The David Andrew Wiebe Show

Have you ever suffered a crushing, embarrassing, infuriating defeat in your music career?

Look, you wouldn’t be the only one. It would be quite unusual for a musician or music entrepreneur to go their entire career without encountering some serious hardship. I’ve been there myself.

But when do you give up and move on? Most people quit after the first defeat. And after a long, hard road with a second, third, and fourth offense, the crowd tends to get thinner and thinner.

It’s not that you can avoid failure. It’s what you do with it that’s going to make all the difference.

And that’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:59 – The Police’s former manager, Miles Copeland

01:33 – Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

06:42 – Why examining your failures is essential

08:58 – Following your passion and being honest with yourself

12:58 – Being authentic and transparent in your writing

19:17 – Mile’s thoughts on how the music industry has changed

22:12 – Effective artistic branding – getting noticed

28:46 – Fighting for something you believe in

32:57 – Telling your story as an artist

37:26 – Are there any books that have helped Miles on his journey?

42:31 – Closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back by Miles Copeland

The New Music Industry by David Andrew Wiebe

Music Money Machine

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

Releasing music today is like putting your CD in the deepest, darkest, and most cluttered corner of a Walmart and expecting random customers to discover it, don’t you think?

Well, if you’re doing what everyone else is doing, chances are you’re going to end up a music commodity. Just one product in a huge store with shelves that keep getting fuller.

I’m not saying you should reinvent the wheel. What I’m saying is you need a strategy. And that’s why I put together a free training called the Music Money Machine.

If you’re tired of earning a pittance of streaming royalties and would like to create offer stacks that separate you from the crowd, go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Machine to claim your free training now.

This has been episode 252 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Every marketer says you’re supposed to define your target audience. Make up some names, find some stock photos online, paste them onto a board along with everything you know about your prospective fans.

Have you ever had a disconnect with this process? Were you stopped at any stage of developing your customer avatar?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:37 – Returning to a critical music career topic

01:03 – The “mind-reading magic” of target audiences

02:38 – Dipping into the Brunson well

03:40 – Target audience vs. dream customer

06:21 – Episode summary

07:18 – Closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson

The Music Entrepreneur Code by David Andrew Wiebe

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

In my continued exploration and investing in my ongoing self-education, there’s a topic I wanted to return to and share on newly. And that’s on the topic of defining your target audience.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve rolled your eyes any time anyone brings up the subject, because you’ve heard it before, and you’re not sure how this mind-reading magic is supposed to work.

The Mind-Reading Magic of Defining Your Target Audience

I started calling it “mind-reading magic” last year because of the books I was reading, which would talk about the importance of defining your target audience, but not offering concrete steps on how to do this.

Or it was just the same things I’d always heard:

Demographics – age, gender, location

Psychographics – what they read, where they hang out online, what they’re interested in, what matters to them

Customer interviews – talking directly to your audience about what they want (something I’ve done this year)

Setting up customer avatars – the process I hinted at, at the top of this episode

And even after I’d gone through that process, it was all kind of nebulous to me and didn’t make a tangible difference in my career or business.

If I can share something with you, it was really the same thing with trying to learn the pentatonic scale on the guitar.

I’d figured out the basic box pattern and could play it, but when I wanted to be able to play across the entire fretboard, I was stuck.

I assumed that I would somehow have to memorize every note on the fretboard, which felt daunting, and even impossible to me.

I read multiple resources, but none of them added up for me.

It wasn’t until I watched an Eric Johnson video that it finally landed. He talked about shifting between the patterns, and then it clicked.

There are five patterns to the pentatonic scale, and having learned each, you can shift between them. That was a big “aha” moment for me.

So, all this to illustrate that sometimes we can understand something as a concept, but not have it make much of a difference in our lives because some part of it hasn’t fully landed.

Sometimes we can understand something as a concept, but not have it make much of a difference in our lives because some part of it hasn’t fully landed.Share on X

Discoveries in DotCom Secrets

So, what I’m going to share here comes from Russell Brunson’s DotCom Secrets.

Now, as a disclaimer – I have friends who noticed I’ve been dipping into the Brunson well and have been cautioning me against it.

