the AMP Issue 45

"The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see."
― James Baldwin

In This Issue... 17 pages [about 25 minutes to read] You'll Get...

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• RECOMMENDS— David Holt's State Of Music

• the BIZ—  Big Changes Coming for Streaming from Rob Abelow

• BACKSTAGE PASS & COACHING— How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too  from Ross Simmonds

• NOT ONE OF the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time— Peggy Lee

• MONDEGREEN— We Are Siamese (From the Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp) by Peggy Lee

• PS from PS— Home Isn't Just Where the Heart Is. It's Where the Money Is.

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Here’s the playlist

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• RECOMMENDS— David Holt's State Of Music

David Holt's State of Music features music from emerging young artists as well as veteran masters.

Traditional music takes center stage in this series hosted by four-time Grammy Award-winning musician David Holt. Filmed on location in the mountains of North Carolina, artists featured include Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops; fiddle and banjo player Bruce Molsky; bluegrass group Balsam Range; bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers; pianist Jeff Little; and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Produced by the Will and Deni McIntyre Foundation, the series is presented by UNC-TV.

David Holt has dedicated his life to collecting and playing songs from masters of southern Appalachian folk music. He has won four Grammy Awards, toured internationally for the US State Department, given hundreds of workshops, and taken his music into public schools throughout the country.

David Holt's State of Music introduces viewers to performers who are taking traditional music to a new level. The program premiered on North Carolina public TV in January 2015 and is distributed nationally by PBS. Its fifth season began filming in the spring of 2020.

Beginning in 2015. 6 seasons. PBS stations and Amazon Prime. Tap the link for this 13:25 minute trailer featuring great musicians doing what they do best, on location in the countryside that nurtured them and their music. 

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the BIZ-  Big Changes Coming for Streaming from Rob Abelow

On his MusicBiz panel, Rob was asked, "How will streaming change now that growth is slowing in the West?" Here's his answer… 

Streaming's New Era
All we've known so far has been about growth. 

•  One low price.
•  All the songs in the world.
•  Same experience for everyone. 

There was no concern about fandom or segmentation or squeezing out every dollar. 

All that mattered was getting as many people in the system as possible. 

And that worked pretty damn well. 

We're up to over 2B global users & 740M paying subscribers. 

But, times have changed.

Yes, subscriber growth is slowing in the West. In the US, it's down from 29% in 2019 to under 6% in 2023. 

Falling steadily each year: 

2019: 28.8%
2020: 25.0%
2021: 11.3%
2022: 9.1%
2023: 5.7% 

We're closer to the ceiling than the floor in the West— and we're about to see an entirely different version of streaming. 

Because it's time to get profitable. 

Here's what that looks like: 
 
4 KEY CHANGES COMING FOR STREAMING
Some of it's already here…

1. PRICE HIKES: After 12 years at $9.99, every streamer raised prices last year. More are coming for 2024. Get used to it. 
 
2. A STRONGER PUSH TO MOVE FREE USERS TO PAID: A Spotify premium user was worth 13x a free one in Q1, 2024. They just quietly paywalled lyrics & Sony just called for an end to free music streaming altogether.. 

My thoughts: 

•  No more than 3 months free
•  Very limited access + more hooks to upgrade
•  Then, require $4/mo for ad-supported 

If people really want to get around paying, they'll find a way. But, they were never going to pay anyway. 
 
3. NO MORE ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL: Previous tiers offered the same experience at lower prices to get more people in (Family, Duo, Student). 

New ones aim to drive revenue & segment fans: 

•  Free
•  Music-only
•  Audiobooks-only
•  Music + Audiobooks
•  Music Pro add-on (fka supremium, rumored) 

Expect direct artist subscriptions soon. Likely as cross-platform add-ons offering exclusive content & access. 
 
4. CHASING NEW TYPES OF REVENUE: Spotify's going hard after monetizing listener attention by selling it back to artists & labels desperate for reliable ways to reach audiences with tools like Marquee & Showcase. 

