Creative Juice

The journey to profitability for artists and bands can feel more like a marathon than a sprint and marketing is not a silver bullet...but many artists expect marketing to perform miracles!

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss how marketing fits into a music career with a measured, realistic approach and explore the blend of making art and making a living! Learn how to manage and set goals with the two essential resources every artist must invest, why artists are uniquely positioned to excel at marketing, and the smart way to analyze your vanity metrics!

If you want to make music and make it a profitable venture, this episode will help you see the long game and how to attack it!

DISCOVER:

1. Why The Path To Profitability In Music Requires A Long-term Perspective

2. How To Set Realistic Goals At The Intersection Of Art And Commerce

3. What Resources You Need To Invest In Your Marketing

4. What ROI To Look For On Your Time And Capital

5. How To Use Vanity Metrics Intelligently

6. Why Your Marketing Efforts Should Always Enhance Your Creativity

7. Why Artists Are Uniquely Built To Be Great Marketers

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Strategies for running successful paid advertising campaigns for your music can feel like a rollercoaster of changing best practices. It's hard for artists to keep up with what's working today...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack is joined by IndieX Agency Strategist Ande Hunter for a tactical episode to teach you what's working today for our clients in their paid social ad campaigns! Swipe our current standard practices for Spotify growth campaigns, tour marketing, ad testing, how to target your fans effectively, and how we use retargeting for the most impact!

If you've ever felt lost trying to navigate the current best practices when it comes to Meta advertising, use these tips straight out of our agency playbooks to help you run your campaigns with confidence!

DISCOVER:

1. How We Approach Retargeting Strategy In 2024

2. When To Use Interest Targeting vs Broad Targeting

3. What Audiences Should You Target In Your Sales Promotions

4. What Ad Campaign Structure Is Currently Working For Driving Streams

5. How To Plan and Budget Your Tour Marketing Ad Campaigns

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How As December Falls Sold Out Their UK Tour

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Want to maximize the potential of your merch store sales? Even a small set of products can go a long way...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive deep into strategies artists can use to make the most of their merch to boost your online sales! Learn how to use vinyl and CD variants, as well as limited runs, to drive sales, catch the attention of various customer avatars within your fan base, and reskin and refresh your offers to breathe new life into your marketing campaigns.

Whether you've got a merch store with tons of products or just a few offers, the tips in this episode will help you increase the reach and impact of your merch!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Use Vinyl And CD Variants And Limited Runs In Your Marketing

2. How To Design Offers For Different Customer Avatars Within Your Fan Base

3. Why New Ad Creative Tests Will Increase Your Sales

4. How To Reskin Your Offers Around The Calendar

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How to NEVER Need a Reason to Sell to Your Fans

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Musicians often ask how to capitalize on trends in their marketing without coming off as gross, insincere, or opportunistic. But the process of trendjacking for artists is subtle...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa explore how and when artists can tap into current trends and news to enhance their music marketing! Learn what musicians can take away from comedians, who have free reign over trends, why trendjacking is NOT a quick fix for problems in your marketing, and understand how news and current events influence your fans' online behavior!

If you want to engage with trends in a way that feels genuine to you and your fans, tune into this episode for strategies to approach trendjacking the right way!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Use Subtle Trendjacking In Your Music Career

2. What Musicians Can Learn From Comedians About Handling Trending Topics

3. Why Trendjacking Isn’t A Solution For Marketing Infrastructure Problems

4. How Current Events Shape Fan Interactions And Behaviors Online

5. What Strategies Work Best For Integrating Trends Authentically Into Your Promotions

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Gated content can be a powerful way to turn fans into subscribers and customers, but most artists quickly realize it's not as easy as picking out a type of content and striking up a Patreon membership...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive into how to market gated content effectively and how to decide what's right for your music business and fans! Learn the mistakes artists make when gating exclusive music, videos, and other content and how to tease gated content with hooks and messaging that get attention straight from a client case study from our agency, IndieX!

Whether you’re just starting out with gated content or looking to enhance your current strategy, this episode is packed with strategies that you can put into practice today!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Choose The Right Content To Gate

2. Why Unique Hooks Make The Biggest Impact With Gated Content

3. How To Choose Between Opt-ins, Memberships, And Paywalls

4. What Can Make Your Free Offers Feel Exclusive And Enticing

5. How To Effectively Tease Your Gated Content To Spark Interest

6. Why The Music Industry Misses When It Comes To Bribes and Memberships

7. What You Can Learn From Creators Like Podcasters, YouTubers, And Comedians

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

What Musicians Can Learn From Tabloids and Celebrity Gossip

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Even in the current singles landscape of music, album launches are viewed as a big opportunity to grow your audience and your business. There's another opportunity with album launches that many artists miss...

In this episode of Creative Juice, join Jack and Circa as they discuss how to use music releases like EP and album drops as launchpads for your future marketing initiatives! Learn how launches can boost the stages of the fan journey, build your ecosystem, and the biggest mistakes artists make when it comes to launches!

If you're planning a big milestone campaign like an album or EP launch, this episode will help you position your release for the most success and as a launchpad for your music business in the long run!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Launches Boost The Stages Of The Fan Journey

2. What Mindset Shifts Artists Need To Make When It Comes To Launches

3. How Audiences Move In Your Business

4. What Offers To Build For Different Kinds Of Audiences

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Are you wondering where to focus your marketing efforts for your next single release, album launch, tour, or merch drop? There are a ton of channels that you could use to reach your fans. Which will serve you best in your music career?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa break down a step-by-step process to help you pick the best marketing channels for your next offer- no matter what it is! Learn how to analyze your offers, determine which fans would love it, and how to laser target them so that your next marketing campaign makes a big impact!

If you've ever felt overwhelmed about how social media, ads, email, text marketing, and everything else should fit together in your marketing campaigns, let this episode be your roadmap!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Analyze Your Offer Based On Your Funnel

2. What Questions To Ask Yourself When Planning Campaigns

3. When To Use One Marketing Channel Vs Many Channels

4. How To Talk To Your Fans On Social, Email, Text, and Ads

5. How To Carve Out New Channels Ahead Of Music Career Milestones

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Sick and tired of feeling like you're on the content creation and release cycle hamster wheel with your music? Consistency is important, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa talk about the flipside of content quantity and how one piece of great content can drive the majority of your audience growth! Learn why businesses of all kinds repeat their most successful ads, how to pick your best music to pull new fans into your world, and the marketing formula for evergreen videos that work for the long haul!

If you're looking for a strategy that will set you up to attract new fans with less content creation work, this episode is a must-listen with lessons from our agency and community that you can apply today!

DISCOVER:

1. What The Real Goal of Producing Content and Singles Is

2. The Social Psychology of Great Music Content Online

3. How Organic Traction Feeds Your Paid Ads and Evergreen Marketing

4. Why E-commerce Brands Focus On One Product (And Why The Ones That Don't Fail)

5. What You Can Learn From JG Wentworth, Kellogg's, Disney, and Other Successful Advertisers

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

EP219: Is Making A Music Video Actually Worth It?

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Worried about overwhelming your fans with too many asks, too many offers, too much content or the wrong kind? Avoid burning out your fans by tapping into the art of nurturing...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive into one of the most overlooked aspects of music marketing—nurturing your fans. Learn about nurturing as a central stage in the fan customer journey for artists at both early and later career stages, the common trap when prioritizing monetization, and example nurturing strategies that you can implement in your music marketing today!

Want to ensure your ensure your fans stay excited and engaged without feeling bombarded? This episode will help you pick a nurturing path to build and expand upon so that your fans are always getting value from you!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Nurturing Is Crucial In The Fan Customer Journey

2. How To Identify If You're Testing Content Or Actually Nurturing Your Fan Base

3. What Practical Nurturing Strategies You Can Start Using Today In Your Music Marketing

4. Where To Nurture Your Customers Outside Of Social Media

5. Why Throwback Content Is A Hidden Goldmine

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

It's 2024 and it's time to stop using data as a buzzword and start using it to actually grow your music career...

In this episode of Creative Juice, join Jack and Circa for a discussion on the truth about data and its impact on your music career! Learn how the music industry typically collects and uses data, where it falls short, and how to use actionable data to build your fan base, get more people to hear your music, and build revenue streams as an artist!

If you want to avoid gathering data that collects dust or overcome the overwhelm of taking action on your marketing data, this episode is a must listen whether you've got tons of fans or are just starting out!

DISCOVER:

1. What Data The Music Industry Focuses On

2. The Difference Between "Is" and "Ought" Data

3. How B2b and B2c Data Is Used In Music

4. Why Data Consolidation Is Important For Artists

5. How To Leverage Your Owned Media and Customer Data To Grow

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Spotify is hotly debated and discussed right now...from royalty fairness and artist equity, to FTC complaints, publishing, and its CEO, so let's actually talk about GROWING on Spotify instead...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss the latest digital marketing strategies that we teach artists and use for growing an audience on Spotify at our agency! Learn about the brand criteria for Spotify growth with digital marketing, where your content plays a role, and the paid traffic strategies that are working best for artists right now!

If you're looking for a refresher on Spotify growth strategies to test and deploy in your music career, tap into this episode to get the latest ground report from our music marketing agency team!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Growing On Spotify And Getting An ROI Is So Challenging

2. What Data The Spotify Algorithm Looks For

3. What Paid And Organic Digital Strategies To Use For Spotify Growth

4. The Pros And Cons Of Growing An Audience On Spotify

5. When To Use Traffic Vs Conversions Campaigns In Meta Ads For Driving Streaming Growth

RESOURCES:

Get Access To Our Spotify Growth Workshops Inside IndiePRO

Get Our FREE Spotify Growth Starting Line Guide

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Knowing what marketing efforts to focus on can be the difference between adding hundreds of thousands in sales or spinning your wheels on another "great" idea for your music career. Here's how to know the difference...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa break down how we added over $300k in annual revenue and 15x'd the sales of one of our agency clients at IndieX! Learn the levers we pulled to capitalize on their two album releases with paid traffic campaigns on social media, exclusive vinyl variants, and a calendar of profit maximizer sales promotions...

