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.
Unstarving Musician | Community Collaboration: Turning Your Fanbase Into Creative Partners
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Happy Friday! Here's another new episode for your weekend listening pleasure. Community Collaboration: Turning Your Fanbase Into Creative Partners Without Losing Artistic Control Can your community become a creative collaborator without turning your art into committee-designed mediocrity? In this solo episode, I explore proven frameworks for involving your audience in the creative process while maintaining complete artistic control. You’ll discover how Amanda Palmer uses early-stage feedback on Patreon to gather emotional responses (not technical critiques), how British singer-songwriter Lynz Crichton turned her entire EP creation into a 90-day collaborative project with her email and social media communities, and how Imogen Heap invited fans to contribute raw materials—sound samples and personal stories—that she transformed into finished songs. I break down practical approaches you can test: the Preview-and-Pivot Framework (used by Luke Combs for “Forever After All”), constraint-based collaboration methods, and systems for turning fan-generated content into strategic assets rather than distractions. This episode also covers the critical boundaries every artist needs: establishing what’s open for feedback versus what’s locked, retaining veto power over all input, and knowing when to ignore community resistance entirely as you evolve artistically. Whether you’re considering a model like Patreon, building an email list, or just wondering how to get useful feedback without compromising your vision, this episode provides actionable frameworks for sustainable creative collaboration. Episode notes and related links 🔗 New Blog Post“If you’re trying to market to everyone, you’ll end up appealing to no one.” –Unknown Most podcasting advice tells you to “find your niche” without explaining how to do it. You’re left wondering: Should I narrow down my topic? How specific is too specific? What if I pick the wrong niche? Here’s a framework that cuts through the confusion. Support the Unstarving MusicianIf you find value in this podcast, please consider a donation via our online tip jar – click, tip, done. Or visit UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor to learn about the many other ways of showing your support. Your support = love 💟 Affiliate Partner ResourcesKit – Email Marketing for MusiciansKit (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! Disclosure: Our affiliate partnerships pay us a small commission if you purchase using the links above – at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Peace, love and more cowbell, Share this email and/or read it on the web Stay in touch! Feedback, comments, complaints? Reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you. 📭 Where to Listen to The Unstarving Musician Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen on Overcast Click here to listen on Spotify Click here to listen on YouTube Click here to listen on Pandora |
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.
I'm writing this edition from a different headspace than usual. The past couple of weeks have brought the passing of my mother-in-law, an old friend who's very ill, and a new friend who just lost a pet. Feels a little heavy all at once. Photo by spemone Perhaps you've had this kind of month before. I have friends and acquaintances who have told me they had a bad year. That's got to be rough. Anyway, recent events got me thinking about loss and creativity. Obviously, great creative works are...
Happy Friday! Here's another new episode for your weekend listening pleasure. 334 Musician Podcaster Bree Noble – From Kitchen Recordings to Industry Authority 🎙 Photo by SilvaNeto As a musician podcaster who has built multiple successful shows over the past decade, Bree Noble represents what’s possible when artists embrace podcasting as both a creative outlet and business tool. In this conversation, she shares her evolution from recording in her kitchen to becoming a recognized industry...
Hey there, After 75 editions of Liner Notes, over 330 episodes of The Unstarving Musician podcast, and talking with musicians about building sustainable careers, I keep coming back to the same insight: the artists who thrive are the ones who find authentic ways to connect with their audience and share their expertise. This has led me to two new projects I wanted to share with you. Photo by Engin Akyurt I'm now sharing insights on Substack about creativity, the music business, and what I'm...