They call it a 2-sided marketplace: 

•  Artists become the customer
•  Listeners become the product 

Sound familiar? 

Better ideas will pursue interactivity, creation & fandom. But, let's see who can pull it off. 
 
5. PENNY-PINCHING: We're seeing the pinch as Spotify looks to make the model viable. First, they traded reduced royalties for increased exposure with  Discovery Mode. Now, they're forcing reduced royalties by re-classifying Premium tiers as ‘bundles'. 

Anything to make the margins work, right? 

Right? 
 
This is the beginning of a new streaming era

After years of subscriber growth at all costs, it's time to get profitable. 

•  Belts are tightening.
•  Shivs are out.
•  Enshittification may be under way. 

One thing is for sure: the model is changing. 

Not all of these are bad. In fact, I'd pursue some if I ran Spotify. But it's up to streamers to not only extract more value but deliver it. 

Both to fans and artists. 

I hope they do. 
- Rob 
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Rob Abelow is the best of the 'Good Guys' in the Music Biz. To learn more about Rob, Where Music's Going, and what all he offers, scroll down to 'in partnership with Rob Abelow.' 

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• BACKSTAGE PASS & COACHING— How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too from Create Once. Distribute Forever by Ross Simmonds

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Note from Adam Singer who published this piece on his hottakes.space site: the following is a guest post from my friend Ross Simmonds, who recently wrote a book, Create Once. Distribute Forever, is about marketing that's worth checking out whether you work for a company or personally want your ideas to spread further. I'm a big fan of Ross and even had him on the podcast you can watch here or listen on my site. We don't do too many guest posts here, just from a few trusted people on occasion. Anyway, if you enjoy this primer of his book, make sure you get a copy.

Note from NML: this is long and... It's so important for a Singer Songwriter to understand. So...
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Create Once. Distribute Forever. 

How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too. 

Every creative has two dilemmas. You can be someone who creates, waits, and hopes that good things are going to happen to you. Or you can be the person who creates and distributes deliberately. 

Every day, many creators take the first, luck-based path. 

Eventually, they quit before realizing their full potential. Either they are ashamed to promote themselves, afraid that they'll fail, or any other number of fears that stop them from breaking through their own limits. Creators with these issues will tend to be the "hope for the best" or "blame the system" instead of taking their fate into their own hands. If you've fallen into that mindset trap, I'm here to help you snap out of it.

Let's conduct a thought experiment. 

Imagine an underrated, underground, and unknown musician who produces excellent music that you (and all your friends) would love. The musician isn't willing to go on tour. Perhaps they have too much fear to play in front of a crowd or too much ego to play in small arenas and get their foot in the proverbial door. Maybe they don't want to share tour dates on their social media because they don't want to seem "too promotional." And they don't want to email their friends or colleagues about their latest music, all because of fear of technology. The end result is a great musician whose excellent music is not heard by you or anybody. The musician's mindset holds back themselves and would-be listeners of something special. And it's possible that you've done something similar. 

This mindset is a waste of talent and arguably life. If you believe in the work you've created, then you should feel good and excited to distribute it as well as you can. 

Otherwise, you're doing your audience a disservice by not distributing something that would benefit them. Helping your audience find value is not selling out. This is not only about you. It's about helping other people who are struggling with the thing you can help them with. It's time to get over your fears. 

The Fear of Being Unfollowed
There are a lot of reasons to be afraid of distribution. Perhaps the most emotionally painful fear is that of losing social validation with your peers by coming off as too promotional or, as some would describe it, selling out. 

To be fair, there's a real horror movie called Unfollowed, and it's not meant as a joke. Social fear is a genuine fear. 

Social invalidation comes in many forms, though, not just being unfollowed. It could also manifest as a fear of negative comments or the idea that people will mute your account without you even realizing it. These interactions, to some, can feel like personal attacks. There is something about our wiring as humans that deeply cares about how others view us. 

