The David Andrew Wiebe Show

How do you access empowerment as an artist? How do you create and claim the opportunity that’s already yours?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:25 – The Renegade Musician bundle

01:24 – The starving artist stereotype

02:41 – The value of creativity

03:24 – So why do artists starve?

04:55 – What is a Renegade Musician?

06:49 – The Renegade Musician is a concept

07:59 – The Renegade Musician is a philosophy

09:49 – The Renegade Musician is an ideal

11:53 – The Renegade Musician is a movement

12:17 – Claiming your copy of The Renegade Musician

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

So, I’ve been sharing a little bit about The Renegade Musician digital magazine as of late.

The product was good, but the concept was especially memorable. Which is why I developed it into a full eBook.

And now I’ve bundled up the digital magazine and new eBook. You can purchase the bundle for $30 at Gum.co/RenegadeMusician as well as davidandrewwiebe.com/renegade.

It doesn’t matter much to me which link you purchase through. The Gumroad version mainly caters to my Twitter audience, but if you purchase through the Music Entrepreneur HQ link, you’ll be able to set up your account with Content Marketing Musician, where my top-tier courses and products live.

I’ll be sharing more about the eBook in future episodes, but in this episode, I wanted to read the first two chapters for you. So, let’s get into it.

Introduction

Are you tired of the same old, same old?

The starving artist stereotype has been perpetuated through the ages, and we even have tortured genius archetypes like Vincent van Gogh to point to whenever it’s convenient. People wrongfully assume he lived out a tragic, penniless life when in fact he was just an eccentric recluse who liked to paint.

But it gives your parents and teachers more reason to say, “Becoming an artist is impractical. If a genius like van Gogh couldn’t do it, what chance do you have? Go to school, get good grades, and find a good job. That’s your path to security.”

To be fair, if your parents or teachers are still saying that, they’re probably gen X or older. Millennials were born into a much different world, and intuitively, they have always known the flaws with the traditional model. They have always sought to do things their own way. Play by their own rules. Seek fulfillment outside the accepted norms.

It’s plain to see where the old model has led. We see it in the eyes of those whose DNA we share. And we don’t necessarily like what we see.

It’s all well and good to do things your own way, play by your own rules, and seek fulfillment on your own terms. But to do it right, requires a radical shift in perspective and approach.

And it begins with thinking differently about creativity and music in general.

The value of creativity is beyond any thoughts we entertain or conceive of in our daily lives.

Creativity is crucial to a child’s development. It teaches them valuable problem-solving skills, and it can even aid in the development of social skills.

Creativity is highly valued in the workplace. Business without creativity isn’t just boring. It has a way of being needlessly rigid and dogmatic. Self-important even. Business without creativity is stale and unappealing.

Most importantly, creativity is divine. That may seem a bold statement, but if we were to entertain the notion that God himself created the world we occupy, then to create is a godly act.

So, why do artists starve? Who’s responsible?

You’re not going to like the answer. Are you ready?

We are responsible.

If a man is appointed king but refuses to take his throne, it leaves the people no choice but to appoint another man king.

Give an inch, they’ll take a mile. As artists, we have given more inches than anyone would consider wise or prudent. When there are billions available in the industry, why do we settle for a few hundred?

We must rise and take back our rightful place as royalty.

There is no space for laziness, apathy, and self-righteousness. Not anymore. Because that is exactly what led to the situation, we have been facing in 2020 and 2021. It’s not a health crisis. It’s an identity crisis.

You were not meant to live off the scraps left behind by the trailblazing warriors. You were meant to enjoy equal or even greater spoils.

As artists, we have the numbers. And there is power in numbers. But we haven’t stood up and fought for what is rightfully ours. At the first sign of battle, we turn and run. “This battle is not ours to fight,” we say.

Trying to get Spotify to pay us one cent per stream is not the fight. The fight is for equity in Spotify, because without our content, where would they be? We deserve equity, and we shouldn’t have to ask for it. We should consider a boycott if they refuse.

And so, we need to shake off stereotypes. We need to stop giving an inch when others come to take a mile. We need to bear metaphorical arms and stand together. We need to be willing to become a new kind of musician – a Renegade Musician.

What is a Renegade Musician?

A renegade is someone who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles.

What I seek to desert, betray, or disrupt, is not a specific organization or country. But the principles by which artists have operated for decades. Centuries, even.

You and I know that we are so much more than just entertainers, though the value of an entertainer can easily be in the millions (just look at Hollywood).

Author Matt Haig said:

Music doesn’t get in. Music is already in. Music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn’t necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. A rebirth of sorts.

Author and professor of neurology Oliver Sacks said:

Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears - it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear.

Musicians aren’t just entertainers. We are also healers.

The work we do is of greater importance than modern medicine because modern medicine has somehow forgotten what we’ve understood from decades and centuries of testable, observable, repeatable, evidence. It has become about dictates and rules, not about wellness and health. Anyone who says current circumstances have nothing to do with politics, hasn’t properly understood this distinction.

Why should artists starve? For that matter, why should anyone starve when there is an overflowing abundance of supply for everyone who occupies our world?

We don’t need to convince anyone of our value. We need to internalize it. We need to feel it and live it. Then we will command what we are worth.

We all know that confidence carries with it an aura. And that is how we should carry ourselves. With a sense of confidence and sureness that precedes any fight over cents when we should be fighting for dollars.

Welcome, Renegade Musician.

The Renegade Musician is a concept.

The American Dream is a concept. You know what it is, without explanation. I am a Canadian, and even I know what it means.

But trying to explain it to someone outside of North America is sure to be an uphill battle. Where do you even start?

You can’t just say “it’s about 1.93 kids, a golden retriever named Charlie, and a white picket fence.” That might be your dream, but it doesn’t do the concept any justice.

You and I know that it’s about equality, opportunity, and the freedom to pursue and achieve your highest aspirations.

A concept that’s well understood in Japan but is largely misunderstood and over-explained in English speaking countries is Ikigai.

I grew up in Japan, so I know without a shadow of a doubt that Ikigai simply means “a reason to live (that shifts with priorities).” There are no accompanying Venn diagrams, or at the very least, there aren’t supposed to be.

A Renegade Musician is a concept. Which is to say, it’s not easily explained, but one knows when they see one and when they are one. It’s a way of life. And this is better understood through the chapters that follow.

The Renegade Musician is a philosophy.

As with the arts, philosophy continues to be devalued over time. This has led to brainless compliance and blind acceptance of what is plainly illogical, harmful, and even dangerous.

“Philosophy” has mostly fallen in the hands of loudmouthed charlatans and shills whose shotgun approach to business has somehow propelled them to guru status, when they themselves don’t even know what they stand for or what their methodology is anymore. Even they don’t seem to know or care that what they’re teaching is closer to mindset than method.

It’s time to reclaim the vitality of philosophy, along with the arts.

