How Streaming Changed Music Discovery For New Artists

The music world and streaming music discovery looks very different now than it did two decades ago. The biggest changes are in how we discover and nurture new artists. Services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube have changed this process in ways that would have been almost impossible to foresee. This is part of a larger pattern of live streaming that is changing the character of entertainment by making it more interactive and accessible.

From CDs and Radio to Streaming
Before music streaming and streaming music discovery, finding new music typically involved listening to the radio, going to the record store, or attending a live performance. These approaches worked, but they were also limited. Radio channels had a narrow playlist, often controlled by large music corporations. CDs were costly and sometimes difficult to come by. Live shows were awesome but were only accessible to a select group of people. And yet, for many listeners and local artists, radio and live performances are important.
Streaming flipped this model. Suddenly, millions of songs became accessible on demand. Streaming music discovery was born. Listeners were able to sample diverse genres and artists from anywhere with an internet connection. This paved the way for many new artists who otherwise may never have been heard.

How Streaming Is Aiding the Discovery of New Musicians
When you listen to music on a streaming platform, algorithms suggest music based on what you’ve
been hearing. In other words, if you like one new artist, you might get recommendations for others
like it. Playlists, promoted both by human curators and algorithms, are a quick way for artists to get
to new listeners. It was much tougher to come by this kind of exposure in the past.
Although artists typically cannot upload music directly to the major streaming services, they can
share their albums through a digital distributor or a label service without having a major record deal.
This reduces the barrier to entry and allows musicians with talent to reach the world with their
music. Some artists have even managed to build careers solely from streaming.

Supporting Artists in the Streaming Era
Because streaming has made it easier to discover music, it can also be a little bit more difficult to
support artists financially. Streaming pays artists per play, but the revenue that artists receive can be
minuscule after rights holders, labels and publishers take their cut. That’s why many artists have
other kinds of income—from selling T-shirts and touring to subscription services such as Patreon.
Live streaming has expanded beyond just music. It was, for example, used in the gambling industry as soon as live casinos became an option to provide live streaming of games to players anywhere—with companies like Lottoland offering interactive experiences. In music, artists today live-stream
performances and chat with fans in real time, forging a direct relationship that can make it easier for
fans to support artists on a more personal level.

Final thoughts
Live streaming has already changed entertainment in so many ways. In the future, it will increasingly
dominate, as artists perform live for fans around the world. This opens up new possibilities for engagement and patronage outside of the concert hall. More virtual reality concerts or interactive
streams, or new ways to buy or trade music, could become commonplace as technology advances.

Streaming music discovery has reshaped the music industry, making it easier for listeners to explore new sounds and for artists to find their audience. As these platforms continue to evolve, so will the ways we support and celebrate new talent in the digital age.

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