Noisy Neighbors

Barry Johnson can be labeled as a mixed media or interdisciplinary creative but he’s actually the poster child for how to take action and become whatever you want.   In this episode we discuss how he became a self-taught artist using YouTube.   How he transitioned from a business consultant to a full time artist, landing gigs all around the world and collaborating with big brands.   We also talk about why he chooses to call himself a creative rather than an artist. Check his work out at https://www.barryjohnson.co/   Special thank you to LightWav music for editing the audio for this episode. 

Everyone accepts their high rent, but you can actually reduce your cost of living as an artist or entrepreneur.   Justin Pogue is a real estate consultant and financial advisor in San Francisco. He published a book called Rental Secrets which breaks down how you can negotiate with a landlord to either reduce your rent or get more value for what you’re paying.   If you want to stress less about your living situation and focus more on the creative work you care about, then this is the episode for you.   You have more power than you think.

On this week's Noisy Neighbors, we took the time to honor the legacy of Nipsey Hussle. Nipsey was a vital leader, a true artist, entrepreneur, and inspiring icon in hip hop. We had the honor to sit down with Dan Runcie from Trapital to discuss the blueprint that Nip left behind in his music and what his impact means for all of us in the industry moving forward. If you haven't already, we highly encourage you to join Dan's newsletter, Trapital.  Trapital is a newsletter that breaks down the business side of hip hop. In the newsletter you'll learn hip hop strategy and explore why hip-hop artists build strategic partnerships with brands and make key decisions that impact business and culture.  Special thank you to LightWav music for editing the audio for this episode. 

If you’re looking to spread your music and grow your brand, you need to build a fanbase on college campuses. Students are hungry for something new and they have the free time and networks to promote you.

This past weekend, we hosted a live podcast episode at the Balanced Breakfast Summit in San Francisco. Lyle moderated a panel of entrepreneurs to talk about the businesses they built and how artists can be entrepreneurs themselves. Lyle was joined by: Fred Hausman III - Label President of Prize Fighter Records Ashley Kervabon-Stoyanov - Founder/Executive Directress of #WomenCrush Music Justin Pogue - Consultant / Financial Advisor / Author of Rental Secrets   You can watch the full video of our panel on our YouTube channel

This week, you’ll learn how to plan for your release and get people to listen to your album.   Right now, you’re probably planning an album or creative project that you want to release in 2019. As an artist you put a lot of time and effort into creating your music and videos. You want your art heard, seen, understood, which is why a launch strategy is so important.   In this episode, Lyle gives you the CRUCIAL to-do list that a lot of people overlook and explains how a strategy will prevent you from wasting time and effort.  Remember that this episode is only an introduction. If you’re ready to build out a complete plan, then use our Album Release Guide at https://www.noisecomplaintsgroup.com/albumreleaseguide

This week on Noisy Neighbors Lyle sat down with Morgan Davis.   Morgan is the managing editor of Austin Music publication Ovrld. He's also an artist manager and a film and music producer.   It was only natural to have him on as he has a wealth of knowledge about the Austin music scene and the music industry in general. He has great tips that will really help artists be successful.   We talk about what industry professionals are looking for when working with artists, the role of local journalism in today’s music landscape; how to effectively pitch yourself to publications; what makes a good manager and what does a good relationship with a manager look like; the future of the Austin Music scene; and the need for strong infrastructure to support the arts community.

This week, I invited my my friend and collaborator, Spencer Davis.   Spencer is a visual artist and design consultant in Seattle.   We talk about how he finds balance as a creative who’s building a business.   Why he chooses to co-create with his clients   And what it means for consultants and designers to evangelize for their customers.   We also get into why every artist, creative brand, and business needs to build a visual identity now.   Personally I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on why handwritten logos are the next big thing.

If you want a successful creative career, then it’s necessary to think of yourself as your own media business. The future is in ownership. Owning your content, distribution and speaking to your fans when and how you want to. Every artist has to not only own their content, but own their distribution and speak directly to their fans when and how they want to. In this episode, we'll give a few examples of who is successfully doing this and how you can too.

In our pilot episode, we thought it’d be essential to discuss why everyone should be striving to focus on a niche following. In 2018 you cannot and will not please everyone. You need to find a niche and focus on serving that specific market so that you’re creating without compromising. In this episode, you’ll discover: What’s a niche?  Why finding a niche is more important now than ever Why there’s a lot of money in creating niche content Catching people’s attention with quality content How niche audiences give you the freedom to do whatever you want