The Biggest Advantage Indie Artists Have (And Most Ignore)

I see it all the time.

Young artists, old business model. Clinging to a past where the industry felt more structured and formulaic. If you had talent and worked hard, you could make it! Or at least, that’s how it felt.

For a long time, we’ve known this doesn’t work. It’s not enough to show up every night on stage (or online) and wait for A&R to scoop you up. But it’s also not enough to simply release music, go on tour, and put in the work.

Frankly, we’re in a bit of a wild west for what does and doesn’t work when it comes to longevity, and that can feel frustrating. But first, let’s revist what most of us forget about the old model.

Like anything, it’s easy to romanticize the things we can no longer have. There’s this lovely idea out there that bands would get discovered just by playing out. I mean, it happened for the Oneders right?!

And I get it, it’s the dream! Do what you love with no added effort on the things you don’t love and get a record deal? That sounds great!

While to a degree, this did happen, it’s not the whole truth. First of all, it wasn’t like A&R reps were constantly hanging out at the local venue. Sometimes, sure, but mostly, they were there because they heard about a band they had to see.

Word of mouth was still the main driver, it just looked different.

Clever marketing. Irresistible content. Introspective Substack posts. A live show that fans can’t wait to tell their friends about. Find the thing that you naturally love doing and that your fans naturally respond to and go all in.

You don’t need to be doing fifty things at once. You just need to be doing a few things really well.

Word of mouth is a time honored, change resistant way to grow. People will always trust the things they hear from their friends and peers more than a random ad or one-of social media post.

Gatekeepers will always exist, but the difference is that in the past, you had no choice but to rely on them. Now, anyone can record, distribute, and share their music. Yes, we have algorithms to contend with rather than label execs, but we have more access. More choice. More freedom.

There’s an argument to be made that perhaps the labels were easier to deal with than the algorithm. That the internet has both helped and hurt us. I don’t disagree that we’ve landed ourselves in complicated territory; but if we’re to thrive in this new industry, we have to be willing to adapt. We can’t just get stuck complaining about what once was. We have to make it work for us.

Keep posting content. Figure out what the algorithm (your fans!) want. Try different platforms. Try offline platforms. Connect. Partner with collaborators. Network. Leverage what you have and keep going until you find what works.

This free tool is the #1 way indie artists can succeed

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Apr 22

When asked what the number one piece of advice I have for artists is, my answer is always the same. For over a decade, I’ve been handing out the same tried and true secret that helped me go full-time in music after a year, and has helped my clients achieve their various versions of success, from full-time musician to booking more shows to signing with t…

It’s both a blessing and a curse that anyone can release music today. But like I said, it’s what we have to work with. We can complain about it or, we can make it work for us.

So how can you do that?

You have more power now than ever before to fully curate your experience in the industry and your fans’ experience.

You don’t need a label or a manager to tell you who to be; you get to decide that on your own. You get to speak directly to your fans. To create a career exactly the way you want. That is an incredible gift.

Ask any label signed musician if they miss the freedom that came with their pre-signing days and they will undoubtedly say yes. At least, this has been my experience from the hundreds of interviews I’ve done as a music journalist.

If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it a million times. You have to make your own opportunities. It’s a non-negotiable for success in my opinion. I recently wrote an article outline a few fun, cheap or free marketing ideas for musicians here that you can check out to get a head start.

They aren’t complaining. They aren’t forcing models that don’t work. They are adapting. They are seeing and seizing the opportunities all around them. And if they don’t? They make their own opportunities.

They make the industry work for them.

Is it easy? Not a chance. But it never was, not even fifty years ago. We do this because we love it and we’re called to it; not because it’s easy. The industry doesn’t owe us anything. It’s up to us to get out there and make ourselves heard.

What do you think? Are there more advantages or disadvantages to the new music industry model?