More Than Streams w/ Finch Bergling

Finch Bergling
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No BS music marketing for independent artists. Short episodes with steps you can use right away. For independent musicians who are tired of empty numbers and want strategies that move the needle šŸ§© šŸ§© Free tools, guides and courses: https://morethanstreams.com

  1. Oct 12

    What to Know Before You Hire a Music Producer w/ Matt Mayz

    I once hired a producer to finish my song and told him to make it good enough for editorial playlists. I'm back after two months off, and I recorded this one at Matt Mayz's studio. Matt is a producer and mixer who has worked with dozens of musicians, he's a SubmitHub curator like me, and he's the only person I ever taught Ableton to (he switched to Logic). We talked about what to have ready before you hire a producer, whether to spend your feedback money on SubmitHub curators or a pro on SoundBetter, what a producer is there for, why your DAW doesn't matter, and if music school is worth it. ā± In this episode 00:00 I'm back, live from Matt's studio 01:11 What Matt would tell himself in year one 03:07 How to learn production on your own 04:51 Feedback from friends vs professionals 08:52 $100 for feedback: SubmitHub or SoundBetter? 11:59 When you're ready to work with a producer 14:02 What a producer is for, from Rick Rubin to Jack Antonoff 16:53 What to bring when you hire a producer 19:58 My mistake with Have You Changed 22:26 What makes a song sound professional 24:44 The most common mistake in demos 25:35 Ableton, Logic and which tool to use 27:45 Is music school worth it? 30:30 Matt's last tip šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© Free Playlist Guide: https://morethanstreams.com/go/ewwbh Mentioned in this episode šŸ§© SubmitHub, with my coupon: https://www.submithub.com/coupon/finchbergling Connect with Matt Mayz šŸ§© Matt's website: https://mattmayzproduction.base44.app/ šŸ§© Hire Matt on SoundBetter: https://soundbetter.com/profiles/451635-matt-mayzner šŸ§© Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matanma12/ More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  2. Jul 22

    From First TikTok View to First Ticket Sold

    A video with 100,000 views can leave you with zero new fans, and the reason has nothing to do with your music. In this episode I break down the journey people take from seeing your content for the first time to buying a ticket to your show. I also explain what social media, Spotify and your email list each need to do along the way. ā± In this episode 00:00 What happens after a viral video 01:54 A funnel connects all your work 02:23 Four stages from stranger to fan 04:20 Social media brings new people 05:45 The engagement pyramid 08:05 Spotify keeps listeners coming back 11:27 Move fans to your email list 14:22 Find the broken stage and fix it šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© The free 100K Challenge: https://morethanstreams.com/go/gdtqv More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  3. Jul 14

    How a Dancing Elmo Got 112,000 Streams

    $683 in ads turned into 112,000 streams, and the idea came from a meme of Elmo dancing on the moon. In this episode I reverse engineer the campaign for Karner H's song Extra Bite, where more than half the streams came from Spotify's algorithmic playlists. I believe these are the best ads of my career. You'll hear the exact targeting settings and creative approach I used, so you can copy them whether you run ads yourself or hire someone. ā± In this episode 00:00 Why run ads after release day 01:55 Meet Karner H and Extra Bite 02:23 The results after three months 03:21 Streams per listener is the key 04:48 The dancing Elmo video idea 05:47 First week results and ad costs 07:15 Lessons from this campaign 08:42 Turn off Meta Advantage options šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© Free tools for musicians: https://morethanstreams.com/go/dpbqq Mentioned in this episode šŸ§© Label Level Ads, my ads course: https://morethanstreams.com/go/q2vwh More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  4. Jul 7

    How I Use AI to Save Hours on My Music Marketing

    If you have twenty dollars a month, you basically have a marketing team. I've barely slept the past few days because of what AI can do for music marketing right now. In this episode I show you how I use Claude to segment email lists, translate newsletters into any language, build a website, and handle the tasks you never have time for. ā± In this episode 00:00 AI help for $20 a month 00:57 Claude as your marketing coach 02:48 Splitting fan emails by language 05:38 I built my website with Claude Code 07:34 Teach Claude your voice with 50 questions 09:01 Organize your life with Notion and Claude 10:56 Turn one newsletter into more content 11:50 Find your biggest fans in comments šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© Free tools for musicians: https://morethanstreams.com/go/dpbqq More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  5. Jun 30

