Independent Artists Research Articles

Homogenization of Pop Music: How Social Media’s Algorithms Prevents Creativity and Innovation

This paper examines the impact of social media on the homogenization of pop music, arguing that platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok contribute to narrowing creative possibilities within the genre. By analyzing the role of algorithms, audience behavior, and industry practices, the study highlights how social media’s emphasis on viral content and mass appeal stifles artistic diversity and innovation. Algorithms prioritize music with broad, mainstream appeal, creating a feedback loop that reinforces popular trends while marginalizing experimental or niche genres. Audience engagement further drives this homogenization, as artists increasingly tailor their work to fit algorithmic preferences and audience expectations. Industry practices, particularly the focus on producing “TikTok-friendly” hits, exacerbate this trend by favoring formulaic production over creative risk-taking. The research underscores the implications of these dynamics for global music culture, where the pressure to conform to a globalized pop standard threatens to erode local musical traditions. The paper concludes by advocating for strategies to preserve artistic diversity, including alternative distribution models, support for independent artists, and developing algorithms that promote a broader range of musical expressions.

Conceptualism of Sculpture Films of the 1970s–1980s in the Experimental Field of “Expanded Cinema”

The aim of the article is to analyse conceptual foundations of sculpture films in the 1970s–1980s in the context of experiments with “cinema expansion”. Results. Sculpture films of the 1970s–1980s show signs of a tendency toward conceptualism inherent in postmodern art. In innovative experiments on the audiovisual art and sculpture synthesis, not only the updated artistic toolkit became basic, but the process of meaning creation with a mandatory appeal to the audience’s perception as well. All this was organically integrated into the general search of avant-garde directors, aimed at developing the technological and artistic possibilities of cinematography, which received a generalised name “expanded cinema” (G. Youngblood). W. Turnbull, A. Forbes, D. Ashton, R. Horn, V. Pye, G. Matta-Clark, L. Lijn, B. Flanagan, R. Smithson, G. Stevens, P. Dockley, D. Hall, D. Dye, E. McCall, L. Lye, J. Hilliard, T. Hill, and many others, can be considered the figures in this direction. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the conceptual foundations of sculpture films of the 1970s–1980s are systematically analysed in the context of avant-garde searches by masters in creating interdisciplinary arts, and in extended cinema as well. Conclusions. The analysis of projects significant for sculpture cinema in the 1970s–1980s reveals a few conceptual creative approaches: video documentation of the process of creating a sculpture, and presenting an audiovisual work as an independent art object; filming the transformation and destruction of sculpture works for the purpose of provocative statements on current topics; use of cinematographic equipment as a material for creating sculptures; expanded interpretation of the concept of “sculpture” as a form, the construction of which is not limited to solid materials or inanimate objects; fixation on film of kinetic sculptures, the contemplation of which is inseparable from the surrounding environment. A general conclusion is made that experiments with sculpture films contributed to the video art formation, and influenced the further development of media art.

A Transformação da Produção Musical Independente de Canções no Século XXI

Independent record labels and their often implicit relationship with major labels are one of the themes investigated in this historical retrospective through exploratory research with bibliographic review that addresses the musical landscape in which independent artists are embedded. Due to the complexity and breadth of the topic of independent production in the music industry, it was chosen to explore not only the structure of independent record labels but also the nature of independent scenes themselves. For this purpose, categories such as "independent artist," "artist direct" (Mulligan, Mark, 2021), and "artist entrepreneur" (Cerqueira, 2018) will be addressed. Furthermore, the importance of the contemporary connection between independent artists and the consumer market for songs through social networks will be highlighted, as they have become an important channel for the dissemination and promotion of their works. This work arises from the close relationship of one of the authors of the article with independent music production, being himself a artist direct who seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities that permeate this ever-changing musical universe.

