Digital Technology, Social Media, NFTs: A Mandatory Path for Artists?

With just a few clicks, creators share their work, interact with their community, and above all benefit from the inherent virality of the Internet. Digital technology plays an increasingly important role in the cultural sector, particularly in the recognition and success of artists.

Social media: a springboard?

To make themselves known, some artists use social networks that match their type of creation: visual creators (illustrators, painters, sculptors, etc.) tend to choose Instagram and Pinterest, while singers or musicians gravitate more toward TikTok or platforms like YouTube.

Social media has become an almost essential way for young artists to start out and build visibility by reaching an initial audience—without relying on galleries or performance venues, and by managing their own distribution.

Social networks also provide a space for interaction, where users can engage with artists through comments and likes. This helps them build a relationship with their audience. Beyond building a community, social media offers a space where potential clients are willing to purchase artwork from the artist, and organizations may show interest in their work.

In addition, artists can promote their own work or events (concerts, exhibitions, etc.). Social networks are also useful to creators for analyzing and measuring engagement and the impact of their posts, allowing them to adjust their communication strategy.

Social networks also give artists the opportunity to connect with other creators or art professionals—leading to collaborations or partnerships. The stronger an artist’s online presence, the greater their chances of being noticed and contacted by agencies, galleries, record labels… and of seeing their career take a new turn.

Some platforms, such as Instagram, allow artists to sell their works through an online shop or links to purchasing platforms. They can also receive donations from their community through platforms such as Patreon or Tipee: artists registered there share their work, build a community, and earn money thanks to their creations (videos, podcasts, illustrations, music, etc.).

Finally, social media can stimulate creativity by encouraging artists to innovate and create new formats (stories, short videos, etc.) and experiment with new techniques.

Platforms: the price to pay for being (re)recognized

Although social media highlights artists, it also favors the spread of quick and attention-grabbing content. This may push creators to prioritize the immediate visual impact of a work over its deeper meaning. Moreover, the instantaneous nature of social networks leads to rapid and superficial consumption of art. Artwork may then be devalued by being seen merely as content.

Additionally, on social networks, artists’ posts can quickly get lost in the vast quantity of content published online. It becomes difficult for creators to stand out. Under these conditions, avoiding comparison with others is challenging… in the long term, creativity can be affected, and self-confidence tested.

Furthermore, online exposure and community building is long-term work. It requires communication expertise that many artists may not have—or may not wish to acquire. Beyond the pressure for visibility and consistency, managing one’s own promotion and maintaining a relationship with one’s audience require significant time and energy. These skills may not align easily with the creative process, potentially causing additional stress or constraints.

Another challenge: the massive circulation of artworks online exposes artists to the risk of having their work plagiarized by other creators—or by artificial intelligence systems. The latter rely on pre-existing content to generate new works. Since regulations around these practices remain unclear, artists often find themselves vulnerable to this new mode of artistic production.

The widespread adoption of digital technology in the cultural sector also raises new issues, such as that of free access. More and more artists offer their works directly to cultural consumers through platforms. But this platform-based cultural economy transforms traditional business models. Working for free and sharing one’s creations online without compensation is hardly sustainable and may harm the long-term viability of artistic careers.

If artists share their work without financial compensation, audiences may come to view culture and art as free goods. This could make artist remuneration rarer—or perceived as unnecessary. Working for free for years creates a precarious situation for artists, especially those without additional income sources. Over time, this model devalues culture and reduces people’s willingness to pay for works. Art is creative labor that requires time, talent, and significant personal investment. Paying for art and compensating artists is therefore essential.

NFTs: a viable digital solution to fairly compensate artists?

Appearing in 2017 and used by some digital artists to sell their works, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are digital tokens used to authenticate digital files (images, videos, tweets) via the blockchain.

NFTs guarantee the uniqueness of artworks and prevent their duplication. This represents a true revolution for digital artists, who now have a way to monetize their work and receive royalties on each resale, unlike in the traditional art market. NFTs are transforming creative industries and redefining how we perceive and value digital assets.

Today, NFTs are better known thanks to artists like Beeple, who achieved a sale of $69 million, Vhils, or Alexa Meade. However, the trend appears to be waning, echoing the bubble-like phenomena seen in other sectors (notably cryptocurrencies).

Today, digital technology plays a major role in the visibility and success of artists, especially thanks to platforms that enable them to share, promote, and sell their work. Social media offers opportunities to interact and build a community, while allowing creators to manage their own distribution. As for NFTs, they have also disrupted the art industry by transforming the way we consume—and especially value—digital art: time will tell what their future popularity will be.

References:

• TANGRAM.lab – The impact of digital technology on art and visual artists in France
• University of Geneva (UNIGE) – Art and culture in the digital age, or how culture is expressed today
• Beaux Arts – Why NFTs are taking over the art world
• My Modern Met France – Best of NFT 2021: Top 12 Crypto Art Artists and Projects

[Cover photo: Cristofer Maximilian]