Music business analyst and internet entrepreneur, Lloyd Laing, discusses the complexities of the streaming economy, the AI age, the current state of dancehall, and identifies successful industry players
Lloyd Laing, Brings tonnes of expertise to the table
As an internet entrepreneur and seasoned music industry veteran, Lloyd Laing brings over two decades of expertise to the table. His career spans groundbreaking ventures in various fields, including telecommunications, app development, entertainment production, and digital product innovation.
In Jamaica, Laing is recognized as a stalwart figure in both music and innovation. Leveraging his deep understanding of the industry, he hosts the widely acclaimed podcast, Reggaeology, captivating audiences worldwide with his charisma and insights.
Drawing on his extensive background in music and app development, Laing has pioneered platforms such as Muigle and Reggae Top 40, enriching user experiences. In an interview with Kaboom Magazine, Laing shared his views on the current landscape of streaming, cementing his status as a leading voice in the intersection of music and technology.
"It is pretty much obvious that streaming has its value propositions and disadvantages, and the economies of scale weigh differently for each artist. The music business is more about strategic approach than it is about attitude and popularity”, he told Kaboom. "With the exposure that streaming provides, it’s not so advantageous for artists, especially new artists to make a substantial income from. Laing said, "the value propositions weigh differently for each artist, but one thing is for sure Dancehall artists are leaving a lot of money on the table."
With that, there’s obvious thoughts if artists should just go to where the trends are to bring noise to their name. Most times that tactic isn’t necessary, however Lloyd Laing emphasized that it is much easier to ‘niche down’ than it is to trend up.
As a brand consultant who has worked with many artists, such as Jermaine Edwards, who he coined to sign the biggest deal in 2023 for his song ‘Beautiful Day’, which also was a part of Apple’s soundtrack, Lloyd has his designated approach to go about branding and marketing his clients.
"Most artists believe shock value and trends bring the type of brand value they are comfortable with, which is quite fleeting in most cases."
With the convenience that today’s technology provides, it’s been a lot easier for artists to find themselves and find their way in the industry with little help from industry juggernauts.
With all the different ways for an artist to utilize the media to grow their music, he said, "Most artists prefer to buy media rather than allow the media the opportunity to buy into them. Reason being most artists now have the type of personality that is equivalent to watching beige paint dry. charisma and wit sells in Dancehall just as much as narratives and stories sell Reggae. But most artists believe shock value and trends bring the type of brand value they are comfortable with, which is quite fleeting in most cases.”
The rise of Artificial Intelligence has either excited or terrified individuals, no matter which industry they are a part of. Either way, it has left many curious as to how it will shape the world to come.
"Generative AI requires human input so any output is based on human interaction, and of course the nefarious among the species will always find ways of spoiling a good thing for everyone."
As it pertains to the music industry, there have been concerns of how artists or so-called-musicians will authentically grow their brand, especially with things like algorithm tampering around, to hijack streaming platforms.
Lloyd Laing had this to say about this revolutionary technology - “That's like asking me if a loaded gun can kill. Yes AI can threaten music, but somebody has to pull the trigger. Generative AI requires human input so any output is based on human interaction, and of course the nefarious among the species will always find ways of spoiling a good thing for everyone.”
Many artists may have challenges navigating the industry, even if one is successful. Many might achieve great commercial success, however, with that success they dwindle the quality of their music to make it come off more digestible for a broader audience.
Lloyd Laing, "AI can threaten music, but somebody has to pull the trigger."
On whether the emphasis on commercial success affect the authenticity of music, he commented, “Well you can either be sold out, or be a sell-out. and both can be valued as a measure of 'commercial' success as everybody has a different value models, approaches and systems of measuring that "commercial" success. The one definitive element to musical success is authentic relatability, which is easier said than done these days considering the minstrel approach to music by artists caught in the trendwheel.”
In terms of the artists he feels are successfully navigating the industry, he mentions the likes of: Stalk Ashley, Chronic Law, Nigy Boy, Blvk H3ro, J’Calm and Shenseea.
To close, Lloyd Laing shared his perspective of the current state of Dancehall music on a global scale - “Well for one thing Dancehall is not Traphall. That was a failed experiment, let's not debate it. The fact that consumers are still leaning on music from the 80s/90/s/00s/ speaks volumes, and is a key performance indicator on the global state of Dancehall. It lives vibrantly in the bass driven soundscapes of an era sadly many refuse to let go of because this new bit, is not it.”
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