1 hr 17 min

Taking Your Music Career from Dependent to Provider with Matt Gibson Gig Gab - The Working Musicians' Podcast

    • Music Commentary

Guest co-host Matt Gibson and Dave Hamilton dive into the essence of evolving as a musician in the digital age, discussing everything from the impact of social media followers to the intrinsic value of having a producer. Matt Gibson shares his journey, highlighting a significant moment where he lost a million followers, yet, underscoring the lesson of going where the attention is, as inspired by Gary Vee. The conversation moves towards understanding the power of reciprocity and why many artists find themselves financially strapped, citing Grant Cardone’s perspective on the starvation of artists. They challenge the notion that asking for money or help diminishes the value of one’s art, arguing instead that success is directly correlated to the effort invested.

Transitioning into the more practical aspects of music entrepreneurship, the discussion outlines actionable steps for building a band with a business mindset. From brainstorming a comprehensive task list to leveraging technology like ChatGPT for business development, the dialogue is rich with strategies for managing risk and optimizing band promotion on a budget. They detail a step-by-step guide on spending $500 effectively to promote a band’s song, emphasizing the importance of a solid online presence, engaging email marketing, and the innovative use of tracking pixels. Moreover, they advocate for adopting a ‘MrBeast Mode’ approach to promotion, suggesting the use of TikTok and Shopify to create a self-sustaining cycle of merchandising and music promotion.

Amidst these insights, they remind listeners of the Gig Gab mantra, “Always Be Performing,” reinforcing the idea that the journey from being financially dependent to a provider in the music industry is paved with relentless performance and strategic maneuvering.





00:00:00 Gig Gab 423 – Monday, April 1st, 2024



April 1st: National Trombone Players Day

Guest Co-host: Matt Gibson (originally on Gig Gab 41)





00:01:28 Gig Stories are Coming Back!

00:02:33 What it’s like to lose a million followers



Go Where the Attention Is! (says Gary Vee)

The Value of a Producer





00:07:43 The Power of Reciprocity

00:09:11 Why Artists Are Starving?



Grant Cardone – Why Artists Are Starving

Does asking for money (or help) dilute your art?

Draw a line from Broke to Billion

The only guarantee is if you don’t put in the work, you’ll stay at “broke”





00:17:52 Build a Task List



Brain Dump All The Things You’re Worried About Into a File

Then make ChatGPT a business development coach and feed it the list!





00:20:13 Crimson Symphony’s “Empty”



Drums: Gil Sharone

Producer: Scott Wilson, Saving Abel, Producer





00:21:54 Building a band with business brain

00:27:23 Know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing

00:32:28 Managing Risk and Money with your band

00:34:25 Workshop: Spending $500 to promote your band’s song. How?



Website (could be a DistroKid landing page)

Set up an email form

Get email list from Spotify

Guest co-host Matt Gibson and Dave Hamilton dive into the essence of evolving as a musician in the digital age, discussing everything from the impact of social media followers to the intrinsic value of having a producer. Matt Gibson shares his journey, highlighting a significant moment where he lost a million followers, yet, underscoring the lesson of going where the attention is, as inspired by Gary Vee. The conversation moves towards understanding the power of reciprocity and why many artists find themselves financially strapped, citing Grant Cardone’s perspective on the starvation of artists. They challenge the notion that asking for money or help diminishes the value of one’s art, arguing instead that success is directly correlated to the effort invested.

Transitioning into the more practical aspects of music entrepreneurship, the discussion outlines actionable steps for building a band with a business mindset. From brainstorming a comprehensive task list to leveraging technology like ChatGPT for business development, the dialogue is rich with strategies for managing risk and optimizing band promotion on a budget. They detail a step-by-step guide on spending $500 effectively to promote a band’s song, emphasizing the importance of a solid online presence, engaging email marketing, and the innovative use of tracking pixels. Moreover, they advocate for adopting a ‘MrBeast Mode’ approach to promotion, suggesting the use of TikTok and Shopify to create a self-sustaining cycle of merchandising and music promotion.

Amidst these insights, they remind listeners of the Gig Gab mantra, “Always Be Performing,” reinforcing the idea that the journey from being financially dependent to a provider in the music industry is paved with relentless performance and strategic maneuvering.





00:00:00 Gig Gab 423 – Monday, April 1st, 2024



April 1st: National Trombone Players Day

Guest Co-host: Matt Gibson (originally on Gig Gab 41)





00:01:28 Gig Stories are Coming Back!

00:02:33 What it’s like to lose a million followers



Go Where the Attention Is! (says Gary Vee)

The Value of a Producer





00:07:43 The Power of Reciprocity

00:09:11 Why Artists Are Starving?



Grant Cardone – Why Artists Are Starving

Does asking for money (or help) dilute your art?

Draw a line from Broke to Billion

The only guarantee is if you don’t put in the work, you’ll stay at “broke”





00:17:52 Build a Task List



Brain Dump All The Things You’re Worried About Into a File

Then make ChatGPT a business development coach and feed it the list!





00:20:13 Crimson Symphony’s “Empty”



Drums: Gil Sharone

Producer: Scott Wilson, Saving Abel, Producer





00:21:54 Building a band with business brain

00:27:23 Know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing

00:32:28 Managing Risk and Money with your band

00:34:25 Workshop: Spending $500 to promote your band’s song. How?



Website (could be a DistroKid landing page)

Set up an email form

Get email list from Spotify

1 hr 17 min

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