If you're looking to pull out all the stops in using digital marketing in your music career, this episode is a MUST listen!

DISCOVER:

1. How We Grew An Artist Revenue 15x

2. Why Qualitative Engagement Is An Indicator For Monetization Potential

3. How Release Cadence Impacts Sales

4. What To Do When Your Merch Doesn't Sell Out

5. How To Structure Your Sales Promotional Calendar For Profit

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

— —

About 300k fans across social

Ran sales promotion first to existing fans: $11,834.07 total store revenue that month

He did 8k the previous year in ecommerce sales

He was doing around $2000/mo in ecommerce when he came to work with us

Here's the levers we pulled to 15x his revenue to $312,158.12 total store revenue last year

2 album releases in that time

Cold sales ads for CDs and Vinyl (edited)

Warm sales ads for CDs, Vinyl and soft cloth

Sales promos every 6 weeks

Sales promos alternate between new vinyl variants and new soft cloth launches

Nurturing email every week

sales promos as profit maximizes

qualitative engagement as a monetization opportunity

release cadence importance

make more offers, let them be scarce, sell out

sell out your stock on the road as extra stock

Ever wondered why some artists never seem to grow? The answer might be simpler than you think: they never start. Procrastination could be your biggest barrier to success...

In this eye-opening episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa tackle the #1 reason artists don't grow—failure to take the first steps towards growth! Learn about the psychology of procrastination in a music career and practical strategies to overcome it, the importance of being willing to experiment with marketing, releases, and content, how to focus on actions that move your business forward!

Whether you're debuting your first track or you’re an artist with millions of fans, this episode is packed with insights on how to take action on new opportunities, overcome limiting beliefs, and start pursuing your goals!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Break Through Procrastination At Any Career Stage

2. What Experimental Approaches Can Help You Move Past The Starting Line In Your Music Career

3. Where To Focus Your Efforts To Propel Your Music Business Forward

4. How AI Can Be Experimentally Used To Build Systems And Tools

5. How To Learn To Effectively Use New Tools Fast

6. Why Artists Fail To Act On Additional Opportunities As They Grow

7. How Limiting Beliefs Can Hold You Back And Strategies To Overcome Them

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Lessons in the music industry show up through different paths…some are taught, some are fought through success and failure, and others are caught from experimentation…

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa unpack ten music marketing and music business lessons to help shorten the learning curve to success in your creative career! From picking the best music to lead your marketing to brand building, people problems, and capturing viral audiences, there’s a lot of ground to cover from our 8 years of running a music marketing agency.

If you want a leg up that blogs and textbooks can’t give you, let the lessons in this episode point you in the right direction for navigating music marketing and the industry!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Some Music Just Isn't Marketable and How To Select Your Best Music

2. Where Music Videos REALLY Fit Into Your Marketing Strategy

3. Why Social Media Virality Doesn’t Always Equal Easy Monetization

4. How Repetition Is Key In Your Online Marketing

5. Why People Problems And Bad Strategy Go Hand In Hand In Music

6. Why The Belief That Music Is Recession-Proof Is A Myth

7. How The Pareto Principle Applies To Artists

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

A simple trip to the grocery store today could change the course of your music career. Don't believe it?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa talk all about how musicians need to tap into audience attention online and how tabloids and celebrity gossip can help! Learn why artists struggle to command attention, what terrible copywriting on social media looks like, how to write headlines that capture the attention of your fans, and tips for making your music releases, tours, merch, and content newsworthy!

If you want to stand out online among all the content noise, apply the lessons from this episode to your social media strategy and finally bridge the gap between the attention of strangers and fans!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Many Artists Fail To Grab Attention Online

2. How Terrible Copywriting On Social Media Is Costing You Fans

3. How Tabloids, Reddit and Celebrity Gossip Can Help You Write Amazing Headlines

4. How To Make Your Music Releases Newsworthy

5. Where To Find Inspiration Outside Of Music For Your Copywriting

6. The Difference Between Capturing The Attention Of Fans Vs. Strangers

7. Why Insane Clown Posse Is The "World's Most Hated Band"

8. How To Use True Stories To Create Real Connection With Your Audience

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

For artists trying to build their music careers by growing and monetizing a fan base, improving the music itself is not always the best starting point...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss how to reverse engineer your music business growth by improving the processes that help you create, capture, and monetize your fans' attention! Learn why only focusing on developing your product might get you stuck at the starting line, how to set achievable goals to release music and content, and to structure offers and promotional cadences based on real fan feedback!

If you want to fine-tune the processes that will actually grow and scale your fan base and your career, the insights from this episode have you covered!

DISCOVER:

1. How Circa Started Indepreneur With Personal Conversations

2. Why Growth Isn't Solely About Creating Better Music

3. How To Set Realistic Goals For Long-term Success

4. How To Use A 9-word Email To Engage Your Audience Effectively

5. How To Build And Reverse Engineer A Promotional Cadence That Fits Your Strategy

6. What Artists Can Learn From Taylor Swift About Maximizing The Value Of A Release

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Are you gearing up to release your next single? Don't pick your release date until you maximize your efforts in the stages before, during, and after the launch!

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa pick apart the foundations of single releases so that you can plan your waterfall releases to have the biggest impact. Learn about the myth of fast releases, dive deep into what assets and content you should have ready for both pre-release and ongoing marketing efforts, and best practices for distribution and effective pitching to playlists!

Before dropping your next song, let this episode be your checklist with strategies and tips to make it your most successful release yet!

DISCOVER:

1. What Assets And Content You Need For An Impactful Pre-Release And Post-Marketing

2. Best Practices For Distribution And Timing

3. How To Utilize Spotify For Artists For Playlist Pitching

4. What Spotify's Audio Profiling Means For Your Tracks In The Recommendation Engine

5. When To Consider Pre-save Campaigns

6. Why Post-marketing Is The Most Critical Phase Of Your Release Strategy

7. When To Consider Using Paid Traffic To Boost Your Visibility

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How To Kick Start A Fanbase With Content

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Are bottlenecks in your creative business slowing down your progress? Identifying and removing these barriers can be the key to unlocking your creative output AND fan base growth...

In this special episode of Creative Juice, Jack is joined by Jonah McLean (aka DUX), a lead strategist and coach from our IndieFounder program, to dive into the most common bottlenecks he finds in artists' creative businesses! Learn from Jonah's experience consulting and coaching hundreds of artists and explore the three biggest bottlenecks he's observed in music marketing, from the challenges musicians face after an initial burst of audience growth to the paralysis caused by indecision and overthinking!

If you're stuck in your music career growth and not sure why, this episode covers it all. From simplifying your music business systems to managing your work and failing forward in your marketing, use these tips to get yourself back on track!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Tackle The Three Biggest Bottlenecks Jonah Sees Musicians Face

2. Where Artists Struggle After Initial Audience Growth

3. How To Handle Indecision And Overthinking To Keep Your Projects Moving

4. Why Failure Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool

5. How To Simplify Your Music Business Systems

6. What You Can Learn From Tim Ferriss and A Simple To Do List

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Work With An Indepreneur Coach To Build Your Music Career!

How To Run Your Music Business and NOT Burn Out w/DUX

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Feeling stuck in your music career? Not sure what roadblock is holding you back? If you're at a standstill, diagnosing the root cause is the first step...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dissect the major reasons why artist careers slow down and how to diagnose and avoid these pitfalls. Learn about maintaining a consistent release cadence, keeping your enthusiasm to engage your fans, navigating the honeymoon phase of music marketing, and the common breakdowns in artists’ traffic systems!

Don’t let your music career falter without a fight. This episode will give you a diagnostic approach to help you keep your career on a growth trajectory with strategy, tactics, and stories from our agency and coaching clients!

DISCOVER:

1. What It Takes To Maintain Momentum With Your Music Releases

2. How To Keep Your Engagement High And Your Fans Excited

3. Why Navigating Past Early Success Is Crucial For Sustainable Music Marketing

4. What Causes Most Music Career Stalls And How To Overcome Them

5. Where Email Marketing And Tour Marketing Collide

6. How To Overcome Revenue Slowdowns With Offers

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

For artists and bands looking to fuel their growth with effective music marketing strategies, there's a dizzying array of options constantly being advertised to you...how do you know what opportunities to focus your time, effort, energy, and budget on?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa break down opportunities in the industry for marketing your music so that you can choose the best vehicle for your growth! Learn about the differences between digital marketing, influencer campaigns, playlisting, and PR and the pros and cons of each strategy.

Whether you're looking to work on your own music marketing or build a team, this episode will help you you survey your options and choose the most effective ways for you to grow your fan base, revenue, and business from top to bottom!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Having a Large Fan Base Offers More Leverage for Monetization

2. How We Structured Our Agency to Seize Music Marketing Opportunities

3. How Email, SMS Marketing, and Paid Ads Can Predictably Grow Your Career

4. The Pros and Cons of Influencer Marketing

5. The Risks Associated With Playlisting and How to Navigate Them

6. Why PR Is Effective for Building Brand Authority

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Visit the websites of your favorite artists and bands and you'll probably find a form with the call to action "Sign Up For Updates". Tough question: how many fans do you think actually sign up just for updates?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa answer one of the biggest questions on growing your list of fans...how to actually get fans to sign up! Learn about the top email list-building offers we use with our IndieX agency clients right now, choosing the right offer based on your audience size, and what emails to send to your fans after they sign up for an offer!

If you've tried email marketing before and want to give your fans a solid reason to sign up, this episode unpacks everything that we see working for artists in the wild today!

