Associate Professor Nguyen Van Thang Long, Project Lead and Associate Program Manager of the Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communication) program, forecasts emerging trends in the digital music landscape that have significant commercial and social potential. These include:
- Mix and match: Artist group collaboration and mashup
- Increasing professionalism in music management
- Growing attention to artist ethical standards
- Role of music in cultural development – public-private partnership
- Superfans become increasingly significant
- Impact of AI on music composition and consumption
- Rise of live music events
- Diversity of artist unique identities
- Diversification of artist income streams
- Fragmentation in evaluating artist achievements
- Among these trends, Associate Professor Long said three key developments are significant in reshaping the industry’s future.
Professional management takes centre stage
The entertainment music industry's rapid growth has sparked a surge in demand for professional management services. Independent artists are increasingly seeking structured approaches to career development, covering everything from artistic direction to business contracts. This shift allows artists to focus on their creative work while management teams handle the commercial aspects of their careers.
Ms Ton Nu Nhu Ngoc, Head of Labels and Artist solutions at Believe Vietnam, emphasised the importance of professionalism even in seemingly minor details: "Many artists have not focused on optimising their personal profiles on digital music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. To grow, artists need to embrace professionalism even in the smallest tasks, such as updating their images, information, and creative works, which significantly enhance their ability to reach and interact with audiences on these platforms."
Ethical standards take priority
As the industry becomes more commercialised and artists' influence grows, there's an increasing focus on ethical standards and professional behaviour. The "responsible music" trend emphasises not only artistic talent but also legal compliance, copyright respect, and alignment with audience values.
Ms Tran Thi Mai Anh, Business Development Manager at Zing MP3 & Zing Media, noted the heightened scrutiny artists face: "Artists today face intense scrutiny regarding their statements, images, and music. Zing MP3 implements strict policies and thoroughly censors song keywords and content, ensuring compliance with ethical standards while simultaneously safeguarding the platform's and artists' reputations."
Public-private partnerships drive cultural development
The collaboration between government entities and private organisations has become crucial in organising cultural and music events. This partnership model has proven successful with events like the HOZO International Music Festival in Ho Chi Minh City and the Monsoon Music Festival in Hanoi.
Mr Nguyen Tien Huy, Founder and CEO of the Pencil Group, highlighted the importance of these partnerships: "Public-private partnership in cultural and music events are being increasingly promoted, attracting greater attention and more diverse organisations to create platforms for artists to connect with and show appreciation to local audiences."