So, how can we overcome this fear? By internalizing one simple truth about the internet: In reality, no one really cares that much. And if they do unfollow you, mute your account, or block you on social media, does it really matter? You can't pay the bills with opinions. It's not likely they were going to help pay your bills down the road anyway. If someone doesn't like your content, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they will scroll past it. 

Thousands of people scrolling past your work is not an indicator that your content is bad. It's likely that at that moment they simply were not your target audience and what you shared may not have caught their attention. The vast majority of people who see the link or headline to your content will choose not to engage— and that's okay. When it comes to distribution, if you pull even 10 percent engagement, you are considered wildly successful. This can sometimes be something hard to wrap your head around because if you received a 10 percent on an exam, for example, you "failed." It's important to remember that success and failure are relative. Turning 5,000 website visits into one client, or some such "poor" ratio, could very well mean game-changing money for you or your business. 

You have to get over your fear of what others may say or think about you or your brand. As the popular saying goes, "Haters are gonna hate." As you grow comfortable with distributing your content, a new group of like-minded and open-minded people will start following and flocking toward you. This is the audience we focus on. Do not fear the haters.

The Fear of Being an Imposter
Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon wherein an individual doubts their abilities and feels like a fraud despite evidence of their accomplishments. This mindset can be particularly debilitating for individuals looking to promote their content online. Confidence in content can lapse. They may feel like their work isn't "good enough" or that they don't deserve their success, causing them to shy away from promoting themselves.

The fear of being exposed as a fraud can hold people back, resulting in missed opportunities for exposure and growth. Even if someone has a significant following, they may still struggle to feel like they belong in their position, leading to self-doubt and second-guessing. Tom Hanks even suffered from Imposter Syndrome: "No matter what we've done, there comes a point where you think, 'How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?'"

Furthermore, individuals with Imposter Syndrome may struggle to take constructive criticism, feeling as if any feedback they receive is proof that they're not good enough. This can hinder their growth and progress toward goals.

Overall, Imposter Syndrome can be a significant hurdle for individuals looking to promote their content online. It's essential to recognize when these feelings arise and take steps to push past them. Do so by surrounding yourself with supportive individuals, celebrating small wins, and reframing negative self-talk into positive self-talk. 

The Fear of Experimentation
Every year, I like to experiment with a new channel. It's a personal challenge to figure out how to crack the code as it relates to a new social network, technology, or community. One year it was SlideShare. Another, Quora. Afterward, I make it a point to create a piece of content to summarize the findings and lessons learned.

You never know when your experimentation will lead to a new insight, a new distribution opportunity, or a moment when you strike gold. For example, after learning Quora, the "here are my findings" piece of content I created landed me in Forbes magazine multiple times with stories about Jay-Z and Rockstar Games that generated millions of reads. 

If you keep yourself open, experiment with new possibilities, and move past the initial challenge of not knowing what you're doing, you can go far. Yes, you might not be successful at first. But the more you experiment, the more insight you glean on how to effectively distribute your content. 

The Fear of Time Commitment
Some people hold the view that distribution efforts and the initial learning curve upfront take too much time. It is true that it is a lot of work. However, it is not true that it takes too much time. In fact, in the long run, your returns will grow while your hours will remain constant (and sometimes lessen). 

How can your growth scale? Let's look at two possible scenarios. First scenario: You could spend time generating many pieces of great content, thinking that content is most important. You hit "publish" on these pieces of content and only receive a small amount of total engagement before moving on to the next creation piece. The total time invested is two to four hours. 

Second scenario: You could spend an equal amount of time creating one piece of content, consider how to distribute it well, distribute it, and generate even more engagement and returns than you would if you just hit publish. 

