The Music Industry Key Players.

From the biggest stars to the behind-the-scenes executives, the music industry is a complex web of players all working together to create, market, and distribute the songs that shape music culture. From record labels to streaming platforms, managers to promoters, understanding the music industry key players is essential to understanding how the industry works and who holds the power. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the various roles and responsibilities of the key players in the music industry and explore how they work together to bring us the music we love. So if you’re a die-hard music fan, an industry player or just curious about how the industry operates, dive into this behind-the-scenes look at the movers and shakers of the music world.

Artistes.

This group is responsible for contributing vocals and the vocal structure making up the music that people sing, rap and dance along to. They are by far, the biggest contributors in the ecosystem because without music, it won’t exist. This group can be split up into several groups, namely; independent artsites, signed artistes, unknown artistes, new artistes and Old Generation (OG) artistes.

Private Investors and financiers.

This group has been responsible for providing most of the funds the industry
relies on. They either have funds they want to invest or give away to produce and develop music. The dictation for the business models employed in the industry rests heavily on this group. This group again, is made up of either private individuals, a group of private individuals, or a private company with an
affinity towards music. They provide the funds the label services use to develop
artistes and run marketing and promotional campaigns as well as to artistes directly. It is often very difficult to identify who these people are, because they like to remain anonymous.

Label Services Companies.

This group possess the structure and expertise needed to put the monies made
available by the ‘Private Investors and Financiers’ to good use. They have, and
mastered the necessary PR, marketing and advertising tools needed to popularize an artiste and their music often locally.

Big Label Companies.

This group, offers artiste development, A&R, publishing services and proper structures to the ‘Label Services Companies’ and their corresponding artistes, as well as independent artistes. They already possess the structure the ‘Private Investors and Financiers’ and the ‘Label Services Companies’ offer to the artistes. The big labels have spent years and sometimes decades using their structures to good effect.

Creative Agencies.

This group provides specialized services that are often outsourced to them by the ‘Artistes,’ ‘Label Services Companies,’ or the ‘Big Label Companies.’
Services offered include PR, Marketing, Research, Advertising, Promotion, Design, Production, Event Management, Business Development and other creative services if the need arises.

Artiste/Business Managers.

They assume more of a business and directorial role. They are responsible for the artiste’s individual welfare, as well as making sure they stay relevant enough to recoup the investments being made. They also handle relationships between the artiste and the other players in the music industry. They are often assigned to the artiste by the label services company or big label companies. In extreme situations, artistes are approached by industry-recognized managers, but as it is common on the continent of Africa, they are often handpicked by the artiste based on familiarity and trust.

Distribution Companies.

This group offers A&R, marketing, sync licensing and publishing services to the
group offering the ‘Label Services’ and their corresponding artistes. The goal of digital distribution is to get music on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and other streaming platforms including social media sites like YouTube and TikTok. They are like a digital record shop—Once the music is there, people can stream, download and buy it. In exchange, artistes and labels receive royalties depending on how and where the music was listened to. Just like traditional record stores, streaming platforms (digital music stores) receive music from digital distribution companies. But instead of shipping boxes of vinyl or CDs every week, digital distributors deliver digital music to the major music stores. So, what used to take weeks or months of shipping and manufacturing—not to mention a lot of upfront costs—is now as simple and fast as a couple of clicks.

Streaming Platforms.

This group offers the channel through which the music can be accessed by the
fans or consumers. Only a decade or two ago, music enthusiasts had to either purchase physical albums, buy songs and albums on a platform like iTunes, or risk their computer security by downloading music illegally. Today, all of that has changed.
Music streaming has disrupted the music industry and rapidly altered the way
consumers listen to and purchase music. Music streaming services offer millions of songs from thousands of artistes for a recurring fee each month, allowing users to access music at a much cheaper rate than previously possible, and making it possible for artistes to earn money from the streaming of their songs.

Booking Agents/Promoters.

They often do the ‘legwork’ of getting the music to the fans or consumers in a
traditional way. While there’s the need for artistes to continuously develop their music brand and gain new fans, music promoters on the hand are experts in getting the music out to a wider audience and building one’s music career. They know all the ins and outs of music marketing, helping connect music with the right audiences. The booking agents also secure shows for the artistes and handle their tour bookings. A chief example is Live Nation. This group is made up of OAPs, DJs, Bloggers, Music Marketers, Show Promoters, Booking Agents, Ticketing Agencies and Marketing Companies.

Visual Production.

