Backstage Money - Real World Finance for Musicians Is Here

This is Backstage Money: Real-World Finance for Musicians.

I’m Jason K. Powers, and each week I sit down with musicians and industry insiders to pull back the curtain on the money side of chasing the dream. From touring on gas money to record labels taking 80% cuts, to streaming paying fractions of a penny, we’re digging into the raw stories and real strategies it takes to survive in this industry.

Our first full episodes drop this November, so hit follow or subscribe now. Let’s keep the music and the money alive.

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Welcome to Backstage Money, realWorld Finance for Musicians.
Look, you didn't pick up aguitar or step behind a mic
because you love spreadsheets.
You did it because musicruns through your veins.
But keeping that dream alive, thattakes more than riffs and late
night rehearsals, it takes money.
And that's the partnobody really talks about.
You know, I'm your host, Jason K.
Powers, and this show is all aboutpulling back the curtain on how musicians

(00:26):
actually survive the business side.
Of chasing their passion.
So here's the deal.
Nobody hands you a how not togo broke as a musician manual.
You're usually left figuring it out on thefly, touring on gas money and dollar menu
meals just to play for a handful of fans.
Many of you have been therefronting thousands for an album,
you hope pays back someday.
Yeah, that's the norm a lot of the time.

(00:47):
And let's be real, labels cantake 50 to 85% of your revenue.
85.
Now, I'm not here to bad mouth labels.
They're just, they're here.
They've launched a lot of careers.
They put artists on stages they mightnever have reached otherwise and done
a lot of good for a lot of people.
But what if you could keep moreof that money in your pocket?
What if there was another way to fund yourmusic without giving up so much control?

(01:10):
'Cause whether you're signed or stayingindependent, the money pressure is real.
And if you're indie streaming'spaying you a fraction of a
penny per play, so do the math.
A million streams might noteven cover your studio bill.
So what do a lot of musicians do?
Well, they rack up credit cardsat 20, 30% interest just to keep
the music going crazy, right?
So meanwhile, behind the scenes,musicians are swapping survival hacks.

(01:31):
What works, what doesn't?
But those convos stay backstage until now.
So every week I'm sitting down withthe people living it, musicians,
managers, producers, even the folksrunning venues and merch tables.
They're gonna share the raw stories, whatit's really like to balance art and money
without losing your soul in the process.
No boring lectures, no financial gurunonsense, just real world insights

(01:54):
mixed with a few hard lessons andhopefully a laugh or two along the way.
All right, so here's the play.
Our first episode drops this November.
So hit that follower subscribebutton on Apple Podcast,
Spotify, or wherever you listen.
That way you're first in linewhen we kick this thing off.
And hey, if you know a musician or insiderwith a story worth telling, hit me up.
I'd love to get them on the show.

(02:15):
All right, this is Backstage Money,real World Finance for Musicians.
I'm Jason K.
Powers, subscribe.
Now let's figure out how to keepboth the music and the money alive.