Curtiss King (aka Captain DIY) is back for round two. This episode is the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) 101 playbook for indie artists—especially the ones who feel weird or insecure about selling their music. Curtiss breaks down how 100 diehard fans can change your life and the exact tools & systems he uses to run a successful DTC business. For Patreon members, we go all the way in on AI and where it’s headed from a DIY artist’s perspective. BONUS FOOTAGE + MORE on our Patreon: https://www.p...

L.Dre breaks down how he went from a warehouse job, $30K in debt, and posting “into the void” to living off chill beats, streaming royalties, and brand deals with Honda, Samsung, Visa, and even a cat company. If you’re an artist or producer thinking about quitting, this episode will show you how to pivot, keep going, and build a real full-time music business from home. WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E-xemFCxajU FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWu...

Ari Herstand is an artist, educator and best-selling author of "How to Make It in the New Music Business". With his platform Ari's Take, he's helped tens of thousands of artists and is often referred to as the "poster child of DIY music". In this episode, he breaks down what "making it" actually means, how to avoid burnout as an artist, best way to build a team, and the strategies successful indie artists are using to make a living. WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A6n3GkB5-kU&...

On this episode, we sit down with Futuristic – an artist, manager, and CEO who spends 100% of his time in the indie artist world. He’s not just using the game for his own career anymore… he’s obsessed with helping other independent artists win. Yes, he turned millions of views into millions of dollars and built a seven-figure career off viral content. But today, most of his energy goes into managing indie artists, running an indie artist education platform, & building systems, content fo...

We sit down with Chris Herche, SVP at Create Music Group (recently valued at over $1B) to break down exactly how the modern record label operates in 2026. We dig into: 👉 How indie labels are beating the majors 👉 Why A&R + digital marketing are the only two functions that matter 👉 New-era deal structures 👉 What real artist development looks like today 👉 Why some artists win with tiny teams while others don’t grow at all 👉 The power of data, consistency, and sustained momentum 👉 The ...

Director of Music Distribution at Genius/Worldstar Kayvan Daragheh breaks down why community is the new superpower for indie artists. We dive into building real fans, keeping them engaged, and why most artists lose the audience they already have by treating fans like customers instead of people. Kayvan shares how he built “Kayvan’s House,” what modern A&Rs actually look for, and the mindset every artist needs to build a lasting career. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR ...

Brian Freeman, creator of Cadillac Chronicles, breaks down how he accidentally built one of the most impactful music platforms today. We talk self-discovery, consistency, artist development, virality, and why performance/interview platforms matter more than ever. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWuUrLA8mBfqz7F8 GET 30% OFF DISTROKID: http://distrokid.com/vip/onemoretime JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rTAYsPcyEY WANNA WORK WITH ...

Every artist dreams of being independent, but few talk about the price tag. LaRussell gets brutally honest about what it actually takes to stay indie: the money, the marketing, the mindset. In this episode, LaRussell breaks down how he funds his career, the ROI of spending $30K on a single release, content systems to reach 80M people monthly, and much more. This episode is for every artist who’s ever wondered: am I really built for the indie lifestyle? FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL...

"Viral" has become a triggering word for most artists. The community is extremely divided: half lose sleep over going viral while the other half downplay it's importance. In this episode, we break down the truths about what "going viral" ACTUALLY means for artists. What you'll learn: 🔂 Practical definition of "viral" and a mindset shift on how to approach it 🔂 Pre-viral readiness checklist so you're prepared when something pops 🔂 How to react properly to a viral moment to maximize imp...

“Music Marketing Doesn’t Have to Suck” is the motto of Zack Fischmann aka "Magic Nothing" - one of today’s most trusted voices helping independent artists navigate the chaos of music marketing. In this episode, we unpack how artists can actually enjoy marketing by getting clear on their goals, leveraging AI the right way, and building brands that feel authentic - not forced. Zack shares his takes on everything from: ✅ Why most artists feel lost or overwhelmed by marketing ✅ How AI will chan...

What does it take to shape the sound of multiple generations? For Neal H. Pogue, it’s not about "perfection" - it's about a feeling. In this episode of the One More Time Podcast, the 7x GRAMMY-winning mix engineer pulls back the curtain on a career that spans Outkast’s Hey Ya! and TLC’s Waterfalls all the way to Tyler, the Creator’s IGOR and Flower Boy. Neal shares why Tyler’s fearlessness is a blueprint for every artist, how mixing has evolved from the board to the box, and why technical ru...

The truth is, great music isn’t enough anymore. Artists need a great brand, a great story, and a great strategy. In this episode, we sit down with Shauna “Peezy” Spears, VP of Marketing at Venice Music, former exec at TikTok, and marketing powerhouse behind major campaigns at Epic and Interscope. Peezy breaks down exactly how artists are actually breaking in today’s industry, from release frequency to storytelling to standing out in a content-saturated era. Whether you’re wondering how ofte...

Tab Nkhereanye is the SVP of A&R at BMG (aka the 4th major). He's been a part of 15 #1 records as a songwriter turned executive. In this episode, we discuss the formula for hit songs, discovering Frank Ocean, writing Justin Bieber's first hit, how to get out of a sh*tty publishing deal, and more. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWuUrLA8mBfqz7F8 GET 30% OFF DISTROKID: http://distrokid.com/vip/onemoretime JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://d...

Nic D is one of the biggest independent artists in the world. He's amassed over 1.5 billion streams without the help of a label or a manager. In this unfiltered conversation, Nic D responds to the most common excuses indie artists make, shares his secret to viral content marketing, tells the story of his relationship with Connor Price, and much more. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWuUrLA8mBfqz7F8 GET 30% OFF DISTROKID: http://distrok...

Cabrea Casey is the Director of A&R and Sync at Downtown Music Publishing. She's helped countless songwriters, artists and producers get paid for their art. This is a crash course on how to not get SCREWED as a songwriter. We cover how to navigate conversations around song splits, the most underrated way to get invited to every studio session, publishing scams to be aware of, and much more. FREE DOWNLOAD "The Ultimate Split Sheet" by Songtrust: https://songtr.st/43M8h1O W...

Timbaland just signed an AI artist and the internet is PISSED... In this episode, we break down the facts on Timbo's new venture, explain both sides of the AI music argument, and share advice for HUMAN musicians to compete vs. AI artists. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWuUrLA8mBfqz7F8 GET 30% OFF DISTROKID: http://distrokid.com/vip/onemoretime JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rTAYsPcyEY WANNA WORK WITH US? Make us an OFFER! htt...

Andrew Southworth is a music marketing expert who has mastered the art of paid ads. His strategies have helped his clients get over 300M streams, sell out tours, sell out merch drops, etc. This episode is 86 minutes of free game from the undisputed king of ads for musicians. We touch on the best types of campaigns, how many streams $350 ad spend can get you, the biggest mistake artists are making with ads, and much more. "SPOTIFY GROWTH MACHINE" (Learn how to run ads like Andrew...

Zach Bryan is living proof that you don’t need a label, a gimmick, a fortune, or industry co-signs to build a career that actually matters. In this episode, we break down how a kid in the Navy started posting videos shot on a cracked iPhone and ended up redefining what success looks like in the music industry. No flashy rollouts. No big machine behind him. Just honest songwriting, relentless output, and a diehard fanbase that grew with every drop. We’re unpacking the key moves from Zach's p...

Nick “Ruff” Ruffalo is the SVP of Digital Marketing at Big Loud (home to Morgan Wallen & more). He’s helped artists get over 200M views and 60M streams with $0 in paid ads. In this episode, we dive deep into how to build an iconic artist brand, what a successful content marketing funnel looks like, and case studies artists can learn from / apply to their own careers. FREE ACCESS to "100 VIRAL CONTENT IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS": https://forms.gle/zGWuUrLA8mBfqz7F8 GET 30% OFF DIST...

In this exclusive episode of the One More Time Podcast, we sit down with RushDee Williams, a multi-talented Grammy-nominated producer, executive, and founder of indie label BeGenius. From learning "150% work ethic" firsthand from Nipsey Hussle, to breaking down the real meaning of independence in today’s industry, Rush drops gems every aspiring artist, producer, and exec needs to hear. His tag "Rush, you done did it now" perfectly matches his "get sh*t done" attitude. He talks ...