As a musician, no matter if you’re independent or not, it’s hard to stand out. There are musicians all over the world vying for a shot at the global spotlight; each and every one is trying to make themselves stand apart from the crowd. But, how? What garners attention? Trends frequently nab attention, but what is a trend, really?

A trend is a form of behavior that develops among a large population and is followed enthusiastically for a period of time, likely because the trend is considered new or different in some way. A trend catches on when the number of people following it increases significantly. Then the trend fades when the feeling of newness is gone.

As you’ve likely noticed, there are trends that occur in every industry from finance to fashion. In music, there are genres, styles of band names, music effects and more that go in and out of style, making it enticing to hop on the bandwagon.

But is it worth hopping on to a trend just for added exposure? And will it even lead to exposure? Here are some points to consider:

• Trends can be long lasting: Trends, especially in music, can last years. Autotune is a (controversial) trend that has lasted quite a long time.

• Trends fade: Consider the other end of the spectrum: trends don’t last forever. Eventually dubstep or chillwave won’t be so novel anymore. It may still exist, but it won’t be a hot topic.

• Flash in the pan: Some trends are so hot when they first come out that they make a huge flash and then fade away quickly.

Given these factors, is it smart to hop on a trend? Consider where the trend is in its life. Has it just developed or is it toward the end of its life cycle? Also, when thinking about trends, never ever compromise the integrity of your music just to be part of a bigger trend. Good music is always in style.

Tell us what you think! Have you integrated a trend into your music or style? Are there any trends that you fell into and caught the wave?

Up next: Music placements: a three part series.

The SongCast Crew