Soundcloud: The new age of DIY

Soundcloud has created a new generation of DIY artists breaking through the barriers of what we call “mainstream” and allowing them to achieve success and fame through a platform that they do not have to pay to post music to. The platform rapidly changed the way that artists find the path to success and fame by building their own following and creating a community around dedicated listeners who will carry over into the mainstream. Watching the growth of Soundcloud based artists has created an extremely new mindset within the music industry, a mindset that with skill and hard work, a goal can be achieved without relying heavily on an expensive resource pool. The Soundcloud movement has also acted in many ways as a civil rights movement, giving young artists from any socioeconomic background the ability to find a successful and bountiful career. The display of gang culture in this particular genre is a topic that is often brought up because of its so-called negative influence on the youth of our generation. This culture being shown through their music is not about embellishing the lifestyle, it is about showing the circumstances that America as a political establishment has forced their community into. Referring to selling illegal drugs, carrying firearms, and violence or as it is called in the community “the trap”, is aptly named due to the fact that it is a situation that they were mislead and forced into. The documentary accompanying this paper will feature artists within the Soundcloud community discussing the progress of Soundcloud culture and music as well as addressing the social and political aspects of the industry.