This guest column comes from Alex Heiche, founder and CEO of Sound Royalties:
Artists today face a paradox: unparalleled access to audiences, but intense competition for their attention.
Long gone are the days of hounding passers-by and A&Rs with mixtapes and EPs. In the age of social media and streaming, it has become easier than ever to take those first steps and share your music, build a small community of passionate fans, or even have a viral moment on TikTok that has you rushing to the studio to record the track before the interest dies down.