Identities of Farming Culture in Jiangnan: The Creation of Animation to Inherit Folk Customs of Polder Rice Farming in Water Towns

Background and Aim: Jiangnan farming culture, a custom culture formed by Jiangnan people in their long history of agricultural production and life, highlights the features and connotations of the region. Recent years have witnessed a shift from a traditional agricultural society to a modernized and urbanized one, which is influencing the traditional agricultural cultural system deeply. In the context of increasingly globalized and intelligentized economic development, factors such as differences in survival and consciousness caused by the special geographical environment in Jiangnan (southern Yangtze River) have accelerated the modernization of farming civilization in the region. Confronting such a crisis, this study adopts an interdisciplinary research thinking pattern to protect, inherit, and spread Jiangnan farming culture in animation works by establishing a connection between the culture and animation art as well as combining theories such as semiotics, design, and communication. Materials and Methods: Data was collected through literature research, field investigation, and expert interviews to analyze the value, connotation, and characteristics of Jiangnan farming culture, as well as extract its symbolic and animation elements. Results: The research found that Jiangnan farming culture as a typical polder rice farming culture in China is featured by its unique Jiangnan water town characteristics, which serve as a foundation for creating animation works in this article with polder rice farming as the theme to inherit and spread Jiangnan farming culture. Conclusion: 1. As an independent art category, the animation plays a key role in building a farming cultural space and shaping the image of farming culture in cross-cultural communication. 2. Through the narrative expression of animation art, farming ideas are spread and passed on through animation lenses, allowing people to further understand the origin of Jiangnan farming culture. 3. Animation brings unlimited creative space to Jiangnan farming culture, which can promote its future innovation and sustainable development.

Formation of “Moscow text” in Leningrad’s second culture

Leningrad’s “second culture” primarily created an alternative image of the city’s culture, constructing its genealogy as a continuation of the highest achievements of Russian Art Nouveau. The Moscow text seems marginal to this culture, not essential for interpreting the vicissitudes of the twentieth century. A close examination of the institutions of the second culture yet shows that in it, the Moscow text was fabricated. The Moscow origin was understood as a metaphysics of culture, different from the mystical-ecstatic programs of the figures of independent art in Leningrad, as a readjustment of optics rather than an experiment with corporeal and spiritual principles in art. The pinnacle of this understanding was B. Groys’s conception of Moscow romantic conceptualism as a variant of Russian cosmism. Even before that, though, in the 37 journal, the central publication of Second Culture, Moscow art was constructed as both mystically sensitive and mythologically saturated, consisting of cultural images from different epochs and equating artistic endeavor and artistic topicality. Using the evaluation of Olga Sedakova’s work and the editions of Yury Tynyanov’s heritage, this paper demonstrates how the critique of the Moscow concept of culture as neo-mythological, partly anachronistic, and capricious-individualistic was transformed into the recognition of the merits of Moscow independent authors who, above all, more accurately and more diversely specified the modes of symbolic production.

The meaning of autonomy: How artists justify career paths

While autonomy is a crucial concept in the sociology of culture, most scholars treat it as an objective feature of the cultural field or creative work. This article argues that autonomy is a subjective construct with ambiguous meanings that enable creative workers to flexibly justify their career paths. I draw on a case of Chinese visual artists in the postsocialist era (since 1979), where the institutional context of dual career path highlights the ambiguity of autonomy. Using interview data with two groups of Chinese artists in different institutional positions—state-affiliated artists employed by the official system and independent artists without official affiliation—I show that the two groups offer conflicting narratives of autonomy. State-affiliated artists claim freedom from market and art criticism, whereas independent artists assert autonomy from state and organizational duties. Both groups emphasize the kind of autonomy they have and downplay the kind they lack to justify their career over the alternative position. Based on these findings, I suggest a more interpretive analysis of autonomy in cultural fields, one that illuminates how workers use ambiguous meanings to justify career choices.

