What’s the future of music? (And what needs to change now?)
Music is for everyone… or is it?
That’s one of the big questions skidding around the BMX track in my head as Drowned in Sound’s podcast returns for a new season - one that marks 25 years of DiS.
This year, I’m mapping out the future of music, exploring what it might look like in 2050 and, more urgently, what needs to change in the near future to ensure music not only survives but thrives.
I’m treating the podcast as an open research experiment, and my goal of this solo project is to turn the insights from this series of weekly interviews into a digestible set of solutions for fans, the industry and governments. Maybe at the end of the year there could even be a print edition with my findings. We’ll see.
Why? Because I worry that if we don’t act music will become a luxury or AI slop or a sub-genre of the creator economy. I also think a totally new approach to music can not only build something free from wealth-extracting fascism-funding broligarchs and those artist exploiting corporations but something that’s more community driven, values-led and interwoven with the 21st century’s big challenges from inequality and mental health to climate justice and collective liberation. I know that sounds big but I think as the series goes on, it’ll make sense and I hope it will feel much more everyday and actionable.
The barriers to having a sustainable career in music industry only seem to be getting worse, especially for working-class kids, marginalised groups and the global south. And I don’t just mean for musicians but for those who work with them.
Then there are the challenges for fans being able to afford tickets to life-changing gigs and historic cultural moments. Not to mention how grim it feels when you discover a new favourite act and they split up before making a follow up record or they can’t economically justify touring your country.
Episode 1: Out Now
Some say that the children are our future, so the first episode of season three is a hopeful and inspiring chat with Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music. We talk about how grassroots initiatives can change lives - from youth clubs to Mercury Prize winners like Ezra Collective (pictured) - and what needs to change to ensure the next generation has opportunities, not just obstacles.
There’s a set of lessons in this conversation for music fans, industry leaders, and policymakers alike. Plus I got a bit nostalgic about my early days as a music fan and I fear a working class kid from a sleepy seaside town probably couldn’t hope to have had some of the career opportunities that I’ve had.
“It’s not a pipeline, it’s almost like flight pathways” – Matt Griffiths
New episodes are coming every Sunday, and up next is my conversation with Frances Fox, founder of Climate Live - a global charity putting on events and taking a big pink bus to music festivals to chat climate action whilst applying glitter. Frances is a force for nature and she also led the UK’s youth climate strikes, inspired by Greta Thunberg.
I walked away from this conversation with my brain blooming, and I think you will too. Can’t wait to share it on Sunday.
📨 I’d love to know: Who would you like to hear me chat to this season? Looking for experts, pioneers and community builders. Already put in requests with big thinkers like Trent Reznor, so hopefully that will happen.
🎧 Subscribe now by searching for “Drowned in Sound” wherever you get your podcasts. And set a reminder to listen when you’re next on a walk or washing up or have a commute.
📼 Here’s a prologue to this season that I recorded at the weekend - I’ll be sharing video clips and some full interviews on YouTube as the year goes on: