The Modern Music Creator Podcast

In a recent group call, Lia had some questions as to where she should focus some of her time and energy. As creatives, we constantly feel the need to learn something that we feel can benefit us but does it really? Is learning that one extra thing or new technique REALLY going to sky rocket your career? Maybe it will maybe it wont? It all comes down to WHAT you should be focusing on with your time and energy. as an artist.

In this episode I sit down with Alexandra who unfortunately like most women in this Industry has had to "prove herself" time and time again just because of her gender. All this stemmed from one Facebook post and I thought this is an important topic that needs to be discussed and how the "male superhero complex" in this industry towards women is not only damaging but just outright stupid.

It's going to take time before you find your "niche" in clients. The one thing that I always see a lot of freelancers do is immediately pick one area of their profession and ONLY focus on that. For example, someone who does Music Production but ONLY works with Trap artists. and won't work with anyone else. While yes, you found the group of people you want to work for but how many opportunities did you just miss out on by shutting everyone else out? I go over the "external specialist, internal generalist" approach to picking a niche.

As a freelancer, you need to be taking the time to build connections with potential clients. If you're not, then right there is a massive reason why you are not landing your "side gig" work as a freelancer. In this episode I go over a few reasons why Freelancers are not landing work. From my time as a freelancer to hiring out some to help me with my projects, there have been a few things I notice that a good freelancer does and what a freelancer does to not get work. If you are interested in booking a strategy call with my team and I, click here! UHP COACHING

In this episode, we talk all about content creation for creators. I give you a behind the scenes look on where to put your focus and energy and use your time affectively if you only have a few hours a week. I also go into creating content for platforms if you have "abandoned" them in the past.

In a recent Group Call, I had a conversation with Savannah on how to sculpt the perfect offer for her clients. Savannah has an amazing set of skills and we had to talk it out to make sure that time and energy are being spent on the right things to help improve her career. You'll hear everything from the start to end on how we get her on the path or creating that perfect offer.

In a recent call I sat down with a client who had a ton of amazing ideas but wasn't sure how to execute them. Has something like that ever happened to you? As creatives we are constantly coming up with ideas but there comes a point where we need to start executing instead of constantly thinking. I go over how you should "Fire! Ready, Aim" instead of "Ready, Aim, Fire!" and how overthinking is ruining your life!.

In this episode I dive into a recent conversation I had with someone about the use of sample packs. How do you feel about them? Are they inauthentic? Do they make you feel "not as original?" I want to talk about how that mindset is ruining your career and holding you back. If you are interested in booking a strategy call with my team and I, click here! UHP COACHING

At some point, you are going to do free work in your career. People often tend to think that doing work for free is devaluing yourself and making it harder for "real" artists to get paid for their work. That is a popular misconception. We go over the "Five Commandments" of doing free work and how it will help you gain leverage to build your business to where you want it to be. If you are interested in booking a strategy call with my team and I, click here! UHP COACHING

On this week's episode I show you how "waiting for the right moment" will derail your career. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "ready, aim, fire!" Well I want to introduce you to "Fire! Ready, Aim." So many don't have a defined version of success for themselves. When is the last time you felt uncomfortable? How much time have you spent in the last few months planning instead of executing? What if I told you that all that's standing in the way of you and your goals is fear? Let's discuss how that can ruin your career but also let's talk about how to get out of that mindset so you can start hitting your goals.

Yes, getting choked out in jujitsu one day taught me a HUGE life lesson that I was not only able to apply to my music career but all other aspects of my life. I talk about how it changed my mindset and how this one choke taught me to believe in myself more. We waste a lot of mental real estate on issues that can be easily solved if we have the proper mindset. I'm going to tell you how having that proper mindset can change your life. Book a strategy call with my team and I here http://JohnMcLucas.com/project 

You get a sneak peak at my vocal mixing framework! In this episode of the Modern Music Creator Podcast I take a snippet of audio from a recent Facebook stream I did last week where I share some of my vocal mixing framework workflow, how I approach certain aspects of mixing and so much more! I hope you get as much value from this as everyone else did during the live stream!

In a recent live stream I talked about how to price out new clients and how to not screw yourself over when it comes to "the money talk." As creatives we sometimes don't feel confident enough in ourselves to talk about money because we know we're not business people. I go over some key tips and tricks on how to be more confident when talking about money and how to protect yourself from scummy clients.

