The Unstarving Musician

Hosted by Robonzo (Roberto R Hernandez)

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357

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Unstarving Musician features interviews with independent musicians, songwriters, producers, and music industry professionals who share their experience and expertise on recording, touring, marketing, the business of music, and more. This is all intended to help you, the independent music artists create a sustainable and profitable music career.

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September 4, 2026Episode 35843 min

358 How to Build an Audience in a New Market When You Know No One – Janette Berrios, Symphonic

Every distribution company's international playbook assumes resources an independent artist doesn't have. In this conversation, Janette Berrios, SVP of Corporate Marketing at Symphonic, scales things down to a solo artist with no team and no budget. She breaks down a repeatable way to enter a scene where you know nobody, research who matters, reach out so you actually get a reply, and how to follow up without being a pest. She also describes a cold outreach she made years ago to someone at a peer company bigger than Symphonic at the time, and where that relationship stands today. Our discussion also covers the following. Researching a new market before you commit to it Finding local collaborators and producers on social Cold outreach that works: subject lines, tone, and follow-up timing Warming up a contact on social before you ask for anything Symphonic's Women Empowered+ mentoring program How she found mentors by reaching out cold First moves for audience-building in new and unfamiliar markets The virtual side of conferences most people overlook Janette Berrios spent 15 years building Symphonic's expansion across the U.K., Europe, APAC, and Latin America. She also shares how Symphonic's niche and regional focus drove its growth, why she treats every Latin American country differently, and what sank the competitors who tried to buy their way into new markets. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

August 21, 2026Episode 35745 min

357 George Macias – Capturing Ownership, Splits, & Metadata Before Song Royalties Can Go Uncollected

George Macias is co-founder of Lumoza, a free music rights-registration platform for independent artists, where you upload your song, and it's registered where it needs to be so you actually get paid. Lumoza creates a Digital Birth Certificate for every song, which is a permanent record of who created it and when, and that helps take care of registering your work with the organizations that pay out royalties. George and his cofounders spent years inside the major-label and publishing world, watching artists lose money to paperwork and processes nobody explained to them. Or that they found overwhelming. George and I talk about patterns he repeatedly saw on the publisher side that made him think independent artists needed some help, how Lumoza wants to marry metadata and the song at the beginning of the process, the misunderstanding among indie artists that they register with a distributor and think they're done, his one recommendation for the thing artists should build into their recording session process, regardless of what tool they use, where AI music sits all of this, and more. Learn more about Lumoza at Lumoza.io. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

August 7, 2026Episode 35657 min

356 Enough vs. More – Dan Scott on Financial Freedom for Independent Artists

Dan Scott lives at the intersection of creativity, law, and financial freedom. Equal parts artist, strategist, and advisor, he has spent his career helping creatives build lives where their work, money, and purpose actually align. He started his career with a law firm and then discovered the world of private practice. But then… he realized his true calling was helping individuals and families navigate the deeper questions around creativity, wealth, identity, and legacy. In 2015, he founded Scott Law, where he developed a modern approach to legacy planning focused not just on protecting assets, but also on protecting creative ownership, cultural impact, and long-term freedom. That philosophy eventually evolved into Spotlight Advisory Group, where Dan expanded beyond legal counsel into holistic management and advisory for creative entrepreneurs. Spotlight works with musicians, artists, actors, founders, and independent creators to help them build sustainable careers through ownership, financial systems, brand strategy, intellectual property, and long-term vision. Dan covers a lot in this episode, perhaps most importantly, the budgeting insight to build your annual budget from historical cash flow data, treat wins as exceptions rather than the new norm, and stay conservative on forecasting. He also covers the importance of focusing on ownership of everything from day one, and the fact that common-law copyright provides initial protection but formal registration provides proof of ownership and administrative teeth. This conversation is partly about estate-planning-for-artists. But it's largely about planning your life with purpose so that you can wake up every day to make art and music. Find Dan at spotlightadvisorygroup.com, where you'll also find all of his socials and contact info, as well as a blog where he writes about many of the concepts we touch on in this conversation. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