This group makes up the individuals and teams that make sure the corresponding images/creatives to songs are gotten right. It includes video directors, photographers, production houses, d.o.ps, production managers, executive producers etc.
Video production employs a wide variety of technical, creative and design techniques to tell a short story, usually for the purposes of marketing the songs as well as the artistes.
Video is one of the most successful forms of media used today to engage, inspire, inform, entertain or educate the viewer. By combining both visual and audio elements, it fully engages fans and take them on a journey with the help of creative and technical manipulation. Because this medium is so versatile, many would argue that video production is the quintessential tool to accomplish any kind of storytelling.

Audio Production.

This group handles the sonic aspect of songs put out today. They perform various functions like composing music, playing instruments, putting together various melodies, vocal production, recording vocals etc. Each year, a fresh wave of producers and sound engineers create new soundscapes and pattern to dictate the future of African Music.
This group mostly dictates the pattern of the sound present at a particular time.

Content Creators.

This group as the name implies, creates the content and image that supports the music. It includes social media content creators, copywriters, social media
managers, graphic designers and editors. These creators are responsible for the ideation and creation of content that connects the music and artiste to the fans.
The creative process encapsulates copywriting, design, production and other
media that provide value and connect to the fans.

Statesmen/Influencers.

They have the ability and potential to influence fans and other key players to
sway towards an artiste or their music. They can even be referred to as senior
statesmen and gatekeepers in the industry. Consider the influence Jay Z had on J Cole’s career early on, same for Lil Wayne and Drake, and Dr Dre and Eminem. This group possesses a lot of cultural capital and notoriety in the ecosystem. They have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise in music industry.
The music ecosystem can’t do without this group because they can create trends and encourage music fans to follow.

Media Outlets.

This group provides editorial and corresponding channels for these editorials
about most of the other key players in the ecosystem, but with music at the center of it all. They are responsible for providing an environment in which these communication messages would thrive.
When music is produced, it is done with the intent to be listened to.
Most key players in the music industry use many
different kinds of media to promote music choosing between options provided by traditional and new media. They use visual media as well as strictly
listening media. The radio, television, and the internet are all different types of media used to promote music.

Fashion. (Clothing, Hair and Makeup)

Fashion impacts music in the same way that music influences fashion. The two art forms have become inextricably intertwined during the last few decades.
The majority of musicians dress according to their genre. The accumulation of
influence and construction of personality is a powerful force when an artiste meets the latest trend or links with a designer, hair stylist or MUA.
In recent years, musicians have been utilizing fashion to boost their brands. As a
result, the trend has been growing in popularity among other celebrities as well.
Musicians also use fashion to provide them with a platform to talk about their
music. This has become increasingly popular as musicians find themselves in a
new era of the music industry. They can use their growing social media presence or outright fashion styles to connect with fans emotionally. Musicians have been known for many years for wearing certain types of clothes or look a certain way while performing, however, they are now starting to use this as a marketing tool and providing creative content for their fans.

Governing Institutions.

The governing institutions are made up of people that have authority to exercise governance over the entire music entity. The most formal is a musician union formed by some of the ‘key players’ in a specific country. Their sole responsibility and authority are to make binding decisions in a taken geopolitical system (such as a state) by establishing laws.
Other types of governing institutions include an organization, such as a corporation recognized as a legal entity by the key players, for example, certification organizations like the RIAA.
These governance frameworks are built into relational contracts that foster longterm collaboration and innovation between the key players, with a board of governors often being the governing body.

Non-governmental Organizations.

The role of NGOs in the music industry is very important because they facilitate
development. These NGOs create awareness among the fans and people in
the industry regarding resources needed and music assets in relation to the music industry’s development. They also show the right track in which the development should take place.
These NGOs also help in sustaining the music culture, one way this is done is through the music schools and academies who help to unearth, nurture, research and produce music talents and personnel.
Therefore, it is very important for the industry to take into consideration the suggestions, advices and contributions of the NGOs.

Corporations.

The purpose of a corporation is to conduct a lawful, ethical, profitable and sustainable business in order to create value over the long-term, which requires consideration of the stakeholders that are critical to its success as determined by the corporation and the board of directors using its business judgment and with regular engagement with shareholders, who are essential partners in supporting the corporation’s pursuit of this mission.
As part of their consideration of one of the stakeholders; the community, these corporations provide the proper financial backing and structures to produce music and its other accompaniments, to deliver to the fans.
They align their brands with that of the music by signing celebrity endorsements, licensing music, and even sponsoring music events.