Yes, the time invested is greater, but the return from the initial investment in creating is greater— ideally, more than two times greater because you have embraced a distribution strategy that allowed you to reach more than twenty times the amount of people you would have seen if you just hit publish. More often than not, the biggest mistake that people and brands make is that they overestimate the importance of production and underestimate the importance of distribution. The time you would have spent creating the next piece can be allocated to promoting the last piece. 

If you're a founder or an entrepreneur (or Singer Songwriter), you probably don't have a lot of time. You may believe in the importance of distribution but aren't sure how to fit it into the schedule. I'm here to tell you— although they will be covered in more detail later— there are ways you can become more efficient in your distribution channels. 

One of those time-saving strategies is to schedule your distribution ahead of time. While you are reading my book, I've probably sent out about six Tweets, posted two LinkedIn articles, and shared something on Instagram. I use tools to schedule my content in advance, and you can do the same. In fact, I have a Tweet scheduled for 2089, and it's going to say, "Kids, I miss you and love you." Please don't ruin the surprise for them. (If you are my kid and bought my book to support me, this is possibly the worst spoiler alert of all time. I'm hoping you forget by the time 2089 rolls around.) Either way, this tweet will be fulfilling because, while I won't be around physically, I will still be able to tell my kids how much they mean to me. 

A lot of people underestimate the power of scheduling things to get ahead on distribution. It's even useful for obligatory social media posts on anniversaries, birthdays, and Valentine's Day, to avoid the dog house. 

There is no better tool for busy people than content schedulers. Go to Google and find a content scheduling tool that works for you and the distribution channels you use. 

The Fear of Being Judged
Not always, but sometimes, creators overestimate their reach and influence. Harsh truth. In most cases, your audience is much smaller than you actually think, and to avoid this misguided thinking you should be promoting your work daily. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're above distribution. Everybody thinks they are a good driver despite the impossibility of everyone on the road being a good driver, right? Or am I the only one with a family member who thinks they are a terrific driver despite me gripping the grab handle tightly the entire ride? 

Most people think they are amazing, and that is also true when it comes to sharing things online. Somebody posts to LinkedIn, gets a few likes, and believes droves of users have possibly clicked on and read the content. One like means a hundred people have read it, right? Wrong. The truth is, we humans are apt to get caught up in our own ego a little bit. Even those few people who liked the post probably didn't make it past the headline. 

Don't carry delusions of grandeur. Even Beyonce has to promote her albums. If you are bigger than Beyonce, then well done. But, let's face it, you're not. But if somehow you are, then I'm thrilled you found my book, and I encourage you to tweet about how you're reading these words. Okay. Back to regularly scheduled programming.   

Don't overestimate your reach or underestimate how your ego could be holding you back. Promote your work. Distribute your stories. 

And remember there are millions of people out there who haven't heard of you yet because you're not willing to put yourself out there.
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Create Once. Distribute Forever. How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too by Ross Simmonds, is available from Amazon.

Tap the link to go to Adam Singer's hottakes.space site.

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• NOT one of the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time—  

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Again. NOT one of... True. Peggy Lee isn't one of Rolling Stones' 100 Greatest. She IS one of New Music Lives™ Greatest. AND... given the age demographics of the AMP readers, most of you won't have experienced iconic Singer Songwriter Peggy Lee. She was a pioneer. She is a legend. Invest the time in getting to know the woman often cited as an inspiration by Adele, Madonna, Billie Eilish, Diana Krall, and k.d. lang and her work. 

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"Her wonderful talent should be studied by all vocalists; her regal presence is pure elegance and charm."
— Frank Sinatra, 1994

"Music is my life's breath," proclaims the epitaph of Norma Deloris Egstrom, better known as Peggy Lee. 2020 marked the centennial anniversary of this extraordinary artist and her contributions to jazz and popular music.

Over her seven-decade career, Peggy Lee redefined what it meant to be a female singer, and her quietly captivating voice continues to resonate with audiences. Born in an era where women struggled for equality and carrying the burden of a traumatic childhood, she was a true pioneer and survivor. Her accomplishments as a woman and artist are extraordinary.