Ethical Dilemmas and Copyright Challenges among Independent Artists in Kenya's Music Industry

This qualitative phenomenological research aims to find out the ethical dilemmas around revenue generation and copyright practices among independent artists in Kenya. The study delves into various aspects, including collective management organisations (CMOs), copyright laws, governmental policies, exploitative practices, and regulatory frameworks, through an extensive analysis of existing literature and qualitative data. It reveals that while Kenya's music industry has experienced substantial growth with the introduction of new music genres and disruptive innovations, it still struggles with systemic barriers that limit the welfare and success of independent artists. Governmental policies and copyright laws revealed gaps in protecting independent artists' intellectual property rights. The study shed light on issues such as corruption, mismanagement, and failure to distribute royalties to artists fairly, with a close examination of CMOs, thus calling for the need for increased transparency and accountability. These issues are linked to numerous challenges, including inadequate industry support, limited access to resources, and unfair compensation. Exploitative practices conducted by industry participants and intermediaries are subjecting independent artists to illegitimate contractual agreements, delayed royalties, and predatory behaviours from industry participants. The presence of weak regulations magnifies these concerns, resulting in the degradation of artists' rights and limited recourse in cases of copyright infringements or contractual disputes. This research, therefore, calls for regulatory reforms and industry-wide interventions to address these structural barriers and to give light on how to promote a more sustainable and equitable music ecosystem in Kenya. The study recommends the strengthening of copyright enforcement mechanisms, improving transparency and accountability within CMOs, and establishing tailored support systems for independent artists.

Mirroring the inequalities of mainstream music platforms: popularity, revenue, and monetization strategies on Bandcamp

ABSTRACT In the era of digital music streaming, understanding the monetization and popularity dynamics of online audio distribution platforms is crucial for both researchers and music industry professionals. While much of the existing research has focused on mainstream platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, we study Bandcamp, an alternative marketplace that, among other things, empowers independent artists to upload and sell their music. Leveraging a rich dataset of one million Bandcamp sales, we investigate the distribution of popularity and revenues among artists on the platform. Our analysis reveals a substantial level of inequality, with a small core of musicians concentrating most of the purchases and revenues. Surprisingly, our results also indicate that many artists adopt a monetization strategy that involves devaluing their products, potentially leading to a cherry-picking of songs by consumers. These findings shed light on the challenges faced by alternative music distribution services and emphasize the need for further exploration of a fairer and more sustainable business model for independent artists.

Sözü Güzelleştiren Sanatlardan Mukabele Sanatının İncelenmesi: Kur’ân-ı Kerim Örneği

Mukabele is one of the figures of speech that beautify the meaning, which is also mentioned as equivalent in the science of bedi'. The source of beauty in the metaphor, which is defined as bringing two or more meanings together and then mentioning the opposite or related meanings of each one respectively, is the syntax harmony between the opposing or compatible meanings. Although it is an independent art of painting, it is seen that it is not discussed under a separate title in rhetoric books. In this study, the definition of mukabele, its classification, and the difference between it and tıbâk/contrast will be discussed and evaluations will be made by giving some examples from the verses of the Holy Quran and the poems of important poets of Turkish literature. We will examine the art of mukabele in terms of the arrangement of words, in the form of compound mukabela and non-composed mukabele, and division based on numbers (two with two, three with three, four with four, five with five, six with six). Our aim is to contribute to a clearer understanding of the nature of response. Key Words: Mukabele, eloquence, tibâki, bedî, agreement.

Curation as the Cure for the Archive

Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) is an independent artist run center in Montreal “dedicated to the promotion of videos created by women (in its most inclusive definition) by distributing and presenting them” (GIV website) At the crossroads of longevity, consistency, commitment, and the precarity that accompanies most forms of feminist labor, GIV is one of the most important “accidental” archives of feminist organizing and expression in Quebec. Their curatorial practices resist any archiving separated from the practice of everyday life. This article focuses on the thirty-year history of Vidéo des Femmes dans le Parc (VFP), GIV’s annual public and outdoor screening of new works from an open call. We trace how this event serves to “call in” artists to build feminist community and continually change GIV’s definition of who their community is.

