All Episodes
Episodes
Who Actually Pays Musicians the Most (and Least)?
All streaming platforms pay crap. But some crap is crappier than other crap.
In this episode, I break down how much Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other streaming services actually pay "per stream" (on average) —...
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8 Smarter Ways to Link People to Your Music (Because You’re Wasting Clicks in the Attention Economy)
Every time a fan clicks something, your link shouldn’t just suggest a destination — it should open a world. Great links build loyalty. Lesser links risk losing attention — sometimes for a moment, sometimes for...
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The Ugly Truth About Music Distribution (And How to Protect Your Music)
Music distribution was supposed to be the great equalizer. Instead, it’s become a source of headaches, hidden fees, broken promises, and disappearing songs. Indie artists are asking: is the system itself broken?
In...
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Spotify Deep Links: Get More Plays from Playlists
If you’re sharing "plain" Spotify track links, you’re losing streams.
A Spotify deep link is the smarter way to promote your music: it lets you flex your playlist placements and boost plays for your specific...
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What the Hell Do I Even Write About (When Nothing's Happening)?
You stare at a blank screen. The cursor blinks. You know you should email your fans… but what the hell do you even write about when you don’t have a new song, tour, or video?
That’s exactly what we’re tackling today....
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Before & After: How to Fix Your Music Emails
Let's put two real artist newsletters under the microscope for a “music email makeover.” With just a few simple tweaks, these emails could’ve gone from forgettable to fan-building gold.
Unfortunately, they already...
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The Secret to Emails That Don’t Suck (and Get Fans to Act)
Your emails shouldn’t read like random diary entries you toss into the void. They also shouldn't read like the front page of a newspaper. They should feel like treasure maps—leading your fans step by step from...
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Get Your Fans Off Instagram (For Real) 🔥
Relying on Instagram likes and algorithm roulette isn’t a music career strategy — it’s a trap. In this episode, we’ll show you how to move your fans off social and onto an email list you actually own. You’ll learn how...
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The Most Underrated Tool in Music Marketing
You’re sitting on a marketing goldmine — and you’re probably ignoring it. While social media dangles likes and algorithmic reach, this tool quietly outperforms it… by a lot.
In this episode, I’ll show you the tool...
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The Hard Truth About Spotify
Is Spotify the villain indie musicians think it is — or just an easy scapegoat? In this episode of Scratch Track, we break down the real story behind Spotify's controversial royalty model, its updated payout rules,...
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What if they HATE my song?
You pour your heart into a song, feel that fleeting pride... then doubt sneaks in: What if people hate it? What if you look like a fraud? This episode is about wrestling your creative fear to the ground and not...
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“I Want to Remove My Music from Spotify — Am I Crazy?”
Musicians are saying it all the time: "Spotify sucks. I should just pull my music." And some of them — including notable acts like Deerhoof — are actually following through.
But is that a smart move? Or just righteous...
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