And trust me, I get it, I’m quite familiar with the culture it has bred. And I’m not excited about the culture or the hype machine snake oil sales. I’m just excited about the discovery and the information that I’m getting, and how it’s connecting the dots and filling in the holes for me.

You can’t have a book the size of DotCom Secrets and not have some powerful takeaways in it.

Last year, I made the decision that I would keep an open mind to learning from everybody, because frankly you just never know what might connect with you and leave you with an instant awakening.

And as a further note of caution, I’m not here to plagiarize, and simply recite what I’ve read, so if what I’m sharing connects with you, I’d suggest picking up a copy of the book for yourself.

I’m here to share what I’ve been in discovery of, and how the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together for me, which in turn should make a difference for you.

Is “Target Audience” the Right Framing?

So, this is what I’ve been discovering.

First, “target audience” is perhaps the wrong framing. I’m finding “dream customer” to be a far more powerful way of thinking about it.

When we say, “target audience” we really get lost in the minutiae of it – age, location, gender, interests, things like that. And that’s all helpful, it just doesn’t tell the full story.

You can find most of that data online in about an hour or less.

Like, I can tell you right now, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’re my age plus or minus 10 to 15 years, you live in US, Canada, India, UK, or Japan (although I know I have listeners in other countries), and you’re interested in music and building a music career.

And I’m kind of guessing here, but you’re probably an information junkie, and you probably hang out on sites like YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Instagram, Clubhouse, and the like. Feel free to fill in the blanks for me if you like.

That’s all well and good, but what I’ve described is mostly just a broad overview of my target audience, not my dream customer.

In addition to everything I’ve already mentioned, my dream customer is also well-read, listens to several podcasts, keeps a busy schedule, and doesn’t have a lot of time to do research. They’re actively looking for solutions to challenges in their careers, has money to invest in themselves, is sharp, ambitious, and has a strong work ethic, has a music career in motion but hasn’t been able to achieve everything they’ve set out to do, is feeling kind of stuck with where they are, is on a treadmill of desperate repetition, and likely has already tried every strategy or tactic without breakthrough success.

Although I kind of rattled it off stream of consciousness style, that’s what I see about my dream customer, because those are the people I can help – those are the people I can cause a breakthrough with. It’s where I can cause the greatest results and make the greatest difference.

See, if we’re only thinking about getting more people to listen to our music or buy our products, we’re not actually looking at where we can make the biggest difference, and how we can serve those people at different levels. And I’ve been losing sight of that lately.

Although there are always exceptions, there’s a progression to things. People usually read a blog post, then download something for free, then attend a webinar or a live stream, then buy a tripwire offer, then a course, then a mastermind…

That might not apply to your specific business model, but the point is people usually go from something free or low cost and then follow a journey into something that costs slightly more, and then something more, and then something more.

So, I hope you’re seeing something for yourself in this conversation, that it’s not just about knowing how old your audience is, or that they live in the States, or that they like Corgi puppies. That’s stuff is helpful. But it’s really being clear on who you can serve and what the greatest result you can cause for them is.

Episode Summary

And here’s your episode summary.

Just because we’ve researched a topic doesn’t mean we completely understand it – we might have it as head knowledge, but it’s possible it hasn’t translated into transformation and a mission that makes every next action you take crystal clear. Stay in discovery and keep looking.

There’s a difference between “target audience” and “dream customer.” Identify who your dream customer is because that’s where you can make the biggest difference and it’s also where you’ll find your superfans. Also determine the greatest possible result you could help them achieve.

Once you know your dream customer, let that guide every next action you take. The content and products you create, the platforms you publish to, the copy you write, and practically everything you can imagine on a tactical level should be influenced by your dream customer and the conversation they’re having with themselves and with others.

Closing Segment

So, if you’re ready to define your target audience and you’re looking for a step-by-step plan for connecting with them online and off, be sure to pick up a copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code at davidandrewwiebe.com/Code.

This has been episode 251 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe and I look forward to seeing on you on the stages of the world.

What happens when all your plans fall apart because of circumstances unfolding in the world? What do you do next? What could you do?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:28 – Introducing Brendan Jeannetti of Music You’re Missing

00:58 – Why start a podcast?

03:43 – Launching and helping artists get exposure

05:19 – Wait, David wrote five books!?

07:01 – How did Music You’re Missing become successful?

