The Style & Vibes Podcast
The Style & Vibes Podcast
2025 Trends in Music: AI, Transforming Creativity and Fan Connections
This episode discusses future of music for 2025. I focus on the potential impact of AI on Caribbean Music (Reggae, Dancehall and Soca), the importance of community engagement, and the evolving expectations from fans for live experiences.
• Exploring the rise of AI in music production
• Discussing the impact of AI-generated songs on artist integrity
• The shift towards royalty-free music and loss of artist connection
• Importance of community engagement in the music industry
• Expectations for live performances as ticket prices rise
• Rethinking merchandising strategies for deeper fan connections
• Navigating social media changes and its impact on promotion
• Emphasizing the need for authenticity and creativity in music
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Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of the Style and Vibes podcast with yours truly, mikayla. It's been a minute. I haven't recorded a podcast in a few months, so I took a little bit of a break. But thank you guys so much for joining me here on today's episode. As you can see, it is just a solo episode with me, and today I'm going to be talking about my 2025 predictions trends. Let's get right into it. I don't have a whole lot, but I think for each one there is a significant amount to talk about. So I'm sharing what I think could happen, what I would like to see happen, based off current trends from 2024 going into 2025. So let's kick it off with the first one AI in music.
Speaker 1:I feel like AI is everywhere. It is being talked about in every industry. It's disrupting everyone in terms of workflows, how quickly we can get to things, and really just disrupting how we are going to work. And I think music and the music industry is no different, and AI has probably had a hand in some of the automation for some time, if you think about music algorithms and stuff like that. Music algorithms, stuff like that that probably has already tapped into some sort of artificial intelligence technology to kind of do mood listening and recommendations.
Speaker 1:I think the biggest talk that we started to hear in 2024 was around AI-created music, and I think that's not new. However, I think it's going to be amplified with voices of actual celebrities. So one thing I think a lot of people are going to be thinking about, particularly when it comes to artists, is how their voice is potentially used and analyzed to be fed into these AI systems and how it's going to create new songs. We've heard a few samples of this with like Tupac. If you've been on the internet, you hear like remixes of songs with like memes. They're essentially memes, but there could take on a bigger element in terms of just original music. So can artists use their own AI voices to create new music that have a similar feel and style from their catalog? Of course, they actually have to have a catalog in order to do so.
Speaker 1:The other point of reference for AI and AI within music is original music composition, and so what we think about is royalty-free type music, lo-fi music, music that generally doesn't necessarily need a face to the actual sound, and I think that is going to be even more prevalent in terms of being able to just use AI to create music singles that sound like similar genres. I recently checked out this website called Artlist I'll put the link into the show notes and basically it's royalty free. Ai created music based on genres, so of course you know I had to look up reggae and dancehall and they still categorize it as part of hip hop, which is interesting. But I did click around and hear some different songs and it definitely sounds a lot like maybe early 2000s ish type of sound, but it wasn't completely off, and so I think, as music continues to be released, the AI systems like this one can study genres and create more music out of them, and I think the thing about that is it's going to impact artists that don't necessarily have a catalog, newer artists especially. So, if we're thinking about, like people who have one or two hits and maybe don't have a significant catalog, people are getting used to listening to new music without actually having a connection to the artist, and I think that that's the impact that we could be really talking about for a little bit, because if the connection to the artist isn't necessarily there and it's really just playlisting, then AI can take a bigger role and for record companies, it allows them to make more money off of artists that technically don't need a whole lot of marketing and budget and promotion. They're just personalities. The other part is actual AI personas attached to music. We already know that AI can create real life lookalikes for videos and models and campaigns. So would artists exclusively be able to be created, their persona be AI, as well as their music be AI, and then they just be a complete AI persona only, and that could really take an interesting turn.
Speaker 1:I do think that going down this whole entire route begs to kind of question does AI cheapen jingles or commercials or sounds, even like myself, podcasting and different elements where you need something music related but you don't necessarily need a persona to represent that. Those are some things that can also be taken advantage of, advantaged of soundtracks. Those are some things that can also be taken advantage of. Soundtracks, like it's essentially a tool to kind of support the bigger thing that you're doing, and that's completely different. But replacing artists, that's a whole different.
Speaker 1:Other question I think that the industry is going to continue to talk about and, while it might seem like a great idea, I do think that we will lose some of that artistry that comes around, especially with new artists and discovery and consumers really being interested in connecting with the person behind the music and who's making the music. I also think that AI will impact the way consumers are listening to music. We're already seeing a lower quality of production. The barrier isn't necessarily really high sonically in terms of being able to wanting to experience that. The only real difference you can probably tell is like how it's mixed and mastered, and then when you hear it in loud settings like a club or a party or a concert, they definitely give off a different vibe. But if you're just listening in your headphones and you just have on a pretty good decent, I think the quality is kind of being on par with what is being released today, and so it's going to be harder for consumers to tell what's authentic, what's original and what sounds really really good, whether it's coming from a personality or an actual person.
