Today, let’s talk about… the future!

One of the weird things about living today is that we really can get glimpses into what’s going to be coming down the line in a year or two. The technology roadmap is already in place, so let’s look into what might be influencing the music business in the near future.

Three New Musical Trends To Watch In The Year To Come

1 – Wearable Music

Here’s a (fully-funded!) kickstarter that’s too cool to ignore: Woojer is making tiny, wearable, BlueTooth subwoofers intended to be strapped to any part of the body. You know that gut-pounding ooomph you get at shows with huge woofers? Now that can be part of the experience, anywhere.

How long will it be before artistic kinetics make their way into the music business? It seems like it will be arriving very soon.

2 – More Direct Corporate Sponsorships

Brands like Red Bull are starting to cut the middlemen out completely, and look for bands they can sponsor directly.

A band that finds themselves in a “synergy” with corporate interests could suddenly have a very powerful new friend… however, whether being a corporation’s “mascot” band is a good overall career move is a question that has yet to be answered.

3 – Increased Genre Bleed-Over

Perusing a list of predictions from music business professionals, I noticed something interesting: several believe that genres are going to continue bleeding together. They also see small “niche” genres garner more widespread exposure.

This makes sense to me: the digital era has created a nearly-insatiable demand for novelty in all the arts. The acts that can find ways to blend existing elements into a unique form -or even invent new sounds- are the ones that will really stand out.

If you’re looking at your genre and realizing there are a dozen other bands who sound just like you, diversify your sound.

Evolve or Die

These are fast-changing times for the music business. An indie act that wants to succeed needs to stay on top of the trends, and look for new tools to boost sales!