Oct 31, 2024
As an artist, what moments should you know in music?
As a listener, you might not need to know everything that has happened in music over the years. But as an artist, you might want to brush your knowledge on the most important, or pivotal moments which happened in the past, shaping the industry you create in.
Let’s dive into some of them in today’s blog.
Genres.
Where do these even come from? Spotify currently has over 1300 music genres and counting. What you need to understand though, are the main genres which then divide into sub-genres, vibes, certain sounds etc. Understanding the roots of major genres (like jazz, blues, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music) is crucial. These genres didn’t just appear—they evolved, influenced each other, and paved the way for new sounds. Start from diving into the history of your own genre: when did it first appear, who were the first musicians experiencing with this sound, first performances and go from there. For example, if you create Hip-Hop or Rap music, understanding how the blues influenced the scene in NYC is essential.
Iconic Albums.
This might even be crazy to bring up, because I am sure you heard all these albums but if not, stop reading this post and go listen!
The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982)
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (1971)
Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. (1972)
Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)
The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)
Legendary people.
Learning about the development of music and not mentioning legends of the scene would be just illegal in my opinion. So here comes arguably the most legendary musicians, geniuses of their craft.
Elvis Presley
The Beatles (duh)
Michael Jackson
Madonna
Aretha Franklin
Freddie Mercury & Queen
Jimi Hendrix
The list, as you can imagine, can go on and on. Would like to also add Rick Rubin, Quincy Jones, Phil Spector, and Nile Rodgers - musicians and producers who shaped the music of today.
The power dynamics.
You probably know that the three major labels play the biggest role in the business and moving the whole industry forward. However, indie labels at the end of 2023 had 35% market share, meaning they definitely have a say in what happens - setting the trends. Something else to consider here: the more people are behind you, the more negotiation power you have. The people can be your fans, your music network, your manager, label, agents etc. Fans, being the biggest factor, are vital, and they way to interact with them becomes important here also. So, now, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube and other platforms are suddenly in the mix here.
Learn how the first music recording was made and reproduced, how the first labels came into the market, who were the first musician recorded, how the music was distributed before and what are the differences to now.
Learn more.
The book I personally recommend everyone starting a career in music is ‘All you need to know about the music business” by Donald S. Passman. Cannot recommend it more, it has everything you need to get started and understand our industry. Have to say, it mostly looks at the American side of things, but still explains the global outlook well also.
Once you get started and release a couple of songs, reach out to me or register here: https://app.nexro.io/sign-up
We can help you get to the next level!