Music Growth Talks: Podcast For Musicpreneurs

"As an artist, I don't need to reinvent the music industry. I need to reinvent how people consume MY music." That is just one of the many insights you're about to discover on today's show, with our long-term friend Josh Urban – a musician, entertainer, and a pseudo political candidate from the DC area. Josh plays a home-built broom guitar, DJs on the street and at hospitals, and goes on a railroad tour across the East Coast every year. He's in the middle of one such tour, called "Join the Dance Party!", at the time this podcast is being released. One of the goals of the tour is to make a music video with the world, "dancing away our fears and division." Everyone who aren't in the area to take a selfie with Josh is invited to record themselves dancing, preferably to the official tour song, and tag it with #JURT (Josh Urban Rail Tour) on social media. To fit the theme, people are writing a fear on a piece of paper, dancing with it, then crumpling the paper and throwing it out of view. If you want to take part

This podcast episode is all about the unique online event called Music Launch Summit, coming out of Melbourne, Australia, and being broadcast internationally from September 13-30th. The digital conference features 40+ speakers from around the music industry, including Benji Rogers (PledgeMusic), Jennie Sager (Twitter), Rodney Holder (MusicBusiness Facts), Budi Voogt (Heroic Recordings), Ariel Hyatt (Cyber PR), Ian Clifford (Make It In Music), as well as the Dotted Music and WeSpin founder, Andrew Apanov. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast, the Summit founder Steve Palfreyman talks on what's inside the Music Launch Hub, which took him almost a year longer to put together than he initially expected. Steve also explains how the focus of the event is on launching music, but not necessarily in the way you might expect. Listen to the episode to learn more about Music Launch Summit, which will stream live for free if you reserve your seat at http://musiclaunchsummit.com/wespin If you want to get the lifetime access

Hive.co is a platform built to analyze, grow, and communicate with your fanbase. Hive's "Engage" product allows you to capture fans' contact information with content lockers, sign up forms and contests, and then connect with them via targeted email campaigns. The "IQ" add-on indexes your followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud and Youtube, to then show who your most supportive followers are, what brands they like, where they are located, and more. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode, Hive's Theo Koolen gave us an overview of the toolkit, and shared real-world case studies of how other artists have been using it so far. Listen to our conversation for content marketing tips, to learn how to turn a free show into thousands of fans' emails, and for a secret link to an extended free trial to Hive! Go to http://wespin.co/wsr74/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin postcard.

Think about it: pretty much ever music gig, even the most niche and underground, has a Facebook Event created for it. Promoters, festivals, club owners, and music acts – even those who aren't good at promoting their events – rarely fail to announce a show on the world's biggest social network. But is it easy for music fans to discover something new and relevant to them in the myriad of Facebook Events? Truthfully, not much. Dave Blue, today's WeSpin Recipes guest, saw the untapped potential of Facebook Events, and created Spotcaller – a web and mobile app aimed to simplify live music discovery. Spotcaller aggregates all music events on Facebook, across the whole globe, daily, and displays them in a beautiful interface. In this podcast episode, Dave talked on how his app compares to the likes of Songkick or BandsInTown, and the ways Spotcaller benefits artists. Dave illustrated how the events' trending scores are calculated, explained how to update your upcoming events on the service, and gave specific tips

Being involved in the worlds of tech and music over many years, Peter Harris always found the process of moving a casual listener to a dedicated fan too clumsy in the traditional music industry. Not seeing any tangible solutions coming to change it, he decided to take the initiative in his hands, and founded Resonate – a unique, cooperatively owned streaming platform currently in the works. Resonate features an affordable "stream to own model" (with no monthly fees for listeners), where listening turns to owning – and where fans know that the money goes direct to the artists. It presents a new music model, which aims to provide better discovery and curation, centered around real communities. "Imagine that Spotify was a cooperative" – this is how Peter described the idea in a compact form during our conversation. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode, Peter explained how the "stream to own" model works, gave a great and clear overview of the blockchain technology, and went over some of the challenges the bl