DISCOVER:

1. Why It's Important To Properly "Bribe" Your Fans

2. How To Build A Permission Offer Based On Your Audience

3. Why Early Access Offers Perform For Email List Growth

4. How To Craft An Effective Giveaway Campaign

5. Where Email Marketing and Tour Marketing Collide

6. How To Create The Ultimate Offer Around Your Album

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Will 2024 be the year that email marketing proves to be dead, buried, and useless for artists? The answer might surprise you...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa spill the beans about the future of email marketing for musicians with facts and figures, case studies, and client stories showing how email is one of the highest ROI channels! Learn why music industry folks think that email is a thing of the past, why poor strategy ACTUALLY makes email marketing appear dead, and how we've used email marketing at our agency IndieX to drive five, six, and seven-figure e-commerce campaigns and operations!

Want to make email marketing work in your business? This episode dives deep into stories, strategies, and automation tactics so that you can transform your email marketing into a powerhouse!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Email Is NOT Dead In 2024

2. How Poor Strategy Leads to Unsuccessful "Dead" Email Marketing

3. What Makes Email Marketing a 4200% ROI Channel

4. How An IndieX Client Did $40k in Vinyl Sales In One Day Through Email Marketing

5. Why Owning Your List of Fans Is Critical for Success

6. What Offers and Email Automations To Use In Your Marketing

RESOURCES:

Learn Email Marketing For Musicians Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Planning an EP or album release this year and overwhelmed with options for building the marketing strategy? There are two camps when it comes to launching an album in 2024...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa share album launch strategies that set our IndieX agency clients up for success so that you can apply them to your releases - and profit! Learn about the common pitfalls in EP and album launches, the interplay between singles releases and full album launches, how to get your fans excited about your launch, what you need to get started, planning a release timeline, and building an album launch funnel that converts!

Don't release an album in 2024 without a roadmap for engaging your fans and maximizing sales! This episode is packed with strategy, tactics, and stories from successful launches to help you plan your most successful launch yet!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Is There A Gap Between Production Costs and Marketing Budget For Artists

2. How To Build An Effective Album Launch Funnel

3. How To Engage Your Fans for a Successful Launch

4. What You'll Need for a Successful Launch From Music and Tools to Content and Beyond

5. How to Plan Your Release Timeline

6. Why An Album Launch Funnel Has Long-term Benefits

7. PLUS: Get Our Free Album Launch Workbook

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Get Our Free Album Launch Workbook

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Compared to every other industry around the world, the music industry is notably bad at data consolidation and artists suffer the most from it! There are a dizzying amount of digital marketing tools that can help artists capture and monetize fan bases...So where do you start?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss the marketing tools every artist should have in their arsenal and unpack the features that are non-negotiables! Dive into website platforms, email and SMS marketing tools, e-commerce platforms, funnel builders, and automation tools and learn why "music" specific tools often don't measure up to broader digital marketing solutions!

Don't let the lack of the right tools hold back your fan base growth and revenue! This episode provides a roundup of the digital marketing tech that we use day in and day out for marketing for artists and bands of all kinds!

DISCOVER:

1. What Essential Marketing Tools Every Artist Should Have

2. Why Broad Digital Marketing Solutions Outperform "Music" Specific Tools

3. How Email Marketing and SMS Marketing Should Differ in Your Strategy

4. What Real Value Automation Brings Artists and Common Misunderstandings

5. Examples of Simple and Complex Automation

6. PLUS: An Inside Look at the IndieCRM!

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Ever felt like your music is the roadblock in your marketing journey? It's time to rethink, reassess, and re-strategize!

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa reveal what to do when your music marketing strategies hit a roadblock and how a critical evaluation of your music could be the key to unlocking audience growth. Learn why social content fails and how to diagnose yours, as well as when to fine-tune your music from gathering and analyzing feedback to refining songwriting, production, mixing to create a better product!

Don't let your music hinder your marketing efforts. If your music needs some fine-tuning, this episode has you covered with tips to transform your music from a stumbling block to a spark for your career!

DISCOVER:

1. The "Do Not Pass Go" Moment in Music Marketing

2. Why Content Fails and How to Diagnose It

3. What Steps to Take if Your Music Needs Work

4. How To Gather and Analyze Feedback For Your Music

5. When To Look Critically At Your Music

6. How To Refine Your Songwriting, Production, and Mixing Processes

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

What separates a good artist from a great artist brand when it comes to merch? Here's a hint: It's all centered around customer experience...

In this episode of Creative Juice, we're joined by special guest Seamus Menihane, founder of Down Right Merch to get his expert insights on merchandise and fulfillment for artists and brands! Learn about how Down Right Merch got its start in the industry as we discuss what artists often overlook about merch and fulfillment, how to create unforgettable customer experiences, and the pros and cons of print-on-demand, the different types of merch deals, and much more!

If you're looking to make your merch operations great, the insights from Seamus on this episode will give you a dive deep into merch from design and product to fulfillment, bonuses, and beyond!

DISCOVER:

1. How Seamus Built Down Right Merch After Time On The Road

2. What Artists Miss About Merch and Fulfillment

3. How To Create Amazing Customer Experiences

4. What Pros and Cons Exist For Print On Demand Merch

5. How To Understand Different Types of Merch Deals

6. What You Can Learn Merch Operations of Artists Like ICP, Taylor Swift, KISS, Misfits, and More

7.  

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Learn More About Down Right Merch

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Wondering why the buzz around music NFTs seems to come and go? Want to know what's behind all the hype about web3 and the music industry? A lot has happened in the last few years...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack grills Circa on the latest developments at the crossroads of blockchain technology and music! Dive into the recent changes in web3, AI disruption, why blockchain became so attractive to the music industry and uncover the REAL reason web3 has become a hot topic in music!

If future tech, monetization, NFTs, and the metaverse catch your interest or baffle you, this episode is a helpful primer on the basics of web3 and predictions of its future in music!

DISCOVER:

1. What Is Web3 and How Does Blockchain Technology Play A Role In The Internet

2. Why Blockchain Became Attractive to the Music Industry

3. The REAL Reason Web3 is a Hot Topic in Music

4. How Web3 Has Changed Over Market Cycles

5. What The Future of Music NFTs Looks Like

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

A Crash Course in Web3 and Music

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Ever worry about aging out of a music career? Concerned that running ads will kill your organic growth on social media? Artists shouldn't let these myths get in your head...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa debunk common misconceptions that plague the industry and dive into the mindset of highly successful artists who keep their goals laser-focused! Learn how to build systems to prevent self-sabotage, how to attract attention without labeling your genre, tips for writing better hooks, and what you can learn from influencers and other industries about building a fan base!

If music industry myths keep you from executing, this episode will help reshape your perspective on your music career!

DISCOVER:

1. How Paid Advertising Does NOT Kill Organic Traction

2. Building Fan Engagement Systems to Avoid Self-Sabotage

3. How To Gain Attention Without Labeling Yourself or Your Genre

4. What You Can Learn from Influencers Like Grant Cardone and Other Industries

5. How To Write Better Hooks

6. How to Smash Online Trolls Romantically

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In 2024, your music distributor may not make or break your career, but knowing what opportunities are out there for you is critical to your success as an artist...

So in this special episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa are joined by special guest Dame Ritter, the Director of Communications at the music distribution company Too Lost to talk about all things music industry, from distribution deals, to artist management, monetization, and more! Learn about the current state of music distribution in 2024, how Too Lost stands out among distributors, and Dame will share insights on what artists may not know about the opportunities they might be missing!

Dame has worn many hats in the music industry, from running a record label to artist management, and now brings his wealth of knowledge to the Too Lost team. Don't miss this episode as a chance to learn from a seasoned music entrepreneur and professional!

DISCOVER:

1. The Current State of Music Distribution in 2024

2. How Distribution Became a Commoditized Service

3. How Too Lost Stands Out In The Industry (and How To Get Involved)

4. What Opportunities Artists Miss When Working With Distributors

5. How Artists Can Adapt Their Mindset To Succeed

6. What Advice Dame Passes On To Artist Managers Today

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Too Lost

Keep Up With Dame on Instagram

Launching a Digital Event and Offer with Dame Ritter

EP178: How 6 Artists Made a Collaborative Album in ONE WEEK! w/ Damien Ritter

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Independent artists and bands are stacking wins and breaking records daily! They just need a bit more publicity...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa share the stories of Indies both inside and outside of the Indepreneur community to inspire and show what's possible in your music career! Learn how artists are growing rabid fan bases, selling out shows, cracking chart positions, and building music businesses that support them full-time!

If you're looking for inspiration on how to crush your music marketing from top to bottom, look to the artists highlighted in this episode as models and starting points!

DISCOVER:

1. How LaRussell Created His Own Market Through Unique Offers

2. What Artists Like RJ Thompson and Laura Kidd Do To Make The Charts

3. How Greywind Mastered Their Marketing Hooks for Content

4. Why Artists Need To Release Music Early and Often

5. How Dropping The Barometer for Production Sets Up Audience Growth

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Did you know that a fan who is a customer is 5 times more likely to buy from you again? Armed with that fact, it's mission critical for artists to convert fans into customers...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa open up the strategy vault and break down the process of converting fans into customers using a Free+Shipping & Handling funnel! Learn how this strategy works for artists from pricing and costs, to upsells and the traffic sources to tap into, and get a first hand look at why providing value FIRST is the key to success!

If you're looking to take your first steps at monetization in your music career, this episode will be your guide to taking your fan relationships to the next level!

DISCOVER:

1. How a Free+S&H Funnel Works for Artists

2. Why Giving Value Will Help You Succeed as an Artist

3. The Math and Metrics Behind the Funnel

4. How To Turn Warm Fans into Customers for the First Time

5. What Traffic Sources To Use for Your Funnel

6. How to Price Your Products and Create Upsells

RESOURCES:

Learn To Build A Free+S&H Funnel Inside IndiePRO

How Indie Artists Are Getting PAID to Grow a Fan Base

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Want to unravel the mystery behind marketing funnels and their role in music marketing? While funnels might just sound like marketing jargon, the reality is that they play a critical role in your music business already...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa demystify the buzz around marketing funnels to show how artists can deploy sales funnels in their music marketing. We zoom out to cover the three fundamental pieces that make up ANY funnel for ANY business, campaigns and processes for each step of a music marketing funnel. and how to set your goals for your music career!

