How Musicians Make It

Adam talks with NYC trumpeter Kai Sandoval on how he built his full-time playing career in New York, his transition from Boston to NYC, and where his confidence as a performer and trumpeter comes from. Digging deep on this idea that confidence is an integral part of of being an artist and performer, our conversation on strategies for building confidence is a valuable asset for budding musicians an...

Adam talks with Hip Hop artist/beatboxer Carnage the Executioner about how he as maintained a successful career in Hip Hop for decades. Carnage tells all on booking shows on tours, blowing up stages no matter the audience size, selling physical merch, why he is still able to sell CDs, winning grants, and a whole bunch more. This episode is packed with info for any musician to use as a model for su...

In this episode of the Gig Boss Podcast, host Adam Meckler sits down with the talented Chicago-based saxophonist Roy McGrath. Originally from Puerto Rico, Roy came to the United States to pursue a career in Jazz music, and his unique blend of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms with Jazz has earned him a nomination for a Latin Grammy. Roy shares his experiences as a full-time saxophonist, discussing...

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a government organization tasked with collecting your streaming royalties...for free. That's right. You no longer need to pay astronomical fees to distribution companies like Tunecore, Distrokid, and CD Baby for royalty collection. This is huge! There are some caveats, so listen for more... www.themlc.com ----- Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/g...

Adam breaks down the pros and cons of the "big 3" distribution companies. Having used each platform extensively, Adam covers the general cost of each platform, how each platform makes money (because they're all making money on YOU), whether they collect mechanical royalties or not (some plans don't!), whether they collect royalties for covers (some don't!), options for publishing (PROs) and opport...

In this episode of Gig Boss Podcast, Adam talks with his old friend and studio owner Adam Tucker, who shared valuable insights on building a recording studio, building a client base, and the role of producers in music. Key Takeaways: Building a studio requires more than just equipment. When it comes to building a client base, Tucker creates a positive atmosphere in the studio. Tucker believes that...

In this episode of the Gig Boss Podcast, Adam sits down with Brett Newski, the mastermind behind the band Newski. With more than a decade of touring experience under his belt, Brett shares his insights on how to make a successful career in music today. He's a creative force and has found innovative ways to make money including merch items like abstract art, books he's written, and tshirts about Ma...

Join us for an in-depth conversation with sync licensing expert Josh Williams, also known as xJ-Will. In this episode, we dive into the world of sync licensing with Josh as our guide. From finding the right publisher to submitting your original music for performance royalties, Josh shares his wealth of knowledge on the ins and outs of sync licensing. He provides valuable tips on how to prepare you...

We've been trained to make people pay for our music. We've been told we need to actively monetize everything we make. Well, what happens if you don't? What happens when you give away everything for free? Kevin MacLeod knows. Kevin is a music maker, computer coder, and creator of Incompetech.com , a site where you can go grab music for any kind of thing that you are making. For free. Created by Kev...

A new social media trend has created a war. The recent popularity of the Lensa app, an app that uses artificial intelligence to create badass images of you, has caused quite the stir in the music and art communities. By embracing this new technology, are we beginning a slide down a slippery slope? Could A.I. take the jobs of musicians and artists in the near future? In this episode, Adam discusses...

Mike Malone tells host Adam Meckler how he went from zero to more than 5,000 subscribers on Youtube. He details his workflow, and zeroes in on how to create a routine for content creation that is sustainable and repeatable. Mike's work as a gigging drummer and bandleader is extensive. Adam and Mike discuss when to take a booking percentage, potential consequences for not contracting your next gig,...

How badly has Spotify Wrapped warped your perspective of where you are as an artist? Adam talks the good, bad, and ugly of streaming services (focusing on Spotify), how he interprets and uses his Spotify Wrapped numbers, and whether or not A.I. will be the death of artists being able to build something on streaming. Stuff I Talked About: New Supercell album: https://ffm.to/supercell Chart Metric:...

LA Buckner is a drummer and producer from North Minneapolis. His band Big Homie went #1 on iTunes, and LA is one of the faces of the hit YouTube series PBS Sound Field, which just renewed for another six episodes. LA discusses how chooses what gigs to play and why, what he's working on in his home studio, his philosophy on music making and a bunch more. Listen to Big Homie: https://open.spotify.co...

Imagine getting the chance to play with Ray Charles, and then the first thing he says about your playing is "3rd trombone too Godamn loud!" -- Despite Mike's "confident" bone playing on his first gig with Ray, his time in Ray's band lasted two years, and included playing trombone AND bass. Mike then spent more than 20 years in NYC playing on Broadway and playing for legendary Jazz artists like Fre...

Host Adam Meckler discusses the 9 characteristics generally embodied by a successful side musician. You wondering why you're not getting more calls to go on tours? Why you're not getting called back after you're in the circle? These 9 tips will help! Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss Bumper Music: Sunshine is...

Use the material you already have to make more art, and make more money! Adam discusses 10 ways to repurpose your music, most of which he has done himself. Repurposing music can help keep you productive, help keep you motivated, make you more money, and open up opportunities for collaboration! Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.c...

Erik Jacobson has kept is band Mama Digdown's Brass Band together for 30 years. 30 years! Adam talks with Erik about how he formed the band, his experiences playing in New Orleans, and strategies for keeping his band together for decades. Erik is also the "King of the Side-Hustle" with an ebay businesses selling clothes he finds at thrift stores, and a BBQ business catering for parties around the...

Adam talks with keyboard p[ayer and arranger Adi Yeshaya about working with Whitney Houston. Prince, and arranging for The Voice. They discuss how Adi established himself on the scene, and his long journey from starting his own big band and teaching private lessons, to arranging for, and touring with Whitney Houston, and teaching at Berklee College of Music. Adi's Website (find his seminar course...

From host Adam Meckler: "As BB King once sang, "the thrill is gone" - I know the feeling. In this episode, I discuss 6 things I do to keep the fire lit. Each career in music is as unique as each person in the field, but we will all experience highs and lows. The key is to stay in the game. I find myself saying this to students frequently: "Whoever stays in the game the longest wins." Like a kid ha...

Adam talks with Brooklyn-based trumpeter/singer/songwriter Wayne Tucker (Taylor Swift, Brass Against, Eric Hutchinson) about how he has changed his approach to music making from a "me to you" experience into an "us" experience. His band started playing in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn during the Covid pandemic. With no permit and no plan, the band played regularly there, making enough money to sust...

Adam talks with award-winning saxophonist, vocalist, and composer Caroline Davis about how she approaches preparing to record new music, how she funds her albums, her history growing up in Singapore, gender in music, and more. Caroline's Website: http://www.carolinedavis.org/ Caroline on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinedavismusic/?hl=en Portals, Volume 1 on Spotify: https://open.spoti...

Adam and Paul Taylor talk about Paul's upbringing in Memphis, the impact of the Memphis scene and sound on his own playing and music, his unique beginnings in music, the influence of his father and step father, both of whom were storied songwriters and recording engineers in Memphis, and ultimately playing with heroes like Kirk Whalum, Chuck Prophet, Eric Gales, and Ann Peebles. Paul's Website: ht...

Host Adam Meckler talks with comic book artist and musician Dave Chisholm about combing his passions for comics and music in the form of the graphic novels Chasin' the Bird: Charlie Parker in California, and Enter the Blue, a fictional story of a young woman coming up as a jazz trumpeter in New York City that includes a wild conspiracy about Blue Notes Records. Dave highlights his interactions wit...

No two music careers look alike. From day-jobbers to full-time pros, there are loads ways to make a meaningful career in music. Host Adam Meckler discusses 9 ways to make a career in music, and includes how each model works, and ways to succeed within each model. _____________________ Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups...

In the wake of Biden's announcement to forgive student debt, Host Adam Meckler's 130k in student loans, and his two music degrees have him wondering: is it irresponsible for institutions to be giving out music degrees? Adam asks Smooth Jazz sax master Steve Cole about his breakout late 90s album "Stay Awhile", his first record deal, how the major label game has changed, CDs vs Streaming and more....