This is Backstage Money: Real-World Finance for Musicians.

I’m Jason K. Powers, and each week I sit down with musicians and industry insiders to pull back the curtain on the money side of chasing the dream. From touring on gas money to record labels taking 80% cuts, to streaming paying fractions of a penny, we’re digging into the raw stories and real strategies it takes to survive in this industry.

Our first full episodes drop this November, so hit follow or subscribe now. Let’s keep the music and the money alive.

Welcome to Backstage Money, real

World Finance for Musicians.

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Look, you didn't pick up a

guitar or step behind a mic

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because you love spreadsheets.

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You did it because music

runs through your veins.

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But keeping that dream alive, that

takes more than riffs and late

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night rehearsals, it takes money.

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And that's the part

nobody really talks about.

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You know, I'm your host, Jason K.

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Powers, and this show is all about

pulling back the curtain on how musicians

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actually survive the business side.

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Of chasing their passion.

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So here's the deal.

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Nobody hands you a how not to

go broke as a musician manual.

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You're usually left figuring it out on the

fly, touring on gas money and dollar menu

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meals just to play for a handful of fans.

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Many of you have been there

fronting thousands for an album,

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you hope pays back someday.

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Yeah, that's the norm a lot of the time.

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And let's be real, labels can

take 50 to 85% of your revenue.

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85.

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Now, I'm not here to bad mouth labels.

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They're just, they're here.

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They've launched a lot of careers.

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They put artists on stages they might

never have reached otherwise and done

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a lot of good for a lot of people.

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But what if you could keep more

of that money in your pocket?

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What if there was another way to fund your

music without giving up so much control?

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'Cause whether you're signed or staying

independent, the money pressure is real.

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And if you're indie streaming's

paying you a fraction of a

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penny per play, so do the math.

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A million streams might not

even cover your studio bill.

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So what do a lot of musicians do?

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Well, they rack up credit cards

at 20, 30% interest just to keep

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the music going crazy, right?

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So meanwhile, behind the scenes,

musicians are swapping survival hacks.

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What works, what doesn't?

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But those convos stay backstage until now.

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So every week I'm sitting down with

the people living it, musicians,

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managers, producers, even the folks

running venues and merch tables.

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They're gonna share the raw stories, what

it's really like to balance art and money

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without losing your soul in the process.

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No boring lectures, no financial guru

nonsense, just real world insights

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mixed with a few hard lessons and

hopefully a laugh or two along the way.

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All right, so here's the play.

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Our first episode drops this November.

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So hit that follower subscribe

button on Apple Podcast,

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Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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That way you're first in line

when we kick this thing off.

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And hey, if you know a musician or insider

with a story worth telling, hit me up.

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I'd love to get them on the show.

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All right, this is Backstage Money,

real World Finance for Musicians.

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I'm Jason K.

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Powers, subscribe.

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Now let's figure out how to keep

both the music and the money alive.