If the concept of a marketing funnel in your music career is still a bit fuzzy or overwhelming, this episode is packed with tips to help you effectively build and manage your own music marketing funnel, based on what you're already doing!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Funnels are More Than Just Software or Tactics

2. The 3 Fundamental Steps of Any Marketing Funnel

3. What Campaigns and Processes Fit in a Music Marketing Funnel

4. How To Define Goals for Each Stage of Your Funnel

5. Why It's Critical To Get Your Hooks Right First

6. How NOT to Retain Your Fans

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You Got by Jay Abraham

Andrew Schulz

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The concept of branding gets a lot of talk in the music industry, but how do you apply it to your music day-to-day?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive into what branding truly means for your music career! Learn about what a brand is (and what it isn't), the misconceptions artists and music industry pros have about branding, how to build your mission and vision statement for your music business, and the ongoing battle between branding and marketing for many artists.

Don't let the term 'branding' intimidate you any longer. Let this episode be your guide on how to effectively apply branding to advance your music career!

DISCOVER:

1. What a Brand Is and What It's Not

2. Misconceptions About Branding in the Music Industry

3. What Elements Make Up An Artist Brand

4. How To Build A Mission and Vision Statement for Your Music Business

5. When to Focus on Branding Activities

6. PLUS: Get Access To Our Artist Branding Workbook To Brainstorm Your Brand Elements!

RESOURCES:

Learn Artist Branding and Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Get Access To Our Artist Branding Workbook To Brainstorm Your Brand Elements!

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Make no mistake...creating and sharing social media content for your music isn't easy and for artists getting started, burnout can set in fast. So, how do you avoid it?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss content creation and how music is discovered today and how artists can reframe their thinking and habits on social media growth! Learn how to approach your audience growth online, avoid social exhaustion, and make content creation and social media "social" and fun, like performing live!

Whether you consider yourself a social media machine or you're reluctant to share your first video, this episode will be a breath of fresh air to help you grow online in a way that feels sustainable!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Think About Social Media Like A Live Performance

2. Why Social Media Feels Like A Hassle As You Age

3. Why Brute Force Hustle Doesn't Work For Most Artists

4. How To Find Your Incentive For Your Artist Online Presence

5. What To Say And Do To Hook Your Fans With Your Social Posts

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

EP300: Lessons Learned From Over 7 Years of Music Marketing

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Spend more than two minutes scrolling your social feeds as an artist and you'll be drowned in content about "getting more fans". When does fan base growth become a buzzphrase that doesn't serve your music career?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa explore why fan growth is just one leg of your music marketing strategy and why it's crucial to look beyond fan acquisition! Learn why artists often get stuck in the fan growth phase and fall for scams or ineffective strategies, and when to shift focus from fan growth to retention and value enhancement!

Don't let fan acquisition blind you to other aspects of growing your music business! This episode will give you a well-rounded approach to your music marketing strategy that leads to a sustainable fan base.

DISCOVER:

1. Why Artists Get Stuck in the Fan Growth Phase

2. The Pitfalls of Overemphasis on Fan Acquisition

3. Why Social Media Algorithm Hacks Don't Work

4. When to Focus Less on Fan Growth and More on Fan Retention and Value

5. How and When to Make an Offer - And When NOT To

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

As 2023 comes to a thrilling conclusion, let's shift our focus to the year ahead and what it holds for music marketing and the music industry as a whole!

In this special episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive into our music business and music marketing predictions for 2024! We'll explore the exciting future of independent music, AI and music production, the commoditization of distribution services, online privacy challenges, music NFTs, and the rising trend of catalog buying.

If you're determined to make 2024 your breakthrough year for your music career, this episode will get you looking toward future trends, inspire you to set ambitious goals, and propel you into the new year.

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

EP214: A Crash Course in Web3 and Music

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The music industry gets compared to a lot of other industries...but have you ever heard it compared to the illicit drug market?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa twist the narrative of music business economics and draw surprising and hilarious parallels between the music industry, drugs, and black markets! Learn about the economics of the music industry and the supply and demand dynamics of both music and drugs, why artists got the short end of the stick in the Wild West of the record industry, and how big-name artists are similar to drug dealers for public consumption!

If you're looking to navigate the music industry and want a new way to think about the psychology of your fans, this episode will both entertain and enlighten, giving you a path to own your alternative market!

DISCOVER:

1. How the Music Industry Orchestrates Demand

2. A Crash Course In The Economics of the Music Industry

3. What Artists Don't Understand About Markets and Sales

4. What Similarities Exist Between Big Artists and Drug Dealers

5. Why Artists Got Screwed in the Wild West of the Record Industry

6. How To Understand Supply and Demand of Music vs Drugs

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

We're celebrating 300 episodes of Creative Juice and sharing our personal lessons learned from 7 years of music marketing!

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa share stories and lessons learned from over 7 years of Creative Juice episodes and from our agency IndieX, our coaching program IndieFounder, and the IndiePRO community. Learn from our experiences on selling high ticket offers in your music career, profitable album launches, the changing dynamics of social media over the last 7 years, email marketing, and more!

Whether you've been listening to Creative Juice since day one or this is your very first episode, we'll be sharing the lessons that have shaped our approach and recommendations that will help you take your music marketing to the next level!

DISCOVER:

1. What Led Us To High Ticket Offers For Artists

2. When Our Beliefs About Cold Traffic Music Sales Were Broken

3. Why Email Marketing Continues To Be A High ROI Channel

4. How To Craft Copy That Gets Fans' Attention

5. What Has Changed About Organic Social Media Since We Started The Podcast

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO!

Is Making A Music Video Actually Worth It?

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Apart from releasing holiday themed music, we often get asked what can artists and bands do while the music industry hits the snooze button this holiday season. Turns out, you can do a lot...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa talk shop about why the music industry tends to slow down in December and how artists can seize this opportunity to shine! Dive into the philosophy of B2C vs B2B in the music industry, the pros and cons of releasing music during the holidays, sales offers you can run in December, and preparing to make 2024 the best year yet for your music career!

Don't let the holiday lull put your music career on pause. This episode is packed with ideas to help you turn the seasonal slowdown into a springboard for success!

DISCOVER:

1. Why the Music Industry Slows Down During the Holidays

2. How B2C and B2B Business Operates in the Music Industry

3. The Advantages and Drawbacks of Releasing Music During the Holidays

4. What Sales Offers to Run in December for Maximum Impact

5. How To Prep To Make 2024 Your Best Music Career Year Yet

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Dan Martell

EP297: How To Kick Start A Fan Base with Content

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If you have revenue coming into your music business, there are a few processes that you should add to your operations and use frequently to take your business to the next level...

In this episode of Creative Juice, join Jack and Circa as they break down the tried-and-true steps we use at our marketing agency, IndieX, to grow any artist business. Learn how to comb through a meticulous audit of your ecosystem and marketing efforts to identify and capitalize on areas of opportunity, craft compelling offers, and turn your fans into customers and repeat customers.

Whether you're an artist or band looking to expand your business or seeking to optimize your operations, this episode is packed with valuable insights and strategies that you can use today!

DISCOVER:

1. How to Audit Your Ecosystem and Marketing for Growth Opportunities

2. Why Artists Focus on the WRONG Things In Their Businesses

3. What Types of Free and Paid Offers to Consider For Your Fans

4. How To Create and Ascend Customers Through E-commerce

5. What Steps To Take To Build A Repeatable Process for Year-Round Growth

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How To Build Irresistible Offers For Your Fans

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Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Creating videos that catch an audience's attention and engage them to stop their scrolling is the quickest path to growing a fan base for your music. But many artists don't know where to even start and content makes them cringe...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa unravel the secrets of leveraging your best content on social media to grow your fan base from scratch. Learn a step-by-step approach to content research and modeling on TikTok and Instagram Reels, offering invaluable insights into production, editing, and initial posting strategies to give you a rock-solid 3-month organic social media strategy that you can pair with your releases and bank on for growth!

If you're serious about amplifying your music and building a loyal fan base, this episode is a must-listen to take advantage of the current landscape of disposable, reusable content online and build your music career!

DISCOVER:

1. How to Research and Model Content on TikTok and Instagram Reels

2. How to Produce and Edit Video for Maximum Engagement

3. Why You Should Build a 3-Month Organic Social Strategy Based on Your Best Results

4. How To Pair Your Music Releases with Content

5. When and How to Widen Your Reach with Paid Ads

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, Katie Dwyer!

The Complete Guide To Music Marketing in 2023

Dominating Your First Year As An Artist w/ SOMEKIDPUNK

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When running ads on social media for their music, many artists struggle with knowing when to make changes and then freak out about day-to-day results. Without a process in place for media buying, running ads for your music will feel like a rollercoaster of panic and success...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, we break down the science of running successful ad campaigns for your music and the mindset needed to make the right decisions in your media buying! Learn why so many artists struggle with understanding metrics and getting results, the shifts needed to avoid wasting money on ads, and gain practical insights into setting up and managing effective campaigns.

If you're ready to stop burning through your advertising budget and start seeing real results, this episode is a must-listen!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Understanding Metrics and Getting Results Can Be Challenging for Artists

2. When To Monitor, Optimize, and Kill Your Ads for Best Results

3. How to Set Up a Two-Campaign System That Can Generate and Entertain New Fans Today

4. The Difference Between Testing and Stability Campaigns in Advertising

5. What Meta's Learning Phase Means for Your Music Ads

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, Circuline!

