Think you need to follow someone else's blueprint to make it in dance music? This conversation with Layton Giordani and Parker Cohen, co-founder of Metatone, will completely change how you think about building a lasting career. Fresh off his performance at ARC Music Festival, Layton rarely gives interviews - but…
Most labels won't sign you without 10,000 followers. Slugg's Get Busy label will sign an artist with 20 followers if they make better music than someone with 20,000. This conversation will completely change how you think about building a music career in the social media age. While the industry obsesses…
Discipline over Talent: Bijou’s Story After 13 years of building a career around G-House, Bijou was ready to quit. He felt burned out, hated his music, and was lost on where to go next. But instead of walking away, he rebuilt his entire life, proving that success in the music…
Most artists think talent is enough. Bijou proves that discipline is what separates the successful from the struggling. After 13 years of building his career around G-House, he hit a wall - he hated his music, hated touring, and wanted to quit everything. Instead of giving up, he rebuilt his…
Most artists won't say this out loud, but DJ Lady D will: the house music scene has a problem, and it's not what you think. Chicago's House Music Queen is calling out the uncomfortable truth about who's really getting rewarded in dance music - and it's not always the people…
Think you need to stay in one lane to build a successful music career? Night Tales just proved that wrong by creating CLR (Colour, Love, Rhythm) - a groundbreaking event series that's taking them around the country. CLR is a hybrid experience that partners with local bands, dancers, and cultural…
The music industry will change whether you like it or not. Chicago house legend Gene Farris has watched it transform completely over three decades - from needing vinyl releases to get overseas gigs to watching sync buttons replace beatmatching skills. His survival strategy? Build your own infrastructure. With over 500…
Most DJs complain about not getting booked. Sarat, a drone pilot and DJ, created his own bookings instead. In just one year, he grew his sunrise sets from 30 people to 400+ people by building the scene he wanted to be part of. Starting with nothing but a unique perspective…
Think you need millions of followers to build a successful music career? This conversation with Alex Hilburn, Co-Founder of Surge Marketing, will completely change how you think about fan engagement and marketing. While most artists are burning money on digital ads and chasing follower counts, Surge has generated $3 million…
The Art of Reading the Room: How to Master Any Crowd as a DJ You're a DJ, and you know how tough it is to play for every type of crowd. One night, it's first-timers; the next, it's your dedicated regulars. How do you keep everyone locked in and still…
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY DEEP TROPICS. Deep Tropics is an immersive dance experience in the heart of Music City, Nashville, where party truly meets purpose. Known as the most sustainable festival in North America, Deep Tropics is an energetic celebration of culture, community, and the planet. Catch headliners like…
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY DEEP TROPICS. Deep Tropics is an immersive dance experience in the heart of Music City, Nashville, where party truly meets purpose. Known as the most sustainable festival in North America, Deep Tropics is an energetic celebration of culture, community, and the planet. Catch headliners like…
For a deeper dive into what to do when crisis hits your career - including why every DJ needs business insurance, how to move through setbacks without losing momentum, and the emotional regulation skills that separate successful artists from those who give up - listen to the full episode on…
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY DEEP TROPICS. Deep Tropics is an immersive dance experience in the heart of Music City, Nashville, where party truly meets purpose. Known as the most sustainable festival in North America, Deep Tropics is an energetic celebration of culture, community, and the planet. Catch headliners like…
Want to know how to read and control any room, no matter how diverse the crowd? Ms. Mada's unique perspective as both booking operations manager and resident DJ at Space Miami offers insights that most artists never get access to. From handling Miami's most eclectic crowds - mixing Space regulars…
Can't Get Booked? Book Yourself (with Josh Baker) Can't get booked as a DJ? The answer isn't sending more demos—it's building your own stage. In this video, DJ, producer, and entrepreneur Josh Baker breaks down the raw, unfiltered story of how he went from throwing parties in a field with…
Want to expand your music career beyond your home market? Jeff's strategic approach to building Short Circuit across multiple cities offers a blueprint for sustainable geographic expansion. Jeff reveals how he identifies the right partners in each market and creates authentic events that resonate with local scenes while maintaining his…
My 100k Follower Instagram Was DELETED – Why It Didn’t Affect My DJ Career with Hiroko Yamamura Ever wonder what would happen if your entire online presence just... vanished? That's exactly what happened to DJ and meme queen Hiroko Yamamura. Her 100,000-follower Instagram page was deleted overnight, and in this…
Tired of waiting for someone to give you a chance? Josh Baker's story proves you don't need permission to start building something meaningful in music. Starting with literally nothing - a £20 generator and field parties where people told him to "turn this shit off" - Josh created his own…
Stop Whining About Social Media & Do the Work with Proppa Tired of hearing artists complain about social media? What if the "good old days" of needing big budgets for music videos and magazine placements were actually much harder? In this unfiltered conversation, artist and producer Proppa joins the show…
🎫 PRESALE ALERT: Chicago Music Nexus 2025 presale tickets are now live for 2 weeks only! Last year completely sold out, so don't sleep on this. Get your tickets here: https://posh.vip/e/chicago-music-nexus-2025 Want to know what separates artists who complain about the industry from those who actually change it? This conversation…
Think your local scene holds the key to your DJ success? This conversation with Hiroko Yamamura will change that perspective entirely. Even in a major music city like Chicago, waiting for local validation can be a career-limiting strategy. Hiroko reveals why looking beyond your hometown - even when it's a…
For our milestone 100th episode, we're celebrating in our brand new Chicago studio with someone who's been part of this journey from day one - my brother, Proppa. His recent success with Warner Bros. offers the perfect case study in what it really takes to break through in music. From…
Want to know what it takes to navigate the music industry from both sides of the table? This week's conversation with Mouna Dif offers a unique perspective from someone who's journeyed from singer-songwriter to respected manager and label executive. After experiencing firsthand how artists can be taken advantage of -…