Forget About Landing a “Hit” Single (Part 2)

EPGD Law Entertainment Law

Now, we consume, create, and cure the content all at once. Winning the attention of any audience is an exercise of supreme deliberation and tireless execution. More than ever, the popularity of an artist depends on factors beyond his music. For example, an artist like DJ Khaled, music producer and DJ, shines the same for his work in the studio as his videos on Snapchat. And although the videos nourish a further interest in his music; they are indispensable to move the public there.

That’s why the songs themselves don’t become hits. Hits are conversations between the artist and his/her audience. It is not about promoting singles alone, but about generating relationships. The artist’s challenge then seems to be:

(1) create music that represents your values, to

(2) talk with audiences that identify themselves with it, and

(3) generate communities based on these conversations;

(4) using media beyond music.

Interestingly, the community is not generated around the artist, but around the values ​​it represents. The community is as strong as the networks that support it. Good conversations have moderators. Good conversations also maintain a common thread, do not go off topic or betray the positions already taken. And finally, good conversations give space to all its participants, and they are nourished by each contribution.

This is why the artist fulfills a useful function in the life of his/her audience, serves a purpose to help them achieve a desired lifestyle. Fans want to live vicariously through the artists they follow. The public wants to be reflected in the artist; he/she comes to him for advice, to laugh or cry with you. The truth is that for this reason, the song is no longer the center of attention. Music is not a vacuum product; music is consumed as part of a greater experience. We hear it in memes, fan mixes, video games, ads, programming, campaigns and more.

That is why the central question is not whether the song will hit or not; but where is my audience when they hear my songs? What state of mind is they are in? And what state of mind do I want them to be in when they have finished listening to it?

The artist is now at the mercy of his/her audience, and owes all respect and deference to them. It is no longer he or she who has the key to fame with his music. Now the artist has to find his/her audience and convince them; and it will be the public who will decide the fate of the artist.

EPGD Business Law is located in beautiful Coral Gables. Call us at (786) 837-6787, or contact us through the website to schedule a consultation.

*Disclaimer: this blog post is not intended to be legal advice. We highly recommend speaking to an attorney if you have any legal concerns. Contacting us through our website does not establish an attorney-client relationship.*

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Silvino Diaz

Silvino E. Diaz’s practice ranges from Civil and Commercial Litigation to Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. Silvino has earned a reputation as one of Puerto Rico’s foremost advocates for independent musicians and artists. As a result of his sustained commitment to creative industries, he was named Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Atlantic University College (Guaynabo, PR) – the Caribbean’s leading digital arts institution – where he spearheaded the “Introduction to IP” course for both the graduate and undergraduate programs, and was appointed by the Office of the President to develop an Intellectual Property graduate curriculum, where he served until moving to Miami in 2017. He is the founder of the service known as Starving Artists, where he offers innovative business and legal counsel for artists and creatives.

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