The Stream Queen returns! Beth Cherry is a streaming expert who has worked on songs from Coldplay to PinkPantheress - thru to one of the most streamed songs of all time - Tones & I - Dance Monkey.

This is Beth's second time on the show - and we try our best to ask all the questions you want to know about streaming platforms, and how you can use them to help you make a living from your music.

Lock in - it's time to get celestial. x

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

THE TEAM AROUND YOU - https://www.theteamaroundyou.com/

Episode Features:

- Beth’s top three priorities for artists trying to make a living from streaming in 2026.

- Why world-building matters more than obsessing over individual playlists or numbers.

- Thinking of DSPs and socials as connected “planets” - and how to make it effortless for fans to move between them.

- Reframing vague goals like “I want a million streams” into practical, achievable strategies.

- How asking better questions leads to clearer campaigns, collaborations, and growth.

- Why artists should give themselves permission to be artists again - not full-time marketers.

- The platforms Beth believes are most impactful right now.

- Simple, actionable ways to use each platform without overcomplicating your strategy.

- Why YouTube is still massively underrated for discovery, community, and ads.

- How Bandcamp creates deeper fan intention through physicals, downloads, and direct support.

- Using Substack as a modern direct-to-fan channel that artists actually control.

- Organic social strategy in 2026: making the journey from Reel or TikTok to streaming easy.

- Collaboration as a growth tool - on socials, playlists, live shows, and beyond the studio.

- Quality vs quantity in content: why one thoughtful post beats 200 rushed ones.

- What consistency actually looks like without burning yourself out.

- The real role of playlists in 2026 - why editorial and algorithmic discovery should work together.

- Why pitching your music still matters, even when it feels like shouting into the void.

- How pitching helps algorithms as much as it helps editors.

- Planning your year backwards: starting with how you want to feel and building the strategy from there.

New episodes every Monday x

Radio host. DJ. Producer. Label Boss. And an absolute legend in the game.

Danny Howard has perspectives on multiple sides of the music industry - and especially if you're an electronic music artist - this is a masterclass on what you should focus on to help you make a living from your music.

Plus - if you've been wanting to get your music to Danny - he shares the best way to do that on this episode too. 👀

DANNY INSTA - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dannyhowarddj/⁠⁠

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- Danny’s top three priorities for artists under 25 trying to make a living from music in 2026.

- Why finding your thing and doubling down on it beats trying to do everything at once.

- The uncomfortable truth about social media: why artists who don’t show up lose to those who do.

- How to use social content without selling your soul or doing cringe trends.

-The biggest lesson Danny’s learned as a label boss and radio DJ: consistency beats talent spikes.

- Why artists disappear after a hit - and how discipline keeps careers alive.

- Reframing rejection: why silence isn’t failure and how to keep momentum anyway.

- Smart demo strategy: why aiming slightly lower first helps you build faster.

- How labels actually think about signing music (story, momentum, and business reality).

- Modern tools like Trackstack and how DJs and A&Rs actually use them.

- Why creating your own momentum before approaching labels massively increases your chances.

- Old-school networking stories that still work in 2026 (yes, even waiting outside Radio 1).

- How commenting on posts can be more powerful than DMs for building real awareness.

- The kind of social content that actually grabs Danny’s attention.

- A real conversation on “faking it” online - where creativity ends and integrity matters.

- Why authenticity still decides who lasts and who gets found out.

- How Danny plans his year, sets goals, and stays accountable creatively.

- Danny’s pick for one to watch in 2026.

New episodes every Monday x

An incredibly valuable and relevant episode.

Today's guest is an expert in music tech, music business, so much so that one of the most recognisable brands in music - Billboard - has her as one of their main correspondent and host of their music industry podcast.

We first found Kristin Robinson's work last year when she broke down some of the techniques behind Charli XCX's 'Brat' on Jules Terpak's pod and ever since have found her takes on industry bits incredibly insightful and valuable.

So we're vvv hyped to have her share her top tips and thoughts to help artists at the start on this episode.

Regardless of your personal stance on AI etc - this is a useful show to help you be across and aware of where the industry could likely be heading. x

KRISTIN INSTA - https://www.instagram.com/wordsbykristin/

BILLBOARD ON THE RECORD - https://www.instagram.com/billboardontherecord/

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- Why AI isn’t something emerging artists need to panic about, but oversupply absolutely is.

- The real challenge of 2025+: not talent, but cutting through fragmentation and noise.

- Kristin’s honest take on tools like Suno and why most artists don’t need to touch them yet.

- How AI can help musicians by automating the boring, soul-draining parts of the job.

- The rise of “fan pages” that are secretly run by artist teams and why they work.

- How to recycle content without killing your main profile or annoying your audience.

- Why mixing and mastering AI can be useful when cash or connections are limited.

- The philosophical question: if a song changes your life, does it matter who (or what) made it?

- Why Gen Alpha may not care about AI music in the way older listeners do.

- A real example of an AI song going viral without people realising it wasn’t human-made.

- Why the future of music is increasingly grey, not “AI vs human”.

- How AI-assisted songs are already quietly part of mainstream releases.

- Why live music is becoming more valuable in the age of AI, not less.

- Why studying artists two steps ahead of you is more useful than copying superstars.

- The endurance-race mindset every aspiring musician needs to survive long-term.

- Why you don’t want your first song to be the one that goes viral.

- The myth of the “lazy successful artist” and why work ethic always catches up eventually.

- Kristin’s advice on reaching out to journalists: respectful emails cost nothing and matter.

- Why guilt-based promotion pushes fans away instead of building careers.

- What promotional strategies are working right now for emerging artists.

New episodes every Monday x

As a musician at the start of your career - there's a reasonable chance you are dreaming of touring your music around the world.

And whilst it is an incredible, beautiful thing when it goes right - a lot of the time artists aren't prepared for quite how intense or difficult parts of it are.

So, we are delighted to have a human on the show today who can help you with just that. Daniel Rinaldi - whose official description is 'Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), therapeutic coach, and former touring musician ' - but in short - he's just an incredibly lovely dude who can help give you the tools and systems to make sure you don't burn out on tour.

DANIEL INSTA - https://www.instagram.com/danielrinaldilmhc/?hl=en

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠

JON BELLION VID MENTIONED - https://www.instagram.com/p/DHqrfkYxskX/

Episode Features:

- Daniel’s top three habits for protecting your mental health as music becomes your career.

- What a “daily floor” actually looks like.

- How to stop tying your entire self-worth to monthly listeners, views, or release performance.

- Why every musician needs at least one person who isn’t afraid to tell them the hard truth.

- The brutal realities of your first tour - and how to mentally prepare so the low moments don’t break you.

- How to build healthy coping mechanisms before you hit the road and avoid the spirals.

- Understanding the difference between therapists and coaches, and how to choose the right fit for you.

- Why it’s completely normal to experience writer’s block, and how changing your environment can reset your creativity.

- The “be a sponge” method: find inspiration in films, galleries, nature, and comfort - not just in the studio.

- What really happens to your nervous system on tour - and why silence at home can feel more overwhelming than noise.

- How to handle the emotional crash after big moments: decompression days, slow re-entry, and communicating boundaries with partners.

- Social media and the modern fight-or-flight response: how creators can stay sane while still being active online.

- Why building a small but loyal fanbase beats chasing huge follower numbers that don’t care about your music.

- The Jon Bellion case study: talk directly to your community, ignore algorithms, and centre what makes you unique.

New episodes every Monday x

An epic episode that touches on the many different skills, traits, and questions you need to ask to help build a sustainable career in music.

Today's guest is Phil Loutsis - who ya may know from his decade + at AWAL working with both some of the biggest artists in the world, as well as exciting new artists.

And now he's fully focussed on building The Team Around You - a service that helps musicians connect with music industry humans and the services they need (think Radio Pluggers, Social Media Humans) - all without being a nepo baby.

THE TEAM AROUND YOU - https://www.theteamaroundyou.com/

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- Phil’s top three traits of artists that build sustainable careers.

An incredibly talented producer, songwriter, DJ, and all round creative rockstar - this week's guest is Daniel Allan.

So much to take from this episode - multiple epic stories on the importance of perseverance. Why you really have just gotta stay consistent on social media. How to build a world around your music that you love, and potential fans can love.

We'd argue this is one of the most inspiring episodes we've done, as there are so many parts of this show which show you that more than you think is within your control. x

DANIEL INSTA - https://www.instagram.com/danielallanmusic/

OUR INSTA - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠

Episode Features:

- The three things DA would tell himself starting out in music.

- Building your own community, even when you're from a small town.

- How a 30-hour drive and couch-hopping in LA led to Daniel’s first real network and career breakthroughs.

- The importance of showing up to sessions ready to bring value first, and why being fun to work with matters more than a perfect track.

- How to turn one great session into fifty - the power of word-of-mouth.

- Finding your sound through taste and habits - and why trusting your own instincts beats chasing trends.

- How DA 'found his musical identity'.

- An incredible story of how important consistent social media posting led to DA's first viral moments.

- Why followers are not alays fans - and how Daniel rebuilt his content strategy to turn reach into a real audience.

- The creative shift from iPhone clips to cinematic world building, and how visual direction deepened DA's musical identity.

- Daniel’s 30-minute rule: the mindset and discipline that kept him consistent when nothing was working.

- How to think of yourself as the creative director of your artist brand.

- The difference between Daniel (the person) and Daniel Allan (the artist) - and why showing both builds true connection.

- Lessons on speaking to people, not algorithms, and the power of human storytelling online.

New episodes every Monday x

Without a doubt one of the main topics that musicians ask for help on is streaming. The whole world of playlisting, profiles, releasing - all feels very daunting and artists don't know where to start.

