By Rubin Patel, Co-Founder, Tenwest
For a while, the barriers to creating music have been lower than ever. Now, in a post music creation world, emerging artist discovery is the real challenge. Working with these artists at scale to support them in growing their fanbase and develop sustainable careers with recurring revenue is the key that could unlock unprecedented growth in the global recorded music industry.
Overheard in Music Tech
Here are some phrases I’ve recently been hearing A LOT:
- “We need to level the playing field in music”
- “Streaming pays so little and it’s unfair on artists”
- “Move over Spotify, Direct to Fan and Community tech is the future of the music industry”
- “Have you heard about all the streaming fraud and AI generated music flooding the ecosystem? It’s killing the industry”
Listen, I think this is all true to an extent. But I sometimes get frustrated, from the record label perspective and having worked with talented grassroots artists for 8 years, that discourse around these topics often lacks the voices of those who are most affected: emerging artists. It sounds obvious, but the next time you find yourself in a conversation about a cool new innovation disrupting the music industry, ask yourself if an emerging artist with less than a hundred real fans actually cares (crucial if they are a potential user) or stands to benefit. These creators, often overlooked in discussions of industry growth, are not just a footnote in the music economy – they are the key to its future and the ultimate beneficiaries of the innovations that music tech startups are building.
The Power in Numbers
Independent artists, many of them emerging, accounted for over 40% of the global recorded music market in 2023 – a figure that continues to climb. These artists represent a massive volume of talent, with more than 6.4 million DIY creators worldwide contributing to that most famous of all music stats: 120k songs uploaded to Spotify daily. Many of these songs don’t even get streamed once, highlighting a critical gap in the industry’s value chain.
But let me reframe this a bit. The growing significance of algorithmic curation on DSPs has meant that roughly a third of UK independent music streams are now coming from DIY artists. Rather than viewing these artists as lacking in traction and under-resourced, consider their collective impact. They represent not just diversity in sound and style but also a growth engine for the recorded music industry, which is projected to double in size by 2030.
Emerging Artists as Catalysts for Industry Growth
Shock horror – the traditional dominance of major labels is no longer unshakable (though, expect them to try and buy up all the disruptive players as always). The long-tail effect – the idea that smaller creators can collectively generate substantial economic value – has proven true in countless other creative industries (think podcasters, Substackers, and most professional YouTubers), and music is no exception. Emerging artists, as a collective of lean and boundary pushing micro businesses, are poised to claim an even greater share of the market, eroding the monopoly of legacy players.
The opportunity isn’t just about capturing market share; it’s about sustaining it. With the right strategies and effective implementation of best practices, emerging artists often bring small, dedicated fanbases and grassroots momentum, creating a pipeline of growth that benefits the entire ecosystem. Their success stories feed cultural vibrancy, spark innovation, and attract new listeners, expanding the overall market.
The Role of Technology
We all know the creator tools landscape is fragmented AF (more groundbreaking news, I know). For me, true innovation comes in the form of reducing friction across the emerging artist process. Let’s work holistically with the world’s 6.4m emerging artists to:
- Make consistent, prolific music creation and release easier
- Have well defined and easily implemented strategies on streaming and social (yes, this includes the direct to fan funnel)
- Optimise music rights management and monetisation across all revenue streams
- Build consistent, sustainable businesses with recurring revenue
Crucially, this is not just about supporting artists on an individual level – it’s about building an infrastructure that scales. By reducing inefficiencies and lowering barriers to entry, technology can empower millions of creators simultaneously, ensuring that their collective output translates into measurable industry growth.