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The most successful businesses are often led by forward-thinkers and innovators who capitalize on trends before they become mainstream. The most successful artists and musicians of the future will do the same...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa step into the future and discuss what the next decade holds for the music industry based on trends from marketing, tech, finance, and beyond. Learn about the disruptive potential of AI, the future of music and intellectual property rights, the collapse of Spotify, and what the evolving landscape of live music might look like by 2033!

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and glimpse into the future of the music industry, don't miss out on this episode that's packed with our predictions!

DISCOVER:

1. How AI Is Set To Disrupt The Music Industry In The Next 10 Years

2. What The Future Holds For Music And Intellectual Property Rights

3. Where The Metaverse Fits Into The Future Of The Music Industry

4. How Sync Licensing Is Set To Evolve Over The Next Decade

5. Why Spotify And Similar Platforms Might Be On The Brink Of Collapse

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, Alice Di Micele!

Descript

EP181: The Shifting Role of Artists in Society and Culture

EP214: A Crash Course in Web3 and Music

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In order to actually grow a music career, artists must go beyond the vague concept of "getting more fans" and take a critical look at their marketing. Many artists have blind spots that don't even realize...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa take you through 5 music business blind spots that we analyze with artists at our agency IndieX to help them grow. Learn how the key to growth lies not only in expanding your fan base but also in enhancing the quality of your relationships with your fans by focusing on five crucial areas that often go unnoticed.

So if you're ready to shed light on the hidden aspects of your music business and transform these blind spots into opportunities for growth, this episode guides you to unlock new opportunities for growth and improve your overall marketing strategy!

DISCOVER:

1. How To Audit Your Audiences For A Better Understanding Of Your Fan Base

2. How To Generate Ideas For New Content And Why Organic Content Matters

3. What Engagement Can Do For Increasing The Quality Of Your Fans

4. How To Craft Compelling Offers To Encourage Fans To Sign Up For Your Lists

5. How To Convert Fans Into Customers And Boost Your Music Business Profit Over Time

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, The Reality of Yourself!

What Musicians Need To Know About The TikTok Algorithm

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Black Friday sales are not exclusive to big retailers - they're crucial for businesses of ALL kinds, including artists and bands! Tapping into it could allow you to unlock the power of the season that represents 30% of annual retail sales...

In this episode, Jack and Circa present playbooks and strategies tailored for running a successful Black Friday 2023 promotion in your music career! Learn how to build audiences ahead of your promotion, create offers for customer creation and ascension, and run a campaign that nails messaging and cadence that gets your fans buying.

If you're ready to make Black Friday 2023 your most successful sales event yet, tune in for this episode and gear up to sell more music and merch than ever before!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Black Friday Sales Matter For All Businesses, Including Musicians

2. How To Segment Audiences For Customer Creation And Ascension

3. The Art Of Upselling And Why Customers Buy More During Promotional Periods

4. How To Craft Great Offers Without Resorting To Discounting

5. How To Create The Perfect Messaging Cadence For Your Promotion

6. Plus: Get Free Access To Our Indiepro Exclusive Black Friday Workshop, This Month Only!

RESOURCES:

Learn How To Sell More Music and Merch Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, WHOAMI!

Last Minute Black Friday Tips for Musicians

How To Prepare For Black Friday

Run A Black Friday Sale To Turn Listeners Into Customers

Get Access To Our Black Friday Workshop for FREE (this month only!)

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Crowdfunding can be a game-changer for musicians, but misconceptions often deter artists from leveraging its full potential. Is crowdfunding as an artist distinctively different from campaigns in other industries?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa welcome our special guest, music business development consultant, Kyle Kraft to the show to discuss the keys to successful crowdfunding for musicians. Learn the misconceptions around crowdfunding that stop artists from doing it, how to set achievable goals, engage your personal network, and ask for support in a way that resonates with your audience.

Whether you're considering crowdfunding for a launch for the first time or looking to improve from your last attempt, this episode is packed with practical advice and insider tips to help you unlock crowdfunding success!

DISCOVER:

1. What Most Artists Miss About Crowdfunding

2. Why Crowdfunding For Music Is Unique Compared To Other Industries

3. How To Set Realistic Goals And Stretch Goals For Your Campaign

4. Why Tapping Your Personal Network Is Important To Your Success

5. The Key Differences Between Preorder Campaigns And Crowdfunding Efforts

6. How To Ask For Support In A Way That Doesn’t Feel Like Begging

7. PLUS: An Announcement Of The New "Launch And Release" Training Inside IndiePRO!

RESOURCES:

Take The "Launch and Release" Crowdfunding Course ONLY Available Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Email marketing is a powerful tool for talking to your fans, but it's easy to get sucked into bad practices. But not if you know how to spot them...

In this episode of Creative Juice, we're diving deep into our email inbox, examining emails from major artists like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and more to bring you the best (and worst) practices in the industry! Learn from the good, the bad, and the downright scary so that you can use these real-world examples to refine your own email strategy.

If you're ready to stop making common industry email marketing mistakes and start leveraging email to its fullest, this episode will show you how to engage your fans effectively, drive sales strategically, and tell compelling stories that keep your list engaged!

DISCOVER:

1. How HTML Is Killing Your Emails

2. Missed Opportunities Around Holidays For Sales And How To Seize Them

3. Why Major Artists Never Nail The Right Frequency In Their Email Marketing

4. Storytelling Techniques To Better Nurture Your Fans

5. Why Using Email As A Channel For Teasers Is A Misstep Many Artists Make

RESOURCES:

Learn Email Marketing for Musicians Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner, Amanda Duncan!

Hubspot: Plain Text vs. HTML Emails: Which Is Better?

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The concept of Spotify trigger cities has been circulating for years, promising artists a magic formula for exponential growth. But where did this theory originate and does it hold any scientific merit? We delve into these questions, scrutinizing the theory's lack of a solid scientific foundation.

In this episode of Creative Juice, we discuss the Spotify Recommendation Engine and the scientifically bankrupt concept of Spotify trigger cities and why many artists have found themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of unfulfilled promises and stunted growth. Arm yourself with knowledge about how the Spotify algorithm actually works, not based on bad science, but based on what Spotify developers themselves say, and make informed decisions about your music marketing strategy!

If you're tired of chasing elusive growth strategies and ready to understand how Spotify truly works, this episode is a must-listen so that you can say goodbye to the misleading trigger cities theory, and hello to practical, effective growth strategies!

DISCOVER:

1. Where The Theory Of Spotify Trigger Cities Originated And Why It Lacks A Scientific Basis

2. What The Spotify Recommendation Engine Actually Is

3. How The Trigger Cities Theory Has Negatively Impacted Artists And Bands For Years

4. Why Growing An Audience Outside Of Your Native Country Is A Bad Starting Point

5. The Data And Psychology Of Spotify Playlist Listeners

RESOURCES:

Learn How To Grow On Spotify Inside IndiePRO

Listen To IndieAward Winner,  Cryptic One!

How the Spotify "Algorithm" ACTUALLY works

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In a world of gurus and YouTube experts, the world of music marketing is filled with filled with truths, half-truths, and outright myths. But what if you could discern fact from fiction?

In this episode of Creative Juice, we unpack 2 hard truths and one lie about music marketing, learned from our 7-year stint running our artist-focused digital marketing agency, IndieX. Learn about the critical shift for artists from audience growth to revenue-generating marketing, the undervalued role of e-commerce in the music industry, and the myth of Spotify growth and profitability through paid traffic.

If you're looking to make informed, strategic decisions about your music career, this episode is packed with insights to help you avoid the pitfalls of bad, overhyped marketing tactics!

DISCOVER:

1. When And Why Artists Need To Shift Focus From Audience Growth To Revenue Generation

2. Why E-commerce Is Underrated By The Mainstream Music Industry

3. How To Tackle Monetization With Unique Offers Like Custom Songs And House Concerts

4. What Artists Can Learn From Insane Clown Posse And George Lucas

5. Why Spotify Growth And Profitability Through Paid Traffic Is A Myth

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Outmarketing Billboard Charting Artists and Bands

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In the mainstream music industry, music collabs are common, but often a hit-or-miss marketing strategy...It's rare to hear about the inner workings of a successful collaboration straight from the source. That's not the case for Black Eyed Peas...

In this special episode of Creative Juice, we're joined by Rachel Strassberger from Black Eyed Peas management team who gives us the inside scoop on their collaborations with other massive artists like Shakira and David Guetta when rolling out the group's last two albums, TRANSLATION and ELEVATION! Learn from Rachel's valuable insights into the process of working with other artists and their teams, marketing the albums, and tapping into the power of the Black Eyed Peas fan club!

If you're an artist or manager looking to leverage collaborations and grow your fan base in new markets, this episode is packed with practical advice and insights directly from one of the biggest groups in the world!

DISCOVER:

1. What The Ins and Outs of Black Eyed Peas' Collaboration Process Looked Like

2. How To Effectively Market An Album Featuring Various Artists

3. The Role of Fan Clubs in Promoting New Music

4. What Advice Managers Can Learn From The Highest Levels of Artist Collaboration

5. Why It's Critical To Arm Your Team With Top Notch Content

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Follow Rachel on Instagram!

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Navigating the dynamic world of music marketing can be a challenge for artists, with new tools, strategies, and tactics being pushed on you every single day...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa unveil a roadmap of what's working now when it comes to music marketing strategy for artists across the spectrum! Discover where your focus should be depending on your current stage, artist-friendly content creation strategies, organic and paid social media strategy, and campaigns fan-funded growth and monetization!

Just starting out? We've got you covered. Already have fans and music to release? We'll guide you on capitalizing on that. Need to grow and scale your music business? This episode covers the strategies that you need to take your music career to the next level!

