Noor Mian

Noor Mian

Emerging Artists Success on Social Media

An emerging artist’s success is measured by many different attributes including the brand built primarily on social media.  Social media connects the audience with musical artists, and is an essential tool for bands and artists to connect to the audience and build their success.  My research is focused on exploring the best possible uses of social media and how to build a successful brand and reach the right audience and enhance engagement.  I am focusing on artists using social media sites and apps such as Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook and Youtube.  Featured in my research is the band Porchlight, Gigi Perez, and band Israel’s Arcade. My research will focus on efforts done by the artists themselves, or their management team, specifically in the United States, with artists active from 2010 and beyond. I seek to examine how platform specific algorithms and audience engagement leads to the success or detriment of smaller artists, and how to create meaningful connections and achieve visibility in the highly competitive industry.

Abstract: 

This study examines how social media has become an essential tool for both emerging and established musicians.  My literature research is on different methods that artists use to build an audience online and grow their brand.  I focus my research on the band Porchlight, artist Gigi Perez, and Israel’s Arcade to understand the best way to understand the dynamics of social media platforms and how to build a successful online audience.  Consistency and dedication is key for independent musicians, as they balance being content creators, social media marketing and public relation agents, as well as balancing their workload as aspiring musical artists. The strategy and tactics used by each artist is measured by their progress in building a successful brand and audience throughout their online platforms, focusing specifically on TikTok and Spotify as a music sharing platform. Gigi Perez’s success is highlighted by her immense growth over the last 4 years by providing platforms with content that cater to their strengths.  Porchlight’s fast growth to fame is highlighted by their consistency and dedication to posting content.  Israel’s Arcade’s stagnation is explored by the inconsistent content and limited engagement. Analysis of these cases emphasizes how success on social media requires a platform specific approach and effective social media management deepens connections and fan loyalty.

Introduction:

Social media is used by almost all artists worldwide, regardless of fame level.  Some artists use it to keep in touch with the audience and build their ever-evolving fanbase.  Other artists have built their entire career off of creating social media content.  The content varies between a few viral videos- videos amassing millions of views and thousands of likes- or a large following with consistent video themes. Viral videos can create trends, and amass even more recognition with the sounds or thematic influences used, which filter across all platforms and create a cohesive musical presence.  By leveraging those viral moments, an artist can expand their reach and attract new audiences. 

This research focuses on understanding the most effective ways artists can use social media to engage audiences, enhance visibility, and build a brand. I analyze the band Porchlight, artist Gigi Perez, and Israel’s Arcade, to explore how these musicians and their management teams have navigated social media in order to create successful or stagnant brands. By identifying what drives audience engagement and how to use social media algorithmic resources effectively, this study aims to provide insights for artists looking to thrive in a highly competitive digital landscape.

Literature Review:

The new digital age is bringing a new wave of independent bedroom artists. With increased autonomy and community-based entrepreneurship, there are many possibilities for artists to produce high-quality sound and function, without the need for a major label (Walzer, 2016). Independent artists are the fastest-growing segment of global recorded music. This change in the music industry will bring about different business practices, with fewer managers and more short-term contracts (Daniels, 2019). This will also then impact the way the music is released to the public, as well as the way the audience will be generated. It is also important to note that though independent artists were the fastest-growing segment, not all grew at the same rate (Mulligan, 2021). 

Corey Dennis is a band and artist marketer specializing in social media marketing and public relations. In an interview with Ariel Hyatt, she explains why social media is vital to an artist’s career. “In today’s consumer-driven digital environment, where experiences are personalized based on behaviors, social media is essential to the distribution of information and the consumption of art” (Hyatt, 2023).  She expands by stating that social media is an extension of the authentic self, and choosing not to participate in it is like refusing a sale.  The relationship created between the audience and the creator is just as important as any other real-life relationship, is an extension of any other art form, and is essential to building a fanbase and brand. Denis states the top 5 social media sites to consider are Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Spotify.  It is important to consider this interview was done in 2018, so many social media sites have been created and evolved and sites such as TikTok have gained notoriety for their ability to connect their audiences with emerging artists and have become one of the top social media sites for the public, which contributes to success with audience engagement.  She states that understanding how a social media platform works is vital to providing authentic content suited to the platform’s strengths.  

