The Disappearance of the Mainstream
By Tony van Veen of Disc Makers
What was the song of summer this year? Oh, don’t worry if you can’t name it. Nobody seems to know what it was or can agree on.
Billboard says it was “Ordinary” by Alex Warren. Spotify says it was “Love Me Not” by Raven Len. TikTok’s winner was Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand” — not so much because it charted, but because it became the soundtrack of a popular meme.
And I’m not embarrassed to admit it — I haven’t heard any of these tracks.
Where has mainstream music gone?
The monoculture of big hits consumed by the masses is officially dead. In fact, a decade ago, the top 10 songs out of some 50 million at the time accounted for 16% of all U.S. streams. Today, the top 10 songs account for less than a third of that — just 0.05% of total streams. That means the music mainstream — the big hits, the cultural consensus, the “everyone’s listening to this” moment — is fading fast.
Heck, even the hits are smaller. I mean, have you heard Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets Department?” You may have, but I haven’t. And tons of other people haven’t either. And that was last year’s biggest-selling album. Yes, the biggest songs are getting less of the pie.
There’s no longer one dominant radio station, one trending song, or one artist on the late-night show that everyone watches. While this is obviously a problem for the major labels, but it could be your opportunity.
+Read more: "New Data Reveals That Streaming Is 70% of Total Recorded Music Revenue"
How music discovery has changed
Thanks to streaming, audiences are scattered and fragmented into a thousand small niches. Taste is personal. Each week, Spotify recommends songs to me that I will like. It doesn’t matter if anyone else likes them — these songs become my hits. One of the songs I currently have in heavy rotation is from Dutch punk band Plugandist.
When I went to check out the video of theirs on YouTube, it only had 3,000 views, but it’s been in my top three songs on rotation for the past few weeks.
And the interesting thing is, as algorithms get better at knowing what we like, they stop trying to show us what everyone likes. My top hit will look very different from everyone else’s. The big labels don’t like this. They’re trying to feed the mainstream, but the mainstream is no longer mainstream. It’s fragmented into dozens of smaller streams.
That’s one reason why these labels pressured Spotify into demonetizing songs with less than a thousand streams — so they’d get more royalties, even as smaller acts proliferated.
Opportunities for independent artists
The big labels are worried. Meanwhile, you, my friend, are free. You’re not bound by the same rules as the mainstream music industry. You don’t need a hit. You don’t need radio play. You don’t need a big advance or a cosign from a superstar. You just need the right people to hear your music, and your friends at Disc Makers to make you a few CDs.
Because in today’s fragmented music world, depth matters more than reach.
You’ve heard of a thousand true fans, right? Well, forget them. Even just 200 passionate fans who buy your records, buy your merch, and come to your concerts will do more for your career than a quarter of a million passive playlist listeners ever could.
So while the major labels scramble to rework their business models and complain that there’s no song of the summer, you can quietly work on building a loyal following, a nice income stream, even a career.
And you can do this by just executing the basics well: write great songs, deliver a great live experience, and build relationships — without having to go viral or chase the algorithm. Instead of selling your soul and your future earnings potential to a big label, you can retain control of your masters, your publishing, and your image.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s still a grind. Making it — whatever that means nowadays — is hard. The odds of big-money success are small. Making a living off your music requires a ton of talent, creativity, and perseverance, both on and off the mic. But you don’t need to break through some mythical wall.
+Read more: "Why I Built a Music Discovery Platform That Finds, Not Buries, Niche Artists"
Conclusion
Now more than ever, people are listening to the music that speaks to them — not the hot song that the record label pushed. Not the top track on the radio. But the artist they stumble on through a collab, a YouTube clip, a friend’s post, or an opener at a live show.
And that next favorite artist of theirs could be you. Because when everyone’s listening to something different, there’s room for everyone.
So don’t give up, my friend. This is indeed a marathon. Keep hustling, keep growing, and keep the faith.
You can watch the original version of this blog as part of our Indie Music Minute series below.