    The Reason Most Musicians Never Reach Their Goals (and How to Fix It)

    "Grow on Spotify" is too vague to ever hit. In this episode I break down the SMART goals system and show you how to turn a vague dream into something specific you can hit, with a plan you can stick to for the rest of the year. ā± In this episode 00:00 Halfway through 2026 00:59 What I did in six months 03:22 What SMART goals mean 04:20 Vision and goals are different 04:49 Make goals specific and measurable 06:37 Keep goals attainable and relevant 08:54 Give every goal a deadline 11:15 Be kind to yourself and get support šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© The free 100K Challenge: https://morethanstreams.com/go/gdtqv More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  6. Jun 16

    Music Marketing, Playlists & Building Fans, Live From Vietnam w/ Jon Gilman (The Racket House)

    I got scammed by a botted playlist, and that's how More Than Streams started. Earlier this year I met Jon from The Racket House in Vietnam, and we recorded my first in-person interview, with me as the guest on his show. We talked about my whole story, from making music on a cracked copy of FL Studio at twelve to realizing I was a better marketer than musician. We also got into the digital nomad life, how I use playlists to trigger the Spotify algorithm, why hyper specific ad targeting beats generic campaigns, and what it takes to turn listeners into fans. ā± In this episode 00:00 Why this episode was recorded in Vietnam 01:58 Welcome to The Racket House 05:37 Escaping winter for the nomad life 11:06 My music story from age twelve 22:17 Why musicians misjudge their own songs 27:33 How I got into music marketing 30:42 Why every artist needs their own playlist 42:35 Mixing ads and playlists for the algorithm 50:42 Getting scammed by a botted playlist 1:03:00 Quick questions and would you rathers šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© Free Playlist Guide: https://morethanstreams.com/go/ewwbh Connect with Jon Gilman šŸ§© The Racket House: https://www.therackethouse.com šŸ§© Jon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therackethouse/ More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  7. Jun 9

    How to Get Verified on Spotify (Part 2)

    Your Spotify profile has to pass an authenticity check before you can get the Verified badge. In Part 2 I walk through what that check looks for: linked social accounts, concert dates, and a bio that gives people a reason to follow. I also share the release strategy GAYLE used to turn one song into seven releases, and how to turn one video into a full week of content. ā± In this episode 00:00 Recap of part one 03:15 Link socials, shows and merch 05:00 What Spotify says about AI 06:55 How to write a better Spotify bio 10:06 Release more with song versions 13:28 Turn one video into nine posts 14:50 Fake streams and platform rules 16:43 How long the badge can take šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© Free Branding Guide: https://morethanstreams.com/go/977ya More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

  8. Jun 2

    How to Get Verified on Spotify (Part 1)

    Spotify's new Verified badge quietly sorted every artist into three groups this year. In Part 1 I break down the first requirement, 10,000 monthly active listeners, and why that number is different from the monthly listeners you keep checking. I also cover how saves and follows move you toward it, why playlists alone won't get you there, and how to build followers automatically with Action Pages. ā± In this episode 00:00 Back in Bulgaria and travel news 01:26 New More Than Streams website 02:49 The badge splits artists in three groups 05:06 Three things Spotify checks 06:25 Monthly active listeners vs monthly listeners 08:18 Targeted Meta ads bring the right fans 10:36 Playlists alone and releasing often 12:25 Get 1,000 followers with action pages šŸŽ Free for you šŸ§© The free 100K Challenge: https://morethanstreams.com/go/gdtqv More from me šŸ§© Get your song reviewed for $5: https://morethanstreams.com/go/s7cus šŸ§© My courses: https://morethanstreams.com/go/6djbg šŸ§© Work with me: https://morethanstreams.com/go/trpmd šŸ§© My weekly newsletter: https://morethanstreams.com/go/4a5ac šŸ§© Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finchbergling/ šŸ§© YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finchbergling Thanks for listening šŸ™ Follow More Than Streams so you never miss an episode.

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No BS music marketing for independent artists. Short episodes with steps you can use right away. For independent musicians who are tired of empty numbers and want strategies that move the needle šŸ§© šŸ§© Free tools, guides and courses: https://morethanstreams.com

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