This is part of an Instagram live stream I recently did where I answered some of your questions! I talk about what it has been like during time in Quarantine and talking about how Tik Tok is the wild west of Social Media right now and the untapped potential in it. I also discuss some of the big revelations I made when it comes to my personal life and career during this year.

On this episode we go over Managers! Do you need one? Should you look for one? Remember, a Manager isn't someone who is helping you out with your Social Media pages. These days, anyone can claim they are a "Manager." We go over some of the key things you need to be aware of when it comes to working with these people.

Welcome back! We have a new short series this season, all about fraud in the music business! We've heard all the tricks, lies and schemes that people will do and say to get you to spend your hard earned money on them and for what? A few extra streams? In this episode we go over the role of a business coach. What exactly do they do? What can you expect from them? Are they legit? We go over all this and more!

Money money money moooney. MOOOOOONEEEY. We've made it to the end! You've made your pick on who you want to work with and when everything will start and end but now comes the final step. The Money Talk. This conversation does NOT have to be uncomfortable. You are making sure that the person you're about to spend your hard earned money on is going to honor the agreement you have both reached. We're going to go over why PayPal is the most used and trusted way to go when sending and receiving invoices. Why apps like Venmo, Zelle and Apple Pay are horrible when it comes to goods and services and we're going to go over how to protect yourself in case you become involved in a dispute.

OK, you've got your Producer! After many pain staking hours and conversations you narrowed it down to the one you want to work with. BEFORE you even get STARTED on the project, you NEED to agree on terms. When does the project start? When is it due? Who is doing what parts? Is the Producer helping out with Full Production or what? What is NOT included in the agreement? What are the timelines and deadlines? Who is being paid what and when? These are all questions you need to ask and make sure you and your Producer agree upon or else it's going to be a bad time for everyone involved.

After you've taken the time to reach out to several promising Producers to help you on your next project, it's time to narrow down to the right one. How do you pick the right Producer for YOU? Remember even though this is all business, it's important to get to know the person you're about to give thousands of dollars to. It all starts with having a conversation getting to know them better. We're going to discuss some key questions you need to ask before hiring a Producer and making sure to avoid any red flags.

You MUST Pre-Qualify a Music Producer before hiring them! Vetting a Music Producer will save you a ton of time and headache. Finding a Music Producer is like finding a new pair of shoes, the fit has to be just right or else everything is just going to fall apart. Let's break down on how to properly hire the right Music Producer for YOUR project!

Working with a Music Producer can be a daunting task. There's so many questions you should ask yourself before spending thousands of dollars on someone to help you with your music project. Negative interactions wth Music Producers are all too common unfortunately in the Music Industry. I've had countless clients tell me horror stories working with other Producers and want to show you how to approach the process of properly hiring a Music Producer if you even really need one! So let's dive into some important preliminary questions before you even think about spending all your money on a Music Producer!

Recording vocals does NOT need to be some mystic, incomprehensible too lhanded down by wizards and warlocks. It's not easy but its ALWAYS overly shrouded in BS that we need to clarify and debunk.... Complete At-Home Vocal Production Beta Launch --- https://www.johnmclucas.com/complete-at-home-vocal-production-1 • Subscribe/Follow on the platform you're listening on so you don't miss an episode! Every Monday at 4AM PST, starting your week off on a strong note! • The BEST way to support this podcast is by sharing it! Posting a link or a screenshot of an episode you're listening to is the best way it's grown over time.  • If you feel extra rad, drop an honest review of the show on Apple Podcasts! --- My socials FB • http://fb.com/jhnmclucas Youtube • http://bit.ly/johnismusic IG • @john_mclucas http://instagram.com/john_mclucas --- Business Inquiries • John McLucas john@modernmusiccreator.com Podcast Editing & Mgmt • Kyle Shields kyle@modernmusiccreator.com --- Thanks for spending time with me this week! This is my favorite way to have candid, long form conversation with you :) I truly appreciate your time, and look forward to talking next episode! Now get out there, work hard, and make something truly amazing

Musicians, you shouldn’t have to be slaving away 24/7 just to make content. There’s smarter and better ways to make it happen. Tre Watson and I had a great strategy call and I’m sharing a portion of it here because if will be SO helpful to you to reframe what you think of creating content. Enjoy! Tre's amazing content can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-9jtC-fuSz0Qs08YCZVzeg

