At this point we would like to express thoughts on current events from the German rap cosmos. The opinion presented in each case is that of the author and does not necessarily correspond to that of the entire editorial team – but we would also like to give individual votes space.
In December 2020, our report already covered how the streaming business is influencing the hip-hop scene. In the following comment, our editor Christof takes a closer look at its effects on the underground of the German rapeseed scene.
Without a doubt, streaming has long been an integral part of life as a hip-hop fan. A wide range of music available quickly and almost anywhere without needing storage space. Aside from the listeners, streaming also offers artists without a label contract many advantages at first glance: the opportunity to be part of a huge music pool, to be heard and to get your share of the cake. This is what the proponents of the system argue. But I can’t get anything from this development.
When I and friends started putting my music online 15 years ago, it was relatively uncomplicated: We packed our work as a RAR file, uploaded it to RapidShare and posted the link on a free homepage, and later on Myspace. We advertised in internet forums or chats. We only spent money on our hobby when it came to a new mic or a better mixer.
In the meantime, the processes in the German rapeseed underground look very different. If you want to be heard, you have to be represented on the usual streaming services. The way to get there is predetermined, none of the usual services offer a direct upload option. This is only possible through online distributors, who of course have all their services paid for – there are no free offers. There are also great differences in quality between distributors. Especially with low-cost providers, it can take several weeks to clarify support requests. This is a nuisance for artists without a big budget.
The financial aspect is the biggest hurdle in my opinion. According to the rules of capitalism: whoever wants income must invest. Publishing the music on streaming services is far from over. It is not enough that the song can now be found on Spotify, for example – it should also be heard. This is where a very expensive trend comes into play: playlists. Albums are taking a back seat as a format, and most listeners are now consuming playlists. The best known can give songs and artists a real push. They are created either by Spotify itself, labels and distributors or so-called “curators”. The latter are the “influencers” in the streaming business. For underground musicians without a label, due to their limited financial possibilities and lack of networking, ultimately only the playlists created by curators are considered. And they pay a place in their playlist well. Contacts to the curators are mostly established via WhatsApp. For the recording of a single song you can pay more than 100 euros depending on the popularity of the playlist. A certain number of monthly listeners must be reached over a longer period of time for this investment to pay off. However, just including it in a playlist does not guarantee success. Another aspect is advertising. You should place ads on Facebook, Instagram and Co. in order to generate clicks. However, there is never a guarantee of future clicks, it is like a game of chance.
Here the class character of this system becomes clear. Even for amateur musicians, there is economic pressure that comes to the fore. The focus is no longer on creating the music, but on marketing it. Each service also has its own peculiarities and uses its own algorithms – usually an opaque system – which you have to find out about how it works if you want to have a chance. One takes place on the same “market place” as the really big ones in direct competition with them. However, the big labels have trained staff, more sophisticated tools and a lot more budget. This gives them a great advantage right from the start.
Unlabeled artists are ultimately forced to play by the rules of the mainstream. However, without having the same requirements. Personally, as an unsigned artist, I do not enjoy it and I know many who feel the same way. Hip-hop is a culture that came from underground itself. Whether graffiti, breakdancing, producing or rap – artists without a contract played a very important role for decades. In the meantime, the mainstream has arrived in hip-hop and is doing away economically; what is not financially worthwhile has to go. But when the underground goes, with it goes an important source of innovation. In addition: Such a system makes it incredibly difficult for the youngsters in our scene to gain a foothold and be discovered. It is impossible for an underground culture to develop as it should under these circumstances.
(Christof Mager)
(Graphic by Daniel Fersch)
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