Dearbhla Trainor truly has a well-rounded perspective of all aspects of the music industry. As a singer-songwriter, having worked at a major record label and a booking agency, Dearbhla (pronounced as Dervla) has collected a lot of invaluable knowledge and contacts over the recent years. And now, she shares the knowledge in her bi-weekly podcast, called The One Sheet. The show features one-on-one conversations with some of the biggest names in the business, and covers fields like booking, A&R, social media, or even music mastering. Today, Dearbhla takes a role of an interviewee as a guest of the WeSpin Recipes podcast. Listen to this episode to hear specific tips on networking and reaching out to labels and press, to learn about the art of accepting failure as a learning opportunity, to run a simple exercise which will help you understand how you (as a brand and a person) is perceived by others, and much more. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr71/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to

This WeSpin Recipes podcast episode features our conversation with D Grant Smith, a Growth Farmer (listen to the show to see what "growth farming" stands for), professionally coaching musicians and entrepreneurial businesses. He's been showcasing unsigned artists since 2003 as the Syndicated Host of The Appetizer Radio Show, and now released a book on radio promotion called "The DIY Musician's Radio Handbook". In this show, D Grant talked on the role and influence of public radio, the ways (not) to pitch your music, building strong relationships with the industry contacts, the importance of having a great sound and knowing who you sound like, the questions to ask a publicist or a radio plugger you want to hire, and much more. Listen to the show to see why there is no such thing as an "overnight success," and hear one of D Grant's most important rules of radio promotion. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr70/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin

Adam Reifsteck, the founder of the NYC-based electronic dance music label Teknofonic, takes a different approach to running a record label. "Artists first" is clearly the imprint's motto, as Adam lets his artist keep all their copyrights, and "have full creative control". Listen to this WeSpin Recipes episode to learn how exactly it works out for the label and its artists, and to also get some useful tips from Adam. During the conversation, we talked about getting signed, earning money through SoundExchange and PPL, and more. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr69/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin postcard.

Paul Loeb is the founder and developer of DropTrack, a web service which helps artists to promote their music to record labels and industry tastemakers. Besides housing, tracking, and streamlining the process of music promotion for producers and bands – the platform allows record labels and DJs to manage demos and music submissions in a centralized location. DropTrack is currently being used by over 6,000 artists and labels, including the likes of Tiësto and George Acosta, and new features are added frequently. Some of the current features include real-time analytics, integration with DropBox and SoundCloud, and individualized promo links and emails. Not just an entrepreneur, but also an electronic music producer known as Really Cute Cats, Paul also talked on how his love (and allergy) for cats grew into an ecommerce business – and then a music act. Listen to this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode to learn more on that, and discover Paul's tips on building your email list, networking, and growing a business as

Music Tech Fest is "the festival of music ideas." The 10th edition of Music Tech Fest takes place from May 27 to May 30 at Funkhaus Berlin, the world's biggest recording studio. This WeSpin Recipes episode is an interview with Andrew Dubber, the director of the festival, and here we talk about all things #MTFBerlin. (!) Exclusive discount for WeSpin Recipes listeners: If you want to be at Music Tech Fest Berlin, use the 5UPPORT3R code while purchasing a ticket at http://www.ticketbase.com/events/mtfberlin – for a 20% discount. In a 3-day weekend of back-to-back performances, demonstrations and showcases of some the most impressive advances at the intersection of art and science, #MTFBerlin will bring the city's talent, innovation and intelligence together with artists, hackers, startups and scientists from around the world. #MTFBerlin is also going to feature exclusive performances from the likes of Emika (premiering her latest work called Symphony No.1), Ninja Tunes co-founder and one-half of Coldcut Matt

