This is Industry Insider: a weekly 5-minute brief with key news, interviews, advice, smart picks & follows, built for artists and industry folks alike.
👆 ONE BIG THING
I watched an artist spend six months building a TikTok presence—solid engagement, a few videos that popped off, real momentum.
Then they abandoned it to "try Instagram Reels."
Started from zero. New algorithm, new audience. Meanwhile, the TikTok account that was actually working sat there dying.
This happens constantly. Artists jump to the next platform before squeezing the value out of what's already working.
The Framework Everyone Ignores
More → Better → New
When something's working, your first move is always more. Double down. If a post format gets engagement, make more of those. If a playlist drives streams, pitch to more like it. Do more until you hit diminishing returns.
Then shift to better. Optimize execution. Better hooks, better editing, better targeting. You're not doing more volume—you're increasing the return on each piece.
Only after maxing out "more" and "better" do you try new. New platforms, new formats, new strategies.
Most artists flip this. They do 80% new experiments and 20% optimizing what works.
Should be reversed: 80% more and better, 20% new.
What This Actually Looks Like
Getting traction on TikTok? Make more TikToks. Not 3 per week—10 per week. Once you hit a ceiling, improve execution.
Spotify playlists working? Pitch more tracks, build more curator relationships. Don't pivot to YouTube until you've exhausted the Spotify opportunity.
Instagram driving DMs? Post more. More Stories, more Reels, more engagement.
Only when doubling your effort produces zero additional return do you move to something new.
New Rule
Before trying a new platform, double your effort on the one that's already working.
Most of you haven't maxed out your current channels. You're not posting enough or consistent enough to know what the ceiling actually is.
More. Then better. Then new.
Let's get into it.
🗞 INDUSTRY NEWS
ONErpm has hired Mike Easterlin as Managing Director of its Nashville division, with decades of experience in A&R and promotion.
Metal Blade Records is proud to announce the signing of Japanese metal sensation Broken by the Scream – news inside.
💯 INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
James Rhodes, President of FiXT Music, joins us to discuss his career, the record label, artist development, and his insights into the music industry.
💬 INDUSTRY ADVICE
In a sea of 100,000 new songs hitting Spotify daily, how do you stand out? A premiere isn’t just an early release—it’s a Marketable Moment, an SEO boost, and a powerful way to grab new listeners while making waves in the industry. Want to cut through the noise and make your music unforgettable? Here’s why premieres matter.
🎧 INDUSTRY PODCASTS
Testament founder Eric Peterson joins MAKE // BREAK to talk Para Bellum, four decades of thrash, touring burnout, AI and creativity, and how horror movies, strange books, and stubborn personal taste still drive the riffs.
Discover exactly what’s missing in your promo strategy and which lever will move the needle the most…
🎵 ADD YOUR MUSIC TO OUR PLAYLIST
New single? We’re happy to consider adding your track to one of our obsessively curated Spotify playlists → Just reply to this email with the link…
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