@@scottstricklandofficial3450 I listened to your album on Spotify, I think it was really perfectly put together, great production as well, nice songwriting, and you have an amazing voice! I just have one kinda weird question, how do you have such a big production with relatively few streams and views? I mean compared to the quality and the worth of the songs, this should have at least a couple hundred thousand streams on Spotify. Also saw that you have vinyls. I'm just curious if and how this is profitable for you. Are you distributing your music some other way? Are you touring? Or is this just a very passionate hobby that's worth all the money even if it doesn't generate it back? Thank you
@@leventejordan8355Great questions and thank you for the wonderful compliments and the support. In 2019, we raised funds to begin production on an album that we expected to record and launch in 2020. The way timing would have it that's all that we were able to do and we got enough funds together to make the album that I always wanted to make and recording was an amazing experience. At the same time in 2020 I was laid off from my job (teaching filmmaking) at Art Institutes of San Antonio where I worked at the time. Music was already a (mostly) full time thing and teaching after about 3 years of work became the side hustle. That being said the saying is if you build it, they will come. And the right people did. There's been an immense amount of support for the album locally and some huge milestones that I didn't think were possible. The thing is - there are three primary things i've learned about being a full time artist. • Put God first. • Don't get too high. Don't get too low. • The wrong people on your team will kill you. I'm not signed. I'm independent. If the right label were to come along (and some are looking) then we would have what we need to do a tour and support. But many, many artists that have hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify monthly struggle, some more than me, i'm sure. And those same artists, even though they have the metrics to sell to a venue, they probably couldn't put 300 people in a room - or anywhere close to it. Not to mention that in order to maintain your Spotify numbers, you're paying for that. Upwards of 1k a month for playlist pitchers and all that - and we just don't have the capital to justify streaming being a depreciating asset. The records we bought for about 6k. About the price of a small car. Wholesale they're about 22.00 each. 4 bucks in shipping, and we sell them for 50.00. 300 in all. We've sold almost 100 so far (don't know the exact number off hand) but when we get to 150, we'll have made our money back and the rest of that is straight profit. Now it doesn't come in all at once. And we can't really do an in store performance because in stores require them to hold on to so much of your inventory - and then it's sitting on shelves in record stores not getting sold because there's no advertisement dollars to suggest people purchase it. So long and short. We play the long game. And when I say me. I mean there's probably 5 people that I absolutely trust. Absolutely Trust. To help me fortify social media. Help ship out packages. Help figure out the message, there's so much to do.... Always... and it's mostly me. I'm a full time artist. I wake up every singe day and figure out my plan of attack, and go at it. Every single day. I've lived the life of 'the big lie' and life - trust me - is very fun with the cheat codes on. But that bill always comes do. I've been more profitable telling my story. Telling people exactly where I'm at. My vulnerability. My money or lack there of. Today I'm making more money and have more shows than I've ever had. The opportunities that are coming in are incredible including a tour to Seattle and Portland in March. I'm saying no to anything that even might be a waste of time, and I'm playing the long game. 1 record. 1 show. 1 stream. 1 video. I email blast at a time. And we have really, really, really good products to show for it. And I won't put something out there that's crap. No way. It takes time. It takes a LOT of time. And it all brings me closer to God. God Wins. I win. You win. That's my blessing.
beautiful!!! I can feel this!
Amazing ❤
Love it!!
Thank you!!n
Great cover🖤!
Thank you so much!
Incredible!
Thank you so so much!!!
@@scottstricklandofficial3450 I listened to your album on Spotify, I think it was really perfectly put together, great production as well, nice songwriting, and you have an amazing voice! I just have one kinda weird question, how do you have such a big production with relatively few streams and views? I mean compared to the quality and the worth of the songs, this should have at least a couple hundred thousand streams on Spotify. Also saw that you have vinyls. I'm just curious if and how this is profitable for you. Are you distributing your music some other way? Are you touring? Or is this just a very passionate hobby that's worth all the money even if it doesn't generate it back? Thank you
@@leventejordan8355Great questions and thank you for the wonderful compliments and the support. In 2019, we raised funds to begin production on an album that we expected to record and launch in 2020. The way timing would have it that's all that we were able to do and we got enough funds together to make the album that I always wanted to make and recording was an amazing experience. At the same time in 2020 I was laid off from my job (teaching filmmaking) at Art Institutes of San Antonio where I worked at the time. Music was already a (mostly) full time thing and teaching after about 3 years of work became the side hustle.
That being said the saying is if you build it, they will come. And the right people did. There's been an immense amount of support for the album locally and some huge milestones that I didn't think were possible. The thing is - there are three primary things i've learned about being a full time artist.
• Put God first.
• Don't get too high. Don't get too low.
• The wrong people on your team will kill you.
I'm not signed. I'm independent. If the right label were to come along (and some are looking) then we would have what we need to do a tour and support. But many, many artists that have hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify monthly struggle, some more than me, i'm sure. And those same artists, even though they have the metrics to sell to a venue, they probably couldn't put 300 people in a room - or anywhere close to it. Not to mention that in order to maintain your Spotify numbers, you're paying for that. Upwards of 1k a month for playlist pitchers and all that - and we just don't have the capital to justify streaming being a depreciating asset.
The records we bought for about 6k. About the price of a small car. Wholesale they're about 22.00 each. 4 bucks in shipping, and we sell them for 50.00. 300 in all. We've sold almost 100 so far (don't know the exact number off hand) but when we get to 150, we'll have made our money back and the rest of that is straight profit. Now it doesn't come in all at once. And we can't really do an in store performance because in stores require them to hold on to so much of your inventory - and then it's sitting on shelves in record stores not getting sold because there's no advertisement dollars to suggest people purchase it. So long and short. We play the long game. And when I say me. I mean there's probably 5 people that I absolutely trust. Absolutely Trust. To help me fortify social media. Help ship out packages. Help figure out the message, there's so much to do.... Always... and it's mostly me. I'm a full time artist. I wake up every singe day and figure out my plan of attack, and go at it. Every single day.
I've lived the life of 'the big lie' and life - trust me - is very fun with the cheat codes on. But that bill always comes do.
I've been more profitable telling my story. Telling people exactly where I'm at. My vulnerability. My money or lack there of. Today I'm making more money and have more shows than I've ever had. The opportunities that are coming in are incredible including a tour to Seattle and Portland in March. I'm saying no to anything that even might be a waste of time, and I'm playing the long game. 1 record. 1 show. 1 stream. 1 video. I email blast at a time. And we have really, really, really good products to show for it. And I won't put something out there that's crap. No way. It takes time. It takes a LOT of time. And it all brings me closer to God. God Wins. I win. You win. That's my blessing.
Great job brother
Thank you!!!
Brother - where did you find the accurate chords for this one? Love the cover.