266 – The 5 Layers of Independent Music Success

How do you achieve independent music success on your own terms? What music distribution service should you choose, and what are the nuances you should be aware of in selecting a partner? All this and more in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Download the PDF Transcription Podcast Highlights: 01:11 – Catching up with Monica Strut 03:26 – What’s new with Monica? 06:59 – What’s new with David? 12:52 – The 5 layers of independent music success 50:18 – Navigating the music distribution minefield 1:05:23 – Get in touch 1:06:11 – Closing thoughts Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Sign Up for Koji – the Best Link in Bio for Musicians Episode 125 – Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing as a Musician Monica Strut Episode 86 – How to Work Less & Make More as a Music Entrepreneur Elite Players: All Access Pass Episode 262 – “All Successful Rock Musicians Are Business Minded” Gaki Music The 5 Layers of Independent Music Success The Nobody Prayer (Original Soundtrack) Music by ItsWatR Navigating the Music Distribution Minefield 248 – Get Your Music Distributed & Tap into More Revenue Streams Episode Summary: David welcomes back Monica Strut to the show – her last appearance was on episode 125 of The New Music Industry Podcast. Monica shares what’s new in her world. Her rock-metal band, The Last Martyr recently launched a new single and rebranded their online and offline presence. Her band now has a booking agent who is keeping the band busy on tour. Monica also put together a new course called Crush Your Next Release. Normally, she works with bands on a case-by-case basis to develop their release strategy, so this is the first time her methodology has been available as a six-week course. David shares about his search for a new home. He also shares an update on his search for a Chief Marketing Officer for Music Entrepreneur HQ. Through an insurance agent, he was connected to CAYK Marketing in Calgary, AB. After a couple of sessions, they informed David that they did not detect any major SEO concerns and that it would not make sense for him to go on a retainer at this time. David and his team plug away at Music Entrepreneur HQ’s SEO day by day. The 5 Layers of Independent Music Success The five layers of independent music success are as follows: Principles / mindset: These are the things that remain true no matter what changes around you. People change. Circumstances change. Your goals change. But the one thing that does not change, that you can always count and rely on is principles and your mindset. This is what keeps you anchored when the going gets rough. And without a strong foundation here, success in music as an independent artist is difficult if not impossible. Experience: You become better at what you do through experience. The more experience you gain as an instrumentalist, the better you will ultimately be at playing your instrument. The same could be said for songwriters, vocalists, producers, and more. Your experience can also guide the direction of your career, steering you towards opportunities that are worthwhile, while helping you avoid pitfalls. But experience isn’t always reliable. And those are the times you need to fall back on principles. Branding: Your external brand has to do with colors, fonts, logos, costumes, business cards, and so on. Your internal brand has to do with your purpose, your mission, your reason for existing in the world. Crafting your brand may not be easy. But it’s one of the most critical aspects of building your music career, because if you know what you're doing, you can create a magnetic brand your fans and potential fans will be attracted to. When you have your branding, strategy basically sorts itself out. Marketing / strategy: Once you have your brand in place, developing a marketing strategy is a walk in the park.