How He Got a Million Monthly Listeners and a Sold Out Tour Independently

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jared Benjamin. Jared broke down how he went from picking up a guitar during the pandemic to earning over 100 million streams, selling out headline tours, and building an intensely loyal community across TikTok and Discord. They discuss his creation process, content strategy, delegating production, leveraging pre-save ad campaigns, and releasing his debut album, Icarus Too Close to the Sun.

Follow Jared Benjamin:
instagram.com/jaredbenjaminofficial
tiktok.com/@jaredbenjaminofficial

Check out Ari’s Take:
aristake.com

4:05 Interview Begins: Welcome & Icarus Debut Album Announcement
5:06 Transitioning from Fast Singles to a Cohesive Debut Album
9:43 Early Short-Form Visual Strategy & Writing Skits
17:25 Lessons from Bad Industry Deals & Going DIY
20:15 Learning Production on YouTube & Collaborating with Producers
25:20 Writing "Three Steps Ahead" at AntiSocial Writing Camp
28:35 Building a Social Following & Meeting His Manager
32:50 The Daily Grind: Posting 2 to 4 Videos a Day & Managing Burnout
35:55 First Headline Tour Experiences: From Empty Rooms to Sold-Out Venues
41:59 Managing Online Communities: Grouped vs. Discord Strategy
50:20 Tapping into BookTok & Author Playlist Marketing
01:01:35 Leveraging Feature.fm Pre-Save Ads to Funnel Fans into Discord

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

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