While "success" in electronic music can mean everything from simply paying your rent to headlining Tomorrowland, fame has just as many faces in the industry today. To some, it looks like billboards of Peggy Gou or the 115 million Spotify streams on Bicep's track, "Glue." It also manifests as the buzz behind FJAAK's label Spandau20, or as thousands of likes on a video of Kobosil dressed in his own fashion label. Fame can also look like Niina on the cover of Spotify's Altar playlist or a feed filled with pictures of Courtesy and VTSS on magazine covers and in fashion editorials.

It's the (potentially multi) million-dollar question on everyone's minds: How can an artist "make it" in 2022? While the quest for widespread recognition and acclaim feels part and parcel of pursuing a career in pop or hip-hop, electronic music's relationship with fame and success is more fraught and opaque. This is the case not only because commercialisation has long been declared the enemy of the underground, but also because the roadmaps to success that have been brooded over in the boardrooms of major labels don't necessarily apply to DJs and producers in the current landscape.

"You can't just look at the trends in the macro music industry and attempt to apply those tactics to your career," said Ari Herstand, the author of the bestseller How to Make it in the New Music Industry. This is especially the case in 2022. For two years, Covid-19 closures and quarantines stalled artists' careers, but the industry continued to evolve. Now, the quest for fame—be it local, national or global—is, in many cases, a matter of "hacking the algorithm." If we think of "blowing up" as a Molotov cocktail, what is the equivalent to a bottle, fuel and a wick? A viral moment? Fruitful connections and endorsements? The right label, manager or publicist? Innovative branding? Luck? As is typically the case with challenging multiple choice questions, the answer is "all of the above."

One key ingredient to success nowadays is an artist's footprint on major video streaming platforms. The Afro-Pasifika DJ Lady Shaka remembers watching in disbelief as comments of appreciation reigned in on her Boiler Room set immediately after it was uploaded to YouTube. Seemingly overnight, her Instagram exploded and bookings poured in. Despite it being a remarkably memorable performance—done in collaboration with the local, indigenous ballroom scene (with a highlight that includes Lady Shaka performing Haka behind the decks), the DJ says she could have never anticipated its impact." The intention was not at all to create a viral moment. It was just to do something for the community as genuinely as we could," she said. "But when I saw that people from the diaspora or who are indigenous in other countries could relate, it changed the way I perceived my set." Although Lady Shaka was already well established before, she cites it as a major turning point. "To be honest, without that Boiler Room, my career wouldn't have been platformed as much as it has." She will spend the next year touring the world, plotting brand partnerships and planning her upcoming releases. Now, her challenge as an artist is no longer to "break through," but rather to sustain her momentum. "Pacific people are taught to be humble and wait for the right opportunity to come," she said. "It took a lot of unpacking to realise that I have to go out there and fight for what I want, because closed mouths don't get fed."

Lady Shaka

Just a day before our phone call, DJ fka.m4a was flown in a small, private plane from one festival in Germany to another, a courtesy that the second festival extended to ensure the artist, who goes by the pronouns they/them, could still play the first. "I thought that kind of stuff only happened with headliners," they said when reflecting on their "surreal," whirlwind of a weekend. fka.m4a began playing electronic music at the end of 2019. Although it might sound like inopportune timing, for fka.m4a, Covid-19 was helpful rather than hurtful. "I'm a child of generation HÖR," they said—referring to the Berlin radio station that became a celebrity in its own right during the pandemic. When fka.m4a was invited to play a set in honour of HÖR's first "birthday party" in 2020, they came prepared. "It's intimidating to play in front of a camera, so I brought the two most energetic and chaotic dancers I know to take the attention off of me. By the end of the set, the walls were dripping with sweat." As HÖR's visibility continued to skyrocket, so too did the visibility of fka.m4a's vivacious set. "That specific showcase is how my agency found me," they said. Two months later, fka.m4a was booked at Panorama Bar. They accredit much of their success (and allot a tremendous amount of gratitude) to their team of "incredible" agents. "They're making everything I dream of literally happen, and it all comes down to those live streams." Just over a year after their Hör birthday set, fka.m4a opened Instagram to see a DM from Peggy Gou, who invited them to play at her release party and to open for her in Mannheim. She has since become a mentor and dear friend. "I call her mama," they said.

