27: Apple Music, Spotify, and the Independent Artist – with Dezz Asante of TechMuze Academy

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Music streaming services are taking over how consumer and fans listen to music so what does this mean for the musicians, songwriters, bands, and other independent artists who are featured on these sites? In this episode, I talk with Dezz Asante of TechMuze Academy about the fan-based growth and development strategies that artists need to take on in order to take full advantage of Apple Music and Spotify.

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In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Jordan is not entirely convinced that streaming music is the death of music as we know it, but that every independent artist needs to change their strategy immediately.
  • 1) Immediately, meaning in the next 1 to 3 years, the already established artists will see a surge in listens as their fans who haven’t downloaded their latest album will now have access to all of their music online for free anytime. As they increase their fan base, they will be able to improve their numbers at live gigs.
  • 2) in the long run, meaning 3 to 10 years, this is going to give the independent artist a huge advantage. We can now release music and have it heard immediately by anyone… Meaning if we can consistently and steadily release new music that engages our fans and makes them want to share, we can build a reliable fan base that is potentially stronger than one that has to purchase your music when it is released every year or two.
• In this world of instant streaming and music being available at anyone’s fingertips for one monthly subscription, we have to forget about the term “record business” and recording industry. Physical sales are not a booming industry anymore and should not gauge one’s level of “success.” Marketing your cd is old-world thinking. Nowadays, the focus has to on fan-based growth and development.
• Spotify and Apple Music are tools and have to be used as such. These services lead to Discovery, Immediacy, & Affordability… potential fans can discover you on another artists’ radio station, hear your music immediately, and all without paying any more money.
• Is the return on your investment worth more as streaming music or offering it free through private soundcloud in exchange for growing your fan base? Jordan speculates that the low monetary return offered by the streaming services may not always be worth as much as giving your music away for FREE in exchange for joining a mailing list.
• Sometimes this digital reality we operate in leads us to forgetting about the real world situations (what Dezz calls “Meat World”). The listener-to-fan-to-customer process has to move from the digital into the physical whenever possible. Hear a band’s music online, join their email newsletter, share some stories, get a notice that they’re coming to your town, hear them play live, say hi after the show, buy them a drink, swap more stories, shake hands or give a hug… This is what grows a fan for life.
• A great idea for bringing the digital into physical: “House concerts”. They are casual, intimate, and physical. Dezz and his girlfriend have performed house concerts and the quality of relationships puts them steps ahead in the process instantly.
• With streaming music allowing your potential audience to hear your discography immediately, you want the least barrier to entry possible with website and access online. Create a great website (both TechMuze and SOSstudio are built with WordPress and ElegantThemes.com), offer an email subscription option, and seamlessly tie into your social media platforms. Have an open door policy for anyone to be able to reach out to you at any time.

Quotes:

.@AppleMusic can help you grow your fan case because of Discovery, Immediacy, and Affordability. Click To Tweet

Marketing your CD is old-world thinking. Focus on fan-based growth and development. Click To Tweet

Physical album sales are not a booming industry and should not gauge one's level of 'success.' Click To Tweet

Links:

Thanks for Listening!

Thank you so much for tuning in to my conversation with Dezz! If you want to add your voice to the conversation, please leave a comment below and we’ll keep talking!

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Thanks again for joining and special thanks to Dezz Asante of TechMuze Academy! Until next time!