new songs Trend of New Songs?

[Farah Khan]

What is the new trend of music in 2016.?

[john]

Hey Farah

I think the next trend will be in a new type of pop-rock blend. This is not driven by technology so much as labels wanting to revitalise the industry, knowing that rock potentially has huge, more reliable, long tail sales in merch and tickets. This also means there will be a boost to traditional rock and metal music.

Singer-songwriter will continue to grow as fans bred on the cover culture search for new and interesting music. In addition, indie music will continue to develop a thriving alternative music scene, but the line between indie and mainstream scenes will be far more blurred. This is mainly down to the continued development of good quality indie music and the tools and know how of how to make the most of it. Importantly, I think there will be a growth in the money making potential of indie, and the size of the overall pot of cash within indie will grow significantly.

Pop as it exists today will still continue to do what it has been. As always some labels adapt better than others. The difference will be that the market for such pop will decline... It is mainly for kids who think music has little intrinsic value, and who ultimately suck as customers.

For years the industry has been driven by short-tail sales, but some labels are beginning to put more emphasis on long tail sales again. Many levels will simply hedge their bets and develop some acts for short tail and some for long tail sales, as they do now.  Just now, and for many years, the majority of development investment has been in short-tail sales. That is what is changing.

As part of these changes we should see an increase in the numbers of indie acts that cross over to mainstream, to some level. As ever this is driven by labels picking artists on the rise and signing them, rather than grass roots development.

just my two cents. Perhaps some new music tech will come along and completely change all that! New tech has often redirected music and allowed labels to continue the short term investment approach, to continue the pop cover culture. So we will see whether this is all bullshit or not! Lol

A good question Farah! An important one to ask on a regular basis.

I will be interested in what you guys all think! What trends do you see? What changes will happen, and why do you think those changes will happen?

cheers

John

 

[Just1L]

I like John's thinking on this and believe it will eventually come to fruition if not in 16 then in 2017. Also, I think the actual song topic trend will change. Of course just a theory, but I believe there will be more written about the internet, politics and more pressing issues similar to the hippie movement of the 60's (Well of course I do) . I think the more people become addicted to their phones/internet combined with the realization of what it's doing to them, further combined with the fact that our education system is slowly training our kids to become more dependent on robots than themselves, a self-awareness period will take place. When that happens, I believe a more "raw/from the gut and heart" music style will develop and take a more prominent role in music. Of course still having the bubble-gum music that is currently being produced. Not saying that music doesn't have a place, it definitely does. But I see that music sharing more space with what will evolve. Fingers crossed.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Just1L

[Farah Khan]

Special Thanks to john and Just1L

[john]

What are your thoughts on trends Farah?

[MonoStone]

I'm not sure that it is a good question to be asking unless you're looking to write for others (but then again what self respecting rock/indie artist has songs written for them?). It suggests a want to fit the market, and that (as with jumping on any bandwagon) is generally a bad idea in the long run for any artist. The industry and quality of music can't improve or progress unless talented artists just do whatever the hell they want to do or if anything go against the grain or the predicted grain. 

 

I suppose that's what John means with things going more indie/rock... but ...  even if it does change or shake things up anyone jumping on it just to be part of it won't do themselves many favours. You have to make the music you want to make and screw what anyone else wants or expects.

[MikeRobinson]

Personally, I, as a music consumer, am craving "something 'actually new.'"  In particular, a truly new sound, as in "production techniques."

 

Freely confessing to "my age" here ... ("harrumph... these kids today ...") ... I vividly remember the first intrusion of technology into music-making:  MIDI, and the electronic sequencer (which, at that time, was a physical device).  These innovations produced a series of long-lasting musical "tropes" which, in my opinion, persisted for a full twenty-five years.  Both "hip hop" and "EDM = Electronic Dance Music" are, in my humble, merely extensions of the original "80's music."

 

Right now, we're wallowing in "uh-oh plus-one" music:  Taylor Swift meets AutoTune™ meets "wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh wuh-wuh-wuh-one syllable words stretched-out to twelve (or more)." 

 

"Been there, heard that."

