The Blog 馃摪
Every newsletter I've written for independent musicians, sorted by topic. Want the next one in your inbox? Join the newsletter.
馃摚 Ads 路 Sep 26, 2026
How Much Do Meta Ads for Music Cost? What a Stream Cost Me Across 9 Campaigns
The budgets, cost per click and stream counts from nine Meta ad campaigns I ran for independent artists, what a stream ended up costing, and what to expect from $250, $500 and $1,000.
馃帶 Spotify & Playlists 路 Sep 24, 2026
How to Pitch Spotify Editors: The Timing, the Tags and the 500 Characters That Decide It
Everything I know about pitching your song to Spotify's editors: when to pitch, how to pick your tags, and the five blocks that go into the 500-character box, with a full example.
馃帶 Spotify & Playlists 路 Sep 10, 2026
How to Build and Grow Your Own Spotify Playlist: 8 Steps From Zero to 100,000 Saves
Every step I took to grow my playlists from zero to over 100,000 saves and followers: the genre, the name, the song order, free promotion, and the Meta ads that bring new followers every day.
馃殌 Releases 路 Sep 3, 2026
Your First Release on Spotify: How to Train the Algorithm So Every Next Song Does Better
Spotify knows nothing about you on your first release. How to use social media, playlists and ads to teach it who you are, so your second and third songs start from a stronger place.
馃Л Career 路 Aug 27, 2026
How to Protect Your Meta Account, Ad Money and Music Files: 5 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
I lost access to my Meta account, had money stolen from my ad account and lost ten years of photos. Five simple things you can do so it never happens to you.
馃摚 Ads 路 Aug 20, 2026
How to Run Meta Ads for a Single, an EP or an Album: What I'd Do in Each Case
One campaign for the whole album, or one for every song? The ad plan I'd run for a single, an EP, a song-by-song album rollout, and a catalog with nothing new coming out.
馃帶 Spotify & Playlists 路 Aug 13, 2026
AI Music on Spotify: Where I Draw the Line, and What the New AI Label Changes
When does a song stop being yours? Where I draw the line on AI in music, and what Spotify's AI persona label and Suno's download limits mean for independent artists.
馃摫 Content & Social 路 Aug 6, 2026
Your Song Looks Cheap: How to Stand Out When AI Can Make a Song in Two Minutes
What the diamond industry can teach you about AI music. Six ways to show the human story behind your song, so people see the work you put in before they press play.
馃Л Career 路 Jul 30, 2026
Why Chasing Numbers Keeps Musicians Stuck, and What to Measure Instead
My smallest playlist gets more daily listeners than my biggest one. Why the numbers on the outside rarely tell the full story, and what I measure my growth by instead.
馃Л Career 路 Jun 30, 2026
Halfway Through the Year? How to Reset Your Music Goals With a 30-Day Experiment
Behind on the goals you set in January? How to turn one big goal into a 30-day experiment, and the numbers that show people are connecting with your music beyond streams and followers.
馃帶 Spotify & Playlists 路 Jun 23, 2026
What Record Labels Quietly Do With Playlists (And How You Can Do It Too)
Smart labels put as much money into building playlists as into promoting songs. Why a niche playlist can be worth more than a song with 100,000 streams, and how to start one.
馃摫 Content & Social 路 Jun 16, 2026
How to Make 9 Lyric Videos in 10 Minutes With CapCut Pro
AI tools promise you 100 videos for $20 a month. The cheaper option I'd pick instead: turning one performance clip into 9 lyric videos with CapCut Pro's auto lyrics, step by step.