In a survey of over 1,000 live musicians, producers, rappers, and MCs from recording studios PIRATE in the United Kingdom and the United States, regarding artist fees, it was found that 75% of music creators have suffered financial losses, and more than half have taken a “detoxification” on social networks to deal with this situation.

91% of artists participating in the survey promote their music independently, without the support of a record label or manager. 75% of musicians who spend money promoting their releases spend more than they earn on streams, sales, syncs, and other sources of music revenue combined. However, when asked if they would create visual content to support future releases, 56% of artists said yes, with 76% planning to make a traditional music video.

Dan Davis, Head of Community at Pirate, suggests that the visual’s popularity among musicians is due to simple supply and demand. Platforms and audiences have an insatiable appetite for short videos in the social media age, and artists who don’t promote their music on social media are missing out on potential opportunities.

“As an artist doing self-promotion, it’s more difficult and easier in the age of social media. The platform rewards a constant stream of content, which requires a lot of work, but the upside is that you can build your own audience rather than just trying to push your way through middlemen.

54% of music creators surveyed use their main social media account for self-promotion rather than socializing, leading 51% of artists to go on a social media detox at some point in their career. Dan points out that it’s a positive sign that more and more musicians are prioritizing their mental health:

“Seeing artists taking time off from social media is a very positive sign that more and more creators are prioritizing their mental health. For many of the musicians in our studio, music is a full- or part-time job; It’s really important to take a break from work, music and everything that goes into being a musician.”

The channel of choice for musicians is Instagram: 88% of those surveyed have an account. The second most popular is YouTube (69%), followed by Facebook (58%) and TikTok (42%).

32% of artists said they would use the feature to add a 30-second video clip to Spotify, only 16% said they would not. 13% of artists surveyed do not release music Spotify. In light of this, Dan identified a gap between what is expected of artists and potential rewards:

“Making music in the age of social media means staying on top of new promotional trends. However, creating content is rarely free and new sources of revenue for artists are not emerging at the same rate as new trends.

There is an emerging danger tick tock and the “tiktokification” of other apps like Spotify came at a time when streaming had removed the possibility for artists to make money from music; an increased appetite for additional content can make the investment needed to earn a small prize a large one.

Many artists, like the ones below, recognize and accept that being an artist in 2023 is so much more than just making music:

“Spotify’s new features provide an opportunity to engage with your fans and new fans. With today’s attention span, you have to stand out, you have to showcase your music in new ways to attract new fans. Even if your music is good, often it’s also about the visuals.”