How Twitter has Impacted the Electronic Music Scene

Twitter, the online community where individuals express what they’re feeling or doing in a maximum of 140 characters.

Lately, the electronic music scene has been heavily influenced by Twitter. Eminent music producers have never been so easy to come in contact with. On Twitter, one can simply mention or shoot a direct message to any one of these producers with a likely chance of getting a response. Any active member of the scene who Tweets could probably tell you a story about how one of their favorite artists favorited a tweet they mentioned them in.

@JawshBishop says, “For one, it’s helped create personas for DJs that I don’t think we would get if it weren’t for Twitter. You wouldn’t have any clue what kind of person these people were outside of their music. I feel like getting to know the musician helps understand why they make the music they do, and ultimately helps you appreciate the music more than you would if you were just listening to a random artist you don’t know. While this can all be a positive thing, it can also be negative when you have guys like Deadmau5 (who actually blocked me on twitter), tweet about every DJ so he can attack them (Skrillex, Marshmello, Jauz) and anyone in between.”

Other than directly connecting artists with their fans, Twitter allows the individuals to connect with each other more easily. On my account, I have joined in conversation with others in Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more of Phoenix. Recognizing someone from Twitter at a local show is a positive experience and happens on many occasions.

“The thing about Twitter however is that it allows people all across the world to connect and make better connections which can allow music to thrive more organically and be shared. It creates a stronger sense of community.” @Cheesus85

Music sharing has been made way easier with Twitter as well. A simple retweet can share a piece of music with all of your followers. Also, polls are created and used to express opinions about artist’s sets, new music, or tours. Twitter has also made it possible for specific artists to expand aspects of their brand. For example, Getter has received backlash from fans over Twitter for his negative remarks about his older music. Other artists like Party Favor, Bear Grillz, and more have made positive personal connections with their fans over Twitter.

@Cheesus85 goes on to mention, “One more thing on how Twitter has impacted the electronic music scene is that branding is now more important, and a series of tweets could become a TMZ type article. Marshmello is a perfect example of branding along with Diplo and Deadmau5. They are the prime examples of how branding sometimes impacts and/or overshadows the music.”

Overall, Twitter has become a hub for sharing ideas, music, and other content that is relevant to the electronic music scene. Without it, the scene may not be as up close and personal. People can utilize it to follow their favorite artists as those same artists can search through it to read feedback from their fans. It has expanded the community as a whole, and without it, we wouldn’t have the direct connection with artists and each other.