Roman just picked up an exciting new gig with a guitar company to work their social media channels and he wanted to sit down and figure out exactly how he can be tracking his success in this position and what he could do to make this company pop as much as possible. I offer my own insights, and I thought it would be valuable enough to catch on the fly!  If you are looking for a video editor please email romangnavarro@gmail.com IG - @radroman2113

A Deep-dive strategy conversation I had that will open the curtain in a big way for a lot of people. Michelle is a brand designer but ALL of the principles are exactly the same, and translate into the musical world. By far this episode has the most all encompassing business strategy and I know you'll walk away with great insight for your universe. Michelle Wiebach Brand Designer http://michellewiebach.com http://instagram.com/missmisshmell

DIY Culture is incredible, but it has a massive dark side that isn’t discussed nearly enough - The Toxic Ego inflation and elitism that comes with the DIY scene.  Being able to create on your own is AMAZING, and something I’m doing right now to get this episode to you. But do you know that person who is grinding 24/7 and constantly complains they are the only one working hard for their dream, and that’s why they’re failing? If ONLY they could get some help they’d excel but alas, they are the starving artist and they will die on their sword because the world is against them!!’ Sounds fishy. Sounds like someone is deflecting responsibility... Let’s examine WHY these mindsets approach and avoid becoming the DIY Martyr! 

A completely unplanned but massively insightful episode that anyone who takes their music business remotely serious will LOVE. Making pillar content like a YouTube video or podcast is a massive undertaking and needs to be maximized so we brainstorm for 40 minutes to do EXACTLY that! Enjoy, and apply this to your world and you’ll crush it.   If you need a Video Editor, please email Kyle @ kyleshields91@gmail.com Instagram: @kyleshields91

Ever wondered why nearly every single outlet says the same 5 things? Be yourself, be consistent, find a niche, etc? Its incredibly frustrating as a musician and creator to get the same several vague notes tossed at you, only to feel lost and stuck after trying to “be authentic” so hard every day while also doing the right hashtag strategy and daily posting at 9am EST!! And “add value” to your community like what does any of this do and why is it so vague and confusing feeling? Take a breath. Let’s figure it out.

In 2020 I'm questioning EVERYTHING I'm doing so I can become better, and I want to be open with my headspace with you. Youtube has been a weird and scattered place for me in 2019 and it's really important I take time to assess what I want to do with my business, and how that translates to the content I create around it. Was discussing this with my buddy Kyle and thought it was valuable enough to make into an episode!!  Kyle's IG: @kyleshields91

This plagues everyone, especially in a city like Los Angeles. You just can't seem to nail down members.... why is that? Is it them? You? Both? Probably... but not for the reasons you think. Let's take a more objective look at why people own't say yes to investing their time into your project. It's not all about money, hardly at all to be honest....

We should ALL be invested in our music and projects we work hard on, but it can also cause us to lose perception of reality and the marketplace, especially with how we perceive the value of what we do. So let's unpack these approaches and see what may or may not be causing problems in how musicians are doing business, and how we can help overcome them.

I know we are almost a month in but now I can confidently say I will keep these things going through the year and hopefully forward for a while. I consider my self incredibly imperfect and I'm always looking for something I can do to improve, become more efficient, happier and everything in between. Let's talk about 5 of those today and I know you will find some helpful as well.

Events like NAMM are a great and horrible time, and I've experienced both sides... but after a good handful of them I have a small handful of ways to help foster relationships, use your business cards, and navigate the constantly changing social settings all without being a scummy sleazeball. • Subscribe/Follow on the platform you're listening on so you don't miss an episode! Every other Wednesday at 4AM PST, making the middle of the week awesome

Watching people at the top of their game is inspiring and made me learn a LOT. Rhythm & Flow is a must-watch, and you'll definitely want to after hearing the great takeaways I had from it!    • Make sure to Subscribe or Follow on the platform you're listening on so you don't miss a week! Every Monday at 4AM PST, ready for your week to start off on a Spongy Note! My socials IG - @john_mclucas http://instagram.com/john_mclucasFB - http://fb.com/jhnmclucasYoutube - http://bit.ly/johnismusic Business inquiries jhnmclucas@gmail.com Thanks for spending time with me this week! This is my favorite way to have candid, long form conversation with you every single week. I truly appreciate your time, and look forward to talking next Monday! Now get out there, work hard, and #stayspongy

