How Social Media Platforms are Helping New Talents like Henry Kassir to Blow up Quickly in Music Industry

Over the last 20 years, the music industry has shown a noticeable change in many ways. Not only by the means of the formats in which songs are being recorded on; from vinyls to 8-tracks, from cassettes to CDs, and now streaming and digital downloads. Gone are the days where music was fulfilling the entertainments and arts. Today, the music industry has been moved into the business & competition sector. The entertainment doubled in size for its audiences due to artists promoting themselves privately using digital platforms.

About two decades ago, music was being produced by a few major record labels; Sony, MCA, Universal, RCA and Warner Bros - granted with all rights to control the market and allowing them to decide how music would be promoted to their listeners. Forget the days where buying records from local music cassette stores was still considered a ‘thing’.

These days, audiences have been granted their independence, as their favorite artists perform for them via social media outlets. Listeners can easily stream their favorite music from their smartphones or watch music videos on YouTube. This trending practice has created stronger bonds between the artists and their fans, with the rise of social media allowing more contact to be made. Back in the days, labels spent millions of dollars for music videos to be played on live TV, but this has been replaced with musicians funding music videos at their own expenses, allowing them to collect a larger revenue.

In late 2005, musicians made use of the growing social media platforms and turned them into a free stage show, where no producers, managers, or campaigns were needed to perform. Nowadays, these platforms attract various listeners worldwide who generate income for artists through advertising. As a result of this, many independent musicians have been discovered on social media. Streaming platforms such as Soundcloud and Spotify give listeners the chance to discover new sound according to their taste - and it is no surprise that hits are being discovered everyday.

This year’s Grammy’s nominations have shown that Pop and R&B are performing at a sensational rate. This is due to the outstanding albums released throughout the year by Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars - performing at the top of their game.

Once, social media served as a rising platform for these talented artists. Many more musicians are being spotlighted on the internet and reaching remarkable success. Henry Kassir, a Beirut based contemporary R&B artist previewed his upcoming album through Youtube. The 19 year old’s single release ‘Nightfall Interlude’ has been receiving an increase in streams and recognition on social media. Even though it is only a sneak-peak of the upcoming project, it successfully shares the image of passion and art Henry Kassir is trying to convey through his sound and images. These types of musicians inspire other artists and welcome them to share their own creations within the music industry.