07:46 – A level playing field for independent and signed artists

08:55 – Best tips for new podcasters

11:39 – Branding forms the foundation of your marketing efforts

13:03 – What is something surprising Brendan has recently learned?

16:16 – Is TikTok valuable for artists or podcasters?

17:28 – Brendan shares a few artists he thinks you should hear

21:04 – Is David always cool, calm, and collected when he’s interviewing others?

22:05 – What’s the next big step for Music You’re Missing?

24:40 – What’s the last YouTube video Brendan watched?

25:23 – What is Breandan’s daily routine like?

26:29 – What’s the greatest challenge Brendan has overcome?

28:31 – What’s the greatest victory Brendan has experienced?

30:22 – What books have helped Brendan on his journey?

31:18 – Brendan’s closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Music You’re Missing

The New Music Industry by David Andrew Wiebe

Stephen Day

B’z

Winger

Harem Scarem

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you enjoyed this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I want to invite you to pick up a copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code. If you’re struggling to adapt in pandemic times, this book will help point you in the right direction. Get your copy at davidandrewwiebe.com/Code.

This has been episode 250 of The New Music Industry Podcast. Wow, now we’re really starting to feel like a senior podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

How much reading do you do as a musician? If you’ve been a longtime listener of The New Music Industry Podcast, I suspect you’ve already adopted the learning habit. And if you have, I have no doubt you’re getting a lot of value out of it.

But are you making the most of every book you read? It’s easy to pay lip service to your personal growth habit, but the truth is you might not be getting everything you could be getting out of your reading.

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:44 – When David discovered the magic of books and reading

01:50 – What’s the point of reading?

02:32 – Did the education system set you up for success in your reading efforts?

03:21 – #1: Read the book

04:31 – #2: Underline or highlight passages that jump out at you

05:20 – #3: Take notes (on quotes, ideas, and anything you see to implement)

06:03 – #4: Keep your discoveries alive with spaced repetition

06:49 – #5: Apply what you learned

08:21 – #6: Follow the breadcrumb trail

09:12 – #7: Pay it forward

10:09 – Episode summary

10:54 – Closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Killing Marketing by Joe Pulizzi & Robert Rose

The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

No B.S. Business Success In The New Economy by Dan Kennedy

The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone

The Music Entrepreneur Code by David Andrew Wiebe

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

Are you ready for some new material? If you haven’t picked up your copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code already, this would be a good opportunity to do exactly that. This book isn’t just for music entrepreneurs, it’s for musicpreneurs too. So, get your copy at davidandrewwiebe.com/Code.

This has been episode 249 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

What if you could secure, distribute, and promote your music all from one, convenient place? What if you could spend more of your time doing what you love to do as a creator?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:35 – TuneGO – “record label in a box”

04:30 – Will TuneGO make record labels obsolete?

06:56 – What is the importance of metadata and what benefits does TuneGO offer?

09:35 – Who can benefit from TuneGO?

10:31 – How much does TuneGO cost?

12:27 – How will TuneGO scale with demand?

15:13 – Are NFTs viable for independent artists?

18:47 – Being true to yourself in music

25:19 – What’s the last YouTube video John watched?

26:08 – What’s John’s daily routine like?

28:17 – Are there any books that have helped John on his journey?

30:23 – What is the greatest challenge John has overcome?

33:57 – What is the greatest victory John has experienced?

35:09 – Concluding thoughts

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you enjoyed this episode, and you’re looking to put the right structures in place to ensure your success, I’d like to invite you to pick up a copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code, my best-selling guide on cracking the code on independent music career success. For in-depth insights into making your passion sustainable and profitable, go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Code for your copy.

This has been episode 248 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Creating an income in music isn’t that hard. But growing and scaling that income can be. And it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, not knowing what changes or tweaks to make to cause a breakthrough.

What’s the number one thing getting in the way of creating an income in music?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:37 – Are we going to be talking about “fear” today?

01:16 – Have you ever had these experiences (questions to ask yourself)?

02:46 – What do those experiences look like as applied to your music career?

04:20 – What is the real cause of your struggle?

06:19 – Why do we stop doing what’s working in our music career?

07:15 – What is the solution to this pain?

09:22 – What weekly habit could you adopt to make more income?

