David Revuelta is only 20 years old but has already been tipped as the next big thing in Spanish music. Hailing from Madrid, this young man has accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers and monthly listeners across multiple online platforms. He is an Instagram star and a Spotify hero. In addition, he has his website and a plethora of fans. Most fans come for his music, but they stay for his upbeat attitude.
However young he may be, David has already noticed that the music industry has changed In recent years. But, of course, we were already changing because of the digitalization of the way we listened to music. Records became cassette tapes, which became DVDs and have turned into Spotify accounts. Since coronavirus, however, there have been even more changes layered on top of digitalization.
How digitalization was changing the music industry in 2024
Before the pandemic broke out, the music industry was thriving. However, it was not thriving in the same ways that it had always been. Although record labels are still important, they are no longer 100% necessary for artists to create. If you have a digital platform or a social media account, you can start building your work and putting it out there until you attract the interests of big labels or sponsors. Then, if they are good enough and hardworking enough, a musician can make their fortune on their own without any intermediary.
While this might still be the case, Coronavirus has changed things for many artists all over the world. Intermittent closures, problems with music venues, and people fearing crowds have all led to the live music scene closing.
This industry has suffered immeasurably in recent times. While we might be getting back on our feet now, Coronavirus is not going anywhere. The chances are that it will be like the common cold, and we will have to deal with it year after year. This will keep people out of the live music venues and continue to influence the progress of the music scene across the world. And not in a good way.
What is the answer?
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David Revuelta thinks that the answer lies within that same digitization, which was furthering the music industry in 2024, before all of this. Artists can create multiple online accounts and reach fans on every different platform. This allows them to reap the rewards of their creations. The studio or the record label no longer owns work. You own it, the creator. We need to continue using our online accounts to reach new fans through collaboration, hosting online live interviews, and any other digital means we can think of.
Make no mistake about it; the future of music is as digital as it was in 2024. If anything, it has become even more critical that we make things digital than it has ever been before. For our part, let us support indie artists and keep the music industry alive. What use is a world without music?