July 17, 2026Episode 35555 min

355 Cody DeLong's Fan Data Playbook – VIP, Pre-Sales, and Direct-to-Fan Revenue

Most independent artists walk away from a live show with whatever the ticket sales and merch table produced. Cody DeLong has spent more than a decade helping artists find what's left on the table, and it turns out there's quite a bit. Cody is the CEO and co-founder of Sound Rink, a live-music technology company focused on VIP experiences, artist pre-sales, and direct-to-fan commerce. He started his career booking shows for punk and emo bands, co-founded Armada Merch, and built Sound Rink into a platform that helps artists of all sizes capture more revenue from their live shows — and own the fan data that makes future shows more profitable. In this conversation, Cody breaks down how independent artists can start capturing fan data and earning incremental revenue from live shows, even before they're running VIP packages. He explains what a superfan actually looks like in practice, why most artists don't own the data from their own ticket sales, and how to build the kind of direct fan relationships that pay off across an entire career — not just one tour. Cody also gets into why pre-sale ticketing is the right entry point for most independent artists, what needs to be in place before a VIP offering makes sense, and where artists leave money on the table when they do run one. He covers what label deals can do to a mailing list, why an artist who only tours once a year may have more leverage than they think, and why building a mailing list is still the most important thing an artist can do right now. For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

June 26, 2026Episode 3541 hr 0 min

354 Weariness Isn't Failure — Lynz Crichton on Walking Away vs. Staying In

Lynz Crichton makes her fourth appearance on The Unstarving Musician. She's a singer-songwriter based in Nottingham, England, and the creator of Music Marketing Method, a program that helps independent musicians build audience, monetize their work, and sustain a career on their own terms. This conversation started with an email. Lynz had shared the story of a working musician who'd begun drafting a goodbye message for his website. Not because he couldn't play and not because the songs weren't good. It was because everything around the music had worn him out. Lynz drew a line between weariness and failure that stuck with me, and I asked her to dig into it for this episode. We get into the difference between weariness and failure, the Power Hour service Lynz uses to diagnose what's actually in someone's way, why the real problem is almost always mindset and the business side rather than the music itself, and the rare case where quitting really might be the right call. We also talk about what she's seeing across the hundreds of musicians she works with, what's changed since the pandemic-era launch of Music Marketing Method, why owning your email list matters more than ever in 2026, and what going deeper with a small audience looks like in the age of AI. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

June 19, 2026Episode 35324 min

353 The Only Opinion That Matters – Pete Ganbarg on What Independent Artists (and A&R) Get Wrong

After nearly 16 years at Atlantic Records (the last six as President of A&R) Pete Ganbarg has a clearer view than almost anyone of what separates artists who break through from artists who don't. In this conversation, he shares what that view looks like in 2026, when the barrier to entry for releasing music has collapsed and the bar for being heard has never been higher. Pete unpacks the working principles behind a career that includes A&R credits on Santana's Supernatural , the Hamilton cast album, and Twenty One Pilots, plus publishing credits on Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" and Alex Warren's "Ordinary." But the substance of this conversation isn't the credit list — it's what he's learned to listen for, what he tells his students at Berklee and NYU, and what he wishes more independent artists understood about the work. Topics covered in this conversation include: the "megaphone" mindset behind major-label promotion, the hard math of who makes it and who doesn't, the only opinion that matters in music, A&R'ing yourself when no executive will, and more. Pete Ganbarg is CEO of Pure Tone Music and host of Rock School Podcast. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! For show notes and episode a list of past episodes , please visit UnstarvingMusician.com . Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