Well listener - we are gassed to share todays episode with Matt Allard and Ian Greaves from SOAP Music. Two legends who between them have worked on streaming strategies for some of the biggest artists and labels in the world - and now - whilst they continue to do that - also work on the new artist side of things as well.

This is essentially a masterclass in streaming for new artists - lock in. 🔒

SOAP MUSIC - https://soapmusic.co.uk/

OUR INSTA - https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/

Episode Features:

- The top three streaming strategies every new artist should master in 2025.

- Why your artist profiles on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube are as important as your socials.

- How to pitch to DSP editors effectively - what to include, what to avoid, and why context matters.

- The truth about playlists: why you shouldn’t chase them too early and what to do instead.

- Why SoundCloud and YouTube as the secret weapons for early growth and fan connection.

- Case study: how KEO built a community on SoundCloud and landed in the global rock trending charts.

- Understanding “active” vs “passive” streaming - and why getting fans to choose your page matters.

- Algorithm hacks that actually work: building repeat listeners, curated artist playlists, and direct traffic.

- Why consistency beats virality - and how to sustain long-term streaming income.

- Real talk on TikTok: how to use social content to support your music, not distract from it.

- The importance of doing everything (live, socials, DSPs) in sync - there’s no single silver bullet.

New episodes every Monday x

If your goal as musician is to sign to your favourite record label - then this episode is a masterclass for you.

Amy Jayne is Senior Label Services Manager at LabelWorx - one of the biggest independent distributors in the world - and has a ridiculously impressive CV when it comes to working with labels in the electronic music world.

In this 30 minutes she shares all the things you should be doing - and potentially even more importantly - things you shouldn't - to increase your chances of working with your dream record label/

LABELWORX - https://labelworx.com/

ADE INFO - https://www.instagram.com/p/DPED8E3jYje/?img_index=1

OUR IG - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠

Episode Features:

- Amy’s top three tips for building relationships with your dream labels.

- How to find labels that fit your sound.

- The single biggest demo mistake artists make (and why WeTransfer is the enemy).

- What a perfect first email to a label actually looks like - and how not to get blacklisted.

- Social media myths - why follower count matters less than authenticity and consistent storytelling.

- Networking top tips - where to actually meet label managers and execs.

- Amy’s own journey from 12-year-old event promoter to Hospital Records to Labelworx.

- Must-know resources for new artists.

New episodes every Monday x

In a socials dominated 2025, the word PR can be a bit confusing.

Like, what does it actually mean for a musician right now? Why shouldn't you just make 74 Tik Toks a month?

Well, that's what we get onto in this show with Alfie Cattell, CEO of Decent Music PR - and it's a goodun. Full of helping you understand what actually matters for PR rn, plus plenty of practical ideas on how you can get your music in front of more people.

DECENT MUSIC PR - https://www.decentmusicpr.com/

OUR IG - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠

Episode Features:

- What PR really means in 2025 (far beyond press) and why results take time.

- Fans over followers: how to define a real fan and why engagement beats vanity metrics.

- Email lists!!!

- Practical ways to spark engagement on socials and how authenticity shows up.

- When and how to use paid ads on Meta to drive Spotify saves and playlist adds.

- Smart ad targets: promote your own curated playlist to lower the click barrier and nudge the algorithm.

- Creative assets that work for £0–£250 budgets.

- If you only have £250 for a single - what should you proiritise?

- A hustle case study: low-cost public performance/meetup ideas and repeatable on-the-go content concepts.

- How to vet PR companies, spot red flags, and when “pay on results” makes sense (press/radio) vs not (streams).

- Quick wins to try right now.

New episodes every Monday x

Another human being who is very aligned with our mission of helping as many musicians as possible make a living doing what they love.

Manny Singh is a new music obsessive who’s built a very cool world of superfans and v talented new artists thanks to his projects Fresh Press, Under The Radar.

On this episode we try and get the greatest hits of things Manny has seen in new artists that go on to have sustainable careers, dig into his ‘vibe board’ exercise, plus get onto one of our favourite topics - why you should never be scared to fire out the DMs.

MANNY IG - https://www.instagram.com/mannyssingh/

OUR IG - https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/

Episode Features:

- The three traits Manny sees in artists who break through.

- Why building a small, dedicated fanbase beats chasing loads of followers.

- How to use storytelling and personal passions (like Manny’s love of coffee) to connect with fans.

- Examples of creative fan engagement - from coffee shop meetups to DIY park shows.

- The ‘vibe board’ exercise Manny uses with new artists to define visuals, keywords, and listener personas.

- The butterfly effects that shaped Manny’s own journey.

- Behind the scenes of landing big interviews (including a chance Yungblud moment).

- Tips for DMing artists and reaching out that actually get a response.

- Why rejection still plants seeds and builds awareness of your project.

New episodes every Monday x