Spotify and their constituents stripped away the musical consumption experience. iTunes was the catalyst to that. Because of those overgeneralized actions, fans don't feel the need to consume an album in its entirety, or they just don't have the attention span to do it. For music lovers, I think we can all say we miss the experience of listening to a great project with credits, liner notes, posters, and all of the other things that come with the experience of opening up a new album. If you want to bring that experience back but do it in a way where you can make 10x more than you would have then, tune in to today's episode of the Music Money Makeover Show.
Give Fans the visual experience of the album
The digital age took away the experience of consuming an album in its entirety. Fans learned more about lyrics and the artist's team through liner notes and thank-you letters, plus got access to exclusive merch and announcements about future releases from the label. Musicians & artists got lyrics, producer, engineer, studio, manager, and A&R credits to learn from and contact people. Tastemakers got all of that plus contact information. Even the collector aspect of it all was taken away. Bringing this aspect back in today's time must be a visual experience. This is what transforms a D2C audio album into a product worth buying! D2C audio albums will last for a while, but once this strategy takes hold, fans will want this all the time! When you sell this, minimums can be 50 or higher, and people will gratefully pay.
Give Fans the Physical & Listening Experience
When iTunes came about, albums became fragmented. When Spotify came around, people didn't care about the album at all. Fans care about full bodies of work, but sometimes they don't have the time to give it a full listen. You should meet them halfway and create a physical listening experience tour. This way, people can pay for a ticket in select cities to chill with you and listen to the album in full as it was meant to be heard. Of course, you want to make sure the music is heard on a nice system—not in a club—but this is a low-cost tour that, if done right, will create content for you, feedback, generate easy revenue, and build culture.
Give Fans the Experience of How
One thing that a certain group of fans wants to know is how you did what you did on an extensive level. This information can be put into a course so they can learn how to play along, sing along just like a song book, and what creativity you put into it so they can try it on their own. Of course, this comes with a fee, but again, you're serving the fans exactly where they want to be met. If you do this, massive amounts of people will buy without question because you're answering the exact desire they want fulfilled. On TikTok, you do it for free, but turn it into a product and teach as the master, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how many fans buy. Don't leave this money on the table—H.E.R. and countless others have already proved this concept to work, including Masterclass.
What if the physical products are too expensive to produce?
The cost of production is not the problem; your ability to be resourceful is. Just because you can't produce every physical product I mentioned doesn’t mean you should avoid creating premium experiences. You can start with small batch runs or pre-orders to test the demand or remove the merch altogether and just do signed posters. Again, this is all about creating multiple income streams and strengthening fan loyalty
What if no one shows up to listening events?
It's not a numbers issue more than it's a strategy issue. Because fans want intimate experiences with you if they can get them, right? So try starting by building anticipation through social media and offering early-bird incentives because you don't want to lose opportunities to create memorable fan moments. Having these moments creates a dedicated community and generates valuable content and revenue.
What if my educational content isn't professional enough?
Production quality is not the main problem, although if it's too bad, it can be. Lack of authenticity in teaching it is. Make sure you’re genuine in your approach. Be yourself. You're not a college professor, you’re an artist, so teach like one and share your knowledge. You learned from other artists directly or indirectly, right? Focus on your unique expertise and real-world experience. You'll miss out on teaching revenue and industry authority if you let it slide. But when you begin to do this, you'll establish yourself as an expert in the industry just because you taught a skill, not because you’re the best and create passive income.
Here’s what you can do!
Before you start all of this spending, you're going to need to formulate your label properly for this because this is a lot of expended money. So, if you're a music creative or executive looking to build your label or publishing company in 60 days or less, with a step-by-step fool proof process, grab the 60 Day record label course and get it done today! You gain the ability to get real funding from our affordable funding partners, prevent yourself from getting screwed contractually, and keep the middle man out of your pockets. Click the link below to get started right now! If you’re skeptical, grab the free guide, "10 Ways to Increase Your Record Labels Profits," a free split sheet comes with the download!
Becoming the New Pioneer
By implementing these premium fan experiences, you'll create multiple revenue streams that far exceed traditional streaming income, deepen fan loyalty through meaningful interactions, and establish yourself as an industry innovator who understands modern fan engagement. These strategies will transform your music business from a simple music creative into a full experience provider, dramatically increasing your profit potential. Plus, you'll rebuild the cherished album experience for a new generation while creating sustainable income streams.
The cost of staying the same
Continuing to rely solely on streaming platforms will severely limit your income potential, leaving substantial money on the table. You'll miss out on creating deeper connections with fans who are willing to pay premium prices for exclusive experiences and physical products. Most critically, you risk becoming just another faceless artist in the streaming ecosystem, unable to differentiate yourself or build a sustainable career beyond playlist placements.
At the End of the Day
The music industry landscape has dramatically evolved, and artists who fail to adapt risk being left behind. By implementing these premium fan experiences and direct-to-fan strategies, you can transform from being just another streaming artist to becoming a true musical entrepreneur. The time to revolutionize your approach is now - don't let these valuable opportunities slip away.
Comentários