Over the past decade, the role and impact of music blogs has evolved greatly. Blogs were once career-making machines that could launch unknown artists to superstardom. While the impact may have decreased with the proliferation of social media and the rise of streaming platforms, the importance hasn’t. Music blogs are still essential to the music industry, providing a wealth of value to artists and fans alike. Obviously as a blog owner, my perspective is slightly biased, but I wouldn’t have dedicated the last 8 years of my life to something if I didn’t believe in it wholeheartedly. To anyone who’s heard “blogs are dead” this is a reminder of why they are alive and well (and still very much needed).
Proliferation Breeds The Need for Curation
We’re living in the best time ever for music. Never has there been so much incredible music being released at such a rapid pace. While this is a wonderful thing for fans, it can also be extremely overwhelming. The sheer volume is difficult to keep up with and discovering new artists and music can actually be more difficult as there is simply too much. Music blogs act as an intermediary between artists and fans. Music bloggers have a love and dedication rivaled by very few. They spend countless hours searching for new music, filtering out the junk, and writing about why fans need to check out the latest track or artist. A trusted music blog can save the casual fan hours of digging, and uncover gems that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Playlists Only Tell Part Of The Story
Playlists are awesome. They’re a wonderful way to share and uncover new music. Whether it’s weekly playlists updated with the hottest new tracks like our FUXWITHITFRIDAYS playlist, or genre and mood-specific playlists that provide the perfect vibe for any situation, playlists are one of music’s greatest tools. That being said, they only provide a part of the story. They’re easy to digest but their simplicity lacks context. People passively listen to playlists without ever knowing much about the artists or sometimes without even knowing who the artists are at all. Blogs provide that deeper level of insight. Not only do they curate the best music, but they provide background into who created the work, why people should be listening, what else the artist has done, and what more to expect. For a true music lover, there’s something special about not just listening to a track or album, but also understanding its creator on a deeper level. Music blogs make that happen.
Providing A Platform To Smaller Artists
One of the biggest reasons why blogs still matter is to break new artists. Some may argue that social media has replaced the dominance of blogs but there’s only so much an algorithm can do, and social media tends to favour those with an established following or the ability to go viral. But what about that incredible artist who spends all of their time perfecting their art rather than making TikToks? Music blogs provide a platform for these artists and others to be recognized for their work. There are a ton of small artists that don’t have their own websites, artists, bios, or professional press kits. Blog posts act as a way to tell their story in a fun and exciting way.
Co-signs Are Important
Press still matters. Whether it’s visa applications, social media verification, landing bookings, or trying to get signed to a label, press plays a crucial role. Even landing coveted playlist spots on Spotify and other major DSPs can be influenced by blog coverage. While massive legacy magazines and newspapers carry a certain inherited cache, the world we live in is fully digital. Blogs are a cornerstone of music media, often showcasing underrepresented artists that the major platforms ignore or simply aren’t up on. In addition, the impact of a cosign is not to be understated. From major artists to record executives, a large portion of industry professionals check trusted music blogs to scout out new talents. Over the past few years, a number of artists we’ve helped break have landed label releases and bookings as a result of being featured on our site. Expand that across all of the different blogs and the impact is immense.
Documenting Music History
Music blogs document music history. Blogs can help spearhead the rise of new genres while also providing a time capsule of that genre’s evolution and growth. From early discovery and emergence to exploding on bigger stages, even the decline, and re-emergence. The same goes for artists’ careers. Remaining at the forefront of the scene, blogs are often the first platforms to introduce new artists. They gravitate towards favourites and document their rise, from early singles and flips, to debut projects, initial interviews, mixes, and their first major hits. You can track an artist’s rise as it’s happening or comb through the archives to see the timeline of your favourite artist’s career. In a time where so much of music feels disposable and quick to be forgotten, music blogs act as an essential archive preserving the culture and offering a wealth of gems to be explored.
Enhanced SEO and Online Presence for Artists
If you’re an up-and-coming artist the last thing you want when someone searches your name or latest track is to find little to no results. Or worse yet, the dreaded “Did you mean” message on a Google Search. Whether it’s fans, booking agents, or label reps searching, an artist with quality search results is assured to make a better impression. Not only that, those searches can lead to a deeper dive and understanding, turning casual fans into long-term ones. In addition to that, blog posts can help with artists’ SEO. Linkbacks are crucial to building authority with Google and anytime a quality blog is linking to an artist or label’s site or social media, it’s aiding in developing that authority.
Music Writing Is Art
This may be the most overlooked aspect around the importance of blogs. Music writing is an art form much like the music itself. There’s something magical about translating a song into words. Music writing can be conceptual, deeply personal, immensely captivating, educational, thought-provoking, and so much more. Sure there are blogs that copy and paste press releases that stray very far from this idea, but there are a number of platforms whose writers’ dedication to their craft is unparalleled. A good piece of music journalism can convert doubters to fans, open your mind to new ideas, entertain, excite, anger, and even make you appreciate the piece of music that much more.
Blogs are alive and well doing important work to champion the underground and bring fans their favourite new artists. They offer value beyond playlists and social media, providing a crucial connection point between fans and artists. Despite the shifting landscape and evolving online outlook music blogs still matter.
