In the third edition of Downtown and the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM)’s editorial series, we explore the world of user-generated content (UGC). You can read our previous editions on Fandom and Musicology here.

From YouTube and TikTok to Instagram, UGC platforms are now core to how music is discovered, shared, and monetized. But for many independent artists, producers, and rightsholders, the rules around rights, attribution, and revenue can be confusing.

This series by Matt Whitmire, VP of Business Development at FUGA, offers practical ideas for helping artists navigate the UGC landscape. After exploring how rights work and how artists can promote themselves more strategically, this third piece focuses on the role that artist identity plays in building a fanbase.

Read on the Downtown Journal.