Music Business Hacks

You've written a song. Maybe you even released it. But how can you multiply its reach and its earning potential?

With so much information out there for artists, newer and lesser established musicians often have trouble deciding on what is most important to focus on. Today, I speak with two younger artists about prioritization as well as addressing common questions for acts in earlier stages of their career.

This consultation session is part of the services provided by The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping underrepresented artists. To learn more about the organization, visit www.theslants.org

When it comes to your music or how you present yourself, what makes you unique? How can you approach your songwriting, marketing/communications, and your audiences with the mindset of differentiation so that you can create a scalable and sustainable career?

Resources:

Episode #291 -How to Dominate a Niche Market part 1: Find a need
Episode #292 - How to Dominate a Niche Market pt 2: Smallest Viable Audience
Episode #293 - How to Dominate a Niche Market pt 3: What if Your Audience is Too Small?
Episode #294 - How to Dominate a Niche Market pt 4: How to Find Your Niche
Episode #295 - How to Dominate a Niche Market part 5: Always Give Value
Episode #296 - Recap: The Secret Weapon to Success

I'm making a few predictions for how/when live, in-person music shows will return. If you want to be set for performances, then you better be prepared!

Resources & Related Episodes:

To optimize merchandise:

Episode #26: How to Calculate Return on Investment from Merchandise
Episode #31: How to Get Better Pricing from Merch Suppliers
Episode #39: 8 Tips to Help You Sell More Merchandise
Episode #50: Supplies Every Merch Bin Should Have
Episode #59: The Best Ideas of March:Merchandise, Digital Marketing, and the Interviews
Episode #205: Hacks for Merch Booths at Conventions, Street Fairs, and Events
Episode #287: Dropshipping Your Merchandise with Print on Demand
Episode #342: Making Your Own Merchandise

How to Get Sponsorships:

Episode #178 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 1 – How to Pitch Sponsors
Episode #179 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 2- Creating a Compelling Story
Episode #180 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 3 – Finding Your “It Factor”
Episode #181 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 4 – Connecting with Sponsors
Episode #182 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 5 – Making Your List of Sponsors
Episode #183 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 6 – Places to Find Even More Sponsors
Episode #184 – Hacking Sponsorships pt. 7 – How to Ask for What You Want
Episode #185 – Interview: How Whitherward God Subaru to Sponsor Their European Tour

Perfecting Your Stage Show:

Episode #4: Don’t practice. Rehearse instead.
Episode #43: Why Every Musician Should Have a Post-Show Game Plan
Episode #198: How to Captivate an Audience from Start to Finish

Algorithm, the great hidden gatekeeper, has fundamentally shifted the music industry: think about how many artists are now releasing singles instead of albums because they think it favors discoverability, how many release covers on YouTube in hopes of catching more attention, and how we fall into trends when it comes to our careers instead of focusing on the people we're really needing to reach?

This week, I speak with Eddie Lam, a musician in Vancouver, BC who has been able to see huge growth in his social media metrics by leveraging the native attributes in TikTok. But more than that, I wanted him to highlight his big picture goals of building community and show how his different strategies, whether promoting shows or teach guitar on TikTok, all support this vision.

Resources and Links:

Eddie Lam's official website
Eddie Lam on TikTok
Vancouver is Awesome news: Burnaby guitarist's one-minute music lessons are a TikTok hit

There are new social media sites popping up all the time and some rise to the surface more than others. Most recently, people have been swarming over TikTok, Twitch, and Clubhouse. In today's episode, I talk about what it actually means, where you should be focusing your attention, and the benefits of having a refined strategy connected to your goals.

Welcome back to the Music Business Hacks podcast!

We close out season 2 with final learnings from the DIY Musician Accelerator Program/Scaling Up series before launching a new series of content for you. In this episode, we'll talk with Aspen Jacobsen, Darro, and Maxximo, to hear in their own words what worked for them and what didn't work so well in terms of our mentorship program. You'll hear how all three artists doubled (or more) their following, increased engagement with fans, secured majored endorsement deals, and what their next steps are.

This year, CD Baby and The Slants Foundation launched a six month mentorship program for three lucky artists. Join me along with the selected artists Aspen Jacobsen, Darro, and Maxximo to see how they multiplied their social media following, secured endorsement deals from major companies, and increased their revenue - all during the middle of a pandemic! You'll also get a chance to ask your own questions to this music industry veteran and the artists mentored this year. And, you'll learn how you can be considered for this same program in 2021!

WHEN/WHERE: 

September 24, 4pm PST/7pm EST. You can stream here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtCLC0MZxUQ

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I’m providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we’re assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the third call with Aspen Jacobsen. Check out her work here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And listen to the full episode of this program here: www.musicbusinesshacks.com/370

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I’m providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we’re assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the third call with Maxximo. Check out his work here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And listen to the full episode of this program here: www.musicbusinesshacks.com/370

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I’m providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we’re assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the third call with Darro.