Why would we continue to quote Socrates through the millennia if his realizations were insignificant? Even Bill & Ted seemed to have some self-awareness in this regard.

No one seems to be willing to have open discussions about life and possibilities anymore. And having hosted a TEDx style community in which we encouraged open philosophical discussion for a couple of years, I can honestly say apathy has gotten the better of the human spirit. We rarely attracted more than a few in attendance, and maybe 20+ on the odd night.

Is it any wonder that politics have turned to dictates and orders, when it should stand for principles that protect and serve humanity, the everyman? Because right now it’s going in the opposite direction.

Open discussions can lead to new realizations. It can lead to a fresh perspective. It can lead to a reasonable and meaningful compromise, and sometimes a better, improved way of doing things.

The Renegade Musician is a philosophy. Because, as I said, philosophy should be made a priority again. And a new kind of musician needs to embrace a new philosophy....

Everyone in marketing and entrepreneurship says to go niche. Drill down until you can drill no more.

Let me offer a bit of a different perspective.

Towards the end of 2020, I started broadening my audience. Instead of creating content and products exclusively for musicians, I began extending my reach into the much broader, more competitive, and now trendy world of creatives and creators.

People have always told me that my books and products could be just as applicable to freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other creatives as they are to musicians. So, however illogical in the minds of the so-called “experts,” it made sense to me to pivot and try something new. What would be the harm? I was feeling stuck doing what I was doing.

Again, this isn’t supposed to work. You aren’t supposed to go general or broad.

But I did. And I was surprised by the results. My Twitter engagement started going through the roof, I’ve been added to numerous Medium publications, and my content is now being syndicated more widely. People have expressed gratitude for my emails and newsletters as well.

I would not say that I’ve arrived, and I haven’t found the exact breakthrough I’ve been seeking. I have big goals and expectations for myself. That said, this stands as a small victory. An experiment worth the trouble.

So, what about you? Are you feeling stuck?

Is it time for you to pivot or reconsider your direction? Is it possible you’ve been holding yourself back from becoming a thought leader, building a personal brand, or getting in to a “competitive niche” simply because someone told you not to go in that direction?

Everyone’s path is going to be a little different, so even the gurus can’t necessarily tell you which way to go. Chances are, you will get to where you want to go faster, or learn the lessons you need to learn on the way to getting to where you want to go, if you stop doubting yourself and start following your intuition more.

Try following your instincts, even if it’s just for 100 days. Think of it like an experiment and see where it takes you. The results might just surprise you.

For more inspiration, be sure to sign up for my email list.

Would you like to get your music streamed millions of times on Spotify? What if there was a proven step-by-step process you could follow to achieve that goal?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:25 – Owner of Fame Hackers Isabella Bedoya

01:34 – Approach to digital marketing and e-commerce

03:06 – Why Spotify?

04:50 – The importance of being fan-centric

08:16 – How do we go about finding our ideal fans?

11:30 – Why is it so important that artists optimize their brand to attract their ideal listeners?

13:50 – Getting the right kind of PR and playlisting

18:16 – Is maximizing your revenue as simple as growing your fan base?

20:35 – Sales funnels for musicians

22:09 – Who not how

24:02 – Can artists get millions of streams?

26:32 – What's the last YouTube video Isabella watched?

27:02 – What's Isabella’s daily routine like?

28:47 – What is the greatest challenge Isabella has overcome?

30:12 – What is the greatest victory Isabella has experienced?

31:00 – Are there any books that helped Isabella on her journey?

32:29 – The Renegade Musician

Transcription:

David Andrew Wiebe: Today I'm chatting with the founder of Fame Hackers, Isabella Bedoya. How are you today, Isabella?

Isabella Bedoya: Hey, David. Thanks for having me here today.

David: Yeah, thanks so much for joining me. So today, you run Fame Hackers but when you used to work as an A&R for a label under Sony Music, what led to you doing what you do today and what has your trajectory been like?

Isabella: Such a great question. Back in the day when I used to be an A&R, I quickly realized that the very first thing that people are like, or like at least labels are looking for are artists that have a social media following that's real, high quality, authentic, essentially demonstrate that they have a fan base, and that they also can monetize that. Right? So basically, I understood that as long as you have digital marketing and ecommerce principles as part of your music career, then you can make it successfully as an independent artist. So yeah, once I figured that out, then I was like, "Okay, cool. So, if you can just teach an artist how to do this, there wouldn't be so many starving artists in coats, right?" That's how I got to where I am today, just that desire to help.

David: That's awesome. And yeah, you're totally spot on. It is so challenging, I think, to convince musicians that they have to learn digital marketing or eCommerce principles. So, I know you have your own approach to that. What is your answer to that?

Isabella: I mean, honestly, it is one of the most challenging things to teach artists and musicians because also... And I don't think it's their fault exactly but I also think it's because of the way that society thinks that independent artists are like starving artists and it's a hobby, and it's a pipe dream, you're never going to make it. So immediately, you have these very talented, gifted individuals that are not able to actually live up to their full potential just from the way that they were raised. And it's not even on the parents. It's just society in general. That's how the majority treats musicians. So, when you first get them to actually step out of that and actually realize that they're super valuable, and worthy, and talented, and then you just teach them how to market themselves in a way where you're not also being kind of like slimy and icky because I know that's something that comes up a lot where people don't want to be like sellouts. But yeah, it's just teaching the people the right approach of how to show yourself in a way that is going to be beneficial for everyone.

David: Yeah, I like what you said a lot about being valuable and worthy. That's kind of the theme of the eBook I just came out with today - not an April Fool's joke. It's The Renegade Musician and it's at gum.co/RenegadeMusician. I might send you a free copy there Isabella in case you want to check it out but it's definitely about artist empowerment. I feel like it's a timely important message for musicians.

Now, I know one of today's theme is going to be Spotify. I've been chomping at the bit to do an episode about this because I know it's been trending for a long time. And it's very much alive and well. I think I really just needed the right guest to talk about it but I'm going to be the devil's advocate right away and say, "Why Spotify? Isn't it's super crowded? Doesn't it pay less than a cent per stream?"

Isabella: Absolutely. First of all, David, I would absolutely love a copy of the book. That is so amazing that you wrote that. And, you know, Spotify is one of those things where it's like a really useful tool but it gives you a false hope or a false perception of success. Right? I'm kind of diving a little bit deeper on that. What I mean by false perception of success is so many people place so much importance on getting streams and getting this number of streams up. Although that's a good metric, at the end of the day, those are kind of like your passive listeners, not necessarily your active audience or your active fans. So, a lot of the services out there, they're like super shady playlist stirs or playlist pluggers, or the services that artists are spending their hard-earned money on things that aren't really going to move the needle forward. And a lot of them are fake playlists, which can then harm your whole entire song on Spotify. So, it's just one of those things where you just have to be really, really careful but also understanding, you know, at the end of the day it's the fans that help you make it.

