Creators of hit songs

Branding producers is spreading across the music market. Billboard launched Weekly Top Songwriters and Top Producers Charts last month. It is the first occasion in its 80-year history to announce weekly rankings or songwriters or producers although it used to rank their works on a yearly basis. Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard senior vice president of charts and data development, said in an article on Billboard.com that it is exciting to highlight creative figures behind hit songs, adding that it may not be proper merely to promote the significance and influence of songwriters and producers on a yearly chart. While releasing top 10 influential songwriters and producers every week, Billboard is also announcing rankings by subcategory such as rock, country and hip-hop.

The trend of branding producers is attributed to the fact that the general public and K-Pop fans have gradually admired and learned those behind pop music artists. “Show Me the Money,” “High School Rapper” and other TV shows have brought attention to producers. Songs ranking top on music charts are shown with a phrase “prod by (produced by)” added to their title bar, becoming more friendly to the general public. Many hip-hop producers such as GroovyRoom and Code Kunst have released their albums, garnering popularity among fans. Another attribute is that everyone has had easier access to the behind stories of music production on TV and YouTube. MBC Music aired a competition survival program of songwriters, with a translated title of “The God of Creation: The Birth of National Songwriters” from the end of last year to early this month.

The music industry say that producers deserve to get attention as all-round players who write songs, play musical instruments and advise music artists on their concept. “K-Pop has grown explosively, leading to the rapid growth of the copyright industry,” according to an official of Mystic Entertainment. “It is becoming more significant for music agencies to promote their producers so that it can bring more opportunities to collaborate with various artists outside,” the official said. “It is a way of diversifying income resources.”


imi@donga.com