According to Pew Research Center (Pew, 2024), 93% of users aged 18-29 are on YouTube, 76% are on  Instagram, 68% on Facebook, 59% on TikTok and 38% on X. Of those aged 30-49, 94% are on Youtube, 66% are on  Instagram, with 78% on Facebook, 40% on TikTok and 25% on X.  Users aged 50-64 gravitate towards the same apps, however at different percentages, with 86% on Youtube, 36% are on  Instagram, with 70% on Facebook, 26% on Tik Tok and 15% on X. Of users aged 65+, 65% are on Youtube, 19% are on  Instagram, 59% on Facebook, 10% on TikTok and 8% on X.  These numbers vary by age, as we see particular demographics gravitate toward specific platforms.  Spotify is known for its discovery algorithm, which according to Statista (Leu, 2024) will lead to over 100 million users by 2025. Before developing a social media strategy, it is vital to understand what demographics the artist is trying to reach, and which platform will be best to fulfill those goals.

Younger users tend to gravitate towards TikTok and Instagram, where short-form videos take precedence, while older generations dominate Facebook, which focuses on community posts and longer video styles. TikTok is one of the fastest-growing platforms and is used for videos ranging from 3 seconds to 10 minutes long.  These videos show up continuously and offer the user the chance to repost, comment, share, and like the video, and follow the user.  The For-You Page is algorithmically generated and brings up content that might be of interest to the user based on previously liked videos, and gives a separate tab for ‘friend’ posts. This app focuses on matching videos with people rather than following generated content.  Instagram offers the ability to post slides of up to 20 photos, post and watch ‘reels’ (short-form videos), and post on the user’s story.  The platform has similar engagement activities, of liking, commenting, sharing the post, and following accounts. Instagram primarily focuses on showing posts and reels from people you follow, with the ‘explore’ page as a means to find content beyond your chosen accounts.  YouTube uses a longer visual format, which gives users the ability to watch content that interests them without a time limit.  The website lets the user like, subscribe, and comment on the videos and will generate future content similar to the user’s activity.  X, formerly Twitter, is a post-heavy platform, used to update followers on new content, offers real-life updates, and can be used for one-on-one audience engagement and networking.  A user can like, comment, repost, or quote posts (which lets the user see the original post and a reply in one post,) and offer the same following concept.  Facebook continues to be extremely popular with most generations and has kept its relevance with community-focused posts, longer-form videos, and a connection to Instagram. These platforms are chosen by each user’s content preferences, social influences, and personalities (Wang and Sun, 2016).

The content that is created on these apps is dependent on the particular style of the artist and the social media app content will be posted.  The parasocial relationship that is created through this content is just as important as any real-life relationship and gives insights into the best audience engagement strategies. Social media has eased entry into the music industry, by increasing the musician’s reach and engagement and allowing the music to directly reach a wide audience (Haynes and Marshall, 2018).  These relationships are classified as parasocial, due to the amount of fans on any given social media platform, and though it does allow some two-way communication, the relationship is less intimate than a personal connection (Ledbetter and Redd, 2016). These relationships are possible due to the dynamics of social media algorithms and strategies (Van Dijck and Poell, 2013). 

Though social media has made it easy for artists to have more opportunities, the increase of musicians on digital sites has increased competition and resulted in the oversaturation of emerging artists vying for the same audience’s attention (Klein et al., 2017). For emerging artists to stand out, the focus should remain on creating unique content and maintaining an online identity (Choi, 2016).  These choices include recognizing the intended audience and catering to the type of content the viewers want to see.  These decisions should take into consideration the multiple audiences that might see this content, and use the single account to address the needs of the intended viewers.

Denis emphasizes that it is important to try everything and that it’s just as important to fail as it is to succeed because that failure will sift out the tactics that work.  Music is a primary driver of all social media interactions, with 9 out of 10 social media users partaking in some sort of music or artist-related engagement on the most popular social media application (Crupnick, 2018) The tactics that work can be repeated with new content, and will help set goals for the artist. For example, a band might find success in posting covers of bands best aligned with their genre and brand, and use the fanbase of those established artists to create a similar fanbase for themselves. This can then translate to building a fanbase for the band/artists’ original songs, which are likely to be admired by the fanbase that is now accustomed to the covers and sound of the artist.

