Don’t Call Social Media A Shortcut: It’s Reshaping Artists' Futures

Written By: CJ Hall

In today’s music industry, social media is more than just a promotional space. Artists aren’t having it with record labels; no longer waiting for them to notice who they are or what they’re about. Instead, they’re forging their own paths with the help of popular social platforms like Tiktok and Instagram. These spaces have begun to allow creators to connect directly with their audiences with vulnerability and viral moments that can catapult their careers right into stardom.

It’s kind of hard to imagine life without the internet nowadays. It influences how we connect, learn, and engage with the world around us. And as these advancements continue to unfold, old-school norms are being ditched, making way for new ways of living, conducting business, and uncovering information.

Over the last two decades, the music industry has experienced a cultural renaissance of sorts, powered by the rise of digital technology and social media. According to a report from the IFPI, around 73% of global music revenue now comes from digital platforms, highlighting how energetic these tools have become for artists looking to pull in new listeners and income.

In the spirit of change, popular social media platform TikTok recently announced a partnership with UnitedMasters. The team-up gives TikTok access to UnitedMasters’ full catalog of music, ensuring greater exposure for independent artists while providing commercial opportunities through TikTok’s Commercial Music Library.

As good as things look, this partnership boosts TikTok's position in the music industry, offering a ton of benefits for new artists, record labels, and those looking to reignite their careers. A report released by TikTok in November 2023 highlighted that its 1 billion global users are significantly more likely to discover and share new music on the app, with 75% finding new artists through TikTok clips. This partnership and these statistics supportively stamp why social media can be a hotspot for discovery.

Grammy Award-winning artist Coco Jones sat down with Keke Palmer on her podcast, Baby, This is Keke Palmer, telling her how consistently posting on Instagram and TikTok revived her career and connected her to a wider audience after facing challenges transitioning from her early Disney child-acting days.

Through TikTok and Instagram, Coco opened up about her life post Let It Shine, her challenges, and her passions, inviting fans into her world in a way that felt so real and relatable. With each post, she revealed a fuller, more authentic picture of herself, which ultimately resonated with her audience and led to a powerful reemergence. Her Grammy-winning record, I C U, became a viral TikTok sound, creating a potent ripple effect among both old and new fans alike.

While Coco’s story portrays the positive impact of social media, it’s important to also flag that these platforms do come with some setbacks. 

Music critics often argue that social media is a shortcut, pushing artists to prioritize rapid, surface-level engagement over real growth and authenticity. The constant thief of comparison and the viral nature of trends can also create unrealistic expectations, overwhelming artists and causing them to get lost in the vortex (feed) and down a rabbit-hole of hating ass commentary. 

“Artists having too much access to reading comments about what the fans say about them or rather what they think about their art on social media will ruin a lot of artistry, especially musicians.” stated South African Artist, Sjava, in a discussion on Twitter (X). 

However, with Coco serving as lead of the counter-narrative conversation, she proves that it’s possible to put a middle finger up to the noise and actually take advantage of the double-edged sword.

With the recent partnership between TikTok and UnitedMasters, independent artists now have enhanced opportunities to connect with fans and create new revenue streams. By utilizing these resources, emerging musicians can navigate the evolving landscape more effectively, proving that social media and technology can provide huge support in building a sustainable career.

It’s not a shortcut; it’s the resource.