Chartmetric's "A Year in Music 2023 Report"

Chartmetric recently put out its “A Year in Music” report for 2023, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of music industry trends, mainly focusing on artist development, the effects of social media in music, and streaming platform behavior. The report tracks over 9.7 million artists, with a remarkable influx of 1.3 million new artists in the past year alone. The distribution of artists across the different career stages that Chartmetric has outlined, Undiscovered, Developing, Mid-Level, Mainstream, Superstar and Legendary, reveals that the majority ended the year as Undiscovered or Developing, with only a handful reaching superstar status, which isn’t exactly surprising, considering the number of existing artists and yearly releases. 

“The distribution of artists across the different career stages that Chartmetric has outlined, Undiscovered, Developing, Mid-Level, Mainstream, Superstar and Legendary, reveals that the majority ended the year as Undiscovered or Developing, with only a handful reaching superstar status.”

The report also studies the significant movements and trends of several music genres, such as Latin, Indian, K-Pop, African and other emerging genres, exploring the flourishing reach and influence of a diverse array of musical styles. Chartmetric also provides insights into track genres, track releases and the top tracks across different platforms, including radio, YouTube, and Spotify. 

Social Media Impact: A Billion-Follower Surge on Instagram

The influence of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube on music consumption and trends is also a big part of this study, highlighting the substantial growth in artist followers and subscribers. The largest growth spurt occurred on Instagram, where artists gained a combined 6.2 billion followers. The influence that platforms like TikTok and Instagram have on artists' audiences and the music industry at large is significant. They have become primary drivers for music discovery, dictating who and what is trending in today's streaming landscape. TikTok, in particular, has heavily impacted music in 2023, with global trends and microtrends being heavily propagated by the platform. Overall, the data suggests that TikTok and Instagram play a significant role in shaping music trends, influencing audience demographics, and driving audience growth for artists.

“The largest growth spurt occurred on Instagram, where artists gained a combined 6.2 billion followers.”

Artists on the Rise: A Closer Look at Career Stages

In 2023, the distribution of career stages for the artists added to Chartmetric was as follows: 99.9% of new artists ended the year in the Undiscovered and Developing categories, while the remaining 0.1% were labeled as Mid-Level, Mainstream, or Superstar. Additionally, only 0.05% of all Undiscovered artists broke into the Mid-Level, Mainstream, and Superstar Career Stages, with the majority (87.6%) remaining in the Undiscovered category. 12.3% transitioned to the Developing category, and 12.2% of Developing artists were able to move into the Mid-Level category. This data indicates that the majority of new artists added to Chartmetric in 2023 were in the early stages of their careers, with only a small percentage reaching higher levels of success.

“In 2023, the distribution of career stages for the artists added to Chartmetric was as follows: 99.9% of new artists ended the year in the Undiscovered and Developing categories, while the remaining 0.1% were labeled as Mid-Level, Mainstream, or Superstar.”

Charting New Horizons: Career Transitions and Success Factors

Furthermore, the report emphasizes the importance of establishing a dedicated fanbase for artists to progress in their careers, with 54.2% of Mid-Level artists being able to move into the Mainstream category, showcasing the need for artists to build a solid foundation for audience growth. The data also indicates that a significant number of Developing artists (12.2%) were able to move into the Mid-Level category, demonstrating the potential for growth with the right strategies.

This information underscores the need for experts in marketing and promotion to assist undiscovered and developing artists in building their fanbase, increasing audience reach, and navigating the competitive music landscape. By leveraging marketing expertise, these smaller artists can enhance their visibility, engage with their audience, and ultimately achieve sustainable success in the industry.

Navigating the Music Industry: catapult°'s Marketing Revolution

That’s where catapult° comes in. catapult° is a made for music self-service promotional platform for Indie artists. We are creating a cutting-edge music promotion platform meticulously crafted for the music industry and specifically created to help independent artists and labels with their digital marketing strategies. Our mission is to empower independent artists, emerging talents, and independent recording labels, to amplify their music's digital presence. With catapult°, expertise in digital marketing and online music promotion becomes unnecessary, as our platform seamlessly handles these aspects on behalf of our clients. catapult° is a platform made for music, created by digital natives and run by music experts. 

Our mission is to empower independent artists, emerging talents, and independent recording labels, to amplify their music's digital presence.

At catapult°we believe that even though Undiscovered and Developing artists are fighting an uphill battle, they also have the most potential because there is nowhere to go but up. With catapult°growth is not just an aspiration, but a guaranteed result of the work that our platform can do for musicians who are just starting to find their footing in the industry. Art is meant to be seen and appreciated, and our goal is to help artists find their niche and grow their audience effectively and organically. 

Chartmetric's "A Year in Music" report for 2023 offers an in-depth analysis of the global music landscape, showcasing the evolving trends, emerging genres, and the impact of social media on music consumption and artist promotion. It really demonstrates a need within smaller artists for tools that can help them strategize ways to find sustainable growth. The study provides valuable insights for artists, industry professionals, and music enthusiasts to navigate the ever-changing music industry landscape effectively, and we must use this information wisely read the full article here. 

“catapult° is a platform made for music, created by digital natives and run by music experts.”