The blogosphere, as it was built, really influenced music journalism. I believe this is because people gravitated toward the blogs because they had a different sense of voice than what a digital publication might have. There was not only a playfulness with these blogs but also a sense of perspective that people really grew to appreciate. And that came in a lot of different forms across a lot of different blogs.

Overall, though, I think there’s a reason why the blogosphere was influential and, to some degree, still is. There is that voice. There’s a kind of perspective that makes you want to engage over and over again, and not just with one piece of content. You want to return to getting that perspective and getting that sense of self you might not necessarily find on a major digital publication.

To me personally, any article that is compelling is a good music journalism piece. There are so many different ways to tell the story of an artist, or a song, or an album, or a trend in music. There are also so many different voices. For example, some of my favorite writers who focus on music sound completely different from some of my other favorites, and I believe that’s because they have a developed voice.

Not only does a great piece of musical journalism need to be persuasive, but it also needs to be compelling. There have been times when I’ve read something that I completely disagreed with, but I ended up loving it because it shed some new light on a topic that I hadn’t previously considered. It was able to add a different sense of perspective, and I always appreciate that as a reader, as an editor, and as a writer myself.

I think that a compelling piece of musical journalism needs to grab your attention. That’s what I mean when I say compelling. It needs to be able to differentiate itself from the sea of coverage, of stories, of posts and of links that make their way online.

At Billboard, that’s what we try to offer every day. We try to offer voices not only within our analysis and our essays and our persuasive pieces of content, but also in terms of our in-depth coverage and our reporting. That can take the form of a reported piece with multiple sources you trust because of the brand name of the writer and the publication. Ultimately, a good piece of musical journalism might come in any of a lot of different boxes, but I believe that overall, it just has to be compelling in some way.

If you’re interested in learning more about music journalism and the music industry, give online music education a try. It is far and away the most accessible way to attain the music education that you desire.

There are lessons for musicians to take from the story of Instagram. A lot of people don’t know that Instagram did not originally launch as a company called Instagram. They launched as a company called Burbon, which was sort of a geolocation check-in service similar to Foursquare, if you’re at all familiar with them. And really, the concept was that since people finally have GPS on their phones, maybe it will be fun to be able to go to a restaurant or somewhere and check in.

The one little extra feature they had that made it unique was that if, for example, you wanted to take a picture of the cocktail you ordered, they had these fun little lenses that you could choose from. They looked at the data and noticed that no one really cared about checking in. Nobody was checking in, but everyone loved taking random pictures, even of things outside of where they checked in and using these fun lenses.

So what they did was shut it all down. They looked at Burbon and decided they were going to pretend it never happened. However, knowing that people loved the camera part of it, they decided they were going to relaunch their product as a thing called Instagram. It looked to the world like it was a new company, and it looked to the world like it worked overnight.

They basically went through this whole workshop of a failed product that people didn’t want and relaunched with only what they did want. It was a pivot. And you could argue that they almost make marketing irrelevant. Their marketing happened via the failed product and the feedback that they got.

There’s really no correct way or timing to do this, but you do want to think about when in the process of making music you want to do it. For example, is it important to get a lot of feedback before putting it out, and make it look like it’s perfect when it comes out? Or do you go the other route, and have the confidence in the music that it’ll just work? There’s really no universal right answer. Instead, it’s up to you to make the right call for your project.

Online music education is a good way to find out more about effective ways to approach putting out music, and a wide variety of other topics related to the music industry. If you’re like many people who may not have the resources for other forms of music education, you would be wise to consider going the online direction.

The great story of creativity and business in the music industry in 20th-century America has to do with understanding that recorded music is not just a performance art. In your online music education, you’ll develop an understanding of the technology and process of recording music, too.

A great example of how technology changes content is that, when the first records were made on wax cylinders and the early 78s, they came with a time limitation. You could only record, at best, up to three minutes. So, a lot of the jazz bands of that era sped up their performances, playing in double time in order to make their piece fit on the record. Hot jazz, that really fast jazz that people all over the world grew to love, is actually a byproduct of the technology of the time. That wasn’t necessarily how those bands sounded in clubs, but it was how they sounded in the studio.

The reason that that’s really important is because this byproduct of a groove had a huge influence on late-20th-century music. One of the great musicians of the mid-20th century was a guitar player named Les Paul. His name often pops up in music education because he invented and created a very famous electric guitar called a Les Paul.

An interesting anecdote is that Les Paul, one of the great guitar players — sort of the Eric Clapton of his day — had a very bad car accident, and he broke his elbow. They put his elbow in a cast, which was standard practice at the time. Because of this, when his elbow healed, he could never extend his arm the way he did before. So, being an engineering genius as well as a musical genius, he invented a contraption that would let him double-track his guitar lines and sound as fast and as agile as he did before the accident.

That invention was essentially the multi-track recording studio. Les Paul sort of used this as a crutch — almost literally. He used it as a utility. But other people, particularly in the early 1960s, started to understand that the music studio had become an instrument in and of itself.

The first major person in the music industry to understand that was an eccentric man named Phil Spector. He had a storied past, including a murder conviction, and recently passed away while incarcerated in California. However, as a musician, he was a true genius, and he had a genius engineer named Jack Nietzsche.

Together, they somehow stumbled on the fact that the way things sound when played back from a recording is not exactly the way they sound when your ears just hear them. So, they started double-, triple-, even quadruple-tracking instruments, particularly bass and drums. They created this gigantic sound that people called the “Wall of Sound.” That was the first level of the studio becoming, in effect, an instrument.

Then, Spector had two important proteges: Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and The Beatles. In the mid-’60s, these artists elevated the recording studio into a more important instrument for the creation of music than the guitar, the drum, the keyboard, or anything else that anybody played.

And at that point, they transformed music from a performance medium into a constructed medium. George Martin, who was The Beatles’ producer, had a great way of explaining what happened. He said, “Before us, recorded music was like photography. After us, it was like painting.” What he meant was that the technology of the recording studio allowed people to be artists and to have full control over their work.

Many emerging artists don’t like to think in terms of genres or classification. They think associating their music with an existing category is impossible. It’s like being put in a box.

If you’re looking for discovery, however, genres are important. Consider streaming services — when you upload your music to a streaming service, you’ll have to put in a genre. While you can start your own “new” genre, there are advantages to sticking with established categories.

Casting a Wider Net

The biggest reason to pick a pre-existing genre is that it helps fans discover your music. Once you identify with a specific type of music, the streaming platform could potentially recommend your song to people listening to that genre.

Online music education teaches us that it’s important to be as honest as possible when classifying your own music. You don’t want to upload a country song to a streaming platform and say that it’s hip hop. In this case, an unsuspecting listener might hear 15 seconds and immediately turn it off. They may then never want to listen to any music like that ever again.

Important for Emerging Artists in the Music Industry

“At least trying to figure out what elements of your music fit into a specific genre can potentially help you to open the door to being discovered in that early stage of your career,” says hip hop artist Ryan Leslie.

According to Leslie, you want people who enjoy music in your specific vein to be able to discover and fall in love with what you create. If you refuse to “put yourself into a box,” then you have to understand the challenges associated with that. It may take you a little bit longer to find your audience. You’ll need to put forth some extra effort to find the relationships and people who want to go on your journey.

Leslie started out making R&B records and felt specifically attached to that musical style. When he did his “Les is More” album, which included a collaboration with Kanye West on a song called “Christian Dior Denim Flow,” that all changed.

“(Kanye) said, hey, make a rap album,” Leslie said “I did a rap album. And now I’m doing a hybrid. I got a new EP. We did a hybrid on that. So really for me, I’m still living in a world of music that I love.”

Even though Leslie “reclassified” his music, he said he still enjoys having artistic freedom. He can utilize his music education and make a straight piano ballad one day and then later decide to work on a hip hop track with some heavy sub bases with trap high hats.

“When you have artistic freedom and you build the audience that’s willing to go with you wherever you want to go, then you have a little bit more latitude,” he said. “I believe at the early stages of your career, though, when you’re looking for discovery, choosing a category of music that allows for you to be discovered in the algorithms on the streaming services is a prudent move to make.”

One of the most important parts about this online music education class is understanding what your story is and being honest about it. You know, for me, I grew up in Ohio as a queer woman with a mustache. This story for me hasn’t really changed. It will always be my story.

Now, we have to look at what your story is. We have to find what will never change for you. Where did you grow up? How did you grow up? Writing your first song is usually telling this story to your audience and finding a way to integrate that story into your body for your performance.

It’s important to do this storytelling without the music at first. What I usually do is have my students write down their story. We go through the beginning, middle, and end, and figure out what the real narrative is. Then we develop that into a song, writing out the lyrics and figuring out where they fit. What does the bridge become? And how do we end it? Are we still moving forward? These are important things to consider in music education.

Let’s start by writing a story of our lives. First of all, who is the main character? What do they wear? What do they look like? Where have they come from? Let’s figure out the beginning of that story, the middle of that story, and the end of that story. And this can be any kind of song you want — a ballad, an anthem, a dance track, anything. But we need to figure out where each part lies within the framework of the song and figure out how we move forward in our career in the music industry once this story is written.

The role of a record producer in the music industry is multifaceted and crucial in shaping the sound and success of an artist. While the debate between documenting a performance and shaping its sound continues, it’s the producer’s relationship with the artist that often defines the outcome of a musical project. Let’s explore the different approaches producers take in working with artists and the impact of their choices on the music that reaches our ears.

 

The Facilitator vs. The Imprint

At one end of the spectrum, some record producers act as facilitators, focusing solely on bringing the artist’s vision to life. Their primary aim is to create an environment where the artist feels supported to express their creativity and produce their best work. On the opposite end, there are producers who leave a distinct mark on the music they touch, imprinting their unique sound and style onto the artist’s work. This approach can lead to a collaboration where the producer’s influence is as significant as the artist’s talent

 

Jerry Wechsler and Aretha Franklin

A prime example of a facilitative producer is Jerry Wechsler. When he signed Aretha Franklin, Wechsler recognized her potential and worked to cultivate a sound that resonated with her soulful roots. His approach was not about changing Franklin’s style but enhancing and elevating it to showcase her best qualities. This collaboration led to some of the most iconic songs in the history of soul music, demonstrating the power of a producer who prioritizes the artist’s authentic expression.

 

Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound

Contrastingly, Phil Spector became known for his “Wall of Sound” technique, a method that significantly shaped the music of the artists he worked with. Spector’s approach was to create a dense, layered sound that was unmistakable, regardless of the artist performing. This method led to groundbreaking music but also sparked debates about the balance between a producer’s influence and an artist’s originality.

 

The Role of Electronic Music Producers

In the realm of electronic music, producers like Pharrell Williams have managed to carve out a niche where their sound becomes a signature. When you hear a Pharrell-produced track, there’s an immediate recognition of his influence. This highlights a modern trend where producers are as celebrated as the artists themselves, blurring the lines between production and performance.

 

The Importance of Music Education

Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone looking to make their mark in the music industry. Whether you’re an aspiring producer, artist, or music executive, recognizing the different roles a producer can play opens up a broader perspective on music production. It emphasizes the need for a solid foundation in music education to navigate the complexities of this relationship.

The relationship between a record producer and an artist is a delicate dance of creativity, vision, and influence. As we’ve seen through examples like Jerry Wechsler and Phil Spector, the producer’s approach can significantly affect the direction and success of an artist’s music. For those intrigued by the intricacies of music production and looking to deepen their understanding, pursuing further education in this field is invaluable.

 

Discover Your Potential With Yellowbrick

Interested in exploring the music industry more deeply? Enroll in the Music Industry Essentials course by Yellowbrick. This comprehensive course offers insights into production, management, and the business of music, providing you with the tools to navigate the music industry successfully. Whether you’re just starting or looking to expand your knowledge, this course is designed to improve your understanding of the music world.

Take the first step towards mastering the art of music production and shaping the sound of the future. Enroll now and discover your potential in the music industry!