More Than Streams w/ Finch Bergling

I've barely slept the past few days because of what AI can do for music marketing right now. In this episode I show you how I use Claude to segment email lists, translate newsletters into any language, build a website, and handle the tasks most musicians never have time for. If you have twenty dollars a month, you basically have a marketing team. Resources and links: 🧩 Hire me to run ads for you...

In this episode, I break down the SMART goals system and show you how to turn a vague dream like "grow on Spotify" into something specific you can actually hit. You still have six months left in 2026, so this is the perfect time to build a plan and stick to it. Resources and links: 🧩 Hire me to run ads for you 🧩 More Than Streams Website 🧩 Free 100-page marketing guide 🧩  Your First Hit Song P...

A month ago, I met Jon from The Racket House in Vietnam, and while we were there, we recorded my first-ever live, in-person interview, with me as the guest on his show. We got into my whole story, from making music on a cracked copy of FL Studio at twelve to realizing I was a better marketer than musician, why I gave up on so many dreams to grow, and how getting scammed by a botted playlist is wha...

Spotify's Verified badge has three requirements, and Part 1 covered the hardest one. In Part 2, I walk through what your profile needs to pass the authenticity check, including linked social accounts, concert dates, and why most artist bios give people no reason to follow. I also get into a release strategy GAYLE used to turn one song into seven separate releases and how to turn one video into a f...

Spotify rolled out a Verified badge this year, and it quietly sorted every artist into three groups whether they liked it or not. In Part 1, I break down the first thing the badge requires, ten thousand monthly active listeners, and why that number is completely different from the monthly listeners most musicians keep staring at. I also get into how saves and follows move you toward it, why playli...

AI can generate a song in minutes. What it cannot do is give you the experience of making one. This episode is for every musician who has been building something for years and is still waiting for the numbers to catch up 💗 Resources and links: 🧩 Turning Playlists Into Fans Free Training 🧩 Free 100-page marketing guide 🧩  Become a Successful Playlist Curator Course 🧩  Your First Hit Song Progr...

In this episode , I walk you through the full system for turning Spotify listeners into long-term fans, including where most musicians lose people and how to fix every step. The stream count is not the number that matters. This episode shows you which one does. Resources and links: 🧩 Turning Playlists Into Fans $1 Training 🧩 Free 100-page marketing guide 🧩  Become a Successful Playlist Curator...

In today's episode, I'm sharing my entire playlist masterclass that I usually charge for - completely free. I talk about how I cut my playlist ad costs from 20 cents to 5 cents per conversion and built a $4,000/month curation business while spending less on ads. I discuss the hidden audience method that dropped my costs by 50%, the stop-scroll ad formula that makes people forget they're watching a...

Let's talk about... Money 💸. I spent years figuring out how to make money in the music business, and nobody warned me how wrong my assumptions were. In this episode, I go through 8 income streams independent musicians are using right now, and why streaming is not one of them. Resources and links: 🧩 Turning Playlists Into Fans $1 Training 🧩 Free 100-page marketing guide 🧩  Become a Successful P...

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Jon Gilman, artist development strategist and founder of The Racket House. Jon has 15 years in the music industry across management, A&R, marketing, and event production, and he's still an active DJ and producer himself. We talked about: → Why most musicians skip branding and why that's a career-limiting mistake → The difference between visual identity...

We made it to episode 10! When I started this podcast, I had no idea if anyone would listen - and honestly, over 90% of podcasters never make it this far. So today, I'm doing something different. I'm going back through all nine episodes and pulling out the one lesson from each that changed how I think about music marketing. I talk about the save rate discovery that shifted everything for my studen...

DM me 'PROGRAM26' on Instagram [ @finchbergling ] to get my program 'Your First Hit Song 2026' with a special discount. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Jason Grishkoff, the founder of SubmitHub. We talked about: → The biggest mistake artists make when submitting to playlists (hint: it's not bad music) → Why combining playlists with Meta ads is the only strategy that triggers Spotify's al...

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with global DJ Grayson Repp – the official DJ and music director for FIFA events, now heading to the Olympics, with over 2 million streams and performances in front of millions worldwide. We break down how he went from broke in Berlin during COVID to becoming FIFA’s head DJ – without industry connections, just relentless networking and saying yes to opportuniti...

What if your worst release ever was actually your most valuable one? In today's episode, I'm sharing the story of "Allosaurus" - my biggest flop - and the five painful lessons it taught me about releasing music the wrong way. I talk about why releasing with zero budget is setting yourself up to fail, why even a great song won't promote itself, and the brutal reality of holding onto a song for too...

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Stella Sky (formerly Cheese n Crackers), one of the first artists I ever discovered on TikTok. We talked about how she figured out her authentic brand through vulnerability, why her viral videos with millions of views didn't actually convert to streams, and the harsh truth about what content actually builds a loyal fanbase. We discuss the difference betwee...

I haven't made music in two years - and honestly, I'm terrified to start again. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Ashwin from Daily Dosa Music to talk about why we both feel like we're losing the battle against AI. We talked about the fear of coming back to music production and feeling like a dinosaur, why 25% of our playlist submissions are now AI-generated, what happens when kids grow up...

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Ashwin from Daily Dosa Music. We talked about advanced strategies for growing your career with Spotify playlists, how to monetize through playlist curation, and the importance of effective ad campaigns that don't look like traditional ads. We discuss building connections with fans through email marketing, creating passive income through digital downloads a...

In today's episode, I'm walking you through exactly how to release music when you have zero fans, zero budget, and zero idea where to start. We're covering the mistakes I made when I was 19 (and lost years of my life to), the release strategy that actually works, and why momentum matters more than going viral. If you're about to release your first song or you've been stuck at 100 monthly listeners...

In today's episode, I'm excited to have Zach from Magic Nothing. We talked about his journey into music marketing, the rapid growth of his platform, and the importance of understanding goals in music marketing. We discuss the effectiveness of meta ads, the role of playlists, and the impact of AI on the music industry. Resources and links: 🧩 Hire me to run ads for you 🧩 More Than Streams Website...

Streams won't save your career in 2026 - but real fans will. In this episode, I'm breaking down three strategies to turn casual listeners into a loyal fanbase of 10,000+ people who actually care about your music. We're talking playlist ecosystems, pre-release viral content with strategic ads, and the Seasons Strategy that converts viewers into streams. If you're tired of chasing numbers, this one'...