Coined "The Female Frank Sinatra" by Tony Bennett, Lee did something few male counterparts attempted: she wrote songs. Her compositions and recordings— including It's A Good Day, I Don't Know Enough About You and I Love Being Here With You—  can be heard today in various television shows and feature films, and in commercials for Samsung, Applebee's, and Tropicana.

Much like her friend Sinatra, she did things "her way." She wrote many of her songs and was involved in every aspect of her performances, from producing to costume and lighting design. She was a creative powerhouse, directing her life and career on her own terms. She is often cited as an inspiration by contemporary female singers including Adele, Madonna, Billie Eilish, Diana Krall, and k.d. lang.

Jazz and pop music royalty called her one of their own. "If I'm the duke, man, Peggy Lee is the queen," decreed Duke Ellington. Sinatra offered his take: "Peg is just about the best friend a song ever had." Count Basie also praised her, stating, "…she's solid."

Known for her subtlety, elegance, and alluring tone, Lee saw herself as a communicator whose primary medium was music. Though she could belt out a tune, she preferred to deliver a lyric "softly, with feeling." She had a superior understanding of rhythm, a genius for interpretation, and a unique ability to focus on the core essentials of any song. "The eternal struggle of art is to leave out all but the essentials" was her professional motto.

Norma Deloris Egstrom was born on May 26, 1920, in Jamestown, North Dakota, the sixth of seven children. She survived a brutal childhood. Her mother died when she was four, and her father then married a woman who abused her until she left home at 17. Music was her escape.

Norma began her professional career as an adolescent living in Wimbledon, ND, and traveling to nearby Valley City, where she made her debut on the radio. In 1937 she auditioned for WDAY in Fargo, the biggest radio station in North Dakota. She was hired on the spot, and the programming director christened her with her new professional name: Peggy Lee.

Nationwide popularity came to her in 1941 after being hired as the singer with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. While working with Goodman, she met Dave Barbour, the band's guitarist, and her future husband. When Dave was fired for "fraternizing with the girl singer," Lee gave notice and announced her retirement. She married Dave in 1943, and though the marriage lasted only eight years, she considered him the love of her life and the greatest musical collaborator.

Lee's "retirement" didn't last long, and she soon found herself behind the microphone again. She established her solo career by joining Capitol Records and ranks as the female act with the longest stay at that renowned label: 24 years. She also spent five productive years at Decca Records in the 1950s and recorded with several other labels starting in the mid-1970s. Lee continued to work extensively on television, radio, and in concert until the mid-1990s.

Her vast catalog includes more than 1,100 masters and over 50 original albums. She is best known for songs like Fever, Why Don't You Do Right, I'm A Woman, and Is That All There Is? She amassed over 100 chart entries, beginning with I Got It Bad (1941) and culminating with the posthumous hit Similau (2017). Among her music honors are 13 Grammy® Award nominations, a Grammy® win in 1969, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

"I regard singing pretty much like acting. Each song is like playing a different role. I get very involved with my material. I feel a responsibility for the emotion it brings out in the listener."

One of the foremothers of the Singer Songwriter school, Lee wrote over 200 songs, often with collaborators like Harold Arlen, Cy Coleman, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and Victor Young. Artists who have covered Peggy Lee compositions include Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Diana Krall, Queen Latifah, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Janelle Monáe, Nina Simone, Regina Spektor, and Sarah Vaughan.

Walt Disney recognized Peggy's songwriting talent and hired her to write all original lyrics for Lady and the Tramp in 1953. Walt liked her demos so much that he asked her to voice four characters and named one after her.