Feminist alternative practices among independent artists: The case of Guangzhou, China

Drawing from seven months of fieldwork among independent artists and their communities in Guangzhou, China, in 2020–2021, this paper investigates the feminist alternative practices in response to the experiences of gender marginalisation of independent artists. Along with being sexualised and discouraged by some of their art colleagues and the public, there has been an emergence of alternative practices among female independent artists in Guangzhou, including alternative art production, space cultivation, and community development. Alternative art practices have not only diversified the expression and representation of female artists; they have also helped female and non-binary people connect to discuss gender-related issues and provide mutual support. Altogether, these expanding feminist practices, spaces, and communities have yielded everyday life strategies to negotiate and contest existing patriarchal conventions and imbalanced power relationships. My account also offers a view of changing gender politics within art communities in Guangzhou’s independent art field.

The Asharshylyq in Contemporary and Public Art of Kazakhstan: The Politics of Commemorating the Kazakh Famine of the 1930s

Abstract: This article explores the politics of the commemoration of the Kazakh famine of the 1930s by analyzing the commemoration strategies employed by visual artists in the period from 2012 until 2019. It identifies two types of art production on the topic—governmental public art, which avoids politicizing the famine and reads it as the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of the Soviet period, and art projects by independent artists who call the Kazakh famine a genocide. Although these two positions seem to be ideologically opposed on a rhetorical level, the article shows that the difference in the visual language used to express these opposite political positions is not always as pronounced as one would expect, and proposes several explanations for this incoherence.

Ethical dilemmas and copyright challenges among independent artists in Kenya's music industry

This qualitative phenomenological study investigates the ethical dilemmas surrounding revenue generation and copyright practices among independent Kenyan artists. Through an extensive analysis of existing literature and qualitative data, the study delves into various aspects including copyright laws, governmental policies, and collective management organisations (CMOs), exploitative practices, and regulatory frameworks. It uncovers that while Kenya's music industry has experienced significant growth with the rise of new music genres and disruptive innovations, it still grapples with systemic barriers that impede the success and welfare of independent artists. Copyright laws and governmental policies revealed gaps in safeguarding independent artists' intellectual property rights. With a close examination of CMOs, the study shed light on issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and failure to distribute royalties to artists fairly, thus calling for the need of increased transparency and accountability. These issues are linked to the numerous challenges, including limited access to resources, inadequate industry support, and unfair compensation. Exploitative practices carried out by industry players and intermediaries are subjecting independent artists to unjust contractual agreements, withheld royalties, and predatory behaviours from industry players. The existence of weak regulations magnifies these issues, resulting in the erosion of artists' rights and minimal recourse in cases of copyright violations or contractual disputes. This study, therefore, advocates for regulatory reforms and industry-wide interventions to address these systemic barriers and to shed light on how to foster a more equitable and sustainable music ecosystem in Kenya. Last, the study recommends the strengthening of copyright enforcement mechanisms, improving transparency and accountability within CMOs, and establishing tailored support systems for independent artists.

Digital literacy for musicians: Navigating music streaming services for independent artists in Kenya

This paper explores the crucial role of digital literacy in the music industry, emphasising its specific relevance to independent artists in Kenya who rely on MSS for global exposure. The digitalisation of the music industry at the onset of the millennium has tremendously transformed the monetisation of music by not only granting artists unprecedented access to global markets but also enabling them to connect directly with their fans like never before. This transformation has prompted independent artists in Kenya to increasingly adopt music streaming services (MSS) as their primary platform for marketing and distributing their content. Therefore, digital literacy has become a vital skill that empowers artists to effectively utilise diverse digital tools, software, and MSS. Digital literacy equips artists with the knowledge to manage their online presence, engage with their audience on social media, and make data-informed decisions using algorithms, curation, and analytics. Through a combination of phenomenological primary research and secondary data sources, this study delves into the experiences of independent artists, shedding light on the challenges they face and the opportunities that MSS presents. By enhancing their digital literacy skills, these artists can increase not only their global reach but also their revenue streams, enabling them to thrive in the evolving soundscape of the music industry.