Few artists have ascended the ranks of the post-pandemic electronic music space more rapidly or elegantly than Brutalismus 3000. Their hit "Satan Was A Babyboomer" has—unsurprisingly, given its meme-worthy title—taken the internet by storm since they released it in 2021, without any promotion. "The rest was just social media doing its thing," the duo said. Rather than viewing social media as a chore, they view it as a canvas—that, when approached with a fresh perspective, can be used to circumvent industry gatekeepers. "It's incredibly more difficult to get attention with just your music nowadays, even if the music itself is more important," they said. "But that can be pulled off without big labels or good contacts in the scene backing you." The two also boast incredible stats on both their Hör (643K) and Boiler Room sets (1.8 million views), not just because they are great performers, but also because—with Theo Zeitner behind the decks and Victoria Vassiliki Daldas singing live—they channel the intensity and excitement of a punk show into a traditional electronic setting. For them, succeeding in the industry is not about leaning into what is popular but rather about identifying an open space—and filling it. "Take a good look at the scene and see what's already there. Maybe we don't need another hard trance artist who follows the same patterns. Think about why you're making a certain track, what it should evoke and what it should give to people that they don't already have."

Most discussions about making it in the music industry in 2022 circle around one word: TikTok. The app's power to catapult artists to fame is undeniable. It transformed the Kazakh producer Imanbek—whose unauthorised remix to SAINt jHN's song, "Roses" now has over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify—from a railroad worker into a Grammy-winning producer, and made PinkPantheress, the overnight superstar, a household name. The Scottish DJ and production duo LF Systems knocked national icon Kate Bush off of the top of UK charts six weeks ago, overtaking her number one spot with their house-disco track, "Afraid To Feel"––an indisputable summer anthem. "Afraid To Feel" includes a drastic tempo change that makes it particularly attractive on TikTok, where dramatic shifts often enhance editing choices. Although it has spread like wildfire on the app, contrary to popular belief, "Afraid To Feel" was not created with TikTok in mind. The duo, who recently signed a deal with Warner Records, created the track back in 2019. "We had almost no idea about TikTok at the time and never used it…and honestly make music selfishly," LF System shared. "Don't get caught up in trends or what you think people want," they advise. Joe Martin, an A&R scout for a new dance music offshoot at Columbia Records, says that although he spends the majority of his time searching for talent on TikTok, that its usage isn't mandatory. "These platforms are evolving faster than we are adapting to them. TikTok is just one format to present your music, but there are many others to engage with," Martin said.

The controversial Australian DJ Partiboi69—who also doubles as a producer, director, editor and record label owner—has built his cult following from the ground up, thanks to a powerful YouTube presence made possible by his broad skillset and the strength of his personal brand. In addition to honing a distinct aesthetic and sonic identity, Partiboi69 has constructed his own virtual universe, complete with its own catchphrases ("always keep it 69"), martial-arts-inspired dance moves, and signature looks (sunglasses worn askew). Those who have accused Partiboi69 (who is white) of cultural appropriation, given his sound borrows heavily from Black genres like ghettotech, argue that his fame is the product of the exploitation of Black artists. Despite his many critics, the gigs he has played for rabid fans in recent weeks––often standing in front of a giant, blinking 69––suggest that his emphatic digital fandom continues to translate seamlessly into the analogue world.