Lee appeared in several motion pictures, most notably in The Jazz Singer (1952) and Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), which brought her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

A perennial advocate of artists' rights, Lee supported the American Federation of Musicians' 1948 record ban and fought multiple battles for artistic vision and fellow artists' rights. Her most famous legal case was a lengthy court battle (1988-1992) regarding her work on Lady and the Tramp, which redefined entertainment contracts.

In 1986, Peggy Lee became the first female recipient of the Songwriters Guild of America's Aggie and President Awards. ASCAP's Pied Piper Award followed in 1990, and she was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1999.

Lee stayed active as a concert performer until 1995 when she gave her final performances at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In 1998, she suffered a stroke, and on January 21, 2002, she passed away at her home in Bel Air, California. Renowned jazz critic Nat Hentoff wrote a fitting epitaph: "Her main quality was a marvelous sense of subtlety. She never overpowered you. You could hear her voice after it stopped."

And 100 years after she was born, we're still hearing it.

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To learn more about the pioneering, legendary music icon, go to Peggy Lee

in partnership with Where Music's Going and Rob Abelow

• MONDEGREEN— We Are Siamese (From the Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp) by Peggy Lee

Unbelievable!

Original

We are Siamese if you please. 
We are Siamese if you don't please.
When baby is there's milk nearby. 
There will be some milk for you and some for me.

Mondegreen

Reaper Sly oh minty sleep you please. 
Reaper Siamese if you don't please. 
We perform most anything for eyes, eyes. 
There will be a hit for you, that's there for me.

If you're up for more mondegreens of Peggy Lee songs, tap the link. There are a bunch of misheard song lyrics for Ms. Lee on amIright currently.

And for hundreds of other head-shaking misheard lyrics, tap this link to go to AmIRight. "Making fun of music, one song at a time, since 2000" and they're amazing!

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• PS from PS— Home Isn't Just Where the Heart Is. It's Where the Money Is.

Do this now. Take this action today. 

If you have not played a show within the last few weeks or even in the last (Arrggghhh) months— I want you to do this. Today: Go to your email list. All your family, friends, contacts, and everyone you know. Send them an email that tells them you would like to come and play at their home or backyard.

Try it. Just see what happens. I bet you will get at least a few responses. Select the location closest to you. Tell the person you would love to perform for them and all they have to do is invite their friends to come to their place. Confirm the show date and time. 

Simple bet: You can do it all so far— yes?

Now, go play the show. Tell your friend to tell all their friends this unique house concert is a donation show. No tickets. People just have to be invited by their friends making it truly special

If your friend invites say 50 people, approx' 25 will come. Most of them will feel they should donate at least $10. Many will do more. So that's at least $250. If you have merch and CDs to sell there's even more money to be made.

Here's the best part: You'll have time to meet all 25 people. Face-to-face. On average, between a third and a half of those people would be willing and able to host a show at their house too, so you'll have another booking. And their friends have friends who have friends. 

What did that home concert cost you to promote? The actual cost is nothing. Simply sending out an email that asked, "Hey, can I come and do a concert at your house?" 

I know. Hold your nose and jump. Takes courage. Try it and tell me the results. Your success requires taking action. And a ‘house concert' is one of the easiest and best ones of all you can take. Today.

Until we speak again. 

We give the AMP away: Free. No strings. Because... and this IS important.

Our Mission & Purpose is to 'Put Success In Your Singer Songwriter Career.' We know cost can be a barrier for aspiring creative artists to get the knowledge, resources, and inspiration they need to succeed. 

"The Singer Songwriters who need the AMP most are often those who can afford it the least."

 So... the AMP is free. 

If you're a TrueFan... You enjoy the AMP ★★★★★... Benefit from what's in each issue... And you're willing and able to spread the word about us... PLEASE. And THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Send your friends, family, band members, and complete strangers this link: New Music Lives FREE. (Use this to cut and paste.) They'll get the AMP, the TrueFans Manifesto, and the Group. No charge. No strings. 

We're a word-of-mouth-movement, because: It's Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time. We're asking you to help us make that happen.

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...