Jason Hobbs is a true marketing veteran, with over a decade of advertising agency and dotcom experience. The client list of his digital marketing agency The Found Group (now inactive) includes the likes of Beggars Group, The xx, Mumford & Sons, Columbia Records, and Flying Lotus. Today, Jason leads the marketing and digital departments at TheMuse.com, and Linkin Park's Machine Shop. Three years back, Jason also launched found.ee – described as "sophisticated remarketing, simplified" – and on this WeSpin Recipes episode we discussed the platform in detail. On the podcast, Jason described how and why to use remarketing, showed how he helped Marilyn Manson increase sales of his new album using found.ee, and explained what types of ads artists should be creating before and after a record release. Listen to the conversation to also learn the new ways you can benefit from media coverage, how an exclusive premiere of a track can go viral, and much more. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr66/ for the show notes and htt

Cortney Harding, with over ten years of extensive music industry experience – including four years at Billboard – provides a rather unique, and invaluable set of services for music companies. She's the one who establishes partnerships between music startups and the music business players. An expert in content and marketing, Cortney also creates thought leadership pieces that appear in the likes of Techcrunch, Re/code, Hypebot, and Medium's Cuepoint. Her recent book called "How We Listen Now" is out on Kindle, and is a recommended reading to anyone in music. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode, Cortney talks about the future of virtual reality, and the state of the music startup scene – the challenges entrepreneurs face these days, and the mistakes they make, such as overestimating the artist market. Listen to the conversation to also hear practical communication and monetization tips for artists, and learn how to claim a discount on a consultation call with Cortney. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr65/ for the

Nikoo Sadr is a Music Ally training and development manager. She writes for the company's popular digital marketing publication Sandbox, runs her own events company Signs & Sounds, and is always up to date on the latest tools, trends, and growth tactics. And this WeSpin Recipes episode is full of tools, trends, and tactics. The show's guest, Nikoo talks about the specifics of Scandinavian music market, discusses strategies for succeeding on streaming platforms, and shares case studies... lots of real-world, insightful case studies. Listen to the conversation in full to also learn what analytics tools Nikoo uses, and to claim an extended trial to Music Ally's premium subscription. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr64/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin postcard.

Sander Petit is an experienced Dutch entertainment lawyer, specializing in dance music copyright law. A DJ himself, Sander works with producers, booking agents, managers, and publishers, and shares his vast knowledge in a DJ Mag column, as well as other respected music publications. Andrew met Sander at Dancefair 2016, where he hosted a session titled "Legal 101: Making or Breaking the Deal". This WeSpin Recipes episode, recorded a month later, includes a ton of practical legal advice from Sander Petit – applicable to musicians in any territories, and in any genres. What to watch out for in a contract to close a good deal, even if you can't hire a lawyer? How to avoid losing control over your intellectual property? Who to have in your team? Sander's got these questions covered. Listen to this episode to also learn the reasons you may want to show a recording agreement or a booking agency contract you are about to sign to a lawyer, after all, and how to properly exit a deal you don't want to be in anymore.

Bas Grasmayer is a digital strategist, who some of you may know through his thesis, called "Marketing Music Through Non-Linear Communication". The thesis went viral in 2011, and Bas has helped grow a number of music tech companies across Europe since then. Today, he runs a weekly newsletter called MUSIC x TECH x FUTURE, and writes about new music business models, innovation, culture, and technology. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode, Bas talked on why you should stop broadcasting, and how to use social media to connect with your fans instead. He gave practical advice on live streaming, commented on the shape of the music tech scene, and explained why artists may want to be more involved in hackathons. Listen to our conversation to also imagine how you would operate in the world where there was no copyright, all your fans were completely selfish, and SoundCloud was shut down. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr62/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a fr

Andras Bodrogi is a digital music consultant, certified YouTube expert and Google Regional Trainer with years of experience in the music industry (starting at EMI Hungary, and then launching the first music distribution company in the country). Currently his primary role is helping local YouTube partners, brands and content creators reach their goals with audio-visual content at Google Grounds Budapest. Several weeks after meeting Andras at the MENT music conference in Slovenia, Andrew interviewed him for this WeSpin Recipes episode. And, as you could guess, it's all about YouTube. Andras talks about different types of music-related content, video SEO tips, monetization, growing your YouTube community, and learning from successful vloggers. Listen to the conversation to also learn where to find more free information about YouTube, and how not to name a band. Go to http://wespin.co/wsr61/ for the show notes and http://getacard.wespin.co/ to learn how to support the podcast and get a free WeSpin postcard.

