We’re Rachel Hurley and Frank Keith IV, co-owners of Sweetheart Pub. We’re music industry veterans with over 30 years of combined experience in the music business, having worked in licensing, talent buying/booking, label management, tour management, and more. Once a week, we’ll publish a new edition of this newsletter, where we’ll share some philosophy and actionable advice on all facets of the music industry.
What we’re thinking about this week...
1,000 True Fans
This 2008 essay is making the rounds again. The basic gist is that if a creator can acquire and retain 1000 fans willing to purchase $100 worth of products (albums, tickets, merch) from them each year - they can make a living as an independent artist. Of course, those numbers have to be adjusted for the number of other creators involved.
Even though it’s a compelling argument, it’s easier said than done. We know a lot of musicians who hate the “business” part of the music business. We see it holding back clients all the time.
If you want to make a living as an independent musician, your art is a business, and you’re the business owner. These days the music isn’t even really the product — you are.
This means as the CEO of YOU - you are in charge of everything. Sure, you can outsource things - but you’re still the boss. Have you ever worked for someone who had no idea what was going on in the departments they were supposed to be in charge of? Not a good look, huh?
There is a difference between making art and selling art. These are two very different skill sets. Just because you make some compelling music doesn’t mean it has to be sold. If you’re not interested in being a business owner (and you can’t convince someone else to take on the responsibility of selling your music), you are going to be miserable trying to be an independent musician.
But just like you learned your instrument, you can learn the skills needed to sell your art. Simply knowing what you need to do and doing it doesn’t guarantee success either. Some people can play the guitar, and some people are really amazing at it. Guess which ones tend to have more success?
Embracing the title of business owner, and thinking like one, can help you tremendously. We are often told by clients that they don’t like social media management, designing merchandise, or marketing their products. It’s not their “thing.”
Imagine if Target said that? What’s the difference between you and Target? Not much. You both have products you are trying to sell. Thinking that you are going to just make music and the listener will find you is a pretty quaint idea these days.
Let go of the mindset of what you do and don’t want to do. It all needs to get done. Plus, it’s almost impossible to master something that:
You don’t enjoy doing.
You don’t set aside time to improve.
Here’s what we’re getting at: making art and selling art are equally important. You’ve put a lot of time into creating your music. Bring that same energy and enthusiasm to the table when it comes time to create your business.
“1,000 true fans is an alternative path to success other than stardom. It’s a much saner destiny to hope for. And you are much more likely to actually arrive there. It has never been easier to gather 1,000 true fans around a creator, and never easier to keep them near.”
The Latest
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A Thread…
S*** You Can Do Today
Today we released the first episode of our new podcast, Music Rookie: The Beginner’s Guide to the Music Industry - where we interview Shil Patel, a Radio Promoter and owner of Tiger Bomb Promo. He’s helmed campaigns for Sufjan Stevens, Buzzcocks, Alice Cooper, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Hiss Golden Messenger, Julia Holter, The Magnetic Fields, Daniel Romano, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - and many many many more.
If you want to know more about how a radio campaign works, Shil breaks it down for us. He shares a campaign’s components, how he gauges if the campaign is successful, the hidden benefits of running a radio campaign, and his best advice to up-and-coming musicians.
But we want you to know that you don’t HAVE to have a radio promoter to reach out to radio stations. Many Music Directors are thrilled to have direct contact with an artist — and it can help build a personal relationship with them. All you have to do is go to the website of the station you would like to reach out to and find the Music Director’s email or the DJ of the specialty show that fits your genre. Make SURE that the radio station plays music similar to yours. Don’t reach out to a country station with your new rap joint.
Write a short and simple email, like this (BUT NOT EXACTLY THIS — if a bunch of people copy and paste the same thing from this newsletter — they will know you are not being AUTHENTIC):
Hi Dan the Man,
I’m a big fan of the WFZZ. I was listening to XYZ, and I think my music would be a perfect fit for the show. I wanted to send along a stream for you to check out. If you get the chance, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If not, no worries — keep up the excellent work, and I hope you are hanging in there during these crazy times!
Also — here a few things about me:
I have a new album coming out in June.
I toured with the Rolling Stones in 1979
I’ve been covered in Cream, Hit Parade, Tiger Beat, and Cosmopolitan
STREAM LINK (DO NOT SEND A DOWNLOAD — THEY WILL REQUEST IT IF THEY NEED IT)
Thanks for reading,
John Stamos
P.S. Wanna know more? Here are my links (website/socials/etc)!
TikTok of the Week
Did DistroKid just release the “Tinder” of the Music Industry?
Just for Fun
This person built a DAW in Excel
Lego releases album of brick sounds
Questions?
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