As an industry that is growing at an exponential rate, EDM is poised to further its grip on the global music scene. Everyday our scene grows larger and seeps its way into mainstream and popular culture, which creates a brighter future for the EDM community. However, this crossover into a much larger audience also means the maturity of the EDM industry as it moves to a much broader platform. In order to survive this transition, the industry must shed its bad habits and usher in a new era that only showcases the best qualities from our past. Whether in terms of the music, the associated drug stigma, or even the way we report EDM news, we all must actively move forward. That being said, the way EDM news is reported and covered must also dramatically change as we move into EDM’s next chapter.
The first change that needs to occur is the way some major EDM websites report their content. EDM News sources provide information they know is going to provoke a response or increase social media interaction, primarily with the goal of boosting the traffic to their site. Focusing solely on content that will generate the most views and responses is blatant favoritism toward music released by the top 100 DJ’s and other mainstream artists. Some organizations take it even further and focus specifically on covering music produced by famous artists in an effort to get a “retweet” or re-share by the artist so the post will be exposed to their large social media following. These tactics are not new in the media world and still play a vital role in building a strong following for media websites. However, these methods could be doing more harm than good in the current EDM industry.
In the words of Dougles Rushkoff, “As more people who are information providers think of themselves as competing for eyeballs rather than competing for a good story, then journalism’s backwards.” This focus on generating more Facebook likes and views is what leads to rumor-backed news stories, positive music reviews of crappy released tracks just to please the artist, and other damaging falsities that have a major impact on the present and future of the EDM scene.
So what changes need to be made in order to improve the media within EDM? How do we move away from the closed circuit of lazy curators into a more focused and information driven market that provides readers with what they want, without overloading them with click bait material designed to drive site traffic?
The key is to pin more responsibility on our news sources. Bob Garfield, Co-host of NPR’s On The Media, stated that “Real journalism is a kind of physician-patient relationship where you don’t pander to readers, You give them some of what they want and some of what you as the doctor-journalist think they ought to have.” This doesn’t mean that news sources should be feeding you stories or music they think you will like, it means it’s the news source’s journalistic obligation to expose their readers to all forms of different electronic music in an effort to introduce their followers to a greater diversity of music and artists, rather than solely the Top 100 DJ’s. This will result in a greater depth coverage of the scene as opposed to what is simply popular or trending at the time.
Although posts about smaller artists and music do not generate nearly as much traffic, (the primary reason why smaller artists are not covered as frequently) they still play a vital role in introducing new themes and music into the mainstream, which users would otherwise miss out on. As EDM curators, it is our duty to deliver new and original content that the average reader may initially know nothing about.
The future of EDM does not ride on the shoulders of the current superstar DJ’s, it resides with the small time producers who are creating the sounds of tomorrow, that aren’t necessarily being dropped on the main stage of major music festivals. Exposing more people to new forms of electronic music encourages creativity and innovation, which is exactly what this so-called “stagnant” scene needs. The internet allows millions to talk, connect, and spread ideas at a rate far faster than humanity has been able to do before. If media outlets only report on new music from famous DJ’s, they are sending a subliminal message to upcoming producers; the message is that if they want to receive extensive media coverage on large news outlets, they must make music similar to what the big guns are currently making. Nourishing and cultivating all forms of electronic music may not generate nearly as much site traffic, but it is an essential move to both preserve the validity of EDM journalism, and shape the music of tomorrow.
Critics will argue that Your EDM is just as at fault as everyone else, and to a small degree, they are right. It is true that in the past we have had our growing pains and have learned valuable lessons along the way. But the observations presented in this article have long been known to us and are at the very heart of our goals. We cover all spectrums of music and have series such as Unsung Heroes and Into the Deep, which are specifically designed to expose our audience to new, exciting, and underrated music. We dedicate every single day to calling publicists to double check facts, finding breaking news at its very source, and posting content faster and more frequently than anyone else. We are not picture perfect here at Your EDM, but our dedication to the relentless search for original content is what separates us from our competitors.
great piece
And this is why Deadmau5 will always win my vote.
The music industry is like most other industries in that they are controlled by special interests with deep pockets. In the united states, the majior record labels have enjoyed total dominance and (like the great white shark) had never had to evolve. Enter digital music. The Great White shark’s inital reaction was to hope people will stop using MP3 technology and go back to buying their overpriced CDs. When that didn’t happen, they were forced to change.