While digital platforms allow artists to generate their own audiences, traditional press is still a vital component in the quest for increased visibility. Linda Valenziano, whose agency Murmur represents clients including Drain Gang's Ecco2K, Bladee, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor, weighed in: "Have you heard that quote that says 'be so good that they can't ignore you?' That's often what it's like for new artists, especially those working in new genres. You have to create so much noise on your own before the traditional media pays attention to you." Particularly at a moment in time in which we overly equate success with numbers on a screen, Valenziano warns against over-romanticising the "viral" breakthrough. "Trends come and go. If you're an artist, you don't just want to have 'a moment.' You want to have a long career," Valenziano said. "Find a balance between how you fit into the modern landscape and the ways in which you are your own unique being."

Brutalismus 3000

In the age of streaming, being included on one of Spotify's editorial playlists can also radically accelerate an artist's career. "It's 100% about how the track sounds," said Christie Driver-Snell, Spotify's UK's Dance Music Curator. "But we are also looking at the identity of the artist and who they resonate with. It's really important to understand your audience," she said. Many of Spotify's most successful playlists are curated more according to atmosphere or "vibe" than they are similarities in sound or genre. One of Driver-Snell's most popular playlists, Planet Rave, was created in response to "a wave of emerging female artists who were reviving '90s rave culture" in a variety of ways. Driver-Snell cited Nia Archives as a prime example of a breakthrough in the past year and described her as a representative of a larger trend among successful electronic musicians who are reimagining older genres. "Nia tapped into the drum & bass community, which is already thriving. Then, by creating an interesting persona and artist identity, she attracted a new generation and introduced them to the genre."

A booking agent who I spoke with on background for this piece also imparted his wisdom: "These days, there's a little too much strategy, especially when people are in the beginning of their career. They immediately want a tour manager and a booking manager. First, do your homework. Get gigs and play a few years, then decide which way you want to go." In discussing what it takes to "make it," the agent also emphasised that succeeding often means abandoning the party-heavy lifestyle that makes DJing attractive in the first place. "You can't be partying in Berghain every weekend or going to every second after hour," he said. fka.m4a, who describes themselves as "100% professionally sober," also emphasised that the more bookings you have, the more physically and emotionally demanding the job becomes. "It's definitely gruelling," fka.m4a said of their touring schedule. "Yes, we're traveling to all of these great places, but the reality is that we're going from the hotel, to the club, to the hotel, to the airport, with very little sleep." Reaching new levels of stardom has also presented new challenges for Lady Shaka, who feels she has to navigate higher stakes and expectations. "There's a lot of pressure that the next performance is better than the last. You're always thinking, 'How can I improve? How can I level up?' But if you're not having fun anymore, what's the point?"

In a world riddled by inequality, DJs and producers are right to remember––particularly when comparing their accomplishments with those of their peers––that they are navigating an unequal playing field. Opportunity and privilege are inextricably linked, and many artists are approaching their careers with varying degrees of advantages and disadvantages. While most start DJing as a side hustle, those who have the security of savings or familial wealth have the luxury of dedicating far more time and energy to their craft than those who can't afford to lose their day job. And though the world of electronic music is more inclusive now than it was in the past, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism still haunt the industry and inform its gatekeepers. Tasked with carving new paths to success in a sphere long dominated by cis white men, many artists are forced to reckon with the additional challenges presented by prejudice.

According to those consulted, the most vital thing to bear in mind when plotting a breakthrough or navigating a career in the wake of one is to remain true to your original intentions and essence. "These days, a lot of people might be starting DJ careers for the wrong reasons, because they've seen the media coverage or the Boiler Rooms, or have heard about the fees and million-dollar brand deals," one anonymous booking agent said. "Always remind yourself of why you're doing this and don't lose your path." While it is true that there are certain patterns and parallels in the stories of artists who have blown up in recent years, the truth is that each artist's path is unique. Attempting to model one career on someone else's will never produce the same results. And despite how things may appear, fame does not equate with security. "While exposure is great, it doesn't feed you," Lady Shaka said. "Do whatever you need to do to get where you want to go, but always remember what your worth is. Don't forget your roots, don't forget your community, and don't forget who you are."

fka.m4a