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.
Liner Notes | What Distribution Partners Actually Look For (It's Not Your Music)
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Hey there, Quick note: In the last edition, I mentioned that year-end planning and project evaluation frameworks were upcoming. They are—but after releasing Episode 338 with Jesse Flores this past week, I realized his insight about ‘distribution deals’ was too important to wait. Year-end planning moves to the next edition in two weeks (still plenty of time before December 31). Now, let's talk about what Jesse Flores says about negotiating distribution deals after more than 20 years in the business. Most independent artists sign distribution deals without understanding what separates a good partnership from a costly mistake. Jesse Flores has spent over 20 years negotiating deals for artists like Stephen Marley, Ice Cube, and DJ Premier. After working at Virgin Music Group, EMI/Capitol, and now as VP of Artist and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music, he's seen every variation of distribution deals—and knows exactly what makes artists attractive to distributors versus what makes them liabilities. Jesse's role puts him at the intersection of artistry and business: evaluating whether artists are partnership-ready, structuring deals that work for both sides, and watching which artists succeed versus plateau after signing. In Episode 338, he revealed the evaluation criteria distributors actually use (hint: it's not just your music), the single biggest contract mistake artists make, and why having a team and release plan matters more than talent alone. This isn't theoretical advice—Jesse generated over $20 million in new business at EMI/Capitol and has worked with everyone from developing independents to established major artists. He knows what distributors look for because he's the one doing the looking. The 5-Factor Partnership Evaluation FrameworkWhen Jesse evaluates a potential artist partnership, he's looking at five specific factors—and your music quality is only one of them. Factor 1: Commercial Fanbase & Track Record "We look at the commercial fanbase of the artist," Jesse explains. "Previous releases, catalogs, followers on social and streaming platforms." Translation: They want evidence that you can attract and retain an audience, not just create great art. If you've never released anything or have released with no measurable response, that's a red flag. Factor 2: Team Infrastructure Here's what matters: Do you have a manager, an entertainment attorney, a publicist, and a social media manager? "Artists who succeed with distribution deals have more than good music—they have a team and a strategic plan for every release," Jesse notes. Distributors don't want to build your infrastructure for you; they want to augment what you're already doing. Factor 3: Release Planning "Artists often try to release music too quickly without a plan," Jesse observes. The difference between having something live on Spotify versus having a supported release with a marketing initiative is significant. Distributors want to see you understand lead times (minimum 3-4 weeks), platform-specific strategies, and how to coordinate marketing around a release. Factor 4: Work Ethic This might be the most overlooked factor: distributors are evaluating whether you'll actually execute. Do you respond to communications promptly? Do you deliver content on time? Do you follow through on marketing initiatives? "The most underinvested area that significantly impacts partnership success is listening to the distribution partner," Jesse emphasizes. They're watching whether you're coachable. Factor 5: DSP Profile Optimization Before you even approach a distributor, all your commercial streaming platform profiles should be optimized, up to date, and consistent. This signals professionalism and basic business competence. The framework reveals something crucial: distributors are evaluating your business readiness, not just your artistic merit. Great music with no infrastructure, no plan, and no demonstrated work ethic won't get you a partnership—or if it does, you won't succeed with it. That's the evaluation framework distributors use—what they look for when deciding whether to partner with you. But understanding what they evaluate is different from knowing how to negotiate once you're in the room. This week's Liner Notes Insider includes:
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Reader ResponseA new Liner Notes subscriber shared their biggest challenge: "getting paid for my work." This keeps coming up in your survey responses. The problem isn't unique to distribution deals, sync licensing, or any single revenue stream—it's that most of us learned to make music, not to understand the business structures that generate sustainable income. When this same subscriber was asked what topics they'd like covered, they responded: "Sounding better than the pros with your current DAW, cheat codes." We all want technical shortcuts, but the real barrier to getting paid isn't usually our production quality. It's understanding contracts, partnership structures, revenue models, and deal evaluation. This reader's advice to me? "Listen carefully to your audience." Fair. Many of us want the business knowledge we were never taught. Whether that's evaluating distribution partnerships (like this edition), understanding the math of advances, or knowing when to walk away from deals and opportunities that sound good but aren't—these are the frameworks that lead to getting paid. What specific business knowledge would help you most right now? Hit reply to let me know. 📪 Or take the Liner Notes survey. 🔗 If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free email here. Peace, love and more cowbell, Support the Unstarving MusicianIf you LOVE this newsletter, please visit UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor to learn about the many ways of showing your love and support. We have a new tip jar there, so you know... Click, tip, done. Your support = Love 💟 Starting a podcast? Or ready to level up your existing show?Podcast Startup gives you the systems and strategies I've developed from producing 250+ podcast episodes—without the trial-and-error that cost me years. You'll get actionable frameworks for:
Whether you're launching your first episode or adding video to your show, Podcast Startup eliminates the guesswork. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Affiliate Partner ResourcesYou can also support us by using one of our affiliate partner links below–we'll receive a small commission. Thanks for your support! 👊🏼 Kit – Email Marketing for Musicians Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email marketing and audience building software that helps musicians like you turn your passion into a full-time career by connecting you to your fans faster. Start a free trial. Dreamhost Web Hosting Get a Website Built for You — 100% Free! You don’t need to hire a designer, mess with templates, or figure it out yourself. The team at Dreamhost will create a beautiful, mobile-friendly website that’s ready to launch — completely free, when you sign up for a year of web hosting. Limited time only offer. Get started! Explore more cool products and services on our Resources page. Share this email and/or read it on the web Stay in touch! |
Liner Notes
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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