The past few years have been revolutionary for the gospel music industry. For starters, there has been a review of what can be referred to as gospel music, with unconventional music touching the hearts of many that may not necessarily believe it. Many trends may further redefine the gospel music scene in 2023 but first, let's look at the changes that have occurred over the last few years.
2022 roundup
The emergence of contemporary and afro gospel music
Although new-age gospel music took some time to catch on, this year has been a great one for contemporary gospel and afro gospel music. We cannot deny that there have been some hits over the last year in the gospel music scene. The fact that fans can now listen to a wider range of music that fully reflects Christ for days on end is a future we couldn't have envisioned a decade ago.
A downturn in live events
Many predicted a massive return of live concerts, but several factors led to a decline, or rather, a reduced outcome than initially expected. Especially in the gospel music industry, whether because fans adapted to isolation or became content with seeing their favourite artists only on screen, many were caused to second-guess their ticket purchases. There was also the rise of inflation, leading to unforeseen budget increases, leading to an increase in ticket prices, especially in developing countries. In the UK alone, inflation rate rose to 11.1% in October which was the highest since October 1981. While this may not have had the same effect all around the world, very few people were on the same page throughout the year regarding prices.
TikTok, as predicted, dominated the music industry
As many predicted, TikTok had a greater influence in 2022 than in 2021. We saw more creators, get even more popular in the past year, as well as songs get more viral because of TikTok.
Live streams faded into the background as short-form videos dominated.
When was the last time you voluntarily tapped into and stayed through a live stream? As compared to 2020, live streams became more redundant in 2022.
In contrast, there was also an increase in demand for short-form videos - case in point, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts.
Our predictions for 2023
Content creation will become even more popular
While artists once viewed content creation as a means to an end and a way to draw people to their music, in 2023, more will take it more seriously.
TikTok will become even more popular as well as short-form videos
YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok will become even more popular. It may be obvious by now how follower and subscriber counts can double after the release of a great short video. Many have discovered accounts from short-form videos and more will in 2023.
There will be an increase in sync licensing
Music gains more exposure when it is linked to other mediums. With the increase in demand for gospel content by believers and the growing acceptability of Christian sounds, there will be an increase in sync licensing. We will see even more Christian movies and shows. The best way to connect your music to these platforms is to create licensable music, and link music to various forms of media.
Artists will embrace their fanbase more offline
Live shows are still finding their way back since 2020. Many artists will in 2023, do more to reach their audience off social media. With Elon Musk taking over Twitter and the many changes happening in the social media industry, there will be a need to reduce dependence on social media alone. Artists will look for ways to drive fans more to websites, mailing lists, and actual shows.
There will be greater demand for authenticity
It is no surprise that the more unique your content is the more attention garnered. With all the media we consume and create, virality will require more authenticity.
There will be more genre-crossing and blends
Gospel music genres are overlapping. Producers and musicians create music without being constrained to one style. Many debates argue that genre may not matter anymore. Case-in-point, mood-driven playlists are becoming more popular. There are playlists for studying, exercising, and so on. Listeners listen to music based on their mood as opposed to genre preferences. The lines between genres will blur further as new sounds emerge.