DISCOVER:

1. What Strategies Work Best for Different Stages of Artist Growth

2. Where to Focus Your Content Creation Efforts for Maximum Impact

3. How to Balance Organic and Paid Social Media Strategies

4. Why Fan-Funded Growth Can Be a Game-Changer for Your Career

5. How to Build Effective Monetization Vehicles in Your Music Career

6. Why Increasing Fan Lifetime Value is Crucial and How to Achieve It

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Musicians face a stark reality...most music industry deals and partnerships are structured in ways that don't favor artist success...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss the complex world of music industry financial models and the discrepancies they present compared to other industries. Explore the stark differences in percentage-based deals between the music business and the rest of the business world, the key factors to consider when building a team, and the dynamics of music industry gatekeepers in 2023!

If you want to know how to spot and avoid bad deals, this episode will help you unravel the secrets behind the financial models that keep many artists struggling!

DISCOVER:

1. How Music Industry Financial Models Compare With Other Industries

2. What Percentage-Based Record Deals and Management Agreements Look Like

3. Why Most Deals and Partnerships Don't Favor Artist Success

4. The Myth of True Performance-Based Relationships in the Music Industry

5. What Control Gatekeepers Have In Music in 2023

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

What's one make-or-break factor between profitable artists and struggling businesses? Pricing. Even thinking about price and the concept of sales makes some artists cringe, but it doesn't have to...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive deep into the realm of pricing strategies for artists and why raising the prices of your merch can be beneficial for you and your fans. Discover the profound connection between price and perceived value, as we draw valuable lessons from successful brands such as Supreme, Pokemon, Nipsey Hustle, and Wu-Tang Clan. Learn how these iconic names have mastered the art of selling and how you can apply their strategies to your own pricing approach.

If you want to unlock the true value of your merch for your business, this episode will empower you to think about your offers in a totally new light!

DISCOVER:

1. Why Artists Struggle With Charging Money For Music and Merch

2. The Pros and Cons of Price Adjustments

3. What You Can Learn from Supreme, Pokemon, Nipsey Hustle, and Wu-Tang Clan

4. How To Confidently Raise Your Prices By Adding Value

5. What Low Pricing Does To Perceived Value of Your Brand

6. PLUS: Use Our Simple Value-Add Checklist In Your Online Store Today

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In a highly competitive music industry, it's crucial to stay one step ahead of the game. How? Let's talk about the marketing of Billboard charting artists...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa dive into invaluable lessons learned from a research round analyzing the marketing strategies of artists on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, from top to bottom! Learn our research methodology and how we audited various aspects such as advertising, sales, websites, e-commerce, and email marketing. Discover the missed opportunities of these charting artists and get actionable insights on how to build up your own marketing arsenal!

If you're looking to supercharge your music marketing and get fast, sustainable results, this episode is packed with practical tips for effective e-commerce systems, a robust digital infrastructure, and a strategic customer journey for your fans that can't be beaten!

DISCOVER:

1. Lessons Learned from Analyzing Marketing of Billboard Hot 100 Artists

2. How We Conduct Research and Audit Music Marketing at IndieX

3. How To Find Missed Opportunities and Build Up Your Marketing Arsenal

4. Why Sales, Infrastructure, and Fan To Customer Strategy Are The 3 Pillars of Effective Music Marketing

5. Why Most Artists Miss Unlocking an Additional 15% of Sales Revenue

6. What Stupid Simple Checkout Retargeting Techniques Can Do For You

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

EP207: Where Major Artists Get Stuck In Their Marketing

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Ever wondered how, when, and why to market your music like a record label? Are record label marketing strategies worth the squeeze?

In this episode Creative Juice, we dive deep into the world of direct response marketing in music versus record label marketing, and discuss when Indies can successfully tap into brand marketing strategies! Hear stories from our clients at IndieX, dissect what it means to have direct response calls to action, and identify the infrastructure and situations that call for brand awareness and Madison Ave style marketing approaches.

This episode will equip you with the knowledge and insights to effectively navigate the marketing landscape, understand when to adopt different strategies, and ultimately, market your music like a pro!

DISCOVER:

How and When Indies Can Successfully Tap Into Brand Marketing Strategies

What Direct Response Calls to Action Mean for Your Music

When to Consider Brand Awareness and Madison Ave Style Marketing Approaches

Why Brand Awareness Is a True "Fake It Till You Make It" Game

How Mass Media Provides Social Proof and Brand Authority: The Power of Perception

What to Look at in Your Business Before Making Expensive Marketing Decisions: Key Indicators for Success

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How A Music Marketing Agency Runs Marketing Tests

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Chart-topping success may seem like a far-off dream for many indie artists, but it's more achievable than you might think...

In this episode of Creative Juice, we're joined by special guest Ande Hunter, the guitarist of As December Falls and a Marketing Strategist at IndieX to discuss the band's recent chart topping album launch! Ande shares the inside story of his band's recent record release, which climbed to #1 spots and held top ten positions on numerous charts. Get a close look at the marketing campaigns that drove preorders of the album and how the band leveraged social proof and storytelling to drive results!

This episode isn't just about celebrating success - it's about understanding how to replicate it for yourself. If you're looking to reach new heights in your career, this episode brings a reality check on music business growth across the board!

DISCOVER:

1. What It Takes to Achieve Chart-Topping Success as an Indie Artist

2. How As December Falls Leveraged Preorder Campaigns for Their Record Release

3. The Power of Social Proof and Storytelling in Music Marketing

4. Where Press and PR Play A Role In Release Campaigns

5. How to View Your Music Business Growth from Bottom To Top

When using digital marketing to promote your music, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and get caught up in minute details. Sometimes, what's needed are major, strategic changes...

In this episode of Creative Juice podcast, we share our insights on diagnosing and rectifying problems in your music marketing efforts. From ads and emails to landing pages, online stores, and beyond, we dive into the sweeping changes that can turn around failing campaigns. Learn the key strategic pivots that have transformed the campaigns of our artist clients and how to effectively plan split tests once you have working marketing campaigns.

To prepare you for failing marketing campaigns, this episode drops the knowledge and tools needed to identify weak spots, implement effective solutions, and ultimately, breathe new life into your music marketing strategies!

DISCOVER:

What Broken Music Marketing Looks Like: Diagnosing Problems

How to Overhaul Your Ads With Better Song Choices

Why Sweeping Changes Often Outweigh Small Adjustments

What Successful Campaign Turnarounds Look Like At IndieX

How to Plan Split Tests Effectively

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How A Music Marketing Agency Runs Marketing Tests

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In the music industry, there's one revenue opportunity that many artists and their managers often overlook: merch and e-commerce. Why is this revenue stream a key profit lever that many artists never pull?

In this episode, Jack and Circa unearth the holy grail of music business growth for artists of all sizes. Learn why we put a strong emphasis on e-commerce at our agency IndieX, the pros and cons of print on demand merch, understanding profit margins, and why retail selling opens you up to a new level of relationship with your fans!

If you're an artist or artist manager looking to unlock revenue potential, this episode will open your eyes to how you can start outselling your streaming profit in no time!

DISCOVER:

Why Merch Is the Holy Grail of Music Business Growth: A Fresh Perspective

The Main Ways The Music Industry Makes Money

How Merch Drives Growth Through Substantial Profit

Why Your Fans Desperately Want Tangible Products

What Pros and Cons Exist with Print On Demand Merch

How To Make More Revenue AND Profit

RESOURCES:

Learn How To Make Merch That Fans Want Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

In an industry teeming with distractions, hacks, and shortcuts, how can you truly get ahead in your music career? The places to look might surprise you...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss why artists often struggle with consistency and focus, and get caught up in mimicking tactics that simply don't work, after coaching thousands of artists at our agency and in our community. You'll learn why looking to industry superstars can hinder your progress, what it means to have a competitive edge in your business, and discover the character traits that will help you succeed.

Simply put, if you want to get ahead in a distracted music industry, this episode will equip you with practical insights and strategies to stay focused, maintain consistency, and carve out your own path to music career success!

DISCOVER:

Why Consistency and Focus Are Challenges for Artists

Why Threads or Any New Platform Won't Be Your Savior

What It Means to Do More of What Works and Less of What Doesn't

How Looking to Industry Superstars Will Hinder Your Progress

Where To Find a Competitive Edge in Your Business

How to Overcome the Fear of Selling

What It Really Means to Treat Your Artistry Like a Business

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

EP92: Is Selling Music EVIL?!

EP274: From Struggling Music Business to 348% Revenue Growth

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Content creation is often touted as a key to success in the music industry. But what if there's more to it than just chasing trends? What if we challenge the conventional narrative and unveil the truth about content creation that the music industry doesn't tell you?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa present the hypothesis that the true purpose of creating content is not merely trend-chasing, but rather teaching you how to create powerful advertising assets for your music! Delve into how to drive fan base growth with organic content, use TikTok for inspiration, and create standout videos through a scientific process. We also discuss why performance videos are STILL king and share insights on how to remain authentic online!

This episode will empower you with fresh perspectives and practical strategies to revolutionize your approach to content creation and supercharge your music career!

DISCOVER:

What the Music Industry Doesn't Tell You About Content Creation

The 5 Skills Every Artist Needs To Learn

Where to Find Inspiration for Your Content On TikTok

How to Create Standout Videos Through a Scientific Process

Why Performance Videos Are STILL King

How to Remain Authentic Online

RESOURCES:

Learn The Fan Finder Method Inside IndiePRO

i {STRONGLY DISLIKE] content

The Dropout - Vitamin D

Walk Off The Earth on TikTok

EP256: The State of Independent Music in 2023

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Navigating the world of music marketing can be challenging, but split testing is a powerful process that can help you optimize your advertising and e-commerce strategies.

In this episode of Creative Juice, we dive into the results of three crucial split tests we conducted at IndieX, our music marketing agency. Learn the outcomes of split tests on conversions vs. traffic objectives for direct-to-Spotify ads, online store pop-ups, and the optimal number of ads to run in your ad campaigns, along with how to run these tests in your own music marketing!

