How to Niche Down in the Music Industry: A Conversation with Casey Cavaliere – Part 2
“You know, ‘do you have any advice for me?’ And I say, ‘Yeah go write one hundred bad songs. Go finish them. Because that’s going to do way more for your career, even though you think they’re like really bad songs.’ I’m like, ‘yep, you got to get through those to write the one that’s going to actually start a fire for you. I’m not saying you have to put them out, you know. Just go write them. Go give me the draft. Give me the worst draft you can on anything you know.’ And the older I get the more I’m just like ‘Oh how much time did I waste.'” — Casey Cavaliere
This episode’s the second half of my conversation about how to niche down in the music industry with record producer, musician, and artist coach Casey Cavaliere. We talk about the art of creating an experience, how the secret to writing good songs is to write bad ones, and the surprising truth he learned about being a DIY artist.
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Spreading Like Wildfire
As the second half of our discussion begins, we talk about all the different musical communities and genre niches there are in the social media landscape. “There are an infinite number of different sub-communities right?” Casey notes. “The Venn diagram is wildly rich.” He tells us about how he’s working to connect different aspects of the music industry for mutual benefits that might not be apparent at a glance, and how the future of music and fan communities will, as he says, “be through messages, art, ideas reaching those communities and then spreading like wildfire.”
The Perfect Release
We also talk about some of the pitfalls that new artists run into when putting out their first album or starting their career, including worrying too much about getting everything right on the first try. “Not taking action and spending too much time trying to craft the perfect plan,” Casey says, “craft the perfect release… that just doesn’t exist.” He also tells us about his firsthand experience as a ‘DIY artist,’ and how he found out the hard way that the acronym doesn’t mean you should tackle everything alone. “I learned very early on that it was not a sustainable model to do everything myself.”
Getting to Episode 100
Casey also tells us about his podcast The Record Process and how it offers a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into making a record, from the band to the cover art to the studio engineers and production team. “We try to flip that camera,” he says, “and give you, at least every season, you know, a whole 360 look at what a record looks like from all the kinds of people who have a hand in it.” We talk about creative ‘resistance’ and his steps for pushing through it, and about how important it is to keep a long-term view of your dream when you’re starting out, whether you’re an indie music artist or launching a new podcast. “It’s not about what Episode One or Episode Twenty or Thirty looks like,” Casey says. “It’s about what this show could possibly look like when we get to Episode 100.”
Episode Summary
- Casey’s marketing advice on how to go beyond Spotify playlists.
- Why crafting the perfect hit single is less important than many artists think.
- Casey’s podcast The Record Process and its unique insider perspective.
- Advice for recharging and holding onto the joy of creating art and music.
Connect with the Guest
Website: https://www.caseycavaliere.com/
Connect with Casey Cavaliere on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-cavaliere-a72ba3197/
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This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.