Striving for place in the band music industry

Unlike days of old, creating and releasing music is easier than ever. However, with the ease comes oversaturation, to the point that it is difficult for new, talented artistes to differentiate themselves in the market. We talk to some promising bands from the new generation of artistes on their take on how to go about producing and releasing music.

"YouTube and Spotify are the biggest and most user-friendly platforms, accessible to any artiste who wants to promote their music," said Navid Ehsan, the vocalist and guitarist of metal band Messianic Era. They recently released a physical full-length album. "This was a culmination of our 11-year journey," says the vocalist, who clarified that the album was not made for profit.

Even though bands like Messianic Era are doing well in terms of streaming services, already established musicians with the privilege of good connections, sponsors and media coverage will always have the edge, according to Navid. "There are amazing bands out there who are arguably more talented, but cannot get the same spotlight due to the lack of these factors."

Finding a sponsor or a stable financial source is indeed a problem for these bands, as people often find it quite risky or a waste of money to invest on them.

Moreover, newer artistes are refused a decent payment even if they do find potential sponsors. "Most of the times, we have to manage the finances and invest in ourselves," said Ariyan Hasan, the guitarist and back vocals of Music Knights, an experimental rock band. In their 8-year career, they have successfully released 5 songs, popular among the youth. They were able to establish themselves in their hometown Mymensingh, but are still struggling to find their footing nationally, due to the lack of media coverage.

The Atavists, who boast 3 singles, have completed 9 years together as a band. "Bands like us can actually establish ourselves properly when people will stop arranging free concerts", says Shanil Arnob, the vocalist of the band. "Moreover, in our country, we undercharge for our tickets, whereas you'll have to shell out anywhere from $5 to $20 in a developed music industry," he argues.

"Companies should focus on artist relationships, merchandise sales and promotions more than they focus on monetized ads, which are useless," concludes Shanil.

Arcade, on the other hand is a relatively new band, established in 2019. Even though they released 2 songs, they haven't been able to perform live shows yet, owing to the pandemic. The pandemic unfortunately did hamper the activities of these struggling bands a lot.

"We were stopped before we ever even started," says Adib Raiyan Haque, the vocalist of the band. "We are now trying to restart, holding auditions for new members. We are hopeful for the future.

Granted that the band music industry is at a different place that it used to be, it is still a unique industry that deserve more spotlight on the rising talents. If we constantly focus on established artistes without giving them a chance, there will be no pipeline to look forward to in the future.