Get ready to throw out the "starving artist" mindset on this empowering podcast for independent artists! Co-hosts Wilson Harwood and Sarah Clanton flip the script, encouraging artists to take the reins in their music business, create financial freedom and the life they've always imagined.
How To Find A Music Manager
FREEE Single Release Checklist: https://www.elevatedmusic.co/checklistI have said it, maybe you have said it…”if someone could just help me with all this work, I would be so much farther along in my music career.” There is no doubt that this is true, but getting a music manager seems like this mystical thing that just happens to some people. However, there is definitely a way to get your ideal music manager and in this article that is what we are going to learn how to do!1) Find An Artist With A Similar Fan Base To YouThis may take a little work, but the first step is to find an artist who you admire and is farther along in their music career. You want to pick someone who’s fans would also like your music. Your music will most likely be similar, but it is more important that the fanbase will overlap. Imagine the artist you dream of opening up for and start there.The key to this is not to go so huge that it throws you to managers who are way too big. For example, I wouldn’t choose Taylor Swift because she is just way to popular to help us move up a step in our music career.For this example, I am going to choose Sarah Jarosz. She is a musician I admire, and I feel our fans would overlap. I also think Sarah is certainly popular, but she is not a pop superstar, so I should be able to find her team and potentially contact them.2) Go To The Artist’s WebsiteNext, you want to do a little research. In this case I would go to Sarah Jarosz website and try and find out who her manager is. Luckily, Sarah has her management right on her website under the contact page. I could click on the link and send her manager an email right away.However, before we spam a random person on the internet, let’s do a little preparation.3) Craft Your EmailI would do this in a word doc like google docs, text edit or Microsoft word. It is good to right emails in a place that you can go back and edit them later. The point of this email is to simply ask for advice. You want to create a relationship, not ask to get signed or have them manage you.Being humble and having humility is key. You want to share some successes you have had, but mainly ask for three pieces of advice that will help you get to a point where they might work with you someday.The goal of this outreach email is to help you hone your strategy to getting an ideal artist manager. It is not to land one right away, although I suppose it could happen!So here is an example email I might right:Hi Jim,I am a big fan and admirer of Sarah Jarosz. I am an artist similar in style to her based out of Nashville, TN. I wanted to learn more about what you look for in an artist so I can set some clear goals for my own music career. What are three things an artist must have in place for you to even consider working with them? I know you are very busy so I really appreciate you even taking the time to read this. Thank you so much for the advice and I hope one day we may have the chance of working together. best, Wilson Harwood www.wilsonharwood.com4) Find More ArtistsOnce you hit send it is a good idea to mark that you sent the email in a google sheet or excel file. You will most likely want to follow up two more times. I would suggest trying once more in two weeks and again two weeks after that. I don’t think I would spam their email too much, but a couple follow up are always a good reminder for very busy people.Now the chances of getting a reply are pretty slim. So the best thing you can do is find more managers to reach out to. I would recommend using our friend Spotify to help you.For my example I would type in Sarah Jarosz into Spotify and then scroll down to the
1/13/2023 • 11 minutes, 58 seconds
Use Spotify As A Marketing Tool
FREEE Single Release Checklist: https://www.elevatedmusic.co/checklistMost of us want more streams on Spotify to ideally make more money from those streams, but what if I told you the money doesn’t matter? Or what if I said the money is a nice bonus, but should not be thought of as a reliable source of income in your music career. That’s right, I am trying to stir up the pot of how you think about Spotify or streaming in general in your music career.
