Stevie G: Is it harder to make an impact with new music? 

Is it harder to make an impact with new music? There is more new music than ever being released, and access to simple recording equipment and other music technology makes things easier than ever to get something actually out. Streaming means that music is now often released without any physical copies, so production costs are often not necessary. Manufacturing vinyl remains quite an expensive process, but while I’m writing this article, I can upload any track I’ve just produced to Soundcloud or other streaming platforms in seconds.

Music is everywhere, but most artists, bands, singers, and producers will agree that trying to get a tangible audience is more difficult than ever. A group or producer puts their life and soul into making a record or releasing a tune, and gets it out into the world, and then what? This is one of the most disheartening times in music for anyone, as even if the reviews, etc., are positive, nothing else might happen. The streaming playcount may be tiny, and the music, even if it is top class, may disappear into the void forever.

Manufactured vinyl or CDs may sit unopened in boxes in the attic (like in my house!), and the artist may lose heart. They will turn on the radio and hear what they feel is inferior music blasting, and as they flick through movies or sports programmes or ads, they will hear music from generally much bigger artists with huge budgets behind them dominating the spheres. We may not need record companies or distribution deals anymore, but the odds are still stacked against small independent artists who are forced to hustle 24/7 at gigs or on social media to have any chance of success.

Many become disheartened, and many eventually give up. I’ve only released music myself as side projects, but even then, I’ve seen how it can be a largely thankless task. 

I had one bit of luck with one tune that did make a few bob, but even then, it was never gonna be enough to sustain me as a music producer. 

Sometimes it works. Cork has got some terrific bands and artists at the moment, and many are doing well. Many more are supplementing their music creation with other work, but this is a story unique not just to Cork but everywhere. It’s easy to be an artist but harder than ever to make a living doing so. Is it more difficult these days?

It’s hard to know. The industry is more accessible and self-sufficiency is more attainable, but the sheer volume makes it harder than ever to stick out. I glanced at the charts in Ireland and saw Fleetwood Mac with two entries in the top 20, where they were flanked by Michael Jackson, Abba and other legacy acts. Greatest hits collections by Linkin Park, Pitbull, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Oasis, Maroon 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers and 50 Cent helped make up the top 40, while the singles charts were made up almost entirely of acts with huge major labels behind them.

Songs may still move fast through the eco-system but even those acts lucky enough to score a chart hit may be forgotten now more quickly than ever, and the streaming era means that these so-called legacy acts will continue to dominate. 

I work daily with teenagers, and though they are quite hip to new music that comes through TikTok and other areas, if I ask them to name rappers they are still more likely to name 50 Cent, Snoop, Kanye or co than anyone more fresh. There’s nothing wrong with this as such. In school, I was into bands like Velvet Underground, Ramones, and the Clash, who were way before my time. Tupac, Bob Marley and Nirvana will live forever and are cross-generational. But for the next generation versions of these stars, it remains difficult.

The hunger remains. Young bands do gigs that get great crowds, while rappers and singers populate streaming services and our social media with new music every day. Making enough money to survive is harder than ever, but they will do their best to give it a shot.

Not everyone has the dream of doing this full-time, but some will break through and become huge stars.

I remember when Jazzy’s previous project was getting a handful of listeners on Spotify. Now she is a big international star and living the dream that many youngsters will still keep alive for themselves as they write their next track!