The internet has become a platform for individuals to showcase their work. Before its conception, creative works could only be viewed on stages, in museums and other public places.
Lucky for artists, becoming famous is easier now than ever before. Ordinary people are trending on social media every single day.
Despite that, becoming a famous artist is still tough. In fact, according to a 2014 study, around 90% of all musicians are considered “wholly undiscovered.” Breaking into any creative industry is virtually impossible without resources or connections.
Now, thanks to the development of the internet, getting your content out there is easier than ever before. Streaming services such as Spotify let anyone share their music, podcasts and other content.
Social media presents artists with an easily accessible way reach their target audience. Hashtags and algorithms can help users find the things they like by suggesting content — whether that be funny cat videos or east coast sadboi rock.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Some artists can blow up from memes. Doja Cat, one of the biggest names in pop today, gained a lot of attention after her hit song “Mooo!” trended in 2018 for Doja’s almost absurd lyricism and delivery. Now, she is ranked as the 11th most popular artist on Spotify.
Many bands and artists have also taken a creative approach to marketing themselves on social media, engaging with fans by taking advantage of the latest trends. This could be posting questions, live streaming or even creating a dance to one of their songs.
Multiple artists have blown up online because of these trends. One of them is Frances Forever; When their song “Space Girl” became the music behind a TikTok dance trend, their numbers skyrocketed. Some users will unintentionally create dance trends to songs, ultimately benefiting the artist.
Others have dedicated themselves to promoting musicians. One brand, dubbed Discovering Artists, has blown up on Instagram and TikTok for its videos promoting small artists’ music. In their videos, a man walks up to strangers asking if they make music until he finds someone who does and ends the video playing one of the artist’s songs.
Another TikTok account, hunnagbeats, plays beats they created for strangers to freestyle rap over. Their videos all feature a table set up in a public area with a sign that says “take a seat rap on the beat” — a clever play on words.
These accounts and others like them have gained large followings from giving tons of exposure to small musicians.
However, social media promotion benefits even broader contemporary art forms such as painting, drawing or even theatre and dance.
Sharing handcrafted art on social media has become another trend. Making art with popular music or sounds in the background has widely been used in the art community, including the “artists are desperate” audio and others. Making interactive art videos has also become popular in the creative marketing process.
Social media is an important tool for artists of all kinds. In professions like art where self-employment or freelancing are common practices, social media serves as a hub for branding and support.
Next time you are scrolling, consider checking out small or local artists. They might just become your new favorite creator.
Maggie is a junior in Media.