David: Yeah. And you mentioned a lot of things there that we're going to dive deeper into, including the bit about passive and active listeners. I think I found that compelling, and it's a really important thing to dive into. I think, first, you're a big advocate of building that strong fan base. You talk about the importance of being fan centric as an artist. I definitely agree but why is that so significant?

Isabella: Well, that's a great question because especially in today's world, where everybody is an influencer, everybody's a founder, everybody's a podcaster, right, everybody has merch, we're at war for attention. It's very simple. We're at war for attention. And then the people that are successful, gaining over the attention, those are the people that are actually being successful and making a living off of it, whether they're influencers or brands, or whatever it is. So, when you become fan centric, you're literally placing your fan as your number one consumer. That's the most important part of your movement. They're going to support you. They're going to love you. But in return, you have to show that same level of respect for them. So, if you really think about it, it's kind of like having stellar customer service for the fans. And when you can become that person, right, where you can actually make the fan the centre of your universe, you always make them happy, you provide for them, they're going to do that plus more tenfold. So that's one of the reasons why I think independent artists should start being more fan centric.

David: From your perspective, is that different from the traditional model somehow, where artist getting away with not interacting with their fans? Or are we just in an age now where we have to be even more diligent about engaging our fans?

Isabella: I think it's, of course, on a case-by-case basis, but there's a lot of... in terms of people that aren't really being engaged with their fans. I think now more than ever, we're in the age of accessibility. So, we have to be accessible. And there's a lot of artists out there that they've read blogs or books or whatever, they just have this idea or notion that just because they're artists, that they have to have a barrier between them and their fans, or that they're, you know, a little bit more of a higher pedestal maybe because they get a little bit more clout and exposure. But at the end of the day, if you really want to be successful, and we see the big artists do it, right, like Taylor Swift has a whole department dedicated for her fans because she gets it. So, I think if you really like... and this is what we're saying too. If you really want to be successful with your music on social media and have that digital presence, you have to place your fans first and open up the level of accessibility with them.

David: Right. So, you could have a mysterious personality. You probably just couldn't be like Prince and be a recluse in practice all the time and get away with it.

Isabella: I mean, even then, right? You can still be super mysterious but just saying hello, or commenting back, or DMing them, just engaging with them in your own mysterious ways too, right, if that's your brand you're going for. But it's just that level of interaction that it's really interesting because it's on a psychological level. If you get a notification on your phone from Instagram, it releases dopamine, right? So, it makes you feel good. So, if you're getting that dopamine, and then it just happened to be by one of your favorite artists or like someone that you're going to like, that's going to increase that level of loyalty. Like, "Oh my gosh, I feel so special." Such and such just like my comment.

David: That's a big thing that I was learning from my coach recently. He has a course called Conversational Conversions. People can find it if they want for just $9 over at SuperfastResults.com. It's ridiculous. The number one thing that I learned was, anytime anyone follows you, just say hi and thank the person for following them. If you want to go a step further, you could send them a video too thanking them. That can be unscalable but at least initially that can create a stronger engagement.

Isabella: Absolutely.

...

In uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught up in doing a lot of fancy, new things that might not yield results. But sometimes, the best thing you can do is get back to the basics.

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:31 – Creativity is all about the process

00:55 – Year one mindset

01:20 – Are you doing what you know you need to do?

02:05 – Are you still committed to learning?

03:10 – Do you have the right pieces in place?

04:22 – Are you making checklists and procedure documents?

05:30 – Are you taking care of yourself?

06:32 – Episode summary

06:56 – First-time coaching special

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

We need to be able to find joy in the process.

Creativity is all about the process, and if we end up focusing on the results, we can rob ourselves from the joys of creating. Your creativity has a way of becoming a means to an end if all you care about are the results.

Which is why I thought I would talk about getting back to the basics. I have found incredible value in adopting a year one mindset. And what that means is letting go of whatever has or hasn’t happened in the past. It means getting excited about the process again.

So, here are some questions you can ask yourself to see whether you’re engaging in and focusing on the right things as you look to create and share your music in 2021.

Are You Doing What You Know You Need to do?

This might seem like an odd question, but it’s essential.

If you know you’ve got a performance coming up, be it a live stream or otherwise, are you spending time preparing for that performance?

Are you building out your website?

Are you engaging your social media following?

Are you sending out weekly email newsletters?

This is all quite basic, and nowhere near as sexy as Clubhouse or Instagram. But doing what you know you need to do has a way of producing the results. Whereas experimenting with the latest social media platform can wait.

Consider sitting with this question for a while. You will begin to see things you could be dedicating some time and effort to.

Are You Still Committed to Learning?

Are there gaps in your knowledge? Things you know you should learn, but have neglected? Things you keep avoiding?

I’ve been watching my business coach’s old training videos, and I’ve come to see just how adept he is at things I have considered boring – things like keyword and competitive research, conversion tracking links, identifying business opportunities, profit and loss statements, and more.

Now, as a musician you might not be actively thinking about those things. You might be trying to learn the Lydian mode, or trying to coordinate outfits with your band, or figuring out how to film your own music videos.

The point is that we all have gaps in knowledge and oversights. There are things we avoid, things we don’t like, things we’re not good at.

If these areas don’t have a direct impact on our careers, then we don’t necessarily need to put all our time into developing strengths in them.

But if they are holding back our careers, we should be willing to revisit them. Because our next breakthrough might come from augmenting our weaknesses.

Do You Have the Right Pieces in Place?

You may have heard me talk about James Schramko’s Own The Racecourse methodology before. It’s a system for creating your own platform and growing it through the publishing of content.

Well, for a long time, I’ve been doing a lot of the work myself, either because I was afraid to hire, or I just didn’t have enough revenue to be able to bring someone on the team.

But I recently brought on a podcast editor, and this has shaved several hours of my week I can reallocate to other work or just relaxing and resting.

And that’s when I started to see that the system works much better when you have the right pieces in place. I didn’t. I was trying to do it all myself.

So, are there any apps you know you should buy but haven’t yet? Would you benefit from hiring a freelancer to handle your graphics? Could you delegate menial tasks to someone who would be willing to handle them for a small fee?

The engine works much better when all the other parts also have what they need to operate, be it fluids, belts, batteries, or otherwise. I don’t understand cars that well. I just thought it was a good metaphor.

Are You Making Checklists and Procedure Documents?

Here’s one thing I know a lot of people find boring. But creating and following checklists or procedure documents allows you to do things more consistently and efficiently.

I have a checklist for content syndication and distribution. So, whenever I publish a new post, I just follow that checklist, and I’m done getting my content out to a dozen or so platforms in 10 to 15 minutes. I wouldn’t be as consistent, let alone efficient, if I didn’t have that document.

This kind of goes hand in hand with the last question, but it’s drilling a little deeper into the pieces. And each piece kind of needs its own checklists or procedures.

And it also relates to what I said earlier about boring tasks, because to a creative, systems seem incredibly uncreative.

You don’t need to systemize your songwriting. But maybe having a process for your new releases would cut down on a lot of planning, brainstorming, and thinking. If you have a procedure you can follow and depend on every time you release new music, you can speed up the process and be clear on what you need to do next.

Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

As I’ve said so many times before, your career or business doesn’t exist without you. In the car metaphor, you are the engine. And without the engine, the car can’t run. Kind of like how you need a liver to live.

Nothing else works when you don’t work. And the cost of burnout can be significant in terms of time and money. Recovering from my last burnout took the better part of six months, and I still find that I need to moderate my workload and beware of overdoing work, caffeine, exercise, or otherwise.

Are you feeding yourself quality fuel? Are you getting sleep and rest? Are you moving your body?

Have a listen to episode 227 of the podcast with Yannick Tinguely if you haven’t already. He offers some great tips on taking care of your health and fitness.

If you want to get back to the basics, you’ve got to always make sure you’re in good working order. You can’t perform at your best unless you’re looking after you.

Episode Summary

In summary, here are the questions

Are you doing what you know you need to do?

Are you still committed to learning?

Do you have the right pieces in place?

Are you making checklist and procedure documents?

Are you taking care of yourself?

If you’re already engaging in the basics, great. Otherwise, spend some time inside these questions. You will benefit from reflecting on them.

So, if you need guidance on any of this, I have been a long-time musician and creative coach. I have a program called the First-Time Coaching Special, for people like you who have yet to work with me. It’s heavily discounted for newcomers. If you’d like to get started, simply go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Special.

This has been episode 230 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 did we learn in the series on what to do with your music in 2021? What new opportunities did we discover? And most importantly, what actions will you we be taking as result?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:31 – Bringing the series on what to do with your music in 2021 to a close

00:54 – Experimentation and opportunities in music

02:21 – Part 1: Being fully self-expressed, making music, artist website

02:36 – Part 2: Musician tools

02:57 – Special offer

03:50 – Part 3: Actionable data, cryptocurrency, email list

04:10 – Part 4: Fan engagement, networking, sync licensing and placements

04:36 – Episode summary

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

Well, I think we’re finally ready to bring this series on what to do with your music in 2021 to a close.

I’ve touched on all the points I wanted to, which isn’t to say that I’ve laid out a comprehensive strategy from top to bottom.

But those who understand the opportunities represented will be quick to jump on them, while plenty of others will sit by the sidelines doing nothing, trying nothing, changing nothing.

If it were me, I would go out there and give everything my best shot, and this is not “do as I say, not as I do.”

I’ve been publishing daily on Medium since July 28, 2020 and I’ve also been sharing my content far and wide – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Odysee, Mix, Pinterest, LinkedIn, VK, Brighteon.Social, Minds, MeWe, Gab, Parler, Telegram, Revue, and more.

I’m also in my third month of publishing weekly on News Break.

Maybe all this experimentation will go nowhere, but how will I know without even trying?

As a musician and creative coach my daily life may look a little different than yours, and there might be a gap between some of the activities we engage in. But the point is that you’ve got to take the initiative and be willing to try.

And I’m an independent musician just like you. Yes, I have other pursuits. But that doesn’t mean I care any less about music and don’t dedicate my share of thought, time, and energy to it. I play my guitar every single day, and I’m coming up with arrangements for songs I’ll be recording. I was recently asked to compose music for a short as well.

Like I always say, there are plenty of opportunities out there.

So, let’s review the main points covered in this series, and as I mentioned before, if you’d like me to turn this into a more detailed course, showing you the step-by-step of each part, just let me know.

Part 1

In part 1 or episode 219 of the show, I talked about a way of thinking. And that way of thinking is to be fully self-expressed. Don’t hold back. Make the music you’ve always wanted to make.

I also talked about making more music in general and making sure you’ve got your artist website set up.

Part 2

In part 2 or episode 220 of the show, we looked at a mix of tools that can help you grow your online presence, share your music, get connected with other musicians and people in the industry, do competitive analysis, and more.

There are a lot of great tools out there, and if you aren’t taking advantage of the latest tech, you could be missing out big time.

I’ll be back to finish this reflection in just a moment, but first, here’s a special offer for you.

Sellfy

Setting up a website can be time-consuming. And the whole point of building a site is to get your music heard, appreciated, and hopefully, sold.

Have you heard about Sellfy? This platform has been built with creatives in mind. It allows you to set up your own eCommerce store in minutes. It lets you sell digital products, physical goods like merch, and even subscriptions, all from just one place.

If you’re tired of messing around with complicated website builders, this is the solution you need. Go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Sellfy that’s s-e-l-l-f-y to start your free trial. That’s davidandrewwiebe.com/Sellfy.

We are an affiliate of Sellfy and if you purchase anything through our link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Part 3

In part 3 or episode 225 of the show, I shared about actionable data and insights, earning cryptocurrency, growing and engaging your email list, and more.

Again, these are timely and relevant topics, especially if you know what’s going on in the world right now. Be proactive. Be an action taker and start preparing yourself for worst case scenarios.

Part 4

In part 4 or episode 226 of the podcast, I covered what I would consider the crux of the matter. If you follow through and action parts one through three, what you’re left with are high-level opportunities – connecting with fans, networking, pursuing sync licensing and placements, or setting up a fan club or membership site.

If you want to growth hack your way to the top, you could almost just pick one opportunity and go all in on it.

Episode Summary

With that, here’s today’s episode summary.

We’ve already looked back on parts one through four of the series, so the main thing I want to leave you with is this:

Even if you have the best ideas in the world, it makes no difference whatsoever unless you do something with them.

And, this year, if all you do is sit back and watch as things unfold, you’re going to miss out.

Now, I can’t motivate you. I can only inspire you. And I dedicate myself to that cause daily.

If you’re not inspired after listening to this series, or if you have no idea what you’re going to be implementing in your music career, then go to my blog at DavidAndrewWiebe.com and find something that piques your interest. If you’re still not inspired after reading, then you and I probably aren’t the best match.

So, if you’re ready to make the most of the opportunities available this year, but you’re not sure where to get started, head on over to davidandrewwiebe.com/Special to sign up for your heavily discounted personalized coaching session with yours truly. There’s no commitment. Nothing scary about it. If you go to the link, you’ll be asked to enter your email, which unlocks a quick video. You can either purchase your coaching session then and there or come back to it later. Either way, I’ll follow up with you. So, go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Special to get started.

This has been episode 229 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Each year, we look back on the year past and the content we’ve published. What stood out? What topics interested you most? What made an impression on you?

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

Podcast Highlights:

0:28 – The simple joys of creating

0:40 – Possible course

1:03 – Top 10 posts from 2020

1:49 – Following Your Heart as an Artist – with Videographer & Musician João Filipe

2:52 – How to Start a Record Label with No Money

3:21 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2019

3:48 – Building Relationships to Grow Your Music Career – with Ty Frankel of Shut Down Media

4:33 – How to Use Data to Grow Your Music Career – with Ben Mendoza of Beatchain

5:03 – The IMDb of the Music Industry – with Vasja Veber of Viberate

5:38 – Things That Make You Go “Hmm…” About the Coronavirus

6:35 – Social Media Marketing for Musicians in 2020, 2021 & Beyond

7:49 – How to Become a Better Singer – with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio

8:29 – SoundCloud vs. Bandcamp

9:10 – New digital music magazine

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

Well, it feels great to be bringing you another episode. I’ve been getting back to the simple joys of creating lately, so it makes the task of putting together an episode for you a joy filled process.

The series on what to do with your music in 2021 is only another one or two episodes away from being complete, and I might even turn it into a course if that’s something that interests you. Be sure to let me know.

I didn’t plan on stretching out that series for as long as it has gone, but there have been more than a few things to cover this year, and I know there’s going to be a lot more to share with you throughout the year. It’s going to be quite exciting.

But speaking of things that need to be completed, I haven’t shared the top 10 posts from 2020 yet, which is something we do each year.

We’ve been doing things a little differently at Music Entrepreneur HQ this year – we’re actually putting a lot of effort into simplifying – so in 2021 we haven’t put as strong of a focus on the new year as we did in years past. Most of what we typically publish made it over to my website at DavidAndrewWiebe.com.

Is this a welcome change? Or do you feel like you missed the new year content? You can let us know. Our contact page is easy to find – it’s at davidandrewwiebe.com/contact. And for quick and dirty communication, Twitter is always best. I’m @davidawiebe on Twitter.

But with that, I’d like to reflect on the 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ posts of 2020.

10 – 181 – Following Your Heart as an Artist – with Videographer & Musician João Filipe

It’s always great when we can highlight a listener, their journey, as well as some of the things they’ve been able to accomplish as result of tuning into the podcast and being part of the Music Entrepreneur HQ community.

João is someone who’s gone onto become a music entrepreneur in his own right, as a videographer for Kscope. His journey is a transformative one, as he went from being a musician to a videographer for his favorite record label. In a way, those types of transformations are my favorite, because it’s like what I went through as well.

People sometimes ask what to expect if they work with me or take advantage of my products. Well, episode 181 of the podcast is a good place to start.

And by the way, if you’ve never worked with me before, I offer a product called the First-Time Coaching Special, which is the heavily discounted version of my one-on-one coaching program for newcomers. You can get started at davidandrewwiebe.com/Special

9 – How to Start a Record Label with No Money

There are always people looking for shortcuts. In this post, I focused more on the possibility of starting a label on the back of sweat equity and low-cost tech, as getting started with no money is mostly a pipe dream unless your plan is to get a loan and pay it back later. Even then, you need money.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and in this episode, I used my problem-solving skills to help future record label owners get started sooner rather than later.

8 – 179 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2019

Remarkable that we should see another top 10 make it into this list. But episode 179 of the podcast obviously drew some attention. With a mix of guest posters and podcast guests being featured, I think there is always a bit of a frenzy surrounding posts like these.

So, thanks to all past contributors, as well as those who were a part of our content ecosystem last year.

7 – 207 – Building Relationships to Grow Your Music Career – with Ty Frankel of Shut Down Media

I had a great conversation with Ty Frankel, and part of the interview was even edited down because we went off on a complete tangent about Japan and travel in the middle of it.

Ty is a great guy. I don’t think the fullness of his knowledge or personality were reflected in this interview. I’ve since discovered that his Twitter personality is funny, direct, and a real hustler. When I think about it, he’s the one that ended up leading me down the Twitter money track, even though I don’t think Ty himself is a proponent of that.

Either way, if you’d like to see what I mean, Ty is @THETYFRANKEL on Twitter. Absolutely worth a follow.

6 – 197 – How to Use Data to Grow Your Music Career – with Ben Mendoza of Beatchain

I believe Ben Mendoza was one of the first to come on the podcast to share about how musicians could take advantage of data in a concrete way to grow their music careers.

And Beatchain is an incredibly powerful tool. If you haven’t started an account and connected your various social profiles yet, go and do it now. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

And don’t forget to have a listen to this episode on how data can transform your music career.

5 – 180 – The IMDb of the Music Industry – with Vasja Veber of Viberate

There are a lot of new platforms showing promise, and Viberate is one of those that has been going through massive growth.

Whether you’re seeking artists, festivals, or venues, Viberate has probably got them in their database, and if you can’t find something, you could consider contributing to their platform.

They’ve even got charts for artists in a variety of categories, as well as guides, webinars, and tutorials on a mix of topics.

As with Beatchain, Viberate is also a great place to access actionable data for your music career.

4 – 185 – Things That Make You Go “Hmm…” About the Coronavirus

So, apparently a lot of people resonated with my candid thoughts on the pandemic, or they were at least curious to hear what I had to say about current events.

That isn’t to say this was an insanely controversial episode. I know for a fact there are people saying far crazier things about what’s happening in the world right now.

It seems like lockdowns are making everyone a little crazy, and some even think we’re in the Biblical end times. Look, if it’s getting talked about on my show, chances are, it’s not the end times yet. The Bible you’re referring to says, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” If you’re anticipating it, it’s not coming.

Please get back to the basics of taking care of yourself. Exercise, go for walks, meditate, eat well, and sleep plenty. Find some meaningful work and hobbies to engage in. Watch your screen time. Turn off the news and leave it off. I promise you’ll start to feel better.

3 – 203 – Social Media Marketing for Musicians in 2020, 2021 & Beyond

No surprise that social media was a strong focus for musicians in 2020, and it’s one of the reasons I always return to the topic. This episode covers some of the high-level things that are best to keep in view when taking advantage of social media as an artist.

Our stance on social media at Music Entrepreneur HQ, as well as the results we derive from it, haven’t changed much at all in the last few years. But there is a lot you can do with it if you use it the right way.

What has changed in 2020 and 2021 is the sheer number of platforms now available, and it’s quite stunning – Telegram, Clubhouse, Parler, Gab, Minds, MeWe, Odysee, and many, many others. Some of these aren’t even new, mind you.

Personally, I’m focusing on Twitter and Medium as my traffic channels, but I have been experimenting far and wide with a variety of platforms, so I’ll need to get into that in a future episode.

And, if I’m being honest, my personal stance on social media has also changed somewhat in the last few months. I got disillusioned with social media years ago, but now I’m getting back into experimenting to see what works.

2 – 198 – How to Become a Better Singer – with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio

Matt Ramsey found himself at the top of this chart last year, and here he is again at number two. He didn’t quite make it to number one this time, but I think this is more than enough reason to catch up with him again this year, and I think this time we’ll discuss business methodology. I mean, we’ve got to keep to the theme, right?

Either way, Matt and I had a great conversation in this episode, and it helps that him and I met beforehand. As well, his audience is quite engaged, so many of them discovered The New Music Industry Podcast for the first time through this episode, and that’s something we always like to see.

1 – SoundCloud vs. Bandcamp

Evidently, plenty of musicians are interested in figuring out the differences between SoundCloud and Bandcamp. I’m not going to lie when I say that in my research I found and specifically targeted this keyword, because I knew we could rank for it, but I’ve received some great feedback on this piece.

As a summary, what I can say for sure is that both platforms have their uses, so which you choose is going to depend on a lot of factors, like whether you’re trying to get your music heard or tryi

How do you take care of your health and fitness as a musician? How do you make sure you’re always performing at your best?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:23 – Health and fitness expert Yannick Tinguely

04:21 – Injuries you can sustain as a musician

07:08 – Getting into shape as a musician

09:37 – What sort of results have you gotten for yourself?

12:25 – Tips for making your performance better

18:26 – The iceberg diagram

18:52 – Adrenal fatigue and anxiety

19:58 – Best protein to consume as a musician

23:18 – Listening to your body

25:54 – A musician’s recovery routine

29:06 – Tips for maintaining balance

32:25 – Good health and fitness advice for musicians

37:36 – Overworking yourself

39:44 – Are there any books that have helped you on your journey?

43:31 – Next steps to improve their fitness and health

46:34 – Final thoughts

47:17 – Exciting new magazine

Transcription:

Coming soon.

Closing Segment

Are you feeling pumped up yet? Then why not get pumped up some more? I just published the first issue of our first digital magazine called The Renegade Musician, and right now it’s pay what you want. This offer only lasts until the end of March, so if you’re ready, head on over to gum.co/RenegadeMusician to claim your copy. That’s gum dot c-o slash Renegade Musician.

This has been episode 227 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Trying to figure out how to nurture your fan base? Looking for music business models that work better than Spotify algorithm exploits?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:26 – What to do with your music in 2021 summary

00:49 – Interview with Vasja Veber correction

01:04 – Connect with everyone who comes through your doors

01:48 – Network far and wide

03:11 – Pursue sync licensing and placements

04:22 – Set up a fan club or membership site

05:24 – Stop whining

06:13 – Episode summary

06:54 – New exciting course

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

I’m back with part 4 of what to do with your music in 2021.

In part 1, I talked about strategy and mindset.

In part 2, I talked about tools to help you set up your website, promote your music, and do competitive analysis with.

In part 3, we looked at analytics, cryptocurrency, and growing your list.

Part 4 is where you’ll start to see a lot of it come together.

Now, before I get to that, I made a bit of an error in the last episode. I said that my interview with Vasja Veber was 198 when it was actually 180. Not sure what I was thinking there, but there you go. Either way, we made sure to correct it in the show notes.

Let’s get into part 4.

1. Connect with Everyone Who Come Through Your Doors

In the past, you may have let your welcome series do the work for you. Or maybe you waited for new fans to comment on a Facebook post to engage with them.

But let’s be more proactive about connecting with people in 2021. They aren’t a number, nor are they an email address.

When someone joins your list, celebrate them! If they buy something from you, send them a personal thanks and maybe even send them a “thank-you” note via snail mail.

We’re basically talking about customer service here. And when people have a good experience with you, they tend to think of you when they need something, and even tell their friends.

We can’t just hope and pray that people are going to stay engaged with us after they’ve joined our community. We’ve got to be proactive about learning more about them and interacting with them.

You’ve got to love on your fans.

2. Network Far & Wide

Did you know that employee referrals are the top source for hires?

What that means is that knowing the right people makes all the difference. People do business with those they know, like, and trust.

So many people want to work their way straight to the top, and unfortunately, it generally doesn’t work that way.

You need to start with your local scene and get to know the movers and shakers.

Even in a city like Calgary, where I used to live, there were successful songwriters who I ended up connecting with.

Might they know a thing or two about writing great songs? Would they know some people of influence? Could they co-write with me or introduce me to a manager, producer, or label?

You bet they could!

But I’m not counting on that. My prerogative is to build an authentic friendship with them.

And maybe next time they need an opening act or need a lead guitarist to play on their project, they’ll think of me.

But I need to stay top of mind with them if I have any hope of getting the call. So, whether it’s sending “thank-you” notes, sharing an interesting article with them, going to their workshops, or otherwise, I’d better show up when I can.

Despite lockdowns, now is the best time to expand your network, and it doesn’t matter what platforms you’re using to do it.

I like Twitter a lot. It’s instant and easy, and there are so many smart people on the platform. But you pick what works for you.

If you’d like to go deeper into networking, have a listen to:

Episode 149 of the podcast with Brian Bob Young

3. Pursue Sync Licensing & Placements

In part 1 of this series, I talked about making more music.

Well, if you want to pursue sync licensing and placement opportunities, then you’re going to need to get used to cranking out the tunes.

The upside potential of getting your music into media is amazing, and you don’t even need a fan base to make an independent income at it.

Now, you might read something online about how to get into this part of the industry, and come away feeling like it’s much too complex, nerve wracking, or high stakes.

Look, I need you to focus. Get started, get going, and adjust as you go. Don’t worry about the details so much. That’s going to paralyze you.

If you want to earn a real independent income in music, get off Spotify and give this area of your career some serious attention.

Create accounts with ReverbNation, Musicxray, SonicBids, and Rumblefish. You’re going to figure out whether those platforms work for you relatively quickly.

And to be honest, licensing and placements largely comes down to relationship, which goes back to my last point.

If you’d like to learn more about licensing and placements, have a listen to:

Episode 19 of the podcast with Helen Austin

Episode 211 of the podcast with Adam McInnis

4. Set Up a Fan Club or Membership Site

There has never been a better time to set up a fan club or membership site. The technology is better and easier than it’s ever been.

Look, chances are, you’re not going to make thousands of dollars on Spotify. And it’s so much easier to do with a membership site.

If you had 30 people paying you $100 per month, just like that, you’d be making $3,000 per month.

If that seems out of reach for you, then get 300 people paying you $10 per month. The economics of it still make more sense than Spotify!

If you’re not tech savvy and you’re just getting started, then take advantage of a free platform like Patreon to set up your membership.

If you’re looking for a flexible platform you can do just about anything with, check out 10XPro. Go to davidandrewwiebe.com/10XPro to learn more.

We are an affiliate of 10XPro, and if you purchase through our link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you’d like to learn more about membership sites, check out:

Episode 41 on membership sites

Episode 214 with Sarah Beth Perry

5. Stop Whining

Look, we all get rejected. We will all go through tough times. I understand this as well as anyone.

But don’t let your emotions spiral into prolonged pity parties.

Some people won’t answer your emails. Some people will say “no.” Others will berate you for daring to email them.

It’s just how it is. It’s not your fault, you’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got. Mistakes will be made.

Don’t expect others to do what you aren’t willing to do for yourself. Anything you can do yourself you should do yourself, or you will feel disempowered in your music career.

Making it in music has never been easy, and it will require a tough mindset.

If you need more help in this regard, have a listen to:

Episode 216 of the podcast on offense

Episode Summary

So, here’s today’s episode summary:

Be more proactive in connecting with your fans. Make a lasting impression on them.

Network far and wide. Show up, show your face, and get in front of the people who can open doors. Stop hiding behind your computer screen.

Look into licensing and placement opportunities. Begin submitting your music to relevant projects.

Set up a fan club or membership site. It might not work, but you won’t know unless you give it a try, and recurring income is amazing when you can get it going.

Stop whining. We all experience rejection. We all go through tough times. It’s about what you do with those experience that counts. Learn from your mistakes and fail forward.

So, if you’re tired of doing dozens of things that don’t grow your music career… If you’re fed up with a stagnant, dwindling, or disengaged fan base… If you’re sick of not earning the income you deserve from your music… Head on over to davidandrewwiebe.com/Masterclass to learn all about how my latest course can help you. That’s davidandrewwiebe.com/Masterclass.

This has been episode 226 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

How do you collect and act on the right data and insights to grow your music career? How can you start earning cryptocurrency as a musician? How do you grow your list, stay connected to your fans, and boost engagement?

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

Podcast Highlights:

00:32 – More tools to maximize your opportunities in 2021

01:10 – Beatchain

01:57 – Viberate: IMDb of the music industry

02:44 – LBRY and Odysee

04:00 – ConvertKit: Connect with your audience

04:52 – Leadpages: Lead capture and sales funnels

05:49 – Episode summary

06:26 – Exciting new course

Transcription:

Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe.

We’re finally ready to pick up where we left off with the series on what to do with your music in 2021.

In part 1, I covered some high-level strategy and mindset. In part 2, we looked at tools to help you share your music far and wide.

And, today, we’re going to be looking at more tools that will help you develop your strategy, connect with your fans, and grow your list.

The important thing to remember is that a tool itself doesn’t have the ability to make you successful. It’s more the mindset shift and empowerment that comes from using a tool that makes all the difference. Does that make sense?

So, here are several more tools, apps, and websites that will help you maximize your opportunities in 2021.

1. Beatchain

Now, it’s entirely possible you’ve heard a lot of talk about data in the music industry already. But while some data is useful, much of it isn’t.

Amid all the noise and fluff, I find Beatchain to be a breath of fresh air. All you’ve got to do to get started is to sign up for a free account, connect your social media profiles, and Beatchain does the rest.

It will show you where your fans are located, which of your social media posts are performing the best, identify related artists (there might be some collaboration opportunities there), which playlists you’re on, and more.

You can upgrade to premium to gain access to more actionable data, like which playlists you could be on. There are a ton of tools on the inside, and honestly, you just have to see it all for yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about Beatchain, have a listen to:

Episode 197 of the podcast with Ben Mendoza

2. Viberate

Viberate (that’s v-i-b-e-r-a-t-e) is like the IMDb of the music industry, with a database of artists, venues, festivals, events, and more.

The first thing you should do is see whether an artist profile already exists for you on Viberate. And if it doesn’t, create one! That’s what I did.

You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to find how many networks, online stores, and streaming apps you can link up.

Viberate, like Beatchain, gives you access to actionable data. If I’m not mistaken, you can even help build out the platform by setting up artist profiles and earn cryptocurrency.

Anyway, this is another promising platform and one you need to see to believe.

If you’d like to learn more about Viberate, have a listen to:

Episode 180 of the podcast with Vasja Veber

3. LBRY/Odysee

If you’re a YouTube power user, then LBRY and Odysee are platforms you should absolutely know about.

YouTube is great for exposure. You can get your videos in front of a bigger audience. But where LBRY and Odysee shine are with monetization.

Now, Odysee has been built on top of LBRY, and there’s no need to sign up with both. Odysee has a few add-ons that make the overall experience a little more like YouTube.

The reason I’m excited about Odysee is because it’s a decentralized free speech video sharing platform. Your channel is monetized the moment it’s created. I have earned over 300 LBRY credits so far, and that’s just from messing around with it, not even treating it like a business. And that’s equal to a little over $50, though LBC does tend to fluctuate in value a lot.

Again, YouTube is still bigger, and in some ways it’s easier to get more exposure there. But if you want to monetize your work, I will argue that it would be worth adding Odysee to your portfolio and upload your videos there too. If I’m not mistaken, if you already have over 300 subscribers on your channel, you can sync up your channel with Odysee without having to manually upload all your videos.

If you’re ready to get signed up with LBRY, just follow this link.

4. ConvertKit

I’ve had some questions recently regarding the best email service providers for musicians. Look, there are a lot of ESPs out there, and most of them are going to do the trick. It’s just that they all vary in complexity, functionality, and price.

If you’re just getting started today, then Mailchimp is fine. It’s free to get started with them, but at some point, as your email list continues to grow, you’re going to end up paying something anyway.

I think ConvertKit is the best option for creatives, because it’s been built specifically with creators in mind. It’s free to use up to 1,000 subscribers, and they even offer great support and free courses you can take to level up your email game.

This is just a personal endorsement, not a paid endorsement for ConvertKit. I’m not an affiliate with them either, although I will probably be signing up with them.

Just go to ConvertKit.com if you want to learn more. That’s c-o-n-v-e-r-t-k-i-t.com.

5. Leadpages

ConvertKit is perfect for designing and sending emails, as well as nurturing and engaging your fans. But what about collecting email addresses?

Look, you can put an email capture form on your website and hope and pray. Sometimes, this does work.

But many times, you want to give something away for free in exchange for an email address, right? It tends to work better than just asking for someone’s email.

Leadpages is jam packed with tools to help you capture emails, and they make it easy for you to give something away for free in exchange for an email address. You can even build complex lead capture and sales funnels with their tool if that’s something you’re doing.

Leadpages isn’t necessarily cheap. But they make it super easy for you to build high-converting landing pages, pop-ups, alert bars, opt-in texts, trigger links and more.

If you’d like to learn more, go to davidandrewwiebe.com/Leadpages.

We are an affiliate of Leadpages, and if you purchase through our link, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Episode Summary

Alright, so here’s today’s episode summary:

Beatchain gives you actionable insights into your music career and furnishes you with multiple growth tools.

If your artist profile isn’t already on Viberate, claim it now, link up your destinations, check out the analytics, and help build out the platform if you want to earn some crypto.

Get on Odysee right away to start earning more from your creativity.

ConvertKit is quite simply the best ESP for creatives.

If you want to collect more email addresses faster, take advantage of Leadpages. They’ve got all the conversion tools you need.

If you’re ready to make 2021 your year, head on over to davidandrewwiebe.com/Masterclass to learn about my latest course, the Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, your fan base isn’t growing, the riches and fame you were promised were all just a big joke, and you’ve been on the verge of giving up, this course is for you. Head on over to davidandrewwiebe.com/Masterclass to get started.

This has been episode 225 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world.

Do you make beats and instrumentals? Are you a mixing and mastering engineer looking for clients?

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

Podcast Highlights:

0:25 – Your questions answered

0:48 – Marketing your beats, instrumentals, mixing and mastering services online

4:43 – Approaching new artists professionally

6:27 – Pre-qualifying before selling anything

7:28 – Building connections and networking

8:48 – Exciting new course

Transcription:

Hey, it's David Andrew Wiebe. Today, I had a few questions from Kevin that I was looking to answer. I think he might have asked these over a month ago, but here we are. I'm going to make sure to send this episode over to him when it's done. But I figured if he has these questions, then there's going to be other people out there wondering about these same things. So, here are my answers.

His first question was, how do I market my beats, instrumentals, and other services like mixing and mastering online and increase first time and returning customers?

Now, Kevin, if you haven't done this already, set up a professional looking website. My recommendation is to take advantage of a hosting company like SiteGround. That's our favorite. You can go to davidandrewwiebe.com/SiteGround if you'd like to support us. You don't necessarily have to obsess over design. Simple is often better than complex these days. But just pick a really nice theme and customise it until it looks and feels right to you.

You'll also want to showcase your portfolio. So, show samples of your beats or instrumentals. You don't have to give everything away but you want to make sure that people can get a sense of what you're capable of on your website.

The number one thing to prioritize on your website is the collection of emails. I would suggest experimenting with a simple capture form, as well as with a lead magnet. People sometimes like to access something for free that will be valuable to them in exchange for their email. Sometimes won't even give you their email without that extra step.

There's a great book called Magnetic Marketing that really explains this process in detail, although you don't necessarily need to access that resources. The point is, if you have something your audience wants and you're giving it away, they're more likely to give you their email address as well. And if you have their email, you can follow up with them in your weekly newsletters. So, make sure to establish that routine of creating weekly newsletters with content. We'll get to content in a moment but that's another important piece.

If you're using a payment processor on your website, then you also want to make sure that you can collect emails and people's contact information so you can follow up with them. Your existing customers always make for your best customers so encouraging repeat business is just a matter of following up with them oftentimes.

Now, getting in front of your audience consistently can be a little more complicated and can certainly take some work, but I'm going to help you try to fast track that process. So, I would recommend committing to a content strategy. Once per week you should be publishing a blog post or a podcast episode or a video. Now, you should choose one channel. Don't try to do them all. I'm going to suggest here that you take advantage of video for a couple of reasons.

Videos are great, especially on social media. Showing your face can build trust with your audience. Now, you definitely don't need to reinvent the wheel here. I'm going to suggest that you don't. I would just think about the most common questions you've been asked and then address those in your videos. If it helps, you can also think about the questions you wish people would ask. Be sure to add a call to action at the end of your videos, whether it's, “visit my website," “check out my rates," or “here are some of my beats.” All that beautifully created content is all for naught if you can't get people in the door.

The other great thing about video is that you can distribute them across various social media channels. You can put them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Those are the main channels I would recommend. Those are where you're going to get the most traction, and you're going to see the most people engaging. You can also publish your videos or embed your videos on your blog. That's recommended as well.

Now, this strategy does require some time and effort. So, don't go into it thinking that it's somehow going to be easy but it can be quite effective. Platforms like Twitter have some limitations. They only allow videos of up to two minutes and 20 seconds, but that might be a reason or a bit of an incentive to keep your videos short. People in social media tend to like short, punchy content anyway.

Kevin’s second question was, how do I professionally approach small artists on Instagram or through email?

Now, you're probably aware already that artists are generally budget conscious and don't want to be sold to. So, you're dealing with a bit of a price sensitive audience. That said, I still see some ways you can approach this. I think it'd be good to think of this in terms of qualification. Not them qualifying you, but you qualifying them to make sure they're a good fit. Now, you're going to want to approach artists differently depending on the services that you are looking to sell. So, let's talk about your beats and instrumentals first.

I'd imagine your target audience is vocalist, rappers, and people who don't play instruments, because most musicians don't need beats or instrumentals. So, you want to start off saying something along the lines of, “Hey, I listened to your stuff. It's quite good. Would you be interested in collaborating?” Now, just so you know, this is not a bait and switch. We're not going to turn around later and say, “You need to pay for my services.” That's not it at all. But there is a strategy behind this.

So, your goal at this point is just to get them in the door, not to sell them. And when you get a yes, then we're going to small scale project with them to show them what you can do. Now, I realise this is time intensive but there's different ways to leverage this. You could just do one of these per month, film the whole thing, and then share that content on your various channels. If the artist has a good experience with you, they're going to tell their friends and you're making a video, which should also help you generate a lot of new leads.

Now, let's look at your mixing and mastering services. The first question you should be asking is not whether they need your mixing or mastering services. Your first question should be, are you working on a new release right now? That's going to pre-qualify them, right? There's a whole process to this. We want to pre-qualify them before we try to sell them anything. And remember that people love to talk about themselves. So, if they are working on something, then ask them a few questions about their project and why they're excited about it before advancing the conversation.

Now, after you've had a few exchanges, don't go on too long, maybe five messages or so, send them to your website, where they can see your rates. Now, you can still keep this relatively low pressure and just say something along the lines of, “I'd love it if you keep me in mind for future projects. Here's my website. Sign up for the free email list while you're there for some free tips.” Let your website do the rest. In that way you can keep following up with valuable content on a weekly basis.

Kevin's third question was how do I network and build connections? How do I utilize them to get major placements and work with larger artists?

Well, here's the harsh reality, Kevin. The less you're willing to invest, the lower the quality of the connection is ultimately going to be. You really get what you pay for. For a lot of reasons, there's no easy way to break into the mainstream without having paid a price because the artists who've gone before you have all paid a price to be where they're at. If you don't have a TAXI subscription, that'll be a great place to start. I know it's not cheap but if you want to make better quality connections, that's going to be a serious consideration.

They have an annual convention called the Road Rally. And for obvious reasons, it's virtual right now. But you want to make sure you're attending all free days. Show up early, stay late, and chat with as many people as you can. Not with the intention of selling but with the intention of curating connections and establishing relationships, friendships even. I'd be surprised if you didn't generate a few prospects or leads out of that.

Now, I can't say for sure and I can't guarantee anything but I have a feeling TAXI is pretty much exactly what you've been looking for. Especially if you're looking to work with major artists or get major placements, so I would recommend looking into it. If you can't afford it right now, see if you can save up for it.