The choice to use social media to broadcast a musician’s sound is due to many reasons.  JB, a research participant in a study of the influence of social media on emerging artists, stated her motivation is that social media is the future, and she does not want to be left behind (JB, January 12, 2022). Social media is an integral part of daily modern life, and this importance cannot be overstated (Nwagwu & Akintoye, 2024).  Each participant has a different audience and goal in mind, in tune with their individual music style and conveyed experiences.  PD, another participant, stated his music is meant to relate to those who have experienced heartbreak and trauma such as domestic violence and distrust. His target audience is individuals who are committed to fully feeling their emotions and are in tune with their experiences (PD, January 13, 2022). ML (January 21, 2022) reported his intended audience is the music-loving nonconformists, rebels who want to ease their minds while OD (January 15, 2022) focused on an audience that loves folksy and nostalgic twists with traditional Yoruba influences. 

Social media has remained a promotional tool for emerging artists, however certain obstacles have surfaced.  The internet’s reach contributes to 100% of AN’s (January 18th, 2022) music listeners, however, his music has not reached his community as of yet and he is unable to amass the local audience needed in order to host a musical event. The divide between local artists and social media influencers is understated, as many artists feel frustrated with the time and resources needed to be musicians, content creators, and influencers in the digital age (Teagues, Bryson-Smith, and Wares, 2023).  According to the roundtable discussion at the Music Managers Forum in 2022, there is immense pressure to continue providing authenticity and art, while maintaining a strong brand presence on the internet in order to boost engagement and reach.  The pressure for artists to contribute “a continuous stream of content” led to burnout with artists (MMF, 2022). There is an expectation for artists and managers to have social media marketing and public relations skill sets, while also being expected to manage their existing workload and provide the audience with the music they want.  Some music content is not suited for social media and needs a different atmosphere, which creates difficulties for those artists to thrive in the digital landscape (MMF, 2022). 

Authenticity is critical for emerging artists to convey on social media, as it is the direct line of communication between the artist and the audience (ICMP, 2024).  The content created has to exhibit the artist’s nature, which can be done by showcasing behind-the-scenes of the songwriting process, or clips of the songs being made and produced, which keeps the audience interested and engaged.  IO, another participant in the study of the influence of social media on emerging artists, explains his methodology to keep his fans excited about the music he has yet to release.  “I go on Instagram live and sing for people. I perform new songs at live events, and create new social media content with these live performances, and eventually people start asking for these songs, like ‘When will you drop this song’; this kind of creates a thirst, hunger, desire for an unreleased product. …It is like a pre-marketing thing…”(IO, January 11, 2022).  This strategy creates anticipation for new music, while also showcasing the artist’s authentic self and personality live (Nwagwu & Akintoye, 2024). The digitally live audience is able to directly communicate with the artist and provide direct feedback and excitement, giving a personal look into their favorite artists lives (Musicians Institute, 2021).

Music has been a universal language for thousands of years and transcends language, culture, and social hierarchies (Nwagwu & Akintoye, 2024). Though this was not always the case, exposure to new music has become extremely accessible. An individual finds a song or artist they might be interested in with just a few scrolls on any social media app. These apps have broken down barriers to artists, and more independent and small artists have become known after building a brand on social media. One particular example is Justin Bieber, who posted his first video on YouTube in 2007 and was on his first world tour in 2010.  This rise to fame led to many small artists posting their covers and songs on YouTube and similar social media apps, and many have benefitted from the popularity of platforms to gain views and audience engagement.  Newer apps have also led to engagement with audiences of different demographics.  These vary from platform to platform, and each app contributes to an artist’s success based on the audience engaged on that platform.  

