Adam Ivy built a six figure online income with his music, and built a YouTube channel with 300k subscribers sharing how he did it. In this episode we talk organic content strategy and music business development.
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Important Points:
Adam shares how visibility, connections, and offers are the 3 key things artists need for a successful music career. Having just one or two is not enough.
Andrew and Adam talk about how short-form video content is very powerful right now for gaining visibility and building an audience. Artists should utilize platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Adam and Andrew discuss why artists should focus on telling their story and connecting with fans in an authentic way through their content. This builds deeper relationships than just posting music covers.
Adam and Andrew highlight that consistency and patience are crucial. Building an audience and music career takes time. Artists shouldn’t get discouraged after just 6 months or a year.
Podcast Outline:
[00:00:07] The best music marketing advice for artists: focus on visibility, connections, and offers. – Adam
[00:01:02] To have a successful music career, you need visibility so people can find you, connections to build relationships and trust, and offers so you can make money. – Adam
[00:02:26] Why Adam decided to share everything he knew to help other artists instead. – Adam
[00:04:33] How short-form video content makes music more accessible. – Adam
[00:05:43] To succeed, you need aggressive patience, consistency, and to keep climbing without getting stuck comparing yourself to others. – Adam
[00:07:06] Congress banning TikTok is like asking your tech-illiterate uncle to explain the internet. – Andrew
[00:11:05] To grow your audience, you need a mix of attraction content for visibility, nurturing content for connections, and promotions for offers. – Adam
[00:16:10] Knowledge without action isn’t knowledge at all. You need real-life experience, not just theoretical concepts. – Adam
[00:19:28] Artists can tell stories in songs, but struggle to do the same on social media. Use your songs as examples for great storytelling. – Adam
[00:22:16] Don’t get stuck in the gap between where you are and your goals. Stay present and appreciate how far you’ve come already. – Adam
[00:24:18] 30,000 streams is more people than my hometown and bigger than most venues. Don’t minimize your progress. – Andrew
[00:33:33] The most successful YouTubers have mastered pacing and storytelling to bring viewers into the experience. Artists can do the same. – Adam
[00:37:57] Why those who pay typically pay more attention. – Adam
[00:44:52] Over 90% of people quit. If you just keep going and follow through, you’ll find success whether it’s a course or anything else. – Adam
Wise Words:
[00:00:46] “So what are you moving them(your audience) to? Oh, offers. You need to have a path. You need to have an understanding of how to make money in this business, whether it’s streaming, whether it’s royalties, whether it’s merch, gigging, crowdfunding like Patreon. And once you have all three things organized, that’s when the magic starts to happen.” – Adam
[00:22:16] “A creative career with music, a creative career with YouTube, a creative career with an education, creative career, like. It all takes the same recipe, just slightly different tweaks to it.” – Adam
[00:33:33] “And I think a lot of musicians die in the gap because they’re always, Oh, that guy made it life. Isn’t fair. The industry is rigged. I should be there. Like, no, where have you, where have you come? And like. The bigger you dream, the more epic your past is going to be every time you check it. So, um, I think that on social media, one thing as cheesy and cliche as it sounds is um, It’s not that we have to do it, it’s that we get to do it. Cause nobody gives a shit if you do music. No one. Not a fucking person.” – Adam
[00:42:00] “I hate to say it because people are like, Oh, you, I can’t believe you’re taking advantage. I’m not taking advantage of anybody…You’re essentially hiring me to help you get in music marketing shape and get your business up off the ground.” – Adam
Resources Mentioned:
- Adam Ivy’s YouTube Channel – link
- Join Adam’s Sell Music Masterclass – link
- Learn how to grow your YouTube channel – link
Learn More:
If you enjoyed this interview you might also like this one I did with Eric Copeland of Make Music Income, on how he makes a six-figure yearly income through music and sync licensing.