“I think these platforms prioritise virality over artistry”: All things algorithms with Dean Longden

The relentless rise of social media has permanently changed the music scene. Independent artists can now promote and release music without a record label and instead upload their own snippets to TikTok and Instagram. However, whilst this is a positive step forward in music, due to the profitable nature of apps like TikTok, we are prone to being exposed to music that is sellable rather than artistically genuine. I was lucky enough to talk to an up-and-coming artist living in this new age: Dean Longden, an indie and alternative rock artist based in London. His EP, Still, It Grows, released in April this year, was his most recent project and displays a great change in production as well as overall feel compared to his earlier works.  

“Sometimes the algorithm makes you want to work harder and keep trying… other times it genuinely makes you question whether there’s any point”

– Dean Longden

My conversation with him focused on the influence of social media on the music industry as well as the pros and cons that accompany it. Longden believes that social media “gives independent artists the opportunity to reach new audiences”, however, the algorithms do not necessarily reward hard work as “satire music or videos of people deliberately making bad music” tend to achieve virality. Longden proceeds to say that whilst “sometimes it makes you want to work harder and keep trying … other times it genuinely makes you question whether there’s any point … I think these platforms prioritise virality over true artistry in a lot of cases.”  

This change, however, comes with its positives, mainly the relationship between artist and listener becoming closer than it has ever been before, something Longden absolutely loves. His listeners “feel more like my friends than fans, and I’ve got group chats where we all talk.” This notion of audience interaction and the key theme of relatability in Longden’s music, as well as social media content, keeps this close relationship thriving and by “letting people into [his] life a little bit, it helps them feel more engaged with [his] music and understand [his] brain a little better.”   

Another change that has occurred due to this ‘DIY’ music scene is that artists are now not only the creative brains but also their own PR and marketing agents. Once again, this comes with advantages and disadvantages: “it can be very difficult to stay consistent, there are days when you just don’t feel motivated to post anything, especially when you’ve put a lot of effort into the previous day’s content and it hasn’t performed as well as you’ve hoped.” But despite this additional work needed to survive in the music industry, Longden still recognises that he has “the freedom to post whatever I want [as well as] being in control of how I present myself and my music. I don’t have someone telling me what I should or shouldn’t be posting, which allows me to be myself creatively.” 

Live performances are the “most direct way of getting your music heard by real people and build a genuine connection with them”

– Dean Longden

To turn to a larger scale and focus on new artists in general, social media’s growing control over the music scene suggests that an artist cannot thrive in this new age without having a grasp of social media and fully putting themselves out there in order to gain listeners. Simply having good music is not enough anymore: “if you don’t have the outreach or audience to get it heard, it can easily go unnoticed.” Whilst it is great that anyone can release music on streaming services, it naturally increases competition, and with minimal “quality control it makes it increasingly difficult to stand out, even if you are making something you genuinely believe in.”  

Despite all these changes, one thing remains the same in the music industry: the art of live performance, which Longden aims to keep pure. He believes that it is the “most direct way of getting your music heard by real people and build a genuine connection with them. There’s something special about being able to share your music with someone in person.” Longden is due to perform on Tuesday 8 December in London, with new music coming in the new year.  

In my final questions with Longden, I was struck by the fact that he believes that if his music “is reaching people and making a difference in their lives”, he is happy. This authentic and genuine nature, I believe, will take him far.