Since its October 2014 inception, All Def Digital’s “The Signal” has proven itself to be more than just curated content of unsigned artists.
When All Def Digital rolled out The Signal as part of its programming in October of 2014, the plan was to have a space to showcase the hottest unsigned talent out right now. Given the over-saturated state of the music industry–the Internet is abound with “struggle rap”–the careful consideration of the content curation process, under the direction of Amir Abbassy, quickly turned the unwitting Signal into a premiere destination music discovery platform, much like its artist-centric counterpart, ADD52. After only a few weeks, a pattern emerged, and hip hop fans began to notice the consistency with which The Signal was selecting its premieres. Hip hop fans, who may be some of the most fickle fans on the planet, need this constant consistency that quality programming like The Signal delivers. Being endorsed by a Russell Simmons backed brand isn’t exactly a shabby introduction to the world, either; the All Def Digital co-sign alone inspires fans’ confidence in the music they’re about to hear, and with good reason. This symbiotic relationship between fans looking for good music and a multi-channel network (MCN) that has good music to offer, is what led The Signal to become so successful as an organic artist accelerator and music discovery platform.
Whatever formula they’re using to select their artists and skyrocket their social media presence, it does seem that they’re on to something: The Signal’s first video of 2015, YP’s #LetUsPray, ultimately made Billboard’s realtime chart the day of its debut, peaking at number 21.
If you’re looking to discover new music from emerging new artists, be sure to check out The Signal, every Monday, here on TheSource.com.
