions.” A musician who wants to start up a music career and produce their own original pieces may not initially see as much viewership as a musician who keeps up with the current trends on TikTok. Regardless of a musician’s intentions of posting on social media, it doesn’t hurt to post publicly, as any post has the opportunity to reach new audiences from around the world.
Longtime Riverdale music teacher and professional musician Ms. Jane Getter shared her personal experiences with using social media to her advantage. Ms. Getter highlighted that using social media platforms “takes time to build up popularity and for people to get to know you.” She stated, “Social media is something that I hate, but something I have to do; like a job.” It is clear that for already established music artists, social media is a necessity in order to keep prior fanbases entertained, as well as branch out to new audiences.
However, for young artists trying to start up a music career, independent musician and Riverdale’s music production teacher Mr. Robert Susman shares a similar standpoint with Ms. Getter, stating that early success in the music industry is in “equal parts talent, ambition, and luck.” Ambition is always a component that “you can control,” and while talent is more often than not an innate quality, “you can get the most out of what you’re born with.” Luck, however, is impossible to control, but “social media is a way of putting yourself in a place where you might be lucky.” This is an important mindset to have, because while as a musician, you might not always be on the front page or trending number one around the world, posting on social media is key to putting you one step closer to your goal, whatever that may be. Mr. Susman shares that “success can be defined in many different ways,” but utilizing social media to promote your music can be vital to your success, in ways that were “impossible” even just a couple of decades ago.
The use of social media in the music industry will never be a guaranteed formula for success, but it offers musicians unique opportunities for exposure and connection to other musicians as well as fanbases all across the world. After unraveling all of the prevalent issues with social media in today’s day and age, at the core, it is able to showcase the music of a new era of musicians. An era in which true talent can finally outlast the setbacks that have always held back musicians, no matter the circumstances they live in, and has the ability to be played on millions of devices around the world.