Check out Darro here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And listen to the full episode of this program here: www.musicbusinesshacks.com/370

This season, we’re partnering up with CD Baby to provide six months of mentoring and coaching to three artists in different genres and different stages of their career. You’ll get insights as to the kind of advice appropriate for building a scalable and sustainable career while getting to hear about their actual metrics. As the season unfolds, you’ll get to hear what works or what doesn’t work so well for these artists and learn how you can launch your own career as well.

In the third episode from this series, we'll be focusing on hashtag strategies, better outreach, and audience-focused music marketing that actually works. If you've been struggling with the use of hashtags or want to know how to quickly build your fanbase, this is the episode for you.

Follow the artists:

Aspen Jacobsen – teenage singer-songwriter: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Darro – indie/pop punk band: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Maxximo – Pop/electronic solo artist: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

If you would like to funding for The Slants Foundation effort to counter hate with art or to support our grant program, check out www.theslants.org/counteringhate

Also, Join us in Austin at the DIY Musician Conference: Use promo code DIYCON30 to save $30 off the registration. At the convention, we’ll be unveiling all of the final numbers from our six months of coaching and you’ll get to meet the artists in person.

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I’m providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we’re assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the second call with Darro. Check out their work here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And listen to the full episode of this program here: www.musicbusinesshacks.com/369 

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I’m providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we’re assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the second call with Maxximo. Check out his work here: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And listen to the full episode of this program here: www.musicbusinesshacks.com/369 

This season, we’re partnering up with CD Baby to provide six months of mentoring and coaching to three artists in different genres and different stages of their career. You’ll get insights as to the kind of advice appropriate for building a scalable and sustainable career while getting to hear about their actual metrics. As the season unfolds, you’ll get to hear what works or what doesn’t work so well for these artists and learn how you can launch your own career as well.

In the second episode from this series, we check in with our artists to see what tactics they've been using to grow their Instagram following, how they've been handling the current epidemic, and how their plans have been shifting. I also spend some time answering questions about approaching potential sponsors and sharing best practices for a focused approach in building audiences.

Follow the artists:

Aspen Jacobsen – teenage singer-songwriter: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Darro – indie/pop punk band: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Maxximo – Pop/electronic solo artist: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Resources:

• Hitmakers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction (book)
• How to Get Sponsorships and Endorsements (book)
  The Slants Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Creative Capital's List of Resources for Artists During COVID-19

Also, Join us in Austin at the DIY Musician Conference: Use promo code DIYCON30 to save $30 off the registration. At the convention, we’ll be unveiling all of the final numbers from our six months of coaching and you’ll get to meet the artists in person.

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I'm providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we're assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This is the first call with Darro. Check out his work at www.darrochea.com

And listen to the first full episode of this program at www.musicbusinesshacks.com/368

As part of the D.I.Y Accelerator Program and Scaling Up series on this show, I'm providing the full recorded calls with the artists so that you can get complete transparency with our conversations (as well as hear more about the work we're assigning based on their goals). It also allows you to hear what a consultation/coaching call is like and to dive more deeply into the artists who are in this mentoring program.

This first call is with Maxximo. Check out his work at www.maxximomusic.com

And listen to the first full episode of this program at www.musicbusinesshacks.com/368

This season, we're partnering up with CD Baby to provide six months of mentoring and coaching to three artists in different genres and different stages of their career. You'll get insights as to the kind of advice appropriate for building a scalable and sustainable career while getting to hear about their actual metrics. As the season unfolds, you'll get to hear what works or what doesn't work so well for these artists and learn how you can launch your own career as well.

Follow the artists:

Aspen Jacobsen - teenage singer-songwriter: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Darro - indie/pop punk band: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Maxximo - Pop/electronic solo artist: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Music in the episode includes:

The Slants - "Level Up"

Aspen Jacobsen - "Don't Go"

Darro - "You're Not Insane"

Maxximo - "Burn"

Join us in Austin at the DIY Musician Conference: Use promo code DIYCON30 to save $30 off the registration. At the convention, we'll be unveiling all of the final numbers from our six months of coaching and you'll get to meet the artists in person.

Today, I wanted to address current concerns as touring performer with the current global pandemic. How do we respond to numerous event cancellations and uncertainty about the near future? Are there opportunities for us to pivot?

Resources:

Episode #24 - Why Every Musician Needs an Intraband Agreement

Episode #171 - Musician Side Hustles Pt 1: How to Get Started

Episode #172 - Musician Side Hustles Pt 2: Hustles in the Music Industry

Episode #173 - Musician Side Hustles Pt 3: Using Your Skills in Other Ways

Episode #174 - Musician Side Hustles Pt 4: How to Balance a Side Hustle

Episode #175 - Musician Side Hustles Pt 5: Big Ideas for Any Musician

Episode #176 - Interview: How Tyler Chen Doubled His Income with Side Hustles While Touring in The Slants

Rolling Stone article: Coronavirus Could Decimate Touring Musicians’ Livelihoods