The 'gatekeepers' are gone: What that means for Utah musicians

SALT LAKE CITY — For decades, breaking into the music business meant convincing a handful of powerful gatekeepers that your song deserved to be heard — record labels, radio stations and television networks largely controlled what music reached the public and what artists became stars.

Few people in the world understand that better than Noah Sheer.

Sheer spent nearly three decades in the music industry, eventually rising to executive vice president and head of promotion for Def Jam Recordings. During that time, he helped promote music from artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Ludacris and Big Sean.

Today, he works independently developing emerging artists, giving him a unique perspective on both the traditional record-label system and the digital-first music landscape that has replaced it.

"The labels were the gatekeepers," Sheer said. "Today the gatekeeper is gone. That doesn't exist anymore. Everything is opinion based now."

From radio to algorithms

When Sheer entered the industry in the 1990s, radio served as the primary vehicle for music discovery. Television appearances, newspaper coverage and live performances could help artists gain exposure, but radio airplay often determined whether a song became a hit.

"There was really one mechanism and vehicle that got your music discovered and heard and popularized," Sheer said, "and that was the radio."

Listeners didn't have endless playlists, recommendation algorithms or social media feeds. Instead, radio stations curated music for audiences, helping introduce new artists and shape cultural conversations around music.

If listeners liked a song, they requested it, talked about it with friends and helped build momentum behind a record.

As artists gained traction on the radio, album sales often followed. Successful records led to tours, larger audiences and careers that could span decades.

But Sheer said the system also meant a relatively small group of industry professionals largely determined what reached the public. Today, that influence is spread across millions of listeners.

The moment everything changed

Sheer said the industry's transformation didn't happen overnight.

"It's hard to pinpoint the exact time and date as to when it shifted," he said. "But I think it's when technology started to become integrated into everything that we did."

For him, one of the clearest signs came with the rise of digital downloads.

"When it went from physical analog to digital delivery, that was a very strong indicator that this industry was rapidly shifting into a completely different realm," he said.

He pointed to Apple's iTunes platform as one of the earliest signs that the traditional music business model was changing. At the same time, digital piracy through services like Napster forced record labels to rethink how music was distributed and consumed.

"The hand was forced," Sheer said. "When digital technology started to come out and you could deliver files digitally, then you had your piracy, right? Your Napsters and all of those things that ended up forcing the hand of the labels."

What followed was a complete transformation of the music industry. Streaming platforms, social media and algorithm-driven discovery changed how audiences find music and how artists build careers.

Why it matters for Utah artists

Today, artists can reach listeners through TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify and many other platforms. Instead of relying on a major label or radio station to introduce their music to the public, artists can publish content directly to listeners around the world.

"Something that goes viral, which nobody can predict, happens now based on the public making that choice, not the labels," Sheer said.

For aspiring musicians in Utah, that shift has dramatically lowered barriers to entry.

A songwriter recording music in Salt Lake City, a producer in Provo or a band rehearsing in Ogden can now build an audience without relocating to Los Angeles, New York or Nashville.

The same technology that disrupted the traditional music industry has also created opportunities that simply didn't exist for previous generations of artists.

While success is never guaranteed, artists today have access to audiences in ways that would have been nearly impossible just a few decades ago.

Discovery doesn't equal success

But Sheer said many aspiring artists misunderstand what discovery actually means.

"Discovery doesn't equal success," he said.

In today's environment, discovery can happen on almost any scale. A song may find an audience of a few hundred people, a niche online community or millions of listeners around the world. While the opportunities for exposure are great, so too is the competition.

If a young artist asked Sheer how to get discovered today, he said consistency matters more than ever.

"The best way to get discovered is to have an always-on mentality," he said. "You have to stay consistent and you have to stay relevant."

He encouraged artists to stay authentic while developing a long-term strategy instead of chasing every trend.

While technology has made it easier to reach listeners, Sheer said building a sustainable career still requires persistence, discipline and patience.

"The music business is not for the faint of heart," he said. "You got to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get in that octagon and give it your all."

For Utah artists hoping to break through, Sheer believes the opportunities are greater than ever before.

The gatekeepers may be gone, but the work required to build a lasting career remains.

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