Award Schemes.

In the music industry, there’s a reason why award schemes are important. Awards schemes often point out that a song is worthy of attention. More importantly, it forces producers in these mediums to actually make content that would get attention at these award schemes.
For all forms of media, awards serve an important role, both in discovery for fans and to push some key players in the industry to create and finance more prestigious content. This helps to promote a better quality of music, and ultimately make the industry a much more interesting one to be in.

Religious Ideologies.

Religious ideologies can be defined as a set of ideas that refer to religious and secular tools that accompany political actions and processes in a sustained and systematic way.
It is worth noting that, a considerable amount of the world’s biggest hits and artistes are influenced by these religious ideologies, be it vocal or instrumental sampling. A prime example of this is how the Jews were able to come for Ye after he made comments that were allegedly tagged as derogatory to them.

Cultural Diplomacy.

Cultural diplomacy designates a policy field, in which states seek to mobilize their cultural resources to achieve foreign policy goals. The nature of those goals, and of the cultural resources mobilized to achieve them, has been subject to historical change, and a range of terminology has been used to designate this kind of policymaking in different national and historical contexts. Nevertheless, the term cultural diplomacy is a viable one for designating this particular area of foreign policy, which is often understood as one component of a state’s broader public diplomacy or, following Joseph Nye’s terminology, its “soft power.”
Cultural display and exchange have arguably always played a role in the relations between peoples. One thing that features prominently in this is the music. Music events have also served as biggest cultural exports and attractions for some states. Some examples are what Coachella is to the state of California, what ‘December In Ghana’ is to Ghana and many others.

Choreography.

The composition of dance is creative in the same way as the composition of music is. The notation of dance, however, is a work of analysis and reporting, performed generally by people other than the choreographer, in language or signs that may well not be understood by the creator.
Dancers on the other hand, are performers who move their bodies in creative and expressive ways to the music. They dance to a variety of genres. They often come up with movements to a song that are later replicated by the artiste and fans.
Evidence of this is how now, almost every song has a TikTok dance to it.

Fans.

Without fan engagement, artistes wouldn’t
have the funding or motivation to drive their artistry, record music, perform concerts, or create merchandise. On a parallel basis, if the artiste does not interact with their fanbase or does not make an effort to create a fanbase, they hinder their own chances at growth and success in this very competitive market.
Few ways through which fans are engaged, are through:
– Fan contests.
– Featuring fan content on artiste social media.
– Newsletters.

Film Industry.

After story, music is the strongest emotional cue in film. Music adds to a movie’s narrative in several ways: It sets the mood, it focuses attention, it foreshadows what’s about to happen, it reflects the characters’ emotions, and it influences the viewer’s perception of certain characters. It even dictates how scenes are cut.
For years, this has been evident in movie industries such as Nollywood, giving prominence to early 2000s West African music.
Popularly, the film industry is noted to have a co-dependent relationship with the music industry. Internationally, examples such as the Celine Dion hit from the movie ‘Titanic’ and Pharrell Williams for ‘Despicable Me.’ These translate into soundtracks and playlists to Netflix series and productions.

Games.

Video games consist of three components. The first two, visuals and interactivity, form the essential core of games, but the third component, sound, and specifically music, transforms games into something beyond an activity. Music can turn games into unforgettable experiences. Good game music works in tandem with the visual and interactive elements to lead our minds into whichever space the composers and developers want gamers to go.

Music Charts.

A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music judging by the popularity during a given period of time. Although primarily a marketing or super marketing tool like any other sales statistic, they have become a form of popular media culture in their own right.
Record charts are compiled using a variety of criteria. These commonly include sales of records, cassettes and compact discs; amount of radio airplay; requests to radio disk jockeys; voting for songs by the radio listeners and, more recently, number of downloads and streams.
Some charts are specific to a particular musical genre and most to a particular geographical location. The most common period of time covered by a chart is one week, with the chart being printed or broadcast at the end of this time. Summary charts for years and decades are then calculated from their component weekly charts. Component charts have become an increasingly important way to measure the commercial success of individual songs.
With the recent global attention Afrobeats and music from Africa has been enjoying, artistes take pride in having they or their songs appear on these charts; often judging success by it.

Legal Frameworks.

Legal frameworks are essential to the music industry, as they help to establish the rules and regulations that govern the creation, distribution, and consumption of music. They play a crucial role in protecting the rights of music creators and owners through:
– Copyright.
– Licensing.
– Contract Laws.
– Trademarks.
– Antipiracy Laws.