Speaker 1:So in this respect, I do think that community is going to become even more important for artists. Communities, fans, call it what you will, but I think giving it more of a community feels more involved, and I think that artists are definitely going to have to be more involved with their fans, bring them closer, have a connection and really drive those in-person experiences home. People want to experience greatness, especially coming from artists, especially with the prices of tickets and concerts and festivals and what these experiences really cost. So I think that the quality of stage shows and performances have to increase, because people are going to be paying premium dollar to see you and, yes, as an artist, you're going to be touring but for those fans, they want their hard earned money to be spent well, and so I think the barometer of how you perform is going to need to be stepped up a bit.
Speaker 1:I think one of the things that I've always been annoyed by when I see artists perform is the backing tracks. The backing tracks have the voiceovers and they're literally singing over their own tracks. If I wanted to hear your track, I would have stayed home and played it on the radio. Also, if I wanted to sing your song, I would have stayed home and listened to it on my stereo or whatever I listened to it on. If I'm coming to see you in concert, I don't know and I speak for myself, but I know I speak for also a lot of people where I don't want the microphone to be in the crowd the entire time. I want to know what your performance is going to be like in person, and if it is subpar, I think people are going to complain even more, especially with the cost of tickets and events rising and they're not going down. I think the other thing that I would like to see but I'm not sure if we're going to see it I actually came across this clip on social media and it was a DJ who was a hip hop DJ and he was talking about how there are no like festival experiences that really centered the DJ in hip hop or dancehall.
Speaker 1:I don't necessarily think that that's true. I think that we do have DJ specific experiences, but it is definitely a different vibe. I think when you think about EDM type festivals, they're just there to party and dance and they will dance to songs whether they know them or not. It's really just going for enjoyment, whereas we party with a little bit more intention. But I also think that there is room for the commandment of a really good selector, a really good DJ, especially when it comes to less bottle service themed parties you got me, day parties, you got me where there's nobody just standing around. I think that that's the vibe that people want to experience when they go out, and there has been this longstanding conversations around whether cell phones or tables sections in parties really ruin the experience of a party, and that debate is still up for debate.
Speaker 1:I'm sure it just depends on what you're looking for, but I think if you are a DJ or a promoter, there is room and space for events that are not centered around celebrity. I think most people prioritize having a really good time and, as I was stating before, if a lot of artists' performances are subpar, audiences would probably prefer really, really, really good, tight music selections, and that doesn't mean having 15 DJs in a three hour time slot. It could be a longer time slot for a really good DJ. Maybe pay them a little bit more. They have a following. We've seen this. I think a lot of Soka DJs and themed parties that have no need for a celebrity in in the space have done really well.
Speaker 1:Festivals are great as well, and if you want to have artists there too, but at the core of it, people want to have a good time to music and to really enjoy the vibes of it in its entirety. So I don't necessarily think that artists are needed in terms of bringing that star power to your event, especially as a DJ. I know the the artists charge just to walk through. They're not willing to perform. Sometimes they perform one or two songs, but sometimes I'm in the crowd and it really just breaks up the party and so, while it looks great from a FOMO perspective, it doesn't necessarily give it the best experience. I think enhancing that in-person experience, when done well, can be great. We've seen themed parties for like feds, for like carnivals as well. As you know, you go to Jamaica. A lot of the all-inclusives there are just really really well done. So I think that the stateside events could use some of that energy, if you will, and really bringing the music to back to the forefront of community spaces like parties and dance hall, and just really getting back to the core of why people go out in the first place and then rounding out the idea of community.
Speaker 1:A lot of artists already have websites and they have decent social followings and even a good number of our artists have merchandise. But I do think we have the opportunity to enhance what that merchandising experience is. I think everybody should. I think t-shirts, sweatshirts, that type of apparel that's wearable is standard. So I think if you have a saying, if you have. You know things that you know you could put on a T-shirt. You should definitely do that, sell that merch at these events. But there's also opportunity to just bring back even more exclusive merchandising, whether that be aligning with a brand that could launch a product on your behalf and doing exclusive drops. A product on your behalf and doing exclusive drops giving your fans something exclusive that everybody can't get is definitely going to round out that community element for you as an artist. So think about more creative ways, whether it be a magazine that is dedicated to your on-road experience, things that you're not going to find out in interviews and blogs, and things like that that fans would actually want to have as a keepsake.