1/6/2023 • 12 minutes, 14 seconds
Ultimate Home Studio Set Up For Under $250
FREEE Single Release Checklist: https://www.elevatedmusic.co/So you want to start recording your own music, but you don’t want to spend a fortune. This home studio set up will not break the bank and will get you some good results right out the door. I will say that I am not including studio monitors because you can use any pair of headphones or speakers you already have. I am also not including a computer since most people have some sort of computer they use for either work or personal use. Most computers these days can get you started on your home studio journey.So let’s dive into exactly what you will need to get some basic home recordings going. If you want to save even more money on these items than buy them used. I really like Reveb.com and Facebook Marketplace for finding great deals on used gear.0:00 - Intro1:24 - Recording Software2:15 - Audio Interface3:03 - Microphone4:05 - Mic Cable4:41 - Mic Stand
12/30/2022 • 6 minutes, 36 seconds
5 Ways To Land More Sync Placements
FREEE Single Release Checklist: https://www.elevatedmusic.co/If you want to get involved with the sync world and begin creating a passive income side to your artist career than these five tips will help you jump off in the right direction. Sync licensing is a very competitive space so having a leg up in the game can be very helpful. Let's go over five ways to increase the likelihood of getting sync placements.1) Create More Music RegularlyWith sync quantity really matters. The old adage of quality over quantify does not necessarily apply here. If you only release 1-5 songs a year your chances of landing placements goes way down. If you release one song a month then you will greatly improve your chances of getting those songs placed. The more the better. This does mean costs may go up, so try and collaborate with a producer for a percentage deal or learn how to produce songs yourself.2) Create Music With Music Supervisors and Editors In MindThe people who make major decisions in sync licensing are called music supervisors. Their job is to find music for the TV shows or ads they are working on. The editor actually places the song in the segment and makes it fit the picture. You want to make their jobs as easy as possible.When creating music think of your intro, verse, chorus and bridge in the same way an editor would. Give them great cut points in your song to change scenes or emotion. Have both really big parts in your song and soft sections. Try adding both vocal and instrumental sections so they have a lot to choose from.The number one thing with sync is to keep a consistent emotion or vibe throughout your song. The music supports the picture so it must match an emotion in the TV show or commercial.3) Write The TruthPeople can spot a canned or superficial song lyric from a mile away. Even though your song cannot have a lot of specific proper nouns like names, places or things, it can still have a true emotion to it. The lyrics can mean something to you even though they are a bit vague.I am not saying this is easy, but stick to your truth when writing and you will land more syncs.4) Pay Attention To TrendsWhen you write for sync you are writing commercial music. It is a fine line between being your true artist and making your song more marketable in the sync marketplace. You are selling songs, so paying some attention to what is working with your competition is not a bad idea.I like to use a website called https://www.tunefind.com/ to find trending songs for TV shows. The best thing to do is to create a Spotify playlist with those trending songs and listen to them while driving around or doing the dishes. This will get your ear trained to hear common themes with what is currently working. You will want to update that list monthly to stay on top of changing trends.If you are shooting for advertising placements then I recommend checking out https://www.ispot.tv/browse to find ads with music. I have found this process a bit more difficult because many ads use library music or in house writers who are not on Spotify. You can still hear what is getting placed, but it may be harder to build a Spotify playlist.5) Own Your Artistic LaneIt is tempting when you first jump into sync to try writing to every brief or every genre of music. You might see hip hop is really popular so you try writing hip hop songs. Then piano ballads seem to be cool so you try piano songs. The problem with changing who you are as an artist is the Music Supervisors won't remember you. They need a sonic fingerprint that sticks in their mind.If you can create a sound that is desirable then you should stick with it. This is also not easy, but worth going after. Stick to what you know you are really good at and make a lot of music. Remember, be true to your art and
12/23/2022 • 7 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Turn a Spare Room Into a Home Studio - Part 1
During the pandemic, many of us are learning to record at home. However, learning to record at home can feel positively overwhelming. Never fear, The Wealthy Artist Podcast is here! In this two part episode Wilson spoon-feeds us step by step just how to turn that spare room into a studio, today. In Part 1 learn what kind of room is best to record in and what few pieces of gear you need and in Part 2 dive a bit deeper into setting up and choosing monitors, your listening position and how to acoustically treat your space. Episode Resource Guide:YOUTUBE: "Soundproof Your Studio" - Wilson's Free CourseREAD MORE: Wilson in ProMusic Guide "How to Treat Your Home Studio for Mixing"THE GEAR:Interface: Scarlett 2i2, UA Apollo TwinMics: Rode NT1A, Behringer C-1, Shure SM7VSupport The Wealthy Artist Podcast on Patreon