Analysis of Distribution and Content of Music Industry in the We-Media Era

The We Media Era has revolutionized the music industry, transforming both distribution and content. Music, a universal language that transcends cultures, has found new avenues of expression and connection through the internet and self-media platforms. Independent artists have gained unprecedented access to global audiences, challenging the dominance of traditional record companies. Nevertheless, concerns have arisen regarding the balance between distribution and content. In the quest for online visibility, there is a risk of compromising the quality and substance of music. This essay traces the evolution of the music industry from its inception to the We Media Era, emphasizing the profound impact on both distribution and content. While democratized distribution opens new horizons, safeguarding the integrity and artistic essence of music remains paramount. As the industry continues its evolution, it must navigate the delicate equilibrium between accessibility and quality, ensuring that music endures as a vibrant and indispensable form of human expression.

In Conversation with Olivier Marboeuf

Olivier Marboeuf is a writer, performer, independent curator and film producer of Caribbean origin. He founded the independent art centre Espace Khiasma, which he ran from 2004 to 2018, in Les Lilas on the outskirts of Paris. At Khiasma, he developed a program addressing minority representation through exhibitions, screenings, debates, performances and collaborative projects across the North-East of Paris. He is an educator and has taught visual arts in several European Fine Art schools. He is a member of the cinema and performance collective ‘The Living and The Dead Ensemble’ and recently presented, as an artist, the first part of his sonic collective project ‘The Museum of Breath’ in the context of the Berlin Biennale 12. He currently produces films within Spectre Productions, a production company he founded in 2013 in Rennes (France). In 2022, Marboeuf published the collection of essays, “Suites décoloniales: s’enfuir de la plantation” (Decolonial Suites: Fleeing from the Plantation) as well as the poetry book “Les matières de la nuit” (Matters of the Night) (both published by Éditions du commun, Rennes, France). In 2023, two new books will be published: L’emeutier et la sorcière’ (The Rioter and the Witch) in French and Vers un cinéma déparlant (une hypothèse caraïbe) (Towards a De-speaking Cinema: A Caribbean Hypothesis) in French, English, German and Spanish. Many of his texts are available to read on his blog, Toujours Debout.

Decentralized App for music Streaming

Abstract: Music has always been a way for artists to express themselves. The music industry has grown exponentially in the last few years with the emergence of digital music streaming platforms. However, streaming platforms for streaming music are centralized, so artists only receive a small part of the revenue and still have no control. Respect their content. Cases of plagiarism are on the rise in the music industry, so there is a need to use technology that can help artists. Currently, there is a need for technological change that will give artists control and transparency over their content. According to the current system, artists are registered with record labels, streaming platforms, etc. must rely on many intermediaries such as to eliminate this problem, our article focuses on blockchain decision-making approach where artists and users can interact directly to upload, buy songs, and pay Royalties. Artists can submit their music to the DApp to ensure ownership and avoid the impact of piracy. Users can buy and stream music from independent artists or support artists with purchases and donations using Ethereum.

