Social media has pros and cons for music artistes

Chukwudubem Ochokwu, popularly known by his stage name Dubiemusic or simply Dubie, is renowned for his captivating performances and exceptional guitar skills. Dubie who is well known for mesmerizing audiences with his passionate voice recently had a thing to say about the age of social media and the advantages it presents to budding singers.

Speaking about what he think is the influence of social media on the music industry today, Dubiemusic whose rise to fame began in 2009 when he emerged victorious in the prestigious “STAR QUEST” music competition organized by Nigerian Breweries, said that there are several advantages and of course disadvantages as well.

“The introduction of social media has led to a major shift in the modus operandi of the music industry. It has brought about immense positive changes as well as a few disadvantages.

” Some advantages include the fact that
Social media has enabled musicians to significantly increase their marketing campaign effectiveness. They are now able to promote their projects directly to the right audience on a larger scale, which has lead to higher engagement of their content.

“Social media has also created wonderful opportunities for musicians, entertainers, creators, and even brands to connect and collaborate. These collaborations further increases awareness, which leads to better sales. It provides a cheaper way to advertise and promote content. By connecting directly with users, subscribers and consumers, social media provides a unique opportunity to create emotional attachments with the artists in a way that isn’t possible with any other tool.

“With the help of social media, the fans are more engaged than ever. Now they enjoy direct connections with their favorite musicians. By following their pages for new updates or upcoming projects, as well as commenting on their social media posts, and being able to go live with them in real time, fans are now able to communicate and keep up with their favorite celebrities and brands directly.”

SOME DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY the singer pointed out that the emergence of social media made artist promotion easily accessible, which has brought about an oversaturation of music content, so there’s an unlimited number of music releases daily, which has posed a challenge for artists, trying to stand out and be unique

Another disadvantage is the decline of traditional media outlets such as radio and television. Artists used to rely majorly on radio and television to promote their music. However, these outlets have lost their influence in recent years, as people have turned to social media for their music news and discovery.

Another major disadvantage of social media is the decline in album sales. As people now prefer to just go on their devices and stream instead. Physical album sales have been reduced drastically which has become a big financial challenge for artists still reliant on physical sales.
The most concerning to me is the fact that with the emergence of social media music piracy is now at an all-time high. Previously, you had to send physical copies to share music, but now pirated files can be sent effortlessly on social media platforms. This has led to financial losses for musicians and record labels alike.

Let us not forget how mentally draining it is to constantly produce, and share content on social media, as well as the urge to constantly compare your views, likes and engagements with other creators who are doing better. This is a silent struggle for many Which lead to musicians being sad and depressed.

On if social media has influenced his kind of music, Dubiemusic whose ‘The Broke song’ recently went viral with millions of views across his online platforms said, “Most definitely, because now with social media it’s easier to create contents and trends that are time sensitive, and that affect the current reality instead of having to go through the hastle of booking a studio session which might take a while to get an available date. I can just get on my phone and in minutes upload whatever content I desire. So now I can easily make music or covers exclusively for my audience on social media which cannot go on my album due to copyright issues.