09:55 – Next powerful steps you can take

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you’re ready to stop doing what doesn’t work, if you want to start prioritizing the right things, if you want to stop getting lost in busywork or let discomfort get in the way of what you want out of your music career, I want to invite you to pick up a copy of my best-selling guide, The Music Entrepreneur Code. Go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Code to get the special edition PDF eBook.

This has been episode 247 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

What have you learned this past year? How are you applying it to your music career? What difference is it making for you? Have you gotten any breakthrough results?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:29 – Let’s talk about The Music Entrepreneur Code!

01:14 – It’s time to get out your pen and notebook

03:52 – An exercise in discovery – questions to ask yourself

07:25 – Closing thoughts – here’s your call to action

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you enjoyed this episode, and you don’t already have your copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code, I want to invite you to get yours today at davidandrewwiebe.com/BuyCode. My books are high value and easy to read and are worth considerably more than we’re asking. Honestly, if I consider the time that went into it, and the value and experience packed into it, I’m basically giving my books away. So, get your copy at MusicEntreprneurHQ.com/BuyCode and come ready with a pen and notebook in hand for the next episode.

This has been episode 246 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Are you struggling to get people to check out your content? Do you feel like no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to build up your following?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:31 – The content hustle and organic reach

03:33 – Organic reach is still platform dependent

05:46 – How to create powerful content that reaches a larger audience

08:46 – Podcasting is an outlier

11:10 – An organic video distribution strategy that still works (but it takes work!)

13:00 – If you have an established brand, organic reach is still on your side

14:28 – Dream 100 as a possible solution

17:11 – Advertising as a possible solution

18:37 – The #1 mistake in all of marketing

20:13 – Episode summary

20:39 – Final thoughts

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you enjoyed this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, you may have identified a need. Digital marketing is changing fast and trying to keep up with new developments and best practices is frankly dizzying. That’s why I created the Digital Marketing Essentials for Musicians course. It offers a simple, step-by-step system to establishing a solid online base so you can get the results you’re looking for online. Simply go to ContentMarketingMusician.com and click on the Digital Marketing Essentials for Musicians banner to learn more.

This has been episode 245 of The New Music Industry. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Are you looking to earn an income in music? Do you keep tripping over obstacles on the way to getting what you want out of your career?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:29 – The “Free Money Course”

01:25 – Tackling the taboo subjects

01:57 – #1: Stop poo-pooing everything

05:48 – #2: Stop diminishing yourself and your capacity to take on new things

10:27 – #3: Give up the need to be right about everything

13:21 – Episode summary

14:26 – No matter what level you’re at, you can benefit from coaching

16:52 – Supporting the education of underprivileged children in South America

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

So, if you enjoyed this episode, I just wanted to let you know that between now and November 19, 2021, if you purchase any of our bundles, courses, or programs at Content Marketing Musician, designed specifically to help you get results in your music career, we’ll be giving 50% of the proceeds to the education of underprivileged children in South America. And even those of you who are telling me everything is going great; you can leave a donation to make a difference. Go to ContentMarketingMusician.com to browse our products or leave a donation.

This has been episode 244 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Are you tired of going broke as an artist? Do you keep running out of funds to be able to do the things you want to do in your music career?

That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast.

Podcast Highlights:

00:18 – Today’s guest is Justin Longo of MariNationMusic

00:35 – Why did Justin start MariNationMusic?

01:59 – What it’s like to be a music producer

03:22 – How does MariNation work?

05:45 – What would it look like to be financially free as an artist?

08:37 – Is investing a rich man’s game? Or can artists get involved too?

10:17 – Everyone manages their money differently – to each his own!

12:21 – Who is MariNation for?

14:00 – What about the coming economic meltdown?

19:26 – What’s the last YouTube video Justin watched?

20:46 – What is the greatest challenge Justin has overcome?

23:19 – How long was Justin stewing on the idea of MariNation?

27:53 – What is the greatest victory Justin has experienced?

28:46 – What books have helped Justin on his journey?

30:53 – Closing thoughts

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of finances and get of better sense of how to manage your money as an artist, I want to invite you to pick up a copy of my best-selling book, The Music Entrepreneur Code. Go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Code to learn more.

This has been episode 243 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.