Blog
Practical thinking on music marketing, artist development, audience growth, and the business side of the industry.
Music business
This past July I played one of my dream gigs. I opened for artists I’ve been a fan of for years. I debuted in the city of Chicago, which also has a rich history for me. Everything lined up. But it was 6 years in the maki…
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Releases and marketing
A lot of artists ask me what’s the best plan for releasing and marketing music so I put together a checklist that you can follow for your next release!
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Content and audience
Fun Fact: Only 1-5% of your followers actually engage with your content, but personal messages and replies can have 10x the impact. If you would say thank you in real life, why not do it online? So many artists stress ab…
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Music business
Though we met online through the power of social media our conversation revealed we have more in common than we thought. Particularly how we think about artists progressing in their careers. Here are 3 things we wholehea…
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Artist development
I have a rare and unique skill set in that I’m an artist myself and have spent lots of time in the trenches.
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Artist development
A friendly reminder of how this music thing works
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Content and audience
There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when you make music just for you . Not for the algorithm. Not for the A&Rs. Not for the playlist gods. Just for you.
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Music business
KARE came to me as a passionate hobbyist. She loved music, DJed casually, and had a background in production. But she lacked structure, confidence, and community. So we went to work.
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Spotify is watching. In the first 7 days of a release, it tracks data like: Plays Saves Shares Playlist adds If your song lights up, the algorithm kicks in — and boom: Discover Weekly, Radio, and other algorithmic playli…
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I speak with artists every day, and this week 3 of them said the same thing… all within 24 hours: They’re feeling stuck. Know what they have in common? They all have managers. But their managers aren’t delivering. Here’s…
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Artist development
Are you sick of editing videos? Spending hours on content that lasts 15 seconds only to get a few likes and no real engagement? Yeah, me too. Lately I’ve noticed a big uptick in Instagram Carousels. Those posts with up t…
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I had the ultimate pleasure of seeing Skrillex play a five-hour set at a sold-out Red Rocks on Tuesday, and it hit me: the man belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I've never been a huge Bass Music fan (Dubstep, Trap…
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If you watched my most recent podcast episode with Oskar Eichler , he has a strong opinion that your music isn't the product, you are the product . I shared a clip of this on my social media pages and it was met with a h…
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Releases and marketing
This month I’m thinking less about going viral and more about building things that last. Content with emotion. Strategy with intention. Growth that compounds. Earlier this week my friend over at Drax Social, who I record…
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The dust has literally settled after two weekends of Coachella, and one of the biggest stories coming out of the mega festival is T-Pain's performances. T-Pain just performed at Coachella for the first time ever, nearly…
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Artist development
Fun Fact: Brands that post consistently on social media see significantly higher engagement rates—because showing up regularly builds trust, familiarity, and connection. I was catching up with a peer in the music space…
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Artist development
Did you know that on social media, posts with a hook or question in the first three seconds have a 40% higher engagement rate than those without? Yep, this week we're talking about social media again. Whether it was my c…
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Every successful artist has something that makes them stand out. Their sound, their energy, their message; it all ties into a clear identity that fans instantly connect with. Your niche isn’t just your genre. It’s the vi…
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Releases and marketing
If you’re an artist struggling to grow your audience and make a living from your music, the problem might not be your talent—it’s your strategy. Most artists rely on hope: dropping music and praying people find it. But s…
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This week I'm highlighting 5 websites that are useful for independent artists and musicians. I did a post on this on my Instagram page a couple weeks ago so in case you missed it, here's the list. What are some of your…
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Content and audience
I had something completely different in mind to talk about in this post but as I opened up my computer to type it out, I connected with a friend in Denver who just got some amazing news: she was booked for possibly one o…
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In fact it's centuries old. Like, the late 1800s old when print advertising of music began. Music has been used in advertising since the 1920s, when radio stations began selling airtime. And in more recent years, newspap…
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Artist development
We get so caught up in our online presence and our social media content that sometimes we forget the most powerful way to make connections and build our brand is by in-person relationships. And, not only going out and sh…
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Sometimes the journey as an independent artist can feel overwhelming. The big goals - like releasing music, growing your audience, or landing opportunities - can feel so far away. But here’s the thing: big success is bui…
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Music business
Have you heard of a side door? I posted about it earlier this week but in case you missed it, the con cept of a side door is getting inside the arena but doing it in a way that isn't through the front door like everyone…
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Content and audience
This is the topic that never ends. If I had a nickel every time I spoke about why artists need to be on social media, I'd be a rich man. Every time I think artists are finally starting to get it, I have a client or a col…
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Artist development
We’ve all been there: feeling the weight of self-doubt and hesitation before putting something out into the world. Whether it’s a new song, a post on social media, or even a new business venture, we often become our own…
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Releases and marketing
In my daily conversations with artists, the number one thing they care most about is stream numbers. Typically Spotify, but overall, every artist wants to boost their numbers. I don't want to devalue the importance of st…
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This week I attended the Music & Tech networking event here in Denver. This monthly series is a great way for members of the Denver music community to come together, share some tips and tricks, and play some music. I off…
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The more I talk to artists every day, the more it's obvious who understands the industry and who doesn't. The ones who understand how it works will be more likely to succeed, because they understand all the work that goe…
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Artist development
Last Monday, less than two weeks ago, I started running a YouTube ad campaign to grow my YouTube channel. I consistently use YouTube as a platform to post both short form and long form content, including my podcast and m…
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This week I’m talking about my three pillars for success in music, and how I work with artists to drive success. 1.) Branding - this is huge. Artists have to think of themselves like a business. Any successful business h…
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I had the pleasure of seeing Khruangbin live at Red Rocks last week. Casually familiar with their music, they have A TON of buzz around them and I knew I needed to see their live show to see what all the hype was about.…
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I caught up with an artist I've been working with for 4 months and his feedback got me so emotional - in the best way. This guy put in the work and he's seeing the results. You can too! It's just about taking the first s…
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Actions lead to results. A couple quotes that came in from two of my artists this week: 1.) “Things are starting to happen” 2.) “The snowball effect is real!” What is the snowball effect? A situation where something star…
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Community is important. Take advantage of online tools to get involved in your community, and make sure you’re putting your face in the place in person to shake hands and make connections with people in real life as well…
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