The monocultureās flattened spaces raised the cost of breaking new artists
Evidence
Moreover, the omnivore monoculture created steep barriers to entry for younger artists. In the past, distinct genres allowed emerging musicians to build followings in niche scenes before attempting to cross over into the mainstream. Underground movements often developed sounds that made established artists seem outdatedābut those ecosystems had largely disappeared. Instead, new artists were forced to compete directly with established stars, using the same playbook but with fewer resources. And poptimist critics only took notice once newcomers had already made it big. A rising artist might land a spot on a popular Spotify playlist, but few listeners bothered to learn their name. This explained why breaking a new artist cost labels more than $1 million. ā W. David Marx, Blank Space, 632
Categorization
Category: Causal Relationships
- SEED: Article angle: the lost economic function of subcultures as R&D for the music industry ā underground scenes were free talent incubators that the monoculture eliminated.