Stand with Ukraine: Ukrainians of Carolina

The activities of Ukrainians from South and North Carolinas, connected with the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage and support of Ukraine during the war time are described in the study. Ukrainian community of both states makes up for more than 10 thousand people and consists mainly of immigrants, moving to the USA since the early 2000s. This number has increased significantly after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Community organizations work in many cities. They unite and encourage the cultural activities of the Ukrainian population of the region. The Ukrainian Association of North Carolina (organized by Oleh Wolowyna, registered in 2005) and Ukrainians of Carolina (organized by Olena Kozlova-Pates, established in 2014, registered in 2022) are the most prominent among them. The organizations are non-profit and aimed to promote national culture, preserve folk traditions and art, collect and distribute humanitarian aid for Ukrainians, suffered from the war, families of fallen heroes, warriors of Ukrainian Armed Forces, and for the wounded. During this time they have organized hundreds of events, charity functions, exhibitions, concerts, proceeds from which (hundreds of thousands of dollars) are collected for Ukrainian civilians and military men. The identity markers of Ukrainians of Carolina are analyzed. They include celebration of Ukrainian state, religious and calendar holidays, culinary traditions, skills connected with national arts and crafts (Petrykivka painting, traditional Easter egg painting, embroidery). The ability to speak Ukrainian remains one of the main identifying factors. Facebook pages of Ukrainian community organizations only offer Ukrainian or English languages. Modern forms of ethno-cultural heritage demonstration in Ukrainian communities, and involving American citizens with various ethnic backgrounds include different celebrations and festivals (Vyshyvanka Day, Kupala holiday, Independence Day, etc.), Ukrainian cooking parties, Easter egg, Perrykivka painting master-classes, making traditional rag doll and wreath-plaiting. Olena Zinchuk is known for her Petrykivka painting outside Carolina, her students also work as independent artists in this genre (Anna Sabatini). Participants of Ukrainian artistic events have the chance to explore a collection of authentic Ukrainian clothing and rushnyky (embroidered hand towels) from different regions of Ukraine, preserved in a private collections of Nataliia Tomasian and Lesia Zinchuk. Professional artists also join charity events of the Ukrainian association - movie directors, singers, musicians, dancers - both local, and visiting from Ukraine. The movies showing from Iryna Tsilyk, Natalia Vorozhbyt, concerts of Oleh Skrypka, Dakha-Brakha group and Ukrainian baroque music concert of American piano player Taras Filenko have taken place in the city of Charlotte in 2022. Ukrainian music has been performed here by the singers Bria Blessing and Olena Pavlova. Kobzar Yurii Fedynskyi is an American musician of Ukrainian origin, born in the city of Raleigh. He has travelled over small cities throughout North and South Carolinas in summer. He’s been living in the village of Kriachkivka in Poltava region. He holds an annual kobzar festival there. “Red Viburnum” band has been created, uniting Ukrainians and Americans both in the name and the band itself. It performs almost at all Ukrainian charity events. Unprecedented resistance of Ukrainian people to Russian occupiers, courage and bravery of Ukrainian warriors have attracted attention of American society, ordinary citizens to Ukraine. This is also possible due to the activities of Ukrainian associations of Carolina. Their voice and presence in American society have become noticeable finally.

The power of denial. From denial to creation: creative resistance in the city of Athens

The crisis leads to multiple denials in the face of everyday life and the conditions of reproduction of work it imposes. In this paper, I describe the basic denials in spaces of creative resistance in Athens during multiple crises. Through a systematic study of collaborative economy spaces, solidarity structures, and independent art spaces, I discern a progression of individuals from denial to creation and ultimately to action. I also strive to articulate the emerging modes of mobilization within these spaces. Faced with this reality, the act of denial emerges as the primary and transformative catalyst, sparking the forces of creativity and resistance. The denials of everyday life imposed by neoliberalism, as witnessed in Athens during the crisis, resulted in the creation of autonomous and self-organized spaces.

The application of printmaking art elements in visual communication design

Abstract Visual communication design and printmaking art are two independent art disciplines, but they have many similarities in graphic design, color matching and other aspects. This paper demonstrates the extraction of printmaking features using the improved LBP algorithm. The method of color histogram and color space is used to complete the color extraction of the image, and the texture features of the image are described by combining signal processing and statistical analysis. The LBP algorithm is used to locate the center pixel of the image to form a binary bit string, and the pattern value is obtained by multiplying each binary bit by the corresponding weight and summing up. The efficiency of image texture acquisition is enhanced by adding neighborhood gradient multiscale to the LBP algorithm. To obtain printmaking art elements and propose a direction for integration with visual communication design, image feature extraction is applied to printmaking art element extraction. The performance of texture classification for images has been significantly improved by the improved LBP algorithm, as shown in the results. On the Outextc10 texture dataset, DLBP5 achieves the highest classification accuracy of 92.19% by extracting colors, textures and shapes in printmaking and applying the features with elements of printmaking to visual communication design. Under the direction of integrating printmaking art style elements with visual communication design, users selected {unique, packaging design}, {vivid, branding design}, and {sharp, advertisement design} with higher satisfaction gradients, with ratings of 4.62, 4.17, and 4.36, respectively, which are all greater than 4.