• Make sure to Subscribe or Follow on the platform you're listening on so you don't miss a week! Every Monday at 4AM PST, ready for your week to start off on a Spongy Note! My socials IG - @john_mclucas http://instagram.com/john_mclucasFB - http://fb.com/jhnmclucasYoutube - http://bit.ly/johnismusic Business inquiries jhnmclucas@gmail.com Thanks for spending time with me this week! This is my favorite way to have candid, long form conversation with you every single week. I truly appreciate your time, and look forward to talking next Monday! Now get out there, work hard, and #stayspongy

Thank you to Eyal Levi for his time. If you want to keep up with him, he's most active on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/eyal.levi.18 URM Academy http://urm.academy • Make sure to Subscribe or Follow on the platform you're listening on so you don't miss a week! Every Monday at 4AM PST, ready for your week to start off on a Spongy Note! My socials IG - @john_mclucas http://instagram.com/john_mclucas FB - http://fb.com/jhnmclucas Youtube - http://bit.ly/johnismusic Business inquiries jhnmclucas@gmail.com Thanks for spending time with me this week! This is my favorite way to have candid, long form conversation with you every single week. I truly appreciate your time, and look forward to talking next Monday! Now get out there, work hard, and #stayspongy

Sometimes you gotta figure out how you think and use it against you to be productive, that's what I did!!

I honestly can't believe this didn't come to me soon but this needs to be discussed. People get PARALYZED by decision making, and after chatting on it enough, I realized some things I'd like to share....

Last week I didn't upload.... but I learned SO much from doing so. Let's turn my forgetfulness into something positive, RIGHT NOW! • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

I realized how much this flexibility has changed my career path over the years, and it never stops. And it's EVERYWHERE in the people I see crushing it too. Let's talk. • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T RECORD THE CONVERSATION ITSELF because it was SO perfect, but I go step by step how I completely changed the approach Sean Frost is taking his business in a 6 month window to rebrand in a way that will be SUPER valuable to his target network. • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

YO! This is a really personal episode about my experience with my own mind and the music world. My ups, big downs, and how I'm consistently working my booty off but keeping happiness first, always. Glad I got this down on the Mind Made Wrong Podcast :) Here's Maggie's intro :) ---> Producer John McLucas joins Steel Maggie in episode number 3 to provide a truly invaluable interview, jam-packed with mental wellness and music industry insights. Highlights from John McLucas: -Scheduled hustle and scheduled time off, let’s rethink #teamnosleep -How to do the job that makes you happy -Reevaluation and Realignment - John’s secret sauce -Fail hard and fail often -Self-love vs selfishness/prioritizing YOU -Why #kindnesswins All mentions in the show notes. John's song - "Sanity (Why Are You Such a Narcissist?)" by John McLucas https://open.spotify.com/track/0LbL4g4LYvyJ64dNg12Q24 John's YT channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCznMi-yH_jwrnSYme6F_Qpg The Gary Vee Audio Experience Podcast by Gary Vaynerchuk https://open.spotify.com/show/6SZVsPIxPfVs6aavqM1peY For the Love of Money Podcast by Chris Harder https://open.spotify.com/show/57jA86o43VZgHBbx3rod7F Take the Values Determination Assessment by Dr. John Demartini https://drdemartini.com/values-determination/ Jam with me and FOLLOW on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/48auQrrY6KzqE8q92IxXFJ Come hang with me on the gram https://www.instagram.com/steelmaggiehq/ In the book of faces https://www.facebook.com/steelmaggiemusic/ The Twitterverse https://www.twitter.com/steelmaggiehq/ I am also on the big shiny world wide web http://www.steelmaggiemusic.com

This episode is something special. I really go in on my personal experience struggling with career direction and development and what I learned along the way of making changes, more changes, and more changes. We cover Determining Career Values Using Self Awareness to Compare Against Circumstance Executing On It To Make Life Simpler • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

Jumped into a Q&A I gathered from FB & IG, and went right to it! In this episode I cover how I got started in music in the first place, some of my worst moments in my career, what I would tell my pas self, and more! • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

So, what is a record label? what exactly do they do for an artist, and is it a good fit for you to work with one? What can they do to help your music career? I'm going to explore all of that in today's conversation. Let's dig in! • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

