Liner Notes

by Robonzo

I'm a musician and host of The Unstarving Musician podcast. Liner Notes is my biweekly newsletter that shares some of the best insights garnered from the many conversations featured on the Unstarving Musician. Topics covered include, songwriting, touring, sync licensing, recording, house concerts, marketing, and more.

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Unstarving Musician | What 20 years of distribution deals taught Jesse Flores about artist success

Happy Friday! What actually makes a distributor want to partner with an artist? Most independent artists think it's about having great music. Jesse Flores, VP of Artist and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music (and former Senior Director at Virgin Music Group), has spent 20+ years negotiating deals with major artists and independent labels. He knows what separates artists who succeed with distribution deals from those who struggle. Spoiler: It's rarely about the music quality. Three Insights...

12 days ago • 2 min read

Liner Notes | What if business thinking is actually what saves your music career?

What if the “business thinking” you’ve been avoiding is actually what enables sustainable creativity? Most independent musicians treat business systems as an enemy of artistry. We want to focus on the music, not spreadsheets and workflows. But what if that’s backward? Ezra spent 10 years figuring this out. I spoke with Ezra Vancil for episode 337 of the podcast. After a decade with the same band, running his own label (Near Home Records), and producing a 14-month double album project while...

21 days ago • 4 min read