Primary Research:

The band ‘Porchlight’ does this well in their TikTok videos.  The alternative/ indie rock band started posting their unique instrumental sounds and covers in July of 2024, however, they did not see higher engagement until they were consistently posting creative and unique content everyday.  Their earlier videos only have around 1000 views, with likes ranging from 25- 50.  The videos reach higher engagement the more they post, garnering more likes and views, resulting in more followers. The band has stayed consistent with the content they post, and as they get more comfortable with the algorithm that TikTok boasts, their newer covers and videos garner even more attention.  Covers from artists like The Pixies, Mazzy Star and The Backseat Lovers showcase their alternative rock style, and gather attention from fans of these artists, who gravitate towards the unique sound that Porchlight offers.  These videos introduced the band, their genre, and their members, which caused their audience to gain familiarity and build a relationship with the band. By the time Porchlight posted a clip of their upcoming song in October, the account had thousands of followers and the video had around 80,000 views and 12,000 likes.  The band has continued to use their success with covers to build their brand, and one clip of their cover of Zombies by the Cranberries garnered 1.5 million views and almost 350,000 likes.  The next video of a Paramore cover followed that success with 2 million views and 420,000 likes. Though some videos in between their viral videos did not get the same attention, Porchlight continued to focus on what it does best: create content and do it consistently.  When they posted a clip of an upcoming original song, the video went viral with 3.2 million views and 640,000 likes.  

Gigi Perez (also known as Gigi) is an alternative singer-songwriter who got her break on TikTok. Gigi started on the platform in 2019 and posted guitar covers of her singing songs aligning with her musical genre, such as Smile by Lily Allen. Those videos garnered less than 100 likes and a few hundred views. She posted consistently on the platform, featuring more covers, sing-alongs, and casual videos about her life.  With the consistent videos and an appreciation for her talent, her fan base grew.  Almost 2 years after being on the platform, she posted a snippet of her original song, Sometimes, which got almost half a million views and 100,000 likes.  This led to her account growing, and by the time she posted her next snippet of the song Celine, she had almost 2 million views and 400,000 likes.  That song was dedicated to her sister, who passed away the summer prior.  Noah Kahan, a prominent singer-songwriter, commented on the video, and that led to her introduction to his fanbase.  The third-party endorsement was a form of earned media contributing to more engagement and reach.  She continued to post more covers, this time reaching a bigger audience and earning thousands of views. A year later, she posted a clip of her original viral song, leading to another viral video that introduced her music and style to a bigger audience.  The song Sometimes went viral on TikTok, with thousands of people using it as a background for their videos, which led to a bigger audience being introduced to her music.  The melancholic guitar strum was perfect for people to post videos about reasons they love their partner.  This created a micro trend that was spread across the platform.  The song was also released on Spotify and now has over 130 million streams.

Many people were already introduced to Gigi by the time her next hit, Sailor Song was revealed.  Sailor Song came out on July 26th, 2024, however, Gigi had already pre-released a guitar cover of the chorus and hook on her TikTok account, making her audience anticipate when the song was to be released.  She followed up with videos featuring different clips of the song, whose audio was used by other creators also awaiting the song. By doing this, Gigi used the platform’s strengths to garner more attention to her song prior to its release.  The other creators using the audio introduced their audience to Gigi’s music, which spread like wildfire across the platform.  By the time it was released, many people were already captivated by the hook and chorus and looked forward to hearing the full song.  As of now, Gigi has over 1.1 million TikTok followers, and the original song audio has been used for over 460,000 videos, not including the original audio of her covers and duplicates.  Sailor Song has over 435 million streams, and Gigi now boasts over 28 million listeners per month on Spotify alone. Gigi is a profound example of what happens when creativity and social media knowledge intersect with independent music production. 

Israel’s Arcade is an alternative indie band started by lead singer Israel Pinedo, based in Coachella, California. With a little over 7000 followers, this band has been active since 2019 and has released one album and singles such as 12 Regrets, Car Crash, and Wimp.  The band has been active on Instagram, X, and TikTok since 2020. Israel’s Arcade focuses on playing local events and uses their Instagram, TikTok, and X profiles to keep their local audience aware of their next shows.  The band recently went on a small US tour, opening for the band Mexican Slum Rats.  They will be releasing their new album next year. Their success can be traced to their Instagram and TikTok accounts, which have been their most updated social media sites. Their most streamed single, Car Crash, has been streamed over 1.8 million times on Spotify, with a little over 28,000 monthly listeners.