June 5, 2026Episode 3521 hr 26 min

352 Analog on Purpose — How Terry Carleton Built a Career Too Busy to Market

What does it look like to build a recording career so busy you don't have time to market it — and do it entirely without computers? Terry Carleton returns to share what's happened in the two-plus years since his first appearance: a solo album seven years in the making, the completion of his work on the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown remix series, and a closer look at how his all-analog, DAW-less production approach actually works in practice — and where it's headed. Terry walks through the making of Ric Shah and the Sandcrabs (From Jupiter) , including a title track written as a tribute to his late high school bandmate Mike Perlitch, and how he reconstructed lost guitar tracks recorded by Camel's Andy Latimer using AI audio separation tools — a process he discovered through a Rick Beato video on the making of the Beatles' "Now and Then." He also shares how collaboration works at this level: Andy Latimer, bassist Michael Manring, and Grammy-winning composer Michael Silversher all appear on the album, and Terry explains why that kind of participation has become more accessible in the past decade. Topics we cover include: The DAW-less, all-analog studio workflow — what it enables, what it costs, and what's changing Writing a tribute song in someone else's musical voice Using AI audio separation (Lalal.ai) to reconstruct lost session tracks How remote collaboration with high-caliber musicians has evolved The Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown remix project — what came out and what's next Why constraints (no undo, no recall) can make a producer a better listener Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for show notes. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

May 22, 2026Episode 35122 min

351 Learning Music Theory as an Adult Musician — A Practical Framework

Most music theory education is built for nineteen-year-olds in a conservatory. If you're a working musician who's been gigging for years on ear, feel, and a handful of chord shapes, that path doesn't fit your life — and it doesn't have to. In this deep-dive, Robonzo breaks down a four-part framework for adult musicians who want to finally crack music theory and reading without quitting their job, abandoning their gigs, or pretending they're starting from zero. The framework comes from a conversation with drummer, vocalist, and podcaster Dave Hamilton from way back in Episode 13 — and it's the cleanest, most adult-friendly roadmap Robonzo has come across. The episode covers why piano is the right tool for the job (even if it isn't your instrument), how chord construction and the 1-4-5 unlock most of popular music, why guitar chord charts make brilliant practice material, and the concrete revenue case for learning to read music as a working musician. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Pardon the Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

May 8, 2026Episode 35056 min

350 The Event Band Income Model — Cory Wade

Most musicians think of wedding and corporate gig work as a compromise — something you do until your "real" music career takes off. Cory Wade flipped that script. As a vocalist and band leader with Hank Lane Music in New York, Cory has built a sustainable income through high-end event entertainment that funds his home studio, his original music, and a life in one of the most expensive cities on the planet. In this conversation, Cory shares how the Hank Lane model actually works from the inside — what it takes to get in, how to stay in, and how the compensation structure progresses from entry-level to band leader. He breaks down the seasonal income model (busy season, dead season, and why the off-season is prime time for original music), the mindset shift that separates musicians who thrive in event work from those who burn out, and the step-by-step approach he used to build a fully functional home studio from live performance income. Cory also gets candid about navigating identity after America's Next Top Model, the 8-9 year hiatus from releasing original music, and why he now sees event entertainment — what he calls "unsung hero music" — as a genuine artistic calling rather than a day job. Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for links to things mentioned in this episode. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup. Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm. Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup . Join podcasters who are building shows that last. Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs , by Robonzo Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

April 24, 2026Episode 34917 min

349 The House Concert Business Framework: How Independent Artists Create Their Own Market

Most independent musicians are competing for the same shrinking pool of venue slots, hoping someone books them. House concerts flip that model entirely — and the artists who've figured this out aren't just playing more shows. They're making more money, building deeper connections with audiences, and owning the entire experience. This episode presents a framework built from five conversations on The Unstarving Musician, including singer-songwriter Tom Meny, Amy Killingsworth of Amy & Gary's House Concerts, touring artist Shannon Curtis, Nicole Wagner (Austin-based singer-songwriter), and an earlier solo episode dedicated to this topic. Together, these conversations form a complete operational picture — from why house concerts outperform venues on every measurable metric to exactly how to build your own touring circuit without a booker, a bouncer, or a bartender. You'll come away understanding what makes these events work, how to break into the scene, what hosts actually need from performing artists, how to build your own audience instead of borrowing one, and the economics that make this model worth pursuing. The market doesn't find you. You build it. For show notes, visit UnstarvingMusician.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube