What does music look like in 2021? Live streaming will be a dominant force as live rooms are still closed. The pandemic will wind down in the spring and the talks between bookers, promoters, and artists will become serious again. How do we get the artists back in the venues in the fall of 2021? And what are the regulations? That’s the big unknown.

TikTok made an impact on the music business. Everybody from agents, artists and managers want in on the game hoping they have the next viral TikTok track, but the platform may have peaked. Most of the streaming platforms now have short video versions and the competition is at an all time high. Also, TikTok was built on 13 and 15 year olds, the most fickle demographic that could be move on.
As far as songwriting, there will be less writers on a song. It got to the point that a song consisted of 20 songwriters and the guy who was cleaning the windows got credit too for adding extra vibe to the room.
Will podcasting explode as predicted? I don’t think so. There are too many voices and it’s tough to come up with interesting topics that interest people. If it’s not political or biblical, then it’s not listenable.
I think artists will take more risks in 2021. People tend to take more risks in times of unpredictability. Plus, competition is fierce. The music and the story – everything needs to stand out.

The question we all need to ask it what’s next and how do we become part of it?

Limón Limón release the first track of the year titled Away. The upbeat tropical song is about “answering the instinctive call deep in our souls that makes us want to travel, expand our lives and explore new places; longing to write the next chapter of life and step into the unknown” shared the duo. The Los Angeles based indie duo wrapped up the 2020 with over 600k Spotify streams while landing on Spotify’s Indie Fresh Finds and Young & Free. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.

Skylar Capri has shared her latest single pop song Wax Lips. “Wax Lips is bubble gum, heart break, and power all at the same time” shared Skylar. She came up with the idea of crafting the song around metaphors of candy, while every line in the song has a reference to candy. The 21 year-old emerging alt pop artist from Florida wrapped up this year with 80k Spotify streams and nearly 70k listeners landing on Spotify’s Soda Playlist. The latest track Wax Lips has garnered 30k streams and a video will drop soon.

Soul singer Hatty Keane released her latest single Springfield Rd along with an animated video. I really like this song, probably my favorite off the EP. This is the track that comes on AM radio while you’re lighting a cigar on the front porch while watching the world go up flames. In the summer, the London based artist Hatty Keane released the EP titled Nostalgia which is eclectic offering of soul, jazz, hip hop inspired songs. Since arriving on the scene she has opened for Ed Sheeran and has received a flurry of blog love from Your Truly (Kings), Clash and CelebMix.

We are 9 months into the pandemic and vaccines are on the way. That’s good news. Even what seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, the live performances are stuck in limbo. Artists performing live is off the table and live streaming is the new normal. What’s the future of live shows? That’s the million dollar question that everyone in the industry is asking. Everybody wants to know the future of live shows. Will there be restrictions when live shows return? Ticketmaster revealed it would require concert goers to present evidence of a vaccination or a negative covid test. The ticket company was met with an immediate backlash and they pulled back the statement. The socially distant concerts held in the UK weren’t largely successful.
Live shows in New Zealand are back to normal. No masks, no distancing, just like pre-pandemic days. The live show arena won’t succeed unless it returns to normal. The live show was built on a community gathering and sharing an experience. Any restriction will kill it off. Promoters know this. If these restrictions continue in the future, then music venues and clubs will continue to shut down and live music workers will leave the industry permanently.
Right now, the industry is betting on a vaccine. All eyes are on Pfizer. Yes, the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. If millions of doses of the vaccine does the trick, then live music can resume in the second half of 2021. But with restrictions like masks, temp checks, verification cards? Who knows.
SXSW has gone virtual for 2021. Coachella is scheduled for April, but I’m betting it’s cancelling, Bonnaroo is moving dates, and Lollapalooza’s 2021 is in the air. With all that, live shows are stuck in a holding pattern.