Sebastiaan Hooft is a widely recognized Dutch entrepreneur, who literally redesigned his life after a total burnout – which he experienced after working on his businesses almost 24/7 for fifteen years. Sebastiaan then sold his companies, gave the profits to charities, and started travelling the world to learn the tactics of other successful people. As the result, he invented a canvas for living a healthy entrepreneurial life, and started teaching it to leaders and entrepreneurs. Simultaneously, he followed his long-time passion for music, and starting a professional DJ career. This WeSpin Recipes episode was recorded at Dancefair 2016 in The Netherlands, where Sebastiaan Hooft hosted a talk on Entrepreneurship in music. In the episode, Sebastiaan talks on the five facets of entrepreneurship skills, and shows which areas you as an artist (and hence an entrepreneur) should be focusing on more than you probably do now. If you haven't had a mentor before, and haven't realized the value of having one, here you wi

Chris Eckman is a co-founder of Glitterbeat Records, a German record label specializing in “vibrant global sounds,” which won the Best Label award at the WOMEX music conference in both 2014 and 2015. Chris talked to Andrew Apanov for our podcast right after the end of the MENT Ljubljana panel he moderated. The name of the panel was "The New Life of Indie Labels," and the speakers were Tony Duckworth ([PIAS] Poland, PL), Andy Bibey (One Little Indian Records, UK), Dace Volfa (I Love You Records, LV), and Miran Rusjan (Moonlee Records, SI). In this WeSpin Recipes episode, Chris Eckman comments on the "brutally tough" business of running a record label, reminds of the importance of a local market knowledge, shares the things labels look for in artists besides their music, and talks on why this industry doesn't treat artists as VIPs anymore. Listen to the conversation to also learn how many CDs and vinyls Glitterbeat ships to Scandinavian countries compared to the UK, and why some labels end up promising artist

Pare Booking is a booking agency, but with a twist. It allows any artist based in the US (more territories to be added later this year) to be represented by Pare, and manage every aspect of the booking process – including signing contracts and accepting payments – right from the neat iPhone app they've built. It's not a typical commission-based relationship with an artist, too: instead, the service costs a flat monthly fee. TIME-SENSITIVE: The guys at Pare Booking offered all WeSpin Recipes listeners a massive lifetime 50% discount ($9.99/mo or $99.99/yr – for LIFE). You can claim it by 2/12 (!) by calling 844-532-PARE and using the code “Podcast”. In this WeSpin Recipes podcast episode, Pare's founder Brandon Breitenbach talked on his mission to offer booking agency services to all performing music acts, how the process of booking through the app is compared to using an email or a form, and the upcoming features aimed to help their artists find and book more shows from the app. Listen to the podcast to al

We begin each podcast's introduction with listing the guest's projects. Today will be an exception, as we wouldn't have enough space to list everything our interviewee has been working on! We invite you to explore the world of Alex Coweles, also known as Stillhead, yourself. The good place to start, besides the podcast itself, is the show notes below – you will discover numerous gems there, including the collection of the best music descriptions you have read in your life. In this WeSpin Recipes episode, Alex talks on what he had to go through changing his artist alias from DFRNT to Stillhead (with tips on how you can manage such a transition), the reason he created the now legendary guide on sending music to labels, his upcoming course called How To Self Release (and why it covers much more than self-releasing music), email marketing for IKEA, branding tips, and so much more. Listen to the show to also learn why you have to be proactive when it comes down to protecting your brand, as well as the biggest re