Niches vs subcultures
I was in a group chat in which the topic of subcultures came up, and what it might be like to create one in 2025. I don’t know that subcultures can be actively created but rather form organically based on a shared set of values, interests and aesthetics.
As musicians (or creators more generally), we are constantly told to find and exploit a “niche”, which is also a set of individuals bound together by a shared set of values, interests and aesthetics. But to me they could not be more different, because they come from totally different places and have different end goals:
- Niche = a group that comes together based on a shared interest which is identified & cultivated by someone with capitalist goals/incentives
- Subculture = a group that comes together based on shared interest organically, without capitalism playing a role
We are advised as creators to find our niche, but in practice that often means we need to create the niche (via profile descriptions, consistent narrative in posts, vibes generally) and see who latches on. This feels almost like you’re manufacturing subculture in a way — but for ultimately capitalist reasons. You do this to find an audience to eventually monetize.
Subcultures manifest organically. The goal is not capitalist, but in belonging and (in a way) community support. Niches manufactured by a creator (brand/influencer/corporation) create a false sense of belonging, as if you belong with those also in the niche, but the goal of the creator is to monetize you. The minute you are not monetizable, you “churn” akin to someone canceling a Netflix subscription. You get emails kindly nudging you to come back because of some new podcast episode or discount for merch. You feel fomo, but that fomo is social pressure, induced via ultimately a capitalist origin point - the creator and their niche you found yourself in.
Subculture does not care whether you’re in or out at any given time. It just organically comes to life and dies when it’s no longer needed.
But how does it sustain? What keeps it going? What keeps the people a part of the subculture? Care — care to a degree beyond the desire to simply “be part of something.” The members (or at least a core few) creating real events, happenings, art, commerce for the good of the subculture but not with capitalist goals driving it. It’s not enough to just have folks care.
I think this is why we don’t see “subcultures” anymore, and ones in the past didn’t last long. Keeping one alive is a lot of hard work. Finding and exploiting a niche is pretty easy by comparison.
(Special thanks to ilyBBY who contributed many good ideas to this post.)
