Over the last few years, a seemingly endless list of success routes have been paved for getting great new music out to a global streaming audience. Niche playlists, easy access to distribution, and a world where streaming services are now ubiquitous have made it simple for listeners to experiment with a ton of new music.
Are we finally at the “even playing field” the independent world has dreamed we’d achieve? Whether it be TikTok break-outs totally blowing up, low-fi hip-hop made by unknown beatmakers streaming to a massive yet passive audience of people studying, or a young talent like Bad Bunny blowing past the boundaries of a once ghettoized genre like Reggaeton into the farthest reaches of pop, wherein all of this is an A&R strategy one can actually “plan?”
Further, in this now very boundary-less world, where music from Puerto Rico, Colombia, South Africa, Brazil or South Korea has just as much of a chance as music from London, Miami, or New York in finding a huge audience, how do artist and businesses with no financial backing actually take advantage of all of this opportunity?