Whether you're an emerging artist or an established industry professional, this episode will arm you with valuable insights and practical advice to help you make data-driven decisions in your music marketing efforts!

DISCOVER:

What is Split Testing: Definition and Benefits

Where Conversions vs. Traffic Objectives Matter: Direct-to-Spotify Ads Insights

How to Optimize Online Store Pop Ups For List Growth

Why the Optimal Number of Ads Is Crucial: Maximizing Your Ad Campaigns' Efficiency

How to Be Scientific in Your Marketing: The Importance of a Data-driven Approach

Why Testing Creates Win-Win Outcomes: Driving Success Through Informed Decisions

How We Run Tests at IndieX: Insider Tips for Maximum Results

RESOURCES:

Grow Your Music Marketing Skills Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

"How do I run ads on Facebook to drive subscribers to my YouTube channel?" or "How do I send people from Instagram to engage with me on TikTok?" are common questions that point to some big misunderstandings about traffic and your fan base...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa we break down these types of questions and discuss how to effectively set your goals around effective paid advertising and quality conversions! Learn about the different types of traffic that your fans represent, the dangers of cross platform advertising, native advertising, and more!

If you've ever wondered about how to maximize your paid and organic traffic in a way that creates a valuable fan base for your career, you're in good company and this episode covers the topic from start to finish!

DISCOVER:

The Distinction Between Traffic and Conversions

Why Cross Platform Advertising Is Disruptive

How We Define Traffic Stores and Traffic Treadmills

When Native Advertising Is Most Valuable

What Makes Up A High Value Conversion and Return Path

What Earned Media and Owned Media Can Do For Your Music Career

RESOURCES:

Grow Your Music Marketing Skills Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Google "how to grow a fan base" and artists will find a dizzying amount of services, products, and content offered to answer the question. What's the best way to cut through the noise and find best practices for today?

In this episode, Jack and Circa take cues from our playbooks at the IndieX agency and the IndieFounder coaching program to discuss current strategies that we use to grow a fan base from the ground up! Learn about how the online landscape has changed since COVID, content creator culture, best practices for video ads, and beyond.

This episode will give you a boots-on-the-ground perspective of marketing campaigns and strategies that we're testing and running for artists of all shapes and sizes!

DISCOVER:

Why Calls To Action Are More Useful On Social Media Now

How COVID Impacted The Online Landscape For Marketing

Why Lackluster Video Just Doesn't Work Online Anymore

How The Top Of Funnel Low Hanging Fruit Has Changed

How Selling Your Music Allows Your To Test How Good It REALLY Is

RESOURCES:

Grow Your Music Marketing Skills Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP260: How To Capitalize On Your Momentum and Sell More Music (IndieX Case Study)

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Creative careers need to be managed with care and consistency like any business. Losing sight of that can result in rescue operations of “Bar Rescue” or “Restaurant Impossible” proportions…

In this episode, Jack and Circa share a case study story from our agency IndieX of taking a client from struggling to growing their revenue by 384%! Learn the three reasons businesses slow down, what to consider when going into the studio, and where to look if your business is struggling! 

If you’ve ever worried about the sustainability of your music career, the story in this episode provides a starting point to consider when approaching hard times!

DISCOVER:

How We Helped An Artist Grow Their Revenue by 384% 

Product Focused Vs Growth Focused Entrepreneurs

The 3 Main Reasons Businesses Slow Down

When The Branding Debate Can Hurt Your Business

How To Run A Sales Promo To Fix Your Monetization Problems

RESOURCES:

Learn The Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

74% of Billboard Hot 100 artists are missing out on opportunities to get more fans on their lists and actively monetize their audience. You don’t have to be like them…

In this episode, Jack and Circa talk about the process artists can use to get more fans on their email list for free - no matter how big your audience is! Learn about creating irresistible free offers for your fans, maximizing your online real estate, and following up with you fans to make email marketing works for you!

If you want to beat the majority of artists in the wild in email marketing and more importantly, build a hyper engaged subscriber list, tune in for this episode!

DISCOVER:

What Purpose An Email List Plays in 2023

Why The Majority of Artists Miss Out on List Growth

Examples Of “Can’t Resist” Offers That Go Beyond Updates

How To Make Newsletters Great Again

Where To Install Opt Ins On Your Website And Socials

PLUS: Swipe Our Agency Processes for Growing Your List

RESOURCES:

Get Our FREE Permission Safety Net Checklist

Take The Grow Your List Training Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP Case Study

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The times between tours and album launches are prime opportunities for musicians in their online marketing. But most artists miss out on engaging their fans with creative campaigns AND driving revenue…

So in this episode, Jack and Circa walk through the post-tour marketing campaigns that we run for our artist clients at the IndieX agency, as often as we can! You'll learn about how to plan a sales promotion after your tours or live shows to help you sell out your merch and keep the momentum going in your business.

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep cashflow strong in your music career outside of your live performances or release milestones, this episode will give you a roadmap to get started!

DISCOVER:

Why E-Commerce Is A Profit Maximizer for Touring

How To Structure A Tour Blowout Sales Promotion

Which Fans To Target For Your Post-Tour Sales

How To Collect Subscribers On The Road

The LTV Of A Music Fan

RESOURCES:

Take The Selling Tickets Training Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP244: How To NEVER Need A Reason To Sell Music Again

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

There's a lot of chatter in the music industry about how membership sites like Patreon can create easy, passive revenue streams for artists with little work involved. However, looking at membership models in other industries tells a different story…

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa discuss the topic of recurring revenue through membership sites and how artists can make the most of their efforts in growing on a site like Patreon! Learn about the two tracts of artist membership site growth, the revenue ceilings, and how to add value for fans in your membership over time!

If you’ve been thinking about building a Patreon membership site, hoping that it will be an easy cash grab, you could be right or you could be wrong...Find out why in this episode and build a stronger community!

DISCOVER:

How To Measure Growth and Churn in Your Membership

Why Artists Should Think Like Software Companies

What A High Ticket Tier Will Do For Your Membership Site

When To Use Patreon and When To Build Elsewhere

How To Price Your Membership Tiers Effectively

What To Bake Into Your Community So That Fans Stick

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Influence

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Burnout is a serious symptom of trying to build a music career without a roadmap. However like all businesses, there are skills that can help artists run their business like a well oiled machine from early days to building a team…

In this episode of Creative Juice, we‘re joined by Indepreneur’s Director of Operations, IndieX Strategist, and artist Jonah McLean aka DUX to talk music business operations! Learn about the mindset, philosophies, systems, and processes that you can use to manage your music business when solo operator or when you’re thinking about building a team!

If you’ve been feeling stuck, slowed down, or on a rollercoaster between productivity and burnout with your music business, this episode is a must-listen for an easy to implement framework that will help you get more done!

DISCOVER:

Where To Focus Your Marketing When You Feel Stuck

How To Manage Projects With A Simple System

Why Many Artists Try To Build A Team Too Soon

What 2 Touchpoints Are Critical For Any Music Business

How To Build A Team And Find Help Where It’s Needed

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

How To Be More Productive In Your Music Marketing w/ DUX

Asana

EP242: Finding The Low Hanging Fruit In Your Music Marketing

Listen To The Record Process Podcast

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

For any entrepreneur building a business, making the jump from side hustle to full time business owner can feel like a huge risk and a leap of faith and this is especially true when diving into becoming a full time artist...

In this episode of Creative Juice, we pull back the curtain on Ed's recent transition into working full time on his band The 502s! Learn about the steps he took to go full time with the band, setting tangible goals for your business, and building a team that supports your growth from the early startup stage all the way to a full-blown music career!

If you've ever felt that the jump to full time in your music career was just too scary or out of reach, Ed's experience and story will give you a unique perspective on how to drive your business forward!

DISCOVER:

Why Ed Found Himself As The 502s Chief Creative Officer Full Time

What Role You Can Fulfill In Your Music Business

How To Build Your Business Around Professional And Personal Goals

Why The Cadence of Creating and Releasing Music Is Critical To Artists in 2023

What Revenue Streams To Analyze In Your Music Business

PLUS: An Inside Look At Where Creative Juice Is Heading!

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

It only takes a quick glance at the social media pages of some of the world's top artists and bands to realize that the music industry is missing out on crucial wins from effective digital advertising...In reality, there's more for artists to learn from businesses outside of the music industry...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Circa explore what the music industry doesn't know about advertising online and how you can learn powerful strategies that take your career to the next level from other industries! Learn from insights from our agency IndieX which has managed millions of dollars in ad spend for our artist clients, the business insights of effective advertising, and how to view your music business like a high-powered e-commerce outfit.

Wondering what social media ads can do for you beyond attempts at streaming growth?

This episode covers how to make the most of your advertising budget and grow your fanbase like never before!

DISCOVER:

How Direct Response and Madison Avenue Advertising Differ

Why Advertising To Spotify Will Always Cost Money

How E-Commerce Companies Use Digital Ads

Why The Lifetime Value of A Music Fan Can Be Higher Than Other Types Of Customers

How To Use Free, Low Cost, and High Ticket Offers In Your Marketing

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP207: Where Major Artists Get Stuck In Their Marketing

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Amazon is the world's largest online retailer and with 2.45 billion monthly visitors and over 300 million active customers, there's a ton that musicians can learn from the e-commerce giant about marketing...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack, Ed, and Circa discuss how Amazon makes it easy for customers to become raving fans of the products and brands they love and how artists can do the same! Learn the sales frameworks that Amazon uses online and apply the strategies and tech in your online store to build amazing buying experiences for your fans.

If you've ever looked around the music industry and wondered why artist merch stores are lackluster, this episode will transform what you know about online sales!