Conclusion:

Building meaningful relationships with your audience is invaluable. Establishing parasocial connections through live streams or Q&A stories allows fans to feel more involved and fosters loyalty. Engaging with fans in real-life interactions, such as asking for song requests during small performances or listening to their feedback is equally important in creating connections. These efforts not only strengthen relationships but also create a sense of community that solidifies your fan base and drives lasting success.

Personal Reflection:

The synergy of an emerging musician and social media is integral to success in brand building and engagement. Each platform offers unique tools and different content possibilities, so getting creative and using your time to engage with the audience is just as important as being visible. The strategies that are used on these apps are to drive engagement, not just reach.  Audience analysis and statistics highlight the importance of understanding demographics when developing a social media plan. Artists must tailor their content to align with the preferences of their target audiences on each platform. By doing so, they can maximize engagement and create meaningful connections that translate into loyal fan bases and career growth. 

New technology brings new sounds, and trends, along with new artists to authentically create music in their styles and share it directly with a global audience.  The internet has no bounds and provides ample reach and the opportunity for mass engagement. However, the challenge lies in how an artist chooses to create content while maintaining authenticity and strategically capitalizing off of each platform and intended audience.

The success story of Gigi Perez shows how dedicated content creating and use of a platform’s tools can lead to substantial audience engagement and reach.  While every artist is unable to replicate this level of success, the discipline of posting regularly and producing interesting content is what can lead an artist towards success or stagnation. Despite posting engaging content, Israel’s Arcade struggles with inconsistency, as evidenced by their lack of audience engagement and follower count. 

To boost Israel Arcade’s brand and engagement, a balanced approach that mixes consistency with strategic content creation is key for driving audience interaction. First, the band should focus on sharing content that reflects their unique style and music. This could include posting cover songs from bands or artists that align with their genre, as well as clips from live performances or behind-the-scenes footage. This type of content can attract the audiences of similar bands while showing off Israel Arcade’s own vibe. They should aim to post regularly—whether that means daily or a few times a week—at times when their audience is most active. A bit of trial and error will help pinpoint the best posting times, factoring in their target audience’s location and habits.

Once the fan base starts growing and engagement goes up, the band should look to deepen their connection with fans. They could host Q&A sessions or live streams to interact in real time. Taking a page out of Porchlight and Gigi’s playbook, it’s important to tailor content to fit each social media platform’s strengths. TikTok, for example, is perfect for short, attention-grabbing clips with strong audio to tease new singles or participate in popular trends. Instagram is great for sharing performance snippets and behind-the-scenes content that gives fans a closer look at their lives. For longer, more immersive content, like full live performances or studio sessions, YouTube is the way to go. Also, updating photos to match the theme of new singles or albums helps maintain a cohesive brand identity across all channels.

Finally, keeping an eye on engagement metrics on each platform is crucial. This will help identify when their audience is most active and what types of posts are generating the best responses. With this data, Israel’s Arcade can tweak their strategy to keep growing and interacting with their fans more effectively.

Porchlight and Gigi posted regularly, once a day, over the course of a few months, until they received proper recognition and a solid fanbase.  Porchlight’s success can be attributed to their perseverance and commitment to posting daily content. Their strategy showcased a variety of content, ranging from casual behind-the-scenes videos to covers and original songs. Once the band established a solid following, they released snippets of their original music, featuring the catchiest hooks and choruses, following Gigi Perez’s approach. Porchlight’s branding emphasized their grunge sound by posting in settings like underground spaces, porches, and basements, creating a relatable and authentic image. Their hometown vibe resonated with audiences, with many comments emphasizing the familiarity of summer bands and small concerts.

Understanding your target audience is crucial. For an alternative band, performing covers of other alternative artists or giving an alternative twist to rock or pop songs can engage fans within that niche. Authenticity and creative vision are vital to these videos, as they help showcase what makes you unique, catching the attention of your intended audience. It is essential to understand your brand and genre before releasing your work on social media. Every campaign or media strategy should align with the artist’s image and genre. The artist is the brand. For instance, Gigi Perez, a queer artist, aligns her music and message with storytelling for the LGBTQ+ community. She ensures her platforms are safe spaces, reinforcing her values and connecting deeply with her audience. This kind of clarity in branding should remain consistent across all social media platforms.

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