198 million creators by 2030?

Imagine a day when more music is produced than in the entire year of 1989. This is not hyperbole, this is our reality in 2024. Every click on a music production software, every upload on a streaming platform adds a note to this global symphony. But this explosion raises a crucial question: Does more music mean better music?

A revolution in everyone's hands

The democratization of production tools has changed everything. Today, a laptop, a MIDI keyboard, and a software subscription are enough to transform an amateur into a producer. No need for a multi-thousand-euro studio. No need for a label to distribute. The barriers have fallen, giving way to an era where everyone can create. In 2023, 75.9 million people defined themselves as music creators, a figure that could almost triple by 2030, according to MIDiA Research.

But is this revolution really new? Already in the 70s, the democratization of electric instruments had transformed music, giving birth to punk, hip-hop and many other genres. What is different today is the speed and scale. Millions of DIY (Do It Yourself) artists publish every day, flooding the platforms with an avalanche of sounds.

Millions of creators, but how many geniuses?

A fascinating figure: of these 198 million creators predicted for 2030, how many will become legends? Two? Ten? Maybe none. Because mass creativity does not guarantee quality. What is fascinating is this paradox: more music, but access that becomes even more complex. Platform algorithms filter and recommend what corresponds to standard tastes. Result: originality is diluted, and the most innovative creations struggle to emerge.

Streaming, which is at the heart of this revolution, is also criticized. Artists earn little. Very little. In 2022, 50,000 artists generated income exceeding $12,500 via Spotify. A figure that seems high, but it represents a drop in the ocean of creators. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek compares music to football: millions play, but only a handful manage to make a living from it.

A boom powered by artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in this explosion. It facilitates music creation with automated composition tools that can produce tracks worthy of a lo-fi Spotify playlist in minutes. But this simplification risks trivializing music. Millions of AI-generated tracks are already in circulation, feeding anonymous playlists. An abundance that can easily slide into a confusing uniformity.

What if this evolution killed the soul of music? Because producing is one thing, but touching, moving, transcending… that’s another story.

Music in a Saturated World

As production explodes, listening becomes a more complex act. How do you navigate an ocean where every wave is a new album, every drop a song? Local scenes offer an answer. In Manchester, artists like Norrisette or Industries are moving away from the algorithmic spotlight to cultivate sonic niches and loyal communities. DIY is also about this: a reinvention of proximity.

But are these scenes enough? Platforms have transformed music into a fast-moving consumer product, driven by trends. Finding the gem now requires digging beyond the automatic suggestions, making an effort that few consumers are willing to make.

What’s next for this sound revolution?

198 million creators is a promise, but also a threat. This explosion raises an urgent question: how to balance quantity and quality? Music remains an art, and in a saturated world, it risks becoming mere background noise.

But there is hope. Technology has changed the game. Maybe it will change the way we discover and consume. And maybe, from that mass, there will emerge geniuses who can redefine music like never before.

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1. “198 million creators in 2030: has music lost its soul?”

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Meta-title : “198 million music creators by 2030: a revolution in question”

Meta description : "Music production is exploding with 198 million creators expected by 2030. But in the face of this revolution, is music losing its essence? Analysis of a global sound mutation."