DISCOVER:

How Amazon Makes It Easy For Customers To Buy

What McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Grub Hub Can Teach You About Sales

How To Build Compelling Upsells and Cross Sells

Where To Start If You Don't Have A Ton of Products In Your Store

How To Use Preorders To Increase Your Upsell Take Rate

What Marketing Tech Tools To Use For Optimizing Your Customer Experience

RESOURCES:

Take A Deeper Dive Into Upsells With Circa's Recent Workshop Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

When it comes to the question of whether or not email marketing is viable for musicians, we could talk for days about automation, tech, and platforms, but the truth is that email marketing is only as powerful as the foundation that you build upon...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed discuss the core principles of successful email marketing and quick tips to make your email marketing more effective! From subject lines and copy to calls to action and content, learn how to leverage the most profitable tool in your music marketing arsenal to the max.

Looking to warm up a dead email list of fans or get more engagement and sales from email marketing? This episode covers the foundations of email strategy that you need to succeed!

DISCOVER:

• What A Powerful Subject Line Does For Your Open Rates
• Which Action Words To Keep In Mind When Writing Emails
• How To Use Urgency, Scarcity, and Curiosity In Your Marketing
• What To Consider For Writing Stronger Emails
• How To Maximize Your Email Click Through Rate
• PLUS: A Look At Eye Catching Subject Lines From Our Personal Inboxes

RESOURCES:

Learn Email Marketing For Musicians Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The word "content" gets thrown around A LOT in the music industry, especially when it comes to social media. But did you know that most artists are missing the boat on the most impactful content in their marketing arsenal?

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed discuss how to let your fans help you create your most powerful content and how to use it in a variety of music marketing strategies! Learn about the benefits of user generated content, leveraging your fans' recommendations, and where to find content without asking for it.

If you've ever had a find comment, text, or email you about the impact your music has on them, this episode is a must listen to help you make the most of those moments!

DISCOVER:

Why Artists Are Missing Out With Reviews On Their Stores

Where User Generated Content Can Be Used In Your Marketing

How To Use Fan Content In Retargeting Ads

Why Fan Testimonials Outshine Press Quotes

How To Use Your Comments Sections for Epic Copy

RESOURCES:

Learn Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Despite what gurus, playlisters, and "promo" companies broadcast to the internet, there is no one size fits all strategy for growing a fan base! Proper music marketing strategies depend heavily on the artist in the driver's seat...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed talk through a variety of "what if" strategy scenarios that come up in discussions with IndieX artists to help you discover the starting point for your music marketing! Learn about how to drive new listeners to streaming platforms, reactivate a cold social media following, and convert fans into customers.

If you find yourself wondering what strategies might apply to your unique situation, this episode will set you up at the right starting point!

DISCOVER:

When To Focus on Warm and Cold Advertising

How To Activate Your Social Media Following

The Challenges With Converting Streams To Fans

Why Cobranded Content Can Bring You New Fans

How To Turn Fans Into Subscribers and Customers

RESOURCES:

Learn The $1/Day Traffic Strategy and The Buddy System Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Now more than ever, artists have more tasks to focus on and more hats to wear! Between making music, rehearsing and touring, managing social media and promotions, it's no surprise that you might struggle to get everything done RIGHT...

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed dive deep into the tools, strategies, and processes that we use at our music marketing agency with our clients and their teams to help them 10x their productivity. Learn about creating content in a way that doesn't feel like a drag, implementing a productivity tech stack into your business, and allocating time so that you can focus on being a creative.

A creative business doesn't need to suffer by operating differently than any other efficient business! If you're looking to streamline your work as an artist, this episode will kickstart your hyperproductive music career!

DISCOVER:

What Content Batching Will Do For Your Social Media Presence

How Slack and Asana Will Help Streamline Your Processes

How The 502s Create Social Media Content While on Tour

What Most People Miss When It Comes to Using Google Calendar

How To Use AI Tools To Understand Your Brand and Write Copy

Why Blocking Out Time Will Lead To Better Creative Outcomes

RESOURCES:

Learn The Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP260: How To Capitalize On Your Momentum and Sell More Music (IndieX Case Study)

EP254: How To Grow on Spotify in 2023

EP207: Where Major Artists Get Stuck In Their Marketing

Listen To The New Season of "The Record Process"

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Social media advertising is constantly evolving and there's a ton of outdated or plain bad advice circulating online from influencers and gurus. It's tough to know what advice to follow or ignore to advertise your music effectively...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed run down a slew of social media advertising tips sourced directly from the brains of our IndieX music marketing agency team! From campaign setup and budgeting, to targeting, creatives, and beyond, gain insight from marketers who are running ads for a full roster of artists all day, everyday!

If you're sick of the confusion and bad information when searching for best practices for your ads on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, this episode is packed with tips that come from actual experience running ads right now!

DISCOVER:

How To Approach The Changes To Targeted Ads

Why Artists Have A Unique Advantage For Social Media Ads Today

When TikTok Ads Are Most Effective

How To Setup Your Campaign Objectives and Optimization Events

What To Consider When Setting Your Ad Budget

How To Setup Your Advertising For Your Unique Fan Base

RESOURCES:

Learn The Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

EP260: How To Capitalize On Your Momentum and Sell More Music (IndieX Case Study)

EP254: How To Grow on Spotify in 2023

EP207: Where Major Artists Get Stuck In Their Marketing

Listen To The New Season of "The Record Process"

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There's always talk in music circles saying that artists can seek out investors for financing their music business, but little talk about how to actually do it. The discussion stops at the possibility of finance outside of record deals and glazes over the practical steps...

So in this episode of Creative Juice, we're joined by special guest Wendy Day to talk about what artists need to know about investors and music industry finance today! Learn directly from Wendy's experiences in finding investors, working on deals, and building music careers spanning an amazing career working with artists from household names to successful indies!

If you've ever considered seeking outside capital for your music business, this episode will give you a sense of where to start looking, what assets you'll need in place, and what investors are looking for in the new music business!

DISCOVER:

Why Record Label Deals Don't Make Sense For Most Artists

What Is The Best Place To Start Looking For An Investor

What Assets To Have In Place When Looking For A Deal

Why Partnership Deals Are Like A Marriage

Where 3 Different Artists Found Their First Investors

What Investors Look For When It Comes To ROI

RESOURCES:

Learn The Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Find Wendy Online At WendyDay.com

Follow Wendy on IG at @rapcoalition

YOUTUBE: How The "Music Business" Actually Works

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

When artists have upward movement in their career, whether it's a hit song, a sync placement, a viral video, or a big tour, they often look ahead and aim to capitalize on their success. But what steps do you take to actually channel momentum and strike while the iron is hot in your career?

In this episode of Creative Juice, we welcome back IndieX Account Strategist and Marketer Ande Hunter for a case study story about capitalizing on the Billboard chart success of a new client at our agency! Take a few lessons from our playbook about how we ramped up this artist's e-commerce revenue with email marketing and ads, created over 1000 new customers, and sold out their merch!

The next time you have momentum in your own music career, this episode will give you tools and ammunition to help you capitalize on it and grow your fan base and revenue right away!

DISCOVER:

How We Helped An Artist 5.6x Their Online Sales

Why You Need To Nurture Your Fans In A Sales Cycle

How We Test The Temperature of An Audience For Selling

Why Music Videos Work As Ads For Cold Audience Sales Campaigns

What Persuasive Elements You Need In Your Sales Ad Copy

RESOURCES:

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

Learn The Top Music Marketing Strategies Inside IndiePRO

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

The advertising landscape online is constantly changing. Artists that want to make the most of using paid traffic for their music need to stay on top of what's working now!

In this episode of Creative Juice, Jack and Ed unpack the advertising trends and strategies that we're testing and employing with our artist clients at IndieX, so that you can apply them to your music career! Learn how to leverage your content for maximum advertising impact, where TikTok Ads work best for artists, and how to analyze your efforts to achieve the best results.

With advertising trends changing day to day, the concepts in this episode will give you a foundation to build upon when advertising your music all throughout 2023!

DISCOVER:

How Short Form Vertical Video Has Changed Advertising

What To Watch For In Your Own Organic Content for Paid Ads Success

How To Use TikTok Ads To Stop Chasing Virality

Why Facebook Ads Are NOT Dead

How To Read To Differences Between Poor Timing and Poor Results In Your Ad Campaigns

RESOURCES:

Learn TikTok Ads In The Fan Finder Method Inside IndiePRO

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!

When bringing new music into the world, the most impactful releases seem to weave a seamless narrative even from the first moments of creativity in songwriting. But more often than not, marketing is left as an afterthought instead of a part of the creative process itself. How can artists overcome this hurdle AND stay inspired and focused?

In this episode of Creative Juice, we welcome back Casey Cavaliere from The Wonder Years and The Record Process podcast to discuss taking your music from the studio to the global stage effectively! From clients and colleagues that Casey has worked with in the studio, to his band, our clients IndieX, and everything in between, hear stories that will inspire you to capture your authentic story from pre-production all the way through to launching your next project with content and offers that will get your fans excited and involved!

If you've ever felt a disconnect between your creative side in the studio and planning out your marketing, the insights and stories from this episode will get you thinking about your favorite artists' music, your online presence, and your own releases in a totally new light!

DISCOVER:

Why Documenting Your Process Makes Marketing More Fun

How The Wonder Years Turned Their Recording Process Into A Documentary

What You Can Learn From "Scrollstopping" Media

How To Let Go of Perfection In Your Content Strategy

What You Can Learn From Food YouTube Channels

How To Create Engaging Videos In The Studio (Even If You Hate Content Creation)

PLUS: A Glimpse Into The Upcoming Season of "The Record Process"

RESOURCES:

Tune Into Casey's Podcast "The Record Process" For Season 4 Now!

Follow The Record Process on Instagram!

Watch The Wonder Years "Coughing Up Embers" Documentary!

Learn The Fan Finder Method Video Ad Strategy Inside IndiePRO

Salt Hank On YouTube

Join Us In The Indepreneur Discord Server!

Looking to expand your team or need marketing help in 2023? Apply to work with IndieX!