How Musicians Make It – Details, episodes & analysis

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How Musicians Make It

Adam Meckler

Music

Frequency: 1 episode/25d. Total Eps: 76

Learn how to develop a thriving career in music. Host Adam Meckler talks with artists about how they've built their careers, and music industry professionals about strategies for navigating a music career in the digital age. Meckler draws on his extensive career as a bandleader and freelancer (Cory Wong, Dave Koz, Steve Cole, The Hornheads, Youngblood Brass Band) to bring you tips for growing your fan base, prepping for the gig, booking a tour, writing that grant, syncing that song and more.

Presented by Gig Boss.

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Data updated on 21/10/2026

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https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/
66 shares
https://lulusplayground.bandcamp.com/album/sideshow-suite
4 shares
https://chartmetric.com/
3 shares

https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss
148 shares
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss/
4 shares
https://www.facebook.com/theblacktrumpeter
2 shares

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 62%

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Two Music Technology Ideas You Could Start Today

Episode 73

Thursday, July 25, 2024 • Duration 01:06:51

Adam talks with two music technology founders about their software, why they built it, and how they use it. Adam, Jeff, and Anton even discuss some music tech startup ideas that any musician could start to build today.

Jeff and Anton have also organized a music technology event called Wavefront (www.wavefrontmn.com) that will feature a bunch of MN-based music technology companies including Jamstik (https://jamstik.com/) and Campfire Foundation (https://www.cfmusic.org/), among others.

Tickets to Wavefront (August 1st, 2024) are free, but you must have tickets to attend. You can find tickets here: www.wavefrontmn.com

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Jeff and Anton's company Caedence: https://caedence.io/

(synchronized practice and performance control)

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Interested in hearing music made by our awesome guests? Check out this Spotify playlist, which includes music by all our music-making guests! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63kUrVwtV5tYFsyqLJHO3a?si=7853ba778dff4654

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

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Becoming a Professional Musician

Episode 73

Monday, June 3, 2024 • Duration 52:57

In this episode of HMMI, Adam sits down with his old friend Bjorn on the Life. Money. You. podcast and discusses what it was like for Adam to build his career as a professional musician. How did Adam even out the month-to-month swings of full time freelance income? How did Adam get his first gigs, and begin to build a paying audience of fans for his music? These questions are answered and then some. Listen as Adam discusses his side hustles including pulling back the curtain on Gig Boss, and his AirBnB. How Adam got his first educational gigs, and how he diversifies his income (and how that saved him from near disaster) are also on the table.

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

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Braxton Cook: Signing to a Record Label, Finding a Manager, Building a Team

Episode 72

Monday, May 20, 2024 • Duration 57:42

Adam talks with Saxophonist/vocalist/composer Braxton Cook about how he first got connected in the music scene during his time as a student at Julliard, how he found is first manager, why he decided to sign his first multi-album record deal, how a young musician can develop language, his desert island albums and a bunch more.

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Follow Braxton in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/direct/t/105491034183068?hl=en

Braxton on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BraxtonCook

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/60k4atxgEIMFz4DWHp0le1

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This podcast is brought to you by Gig Boss App. The Gig Boss App is a one stop shop organizational tool for freelance musicians and bandleaders. Anyone can use it for free. We built this app because HMMI host Adam Meckler struggled to organize his schedule, finances, and the details of a gig while playing . Get your band on the same page. You'll never have to tell someone the wifi password again. It's in the app.

Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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You Should Have an Email List - Here's Why

Episode 71

Monday, April 15, 2024 • Duration 43:17

Adam talks about why you should have an email list, how to build an email list, and what sorts of things to do with your email list. Fund your next project, sell tickets to the next show, and do it without the need for social media.

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Stuff I talked about

MailChimp: https://mailchimp.com/

How Musicians Make it on Youtube:

How Musicians Make in on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/howmusiciansmakeit/?hl=en

How Musicians Make It Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss/

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Interested in hearing music made by our awesome guests? Check out this Spotify playlist, which includes music by all our music-making guests!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63kUrVwtV5tYFsyqLJHO3a?si=7853ba778dff4654

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

"Know Your Value" // w Blues and Roots Artist Joyann Parker

Episode 70

Monday, February 26, 2024 • Duration 01:01:15

Adam sits with Billboard-charting Blues and Roots artist Joyann Parker for a talk on setting boundaries and knowing your worth as an artist. Joyann discusses what it is like breaking through the Blues and Roots scene, paying dues, and smartly leveraging original music. In particular, she explains how she leveraged social media to get the attention of the Green Bay Packers, and the Wisconsin Badgers over her song "Sconnie Girl". Adam and Joyann also discuss Joyann's Patsy Cline tribute show and how Joyann is able to convert fans of Patsy Cline into fans of Joyann Parker.