But make no mistake. These people will do what ever they can to try to maintain control. In this case, showcasing the majoir DJ/Producers is just taking the most sucessfull EDM artists and fitting them into their mainstream model. The Recording Academy still refuses to give Electronic Music the respect it deserves. I think the answer to that is obvious at this point. If the Recording Academy, MTV, or what ever establishment driven machine won’t accept EDM, then EDM dosn’t need them.
This will only happen if the EDM community as a whole comes to a consensus and sticks to it. If that happens, then the powers that be will be powerless.
spot on. the top 5-10 dance sites all regurgitate the same news over and over, more often without sources and less actual content (happens here a bit, well did earlier on since YourEDM’s inception). i’d rather visit a site with less traffic but more interesting content versus the content farming a lot of the larger sites do or ‘best of’ lists to compete or build fans quickly. it’s just a shame you can’t sell ads easily with a whole lot less traffic 😉
opinion piece. doesn’t explain what EDM is.
These are honestly the least of my concerns at the moment. Good points, but lets face it. The music needs to be taken more seriously. People steal it, redistribute it like its a balloon in a crowd. As long as people don’t get the concept that musicians need to make money off their product in order to spend the appropriate time making music that really shines. EDM will stay the way it is. Look at what this attitude has done to main stream music. Then to top if off, the top spots for the DJ to play are almost ALWAYS, involved in some shady nonsense. Don’t want to honor their contract in some way or another. Have the clout to say if you dont like it, dont come back. P.L.U.R was the standard back in the day. Now its the same ol bs in the music industry I have always seen. The hungry dishonest eat, while the people who play by the rules get the stiff. Now adays the standard is P.S.D.B= people suck don’t bother. Morals people! Where did they go? The rest will follow. That is A PROMISE.
What is EDM?
While I appreciate a good op-ed piece, I find this article somewhat bland. I don’t come to rain on the parade here, but like every music scene there are groups. Indie Rock has Rolling Stone as the purveyor of mainstream indie rock media, while Pitchfork represents the more “underground”. Aside: In my personal opinion, “underground” is just music with a small radius for fan base and the term, like so many, does not mean what we use it for. So sites/blogs like “inthemix”, “mixmag”, and yes all the plethora of EDM blogs represent the mainstream while sites like Gotta Dance Dirty and RA tend to fare towards the more alternative forms of dance music. The point you’re making is valid, make no mistake, I agree that there should be larger exposure to other forms of music. However when a blog called “Your EDM” posts an op ed as a call to action for other blogs and media outlets to stop representing the mainstream, it gives off a “pot calling kettle black” vibe. Every scene (music, art, film, etc) faces a same challenge of trying not to oversaturate the masses with regurgitated knowledge, and alternative sites/outlets spring up to represent that crowd. For the sake of not being redundant I simply suggest, stick to what you’re good at. People follow certain blogs for many reasons, and one of them is most likely because they like the cut of that blogs jib. If the intent of this article was a call to action, than I would recommend the powers that be at “Your EDM” stop writing and start doing. Someone once told me that actions speak louder anyway.
true story mate!
Good. This is a start. But until blog CEO’s start paying their writers a decent wage, the only currency available is access. Artists and managers know this and take advantage of a young blogger’s eagerness to go to a show for free. That slants the review and perpetuates this “work for access” habit.
I am hopeful that dance music can reinvigorate Music Journalism, but we all need to educate ourselves on how to write well. Get your grammar game on point. Learn how to critique. Treat what’s happening as an art form and criticize it as art. Spend longer than a few minutes hashing out an idea. Dig Deep. Weak minds care about what other people are doing. Stop the petty rumor news. Let’s examine the Music and discuss the ideas behind it. Be HONEST! If something is trash, call it out! WE have a responsibility to do that.
Most importantly, if we don’t get serious about Dance Music Journalism, the mainstream media will hijack the conversation and skew it to their liking. WE need to manage the debates, the conversations, the critiques before FOX news and other irrelevant news sources start fucking with it (more than they already have–(See the Tomorrowworld Undercover report fiasco)). TIme to get serious.
Lee Underwood
The BPM Network
The Tugboat! Music Blog
Please post more about Unknown artists the people in the top 100 are already popular. We already know about all their music, we want to learn about New artists, new music, and new everything, when an artist is headlining a festival to me, Im already bored of that person.