Speaker 1:Thinking about partnerships I know vinyl is still really big and it's not enough to. In my opinion, re-releases are great, but not when you release it at the beginning of the year and then re-release it in a year or two with a few new tracks. I think that that to me it's become sort of standard, especially for bigger artists. But what that does for a lot of fans is it caused dissension, like not every fan is going to buy your music twice and again those songs are probably just leftovers that you didn't want on the album. At least that's how I feel. Maybe you guys don't feel that way as consumers, but that's kind of how I feel, especially when you just release an album and then a year, year and a half later you're releasing one with bonus tracks. Those bonus tracks were left off the album in the first place probably, or they weren't for this project initially. So I think that we could get more, a little bit more creative when it comes to merchandising and unique experiences.
Speaker 1:I think one of my favorites that I have seen was when Chris Brown was doing all of these club-like pictures with his fans. Yes, they were pretty costly. However, he definitely made money on that, but the experience that each fan got he looked like he was like taking each one to prom. He posed however they wanted him in the picture. Of course, they got so hilarious and funny and engaging, but those fans are going to remember that experience for a really long time. So I think examples like that that we have seen do a pop up shop. I know Budja had a pop up shop in Florida when he was starting his tour and that did really well. There are pop-up experiences for fans, not for the media. Create experiences for fans. Recently, bad Bunny released an album and he did a pop-up show in the New York City subway. So it's things that surprise and delight your fans, because the fans will then share it with social media and then it becomes a story. So those are like creative angles that we can kind of look to in terms of giving exclusive experiences to fans.
Speaker 1:Now, we all know that social media still plays a huge part in interacting with your fans and community, connecting on new music and sharing that with the public as well. But there have been so many changes with regards to social media. By the time this airs, we'll either have TikTok or we won't, but I think that the impact of understanding whether we have it, especially based here in the US we may or may not have it. What does that do for the consumers who discovered your music through these social media apps? How are we bringing them along and taking them and being more engaged offline?
Speaker 1:I think going back to that community aspect, engaging your fans and your core audiences, is going to be key. So what are you doing outside of these social networks? These social networks are distribution channels, awareness drivers and can really pick up steam, so you want to be able to use it as an artist to share what is happening. However, we know that these platforms are primarily pay to play and the longer you keep the attention of consumers in the apps, that's what the apps and the algorithms really want. So finding creative ways to connect with that audience on social media is going to be key and I think really stepping into that content creation and to me, if you're an artist, you can create any type of art and video and visuals is a part of that journey for you. So don't look at it as something that you have to do. Look at it as it's another creative tool that allows people to see this other creative thing that I can do If you can create beautiful music and songs, you can create the storylines that come with it. I think the timelines and the resources are definitely going to be condensed, going to be condensed. We're already seeing really good examples of great content being created by some of our artists or artists really utilizing social media.
Speaker 1:Social media is a tool and I think that we tend to forget that and that tool for artists is to connect with fans. For example, on Instagram, you can have close groups or close friends. Do you have a good amount of close fans that you want to add to a particular group and drop exclusives for them or even use the subscription in a way that connects them with exclusive content that they wouldn't get otherwise. So not only can you monetize, but you can truly think about all the things that you can bring to your consumers and your fans in your community. So everything is getting harder, everything is being more challenged by all the things that are happening. From an industry perspective, it's just condensing. So technology is really playing a part. Music and AI are going to continue to be explored.
Speaker 1:So, using these things as tools to kind of enhance what you're bringing to the table as artists and then as consumers, I think we should be more cognizant of how we consume all of this content. Consumers are going to really curate what is in their feed and what they want to be tuned into. So artists have to be intentional, because consumers are going to become even more intentional as well. So, all in all, I think that we're all going to have to get creative. As fans of music, as creators of music, as people in the music industry. We're all kind of struggling with different aspects of how fast the changes are happening, but I do think that this is what breeds creativity, this is what breeds connection and this is what is going to carry us into the next phase of whatever music from a digital perspective is going to look like.
Speaker 1:So I think being aware of AI and its impact on music, really doubling down on community and fans, ensuring that your fans have a connection with you as best as possible and utilizing social media to the best of your ability, but also having a platform outside of social media to connect with your fans, whether that be a newsletter that you send, I would love to see like a diary of some sort. I remember fan clubs were a thing and they kind of just went away and got replaced by fan pages that just post content of your favorite artists. But maybe it's time to get back to artists having a one-on-one connection, doing blog posts about being on the road and sending that to their email list, even if it's only a couple hundred or a couple thousand people. But newsletters have also become a way of gaining greater connection with fans and consumers on a regular basis. So, whatever it is, we all got to figure it out.
Speaker 1:I'm here trying to figure it out as a media platform, podcaster. Music and artists industry are trying to figure it out as well. So I think it's something that we're all going to be paying attention to in 2025. But let me know your thoughts, make sure you share your comments. You can comment on any of our social platforms, at Style and Vibes, or you can send me a note, send me an email, send me a message. Just click the link. There's a link in the show notes of the podcast. So until then, next time, lieta me peeps.
