A few months ago, I listened in on a conversation between two musicians.
One had toured with legacy rock acts in the ‘90s.
The other just hit 2 million monthly Spotify listeners—without a label, a manager, or a merch table.
Same craft. Different industry.
One came up in an era of scarcity.
The other lives in an era of abundance.
That difference? It’s not just about music.
It’s the same shift reshaping podcasting, coaching, freelancing, consulting, publishing, and entrepreneurship.
Old School
In the old game, power lived upstream.
Gatekeepers controlled distribution.
Want to succeed?
Get signed. Get promoted. Get into stores. Get paid.
The system was built around:
- Scarcity of product (limited shelf space)
- Scarcity of access (radio DJs, A&Rs, media filters)
- Scarcity of attention (fewer channels, less noise)
Tough to break in. But clear rules.
You knew the playbook—even if you weren’t holding it.
New School
Now the gates are gone—but so are the instructions.
Anyone can publish.
Everyone is building a personal brand.
The bottleneck isn’t access anymore. It’s attention.
- 100,000+ songs uploaded to services like Spotify… daily
- TikTok decides what “breaks”
- Your best work can be swiped past in under a second
We’re not just making things anymore.
We’re making meaning in a feed that forgets fast.
This is the tension of the modern creator:
Wide open access, zero guaranteed visibility.
What Now?
Let’s not romanticize the past. Let’s understand what made it work—and reimagine how those principles still apply today.
Instead of chasing “discovery,” build direct relationships.
Your newsletter list is your new distribution deal.
Instead of perfecting the product, show your process.
YouTube clips. Behind-the-scenes notes. Raw demos. Fans want you, not polish.
Instead of waiting to be featured, feature yourself.
Tell your own story. Publish consistently. Lead with what makes you different.
Instead of seeking validation from industry, build credibility with your audience.
A thousand true fans will do more for your career than one industry gatekeeper.
Instead of fighting the system, study the system.
And then choose to build your own.
The Game Is Just Different
It’s tempting to complain about streaming payouts, algorithm changes, or the death of the album.
But those aren’t roadblocks. They’re signals.
The era of top-down success is over.
The era of self-driven creators with audience intimacy is here.
The question is no longer: How do I get discovered?
The real question is:
How do I build something worth discovering—and keep showing up long enough to be found?
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