 

As for me, I'm frankly hoping to hear music that is a lot more musical.  I'm encouraged to hear popular tunes that are being preceded by "truly orchestral" passages (lifted from public-domain music sources), and I am frankly hoping that the next decade of music will strive to serve us things that are genuinely imaginative and interesting.

Edited March 9, 2016 by MikeRobinson

[Topaz Bon]

On ‎21‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 9:20 PM, MonoStone said:

 You have to make the music you want to make and screw what anyone else wants or expects.

 

Monostone, this one sentence says so much and is so important. When I first started writing songs I wrote for me, then for years I tried writing to "fit-in", but never did and wrote some really crap songs (and I mean awful), now I write for myself and am much happier (but I am still not fitting in LOL). Your words are oh so true.

 

To comment on Mike Robinson's point about technology, I agree. I remember when the Linn drum machine came out, to me it ruined so much music. However, we now have DAWs, VSTs and Autotune etc. Whether we like it or not, these cannot be de-invented and in my opinion, will continue to be used. As we all know, the first recordings were cut direct to disc with the band playing live, and they had to get it right for the first take. How many bands could do that today?  Then later we had mulit-track recorders, which allowed for bouncing, editing etc and some, as I have read, thought this was cheating, being able to edit music after it had been recorded, when a good band should get it right first time. So the thoughts on new technology being some kind of cheat are not new, but I do agree MIke, it seems we are getting further away from real music. You can't beat a good band playing as one, what a groove! Actually on that, the new Santana album is a real listen for sore ears!! Real musicians playing real music!

 

As for the main point, trends, a difficult one to predict, but what I would like to see is a time when image is not seen as everything. I remember Smokey Robinson's comment in the eighties after MTV started, he said "People don't write songs anymore, they write videos". I always remember that. As for song topics, it's amazing how many "love songs" have been written, and surely no one can find any new angles on this, but each new generation requires their own idols in their own age group to sing to them on this topic. Therefore I see the love topic being constantly recycled. Like Mike, as a consumer, I'm craving something new and something a lot more musical!

 

This is a very interesting post, and I could go on, but I guess I've said enough!!

Edited April 22, 2016 by Topaz Bon
Typos

[Teresa Anderson]

Something I've noticed this year and last year has been horn sections and saxophone finding their way into a prominent position in popular music.  Examples: Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off"- the saxophone in the verses and horn section in the chorus, Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars: "Uptown Funk."

 

On "The Voice" I'm noticing a lot more performances with an actual horn section on stage.  I also noticed some trumpets in an underground musician's songs, which can be found by searching "zannamusic" on soundcloud.  

 

I being a person who started getting serious about music through playing in the high school band, seeing other real instruments beyond the guitar make their way back to popular music has been refreshing.

[john]

Now you come to mention it Teresa, I think you are right... perhaps spill from the revival of jazz influence on pop and the increase in motom influence?

[cosignsessions]

On 1/3/2016 at 7:01 AM, john said:

It is mainly for kids who think music has little intrinsic value

Trade stock options, John? Clearly, I am bored and trying to catch up on interesting topics here on songstuff. Back to mixing the next track for critique!

[john]

Nah. I should point out that I have produced pop music at various times, so I am far from anti-pop :). The fact that there is a declining market is not exactly news. Pop culture targets youth, and I don't know many teenagers that buy music. At the time I wrote that answer rock music was almost non-existant on main stream media... now I am increasingly seeing rock all over the place... though little in the way of a new pop rock... but it will come. Rock fans still buy... that's one reason.

 

As ever pop will reinvent itself... hardly rocket science I know. It is an interesting time. Musically creativity is becoming increasingly important, however creativity in the business side of music is also becoming increasingly inmpotant. No more reguritation of old ideas if you want to stand out from the masses.

[Teresa Anderson]

5 hours ago, john said:

Nah. I should point out that I have produced pop music at various times, so I am far from anti-pop :). The fact that there is a declining market is not exactly news. Pop culture targets youth, and I don't know many teenagers that buy music. At the time I wrote that answer rock music was almost non-existant on main stream media... now I am increasingly seeing rock all over the place... though little in the way of a new pop rock... but it will come. Rock fans still buy... that's one reason.

