The Current State of Music: AI and Its Impact on Sound Trances, Sensory Rhythms, and Musical Experience

The music industry movement

The YouTube study highlighted four main trends:

1. The power of music changed sides

“The labels had the most power to decide who the new voice was. The users consumed it and that was the cycle. But now the fan communities have the same power,” shared Karla Agis, YouTube Culture and Trends leader for Canada and Latin America.

The music industry is undergoing great changes with the advent of user generated content (UGC or user generated content). Covers, emerging talents and the agenda are no longer dictated by the record labels, as now it is the viewers who drive the artists and, consequently, music is decentralizing, giving anyone the opportunity to find an audience.

This is not only seen on YouTube, as other platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music or TikTok allow users to upload their music content without the need for a record label. According to the YouTube study, 72% of people in Mexico believe that the platform allows them to explore music-related content that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise, from independent artists to old and rare recordings.

An example of this musical diversity is the parody created by the Mexican trio The Three Sad Tigers from BZRP Music Sessions #53 starring Shakira, which to the rhythm of “Antología” makes peculiar references to the lyrics of the collaboration between the Argentine producer and the Colombian singer.

In addition, according to Agis, another reason why this also happens is because they have noticed that their artists, before being artists, are creators who later become musicians and that they use platforms to create their community and build intimacy with she. Such was the case with Kimberly Loaiza or Bizzarrap, who in addition to being artists, are also in constant communication with their fans and that is what keeps them relevant.

2. Sound trances

For many, music is not just limited to the rhythms coming from instruments or people’s voices. Today, musical choices are guided by a combination of the auditory and visual senses, where the presence of video takes on the same importance as audio. Now, users are not only looking to hear, they also expect to see and feel experiences.

Agis shared that before only the music video or the lyrics of the songs were put on, now the artists seek to create immersive experiences with a more auditory and visual formula. Such was the case del visualizer 360 de Bad Bunny , where the viewer is part of the meeting on the beach, by interacting with the images. This video reached more than 157 million views.

In addition, ASMR sounds have gained a special boom within the platform. 73% of Mexican users shared that they like it when a selection of music features relaxing sound effects, such as rain or a record player.

3. To the beat of the streets

Music is a reflection of local, popular, neighborhood, peripheral, representative and ancestral culture and is characterized by many genres. Today, after isolation, these sounds are gaining more and more strength, creating pride of identity in their listeners and stronger social ties.

Live broadcasts or recordings of live events allow you to show the power of mixing and spontaneity that you only see in person. The new generations have used this type of expression to broaden their relationship with music, establishing themselves as a form of resistance to sameness and musical pasteurization, as well as a form of celebration. The real now is the alternative.

For example, in Argentina it was seen Turreo Sessions with musicians strolling through neighborhoods and cities of the country, or DondeBailoTV and Fiesta Neón in Cancún, channels that show local party events and sessions with live dancing.

The future of music on YouTube

Virtual life is here to stay and that will be transferred to the musical stage. According to Agis, this year is expected to see much more immersive and innovative formats when it comes to connecting with artists, which also allow consumers to connect with their speeches.

“The immersive stages, and above all the role that the sessions are playing, tell us a lot about this intimacy in space (…) and a possibility for artists to start experimenting more and more,” Agis shared.

In the case of Mexico, “we continue to see tradition, culture and roots in the browsing patterns of Mexicans within the platform, with 66% of users in the country using YouTube to search for specific sounds of a culture regional and/or ancestral giving them an immersive experience that makes them feel more connected to their origins”, shared the official YouTube statement.

He also noted that despite the arrival of Neal Mohan as the new CEO of YouTube They will continue Susan’s tradition of “putting the creator at the center of the platform and giving the user a great, safe, and quality experience.”