Kean: Music artists now in battle for longevity

Kean Cipriano (left) and his band mates from Callalily

Social media and streaming services have become great equalizers for aspiring musicians, who can now put out their own material without the aid of a record label.

But, while releasing music is easier than ever, standing out from the pack is at its most difficult.

“Before the rise of such platforms, not everyone could get to the point where they can get their music published or played on the radio. Now, everyone can do it. That makes things considerably more challenging,” Paolo Guico of the folk-pop band Ben&Ben said at a media presentation of Sindikato Management’s roster of artists.

Kean Cipriano, frontman of the rock group Callalily, echoed Paolo’s sentiments, saying that new music is coming out at a much faster pace than when the band debuted in mid-2000s.

Different landscape

“The landscape has truly changed. Yes… you can simply go to Spotify or YouTube and share your work with the public. But since everything’s accessible, the turnover of artists is also a lot faster,” he pointed out.

“One day, you have a hit song or a strong presence. But before you know it, new talents are already knocking on the door,” he said. “Therefore, achieving longevity these days is a battle.”

Thus, Kean pointed out, it pays to cultivate and connect with your fan base: “Fan support has never been more crucial,” he said.

“It’s also about supporting the music—streaming the songs properly and legally… watching the music videos,” the singer-actor added. “It’s a big help if the listeners can share our work with their respective communities.”

While this aspect of today’s music scene may appear tedious or distracting for older musicians, maintaining online channels comes more naturally to those who grew up in the age of the internet.

“For kids, social media is not a job; it’s more or less a way of life. It’s part of our community in school,  part of how we communicate,” Eunice Gatdula of the newbie indie group Fighting River Blindness related.

“At the same time, being on social media allows you to build your brand [as an artist],” she added.

What it boils down to

Still, it boils down to maximizing available resources, and producing quality material.

“You can always create content on your own. But you need to have the motivation to actually start something,” said Simon Panaguiton, vocalist and guitarist of the alternative band Hulyo.

“In our case, Miguel (twin brother and band mate) and I look like we were left near a refrigerator—we don’t have that rock star look. But we just let our music speak for ourselves,” Paolo said. “And that should be the mindset of artists like us.”

“It’s still definitely about the music,” Kean added. “When young artists ask me about the secret to success, I tell them to have a kick-ass song and perform it live like no other.”

Other artists introduced during the event were Fern, Sud and Unit 406.

“We’re proartists,” said Enzo Valdez, chief executive officer of Sindikato, which started out as a video production company. “We want to make sure that our talents don’t have to worry about anything else but their craft… They can focus on writing music.”