 

As ever pop will reinvent itself... hardly rocket science I know. It is an interesting time. Musically creativity is becoming increasingly important, however creativity in the business side of music is also becoming increasingly inmpotant. No more reguritation of old ideas if you want to stand out from the masses.

 

Definitely true that you have to create your own way on the business side.  The old business models are fading fast and lots more artists are creating their own business and building the own fan bases using all kinds of new strategies.  Now this is what companies look for- someone who can do it on their own first. 

[john]

Absolutely Teresa. In the 60s and 70s, record labels were prepared to speculate on the long term. it was higher investment and higher risk, but the payout was potentially huge. It was a successful strategy for long tail sales. It's why we have so many large acts from that period, that created hits taht are still selling. During the 80s they changed their emphasis to shorter and shorter term speculation. From 5 album deals, contracts reduced and reduced until they reached single song deals. It went from an act having potential and some fans with the expertise for even fundamentals being provided by the labels or through the labels, to signing artists with large active fan lists and fully functional business models, processes and mechanisms.#

 

In fact, both labels and publishers have changed from backers and financiers with expertise to service providers. Publishing contracts have generally changed to reflect this, with lower percentages, no copyright ownership transfer with zero tie in. However record companies still want maximum returns for minimum risk. They don't want to speculate any cash if they can avoid it, but they still want ownershipand final say. They are designing themselves an obsolete role. After all, a savvy artist can commission all the services without ceding any ownership or control. All you need is a bit of know how.... something we will be providing more and more of on Songstuff.

[Teresa Anderson]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 6:57 AM, john said:

Absolutely Teresa. In the 60s and 70s, record labels were prepared to speculate on the long term. it was higher investment and higher risk, but the payout was potentially huge. It was a successful strategy for long tail sales. It's why we have so many large acts from that period, that created hits taht are still selling. During the 80s they changed their emphasis to shorter and shorter term speculation. From 5 album deals, contracts reduced and reduced until they reached single song deals. It went from an act having potential and some fans with the expertise for even fundamentals being provided by the labels or through the labels, to signing artists with large active fan lists and fully functional business models, processes and mechanisms.#

 

In fact, both labels and publishers have changed from backers and financiers with expertise to service providers. Publishing contracts have generally changed to reflect this, with lower percentages, no copyright ownership transfer with zero tie in. However record companies still want maximum returns for minimum risk. They don't want to speculate any cash if they can avoid it, but they still want ownershipand final say. They are designing themselves an obsolete role. After all, a savvy artist can commission all the services without ceding any ownership or control. All you need is a bit of know how.... something we will be providing more and more of on Songstuff.

 

Ooh that's exciting, I will be looking forward to learning more about these things  It's cool to know that there are so many ways for the artist to be in charge.  Thanks for being willing to put that on your site.

[Richard Tracey]

This has been an interesting read and reminded me of the Tunited website that was set up by Midge Ure to offer artists of all sizes to sell and publish their music, with all ownership being with the bands and all proceeds going direct to the proper people. The site took no money and if you listen to Midge Ure, he has been banging on about the state of the music industry for a very long time and what is going wrong. He tried to do something about it, unfortunately it failed. I did buy a couple of albums from bands that would never have been heard otherwise.

 

I have been hoping for a while that the industry would change again and get away from the bands created just to sell to little girls that we have had for too long. I think hip-hop and r'n'b needs to change as well, it has been stagnant for too long and everything is starting to sound the same. It is all about image now and artists being praised for how they look more than what they produce.

 

It has also ushered in the act of greed, where you have an artist changing a couple of words and claiming songwriter points as they know this is where most of the money goes now. A perfect example is apparently Beyoncé, who has angered a lot of musician/songwriters.

 

it is interesting when a band take equal ownership of the songwriting credits, even when not all of them have contributed the same amount. Chris Martin from Coldplay wanted this and it goes back to Lennon and McCartney. As an Ultravox fan, I know that they did this as well.

 

Interesting topic and I can only hope the big guns decide on something that is fair to all