When making a band agreement or band contract, it can feel daunting and confusing to start. This video should help clarify what you need to have in writing with your bandmates, or ANYONE you go into business with. Musicians tend to get weary around paperwork but I urge you to embrace any band contracts or agreements with open arms. They are the BESt way to have open communication and set expectations with your partners BEFORE things get weird or difficult. #bandcontracts #bandagreements #learnmusicfreelancing • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

It's Butter are veterans of the LA music scene and it shows. They are gaining steady momentum and fans, and I'm stoked to be able to get them on to the podcast to dive deep into taking the band seriously. We cover: Contracts and bandmate friendships, and how that gets messy and what to do to counteract it How they got placed on a Spotify-Selected Playlist that is giving them a LOT of exposure Touring when you are ready, and what that looks like Follow It's Butter Here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1tc2mF8FMgyuWuDTDVEIGO?si=e6nk8C6JT7SJweMvdrPTng https://www.facebook.com/helloitsbutter/ https://www.instagram.com/helloitsbutter/

Drewsif is a one man media company, and one of the few I know that does it SO SO well. Fed up with relying on others, he took his abilities as a musician and expanded it into making video, graphic design, online content, advertising, production, mixing, mastering, and anything else needed to be come a behemoth in creating any kind of media for musicians and artists, specifically in heavy music. Today we talk about his journey to touring several countries, mistakes bandmates and musicians make, and misconceptions people have about being a full-time touring musician. Enjoy! Follow Drewsif here: https://www.facebook.com/ItsDrewsif/ https://www.instagram.com/itsdrewsif/ • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

Graham Cochrane (Recording Revolution) is undoubtedly a master of building online business and brand with content marketing and true value for his audience. somebody who operates at his level, and came from such humble beginnings, has a lot of practical experience and knowledge to pass along. Almost 10 years into the recording revolution, and a year and a half into Automatic Income Academy, Graham is here to drop his systems and knowledge on creating passive income with an online business. ENJOY! Graham Cochrane Links: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaYelLPxZmcZfS5Xq8hyVRA https://www.instagram.com/thegrahamcochrane/ https://www.grahamcochrane.com/ Recording Revolution YT https://www.youtube.com/user/recordingrevolution https://www.instagram.com/rrevofficial/ https://www.recordingrevolution.com/ #grahamcochrane #recordingrevolution #learnmusicfreelancing • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

Mary Zimmer of Voicehacks comes on today to break down the explosion of growing an audience on her youtube channel, as well as her process developing a myriad of new skills to become a DIY creator, and some important perspective on failure that we all need. Mary Zimmer is a long-time industry veteran, fronting bands like Luna Mortis and White Empress in her past, and running an incredibly successful vocal coaching business. The extension of that, Voicehacks, has become an incredibly exciting new adventure, and I personally love how open she is with her knowledge, and has a true desire to help people. Voicehacks YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8Imf-grdfjccLUcPLCSeA Voicehacks IG https://www.instagram.com/voicehacks/ Mary IG https://www.instagram.com/metalmaryz For business inquiries you can reach her at voicehacks@gmail.com #maryzimmer #voicehacks #learnmusicfreelancing • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot

Josh Wildhorn, bassist for Rest, Repose, guitarist for Designer Disguise, and fantastic engineer/producer walks us through his approach and tips for joining a band, talks over a lot of the mistakes he sees going on in the music world today, and the incredibly humbling perspective he's gained from a brutal battle with cancer. If you are looking to join a band or approach any larger business entity, this episode is a must. Setting up the framework and right mental approach is so key, and Josh NAILS it. Follow Josh: https://www.facebook.com/joshwildhorn https://www.instagram.com/joshwildhorn/ Follow Rest, Repose: https://www.facebook.com/RestRepose/ https://www.instagram.com/restreposeband/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/11duYn4xZL4LOWuEsGRg9o?si=QPiEq7DrR4qZn75ScbS7ng https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rest-repose/1230168642 Follow Designer Disguise: https://www.facebook.com/designerdisguise/ https://www.instagram.com/designerdisguise/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/6CIDG937dHbankZzK4IlYu?si=uRpv_3wGSquIH1skdbfV9A https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chandelier-feat-alex-pasibe-single/1457433635 • If you haven’t yet, subscribe or follow the show, as well as rate us if you are on Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot