A large part of learning how to sell music lies in understanding the difference between musical markets. Music effects people on an emotional level, it’s a “gut feeling” thing, and music fans naturally gravitate towards music that expresses their emotions.

So, what makes the music (especially the rock) of the younger generations different from that of older folks? And, perhaps more importantly, why do we feel this is such an important era of music?

How To Sell Music To Millennials – The Why Of Modern Music

(Some debate the line between “Millennial” and “Gen Y,” but let’s leave semantics aside, shall we?)

If there is a singular difference between the music of those born prior to 1980, and those born after, it’s probably that the newer generation grew up in a world where virtually all music was readily available.

Starting in the 90s, kids began to realize the music of their parents was actually pretty good.  By the time the Internet became ubiquitous in the 2000s, there were younger people being inspired by the music of everyone from Les Baxter to The Andrews Sisters.

The result, especially in recent years, is a kaleidoscopic explosion of sound that freely mixes and matches material from virtually every era of music.

Early hiphop may have started the sampling trend, forever enshrining the 70s as the source of the world’s best beats. From the baroque-disco fusion of Daft Punk to the 80s/2000s mashup of fun., the hot music of today is a playful exploration of past musical eras.

One Foot Then, One Foot Now

So, while there’s no one answer to “how to sell music to younger people,” looking to the past is actually a good way to start. A sound that incorporates surprising elements of the past, with the production values of today, is one that’s likely to catch ears and stand out among all the pop and EDM.

And as always, keep an eye on this blog for more ideas on updating your sound!