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Joyann on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81twf9J052SGHz2TOtKdtQ=

Joyann's Website: https://www.joyannparker.com/

Joyann on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyannparker/?hl=en

Joyann on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MJtg4hkHkYR60qZC97UOQ?si=Qq07kuJxR3KqPzEw9AJJmw

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the How Musicians Make It Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss/

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Interested in hearing music made by our awesome guests? Check out this Spotify playlist, which includes music by all our music-making guests: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63kUrVwtV5tYFsyqLJHO3a?si=7853ba778dff4654

Are Today's Music Students Lazy?

Episode 69

Monday, February 19, 2024 • Duration 32:54

Adam responds to Geoffrey Keezer's (Julliard music professor and accomplished pianist) viral Facebook post asserting that today's music students can't be bothered with attending early morning classes, and often use lame excuses for missing things or being unprepared. "How will they be able to make a 6am lobby call on tour?" he asks - Meckler breaks down things that resonate with him as a university professor, and things that seem to be missing the mark, or missing completely from Keezer's rant.

Read the original post here: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGeoffreyKeezer

Adam also discusses the Mechanical Licensing Collective's recent announcement that they will be suing Pandora for underpaying artist royalties.

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

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Drummer Jay Epstein on Making a Lifelong Career in Music

Episode 68

Monday, February 12, 2024 • Duration 01:17:55

Adam sat down with drummer Jay Epstein, who has been a full time drummer since the late 1960s when he toured with the band Gypsy and rubbed shoulders with people in the Southern California Rock scene like Jimmy Hendricks while going out to see bands with players like Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis on his off nights. Adam and Jay talk about the economics of being a full time, life-long musician. Jay gives us three things young musicians should be thinking about as they start their careers, and his three "desert island" albums.

Jay also tells a beautiful story of the impact of hearing John Coltrane as a 17 year old kid that is not to be missed.

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Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowMusiciansMakeIt/videos

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Gypsy band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-vK3TTHWpM

Jay's Desert Island Albums:

1. Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, Chick Corea

2. Smokin at the Half Note, Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly Trio

3. Ballads, John Coltrane

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Animation, Album Release Strategy, Blowing Up the Music Education System // w Scott Agster

Episode 67

Monday, February 5, 2024 • Duration 01:17:33

Adam sits down with his old friend and frequent collaborator Scott Agster. Scott talks release strategy for his upcoming record that features many folks from Prince's bands, discusses what it's like to book events for Blue Water Kings while being an active performer, and even dives in deep on what it's been like for him to learn animation to create content for his next release. Scott and Adam meet in person at University of Mary's yearly Jazz festival, where both Scott and Adam are guest artists for the festival.

Given their surroundings, they discuss how they would reimagine the University jazz fest format, and music education more generally.

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Scott's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QfNuhlvM4hD0FuQrbm4uu?si=-BWCZBSXTBeNJedMxI-hDg

Scott's Website: https://www.agstered.com/

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Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowMusiciansMakeIt/videos

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Waterfall Release Strategy + What I Learned in NOLA

Episode 66

Monday, January 22, 2024 • Duration 56:55

Adam discusses his recent trip to New Orleans, going viral for not-the-best reason, and all things Waterfall Release strategy. What is it? Why is it? Should you do it? What are the pro's and cons? Meckler specifically touches on using Distrokid for the Waterfall release, but this can be applied to any DSP.

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

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How the Music Industry REALLY Works

Episode 65

Monday, January 8, 2024 • Duration 42:58

Host Adam discusses how the major labels are able to manipulate the CEO of Spotify to keep the golden goose laying them golden eggs while they point the finger at Spotify when artists express their anger in the small bits of change they are paid via streaming services.

Adam discusses ideas how to fix the streaming problem. How companies like Ticketmaster are industry parallels to Spotify and the major labels, and why your hate towards Spotify, while understandable, is misdirected.

Hop on for this spicy episode! Links below...

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Stuff I talked about:

The reddit article: https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/18bsicn/spotify_unwrapped/?share_id=9FT9gnphrBdEl2Wf0zQGr&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

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Download Gig Boss app: https://linktr.ee/gigboss

Join the Gig Boss Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gigboss

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Intro/Outro music "Far Away From here" : https://adammeckler.hearnow.com/

How Musicians Make It – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

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Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

How Musicians Make It – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Spotify33

Other69

Facebook6

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Spotify33

Other69

Facebook6