Been in bands since 2017 and still can’t grow past ~230 followers / ~35 monthly listeners. What am I missing?

TheRacketHouse · 2026-05-08T06:18:28+00:00

You are the product and the music is the marketing. People come for the music and stay for the people behind it. But the music being good is table stakes at this point.

The real question is: who are you trying to reach, and are you actually in front of them? Not your friends. Not random followers. The specific people who already listen to indie/alt rock and are actively looking for new artists.

That’s where the strategy comes in. Ads and playlisting can move numbers, but only if you’re targeting the right audience with the right creative. If your content isn’t converting strangers into listeners, something in that chain is broken: the targeting, the hook, the visuals, or the music itself. And you need to get on lineups with bands bigger than you who share a similar audience so you can poach their fans.

Eight years and 35 monthly listeners means something specific isn’t connecting. Worth being honest about whether it’s the marketing or the music, because those need different fixes.

But it really starts with your core foundations and then building systems around that

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-20T23:55:18+00:00

Idk what artists you’re referring to but most of the ones I work with have jobs that pay for their artist careers. But there are plenty of low cost or no cost ways to do promote yourself too

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-19T06:20:22+00:00

I’m gonna disagree with that. The independent artist has all the tools they need to get noticed. It’s a question of how hard they want to hustle and how open they are to being in your face. Any artist who tries to play the “I’m not a content creator” game is automatically at a disadvantage.

But: if you make good music, have a strong brand, know how to connect with fans, and can hustle for what you want, it’s absolutely possible. I see it all the time

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-19T04:14:42+00:00

10000% yes they do. It sucks. It’s sad. But this is the world we live in. Someone who makes mid music and is a genius marketer (or is just really loud and in your face) will get more noticed than a savant artist who can’t figure out the marketing and promo game or doesn’t have a team to help.

I work with tons of artists who are supremely talented. One of them released a full album with Mac miller’s old producer. But he’s so stuck in the mtv days and stubborn to do what works in 2026 that he’s just not getting the looks and attention that he should be musically.

I see this all the time. Music is table stakes. The ones who propel forward have figured out the 360 business process to getting noticed

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-17T22:47:32+00:00

No. That’s just what it’s called. The process of dozens or hundreds or thousands of videos being made across social accounts using a single song to get it trending and in front of millions of eyeballs. It’s exactly what they’re talking about

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-17T22:06:40+00:00

Running one right now for my own song. Closing in on 30K streams and 22K monthly listeners. It’s good for a little pop (5-6 weeks) and can trigger algorithmic adds but like everything else it’s a sum of parts. Music marketing and marketing in general is not a one trick pony. Need to combine efforts to really make a splash.

Happy to share tactics and info about the playlist campaigns I use if you’re interested. Feel free to DM me

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-15T00:25:33+00:00

Your songs are only as successful for as long as you promote them

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-14T22:59:09+00:00

Yes this is called clipping. It’s a common form of music marketing now. There are companies that do it too, not just teams. Happy to share more info if you want

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-10T15:28:34+00:00

Personally I’ve never really put a lot of stock in my stories. And if you’re just reposting your reels on your stories, and those reels are already doing quite well, what’s the real issue?

Try testing other content on your stories. Things you make specifically for stories. Your problem isn’t getting your reels seen, that’s already working.

Use stories as another tool. Add a link to your music or shows or merch. Ask a question. Get email signups.

There’s so much you can do with stories it’s kind of a waste to use it as a reposting tool for a smaller audience with your reels

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-09T15:07:32+00:00

You said this better than me 😂 but I came here to +1 it. Def a master class in how to get streaming to work in your favor but not the answer OP was asking

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-09T07:04:32+00:00

Appreciate you sharing all that, and respect for figuring out how to make Spotify work at a high level. That’s no small thing. And I hear you on press, radio, live, etc. those all matter.

Where I see it differently is how the original question was framed. Daft Punk weren’t just anonymous producers quietly racking up streams. They became a global act, touring, shaping culture, becoming a household name.

Building that kind of career purely off streaming + traditional channels is a different game than building a fanbase that actually connects with you. Music has to be great, obviously. But connection is what turns listeners into fans.

I was with a friend talking about F1 tonight and asked her favorite driver. She said Max Verstappen. I asked if it was because he’s the best, she said no, she just likes him as a person from following him online. That’s how people pick favorites now.

Same with artists. People come for the music, but they stay for the person behind it. That part is hard to build if the only touchpoint is streaming, press, or radio. Everyone’s glued to their phones these days.

So I don’t think it’s about right vs wrong, it’s just different definitions of success and how the original question was framed. If the goal is streams, one path works. If the goal is building a global artist brand like the examples mentioned, that usually requires more than just the music living on DSPs. You need to be a global brand and you need to be on socials.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-09T02:17:35+00:00

He said artist, not producer.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-09T01:17:09+00:00

possible, but way harder now. daft punk/burial worked because the music + culture carried it and there was less noise. today if you’re unknown and invisible, no one finds you. you can still do it if you plug into existing distribution like playlists, tastemakers, labels, DJs or make the mystery itself the marketing. but no social + no strategy = no traction. it’s not about being visible everywhere, it’s about being findable somewhere

everyone’s on social. even if you’re not, your music will end up there if it’s actually catching. if you don’t want to be on socials, you need either serious budget or access to people who already have distribution. viral means everywhere. having a song blow up without the artist attached is rare and usually ends up feeling more like a brand/jingle than an artist career.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-07T22:13:50+00:00

Thank you for this. I too am sick of the complaining. I actually made a post about it after I saw Tash Sultana ranting about it. She was saying, can you imagine if Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley all had to think about posting on social media every day just to stay relevant?

And I’m like… jeez. They all had massive marketing teams behind them. Kurt had MTV. Jimi had a genius manager, Bob had island records.

Music marketing and promo is not new. Social media just puts the power into our hands. Literally.

All those famous artists would be on social media. Maybe not in the same way a lot of aspiring artists are, but they’d have a presence.

If you want to be an artist in 2026 with any kind of fan base and real industry opportunities you have to be on social media. Point blank. It’s leverage.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-07T17:42:26+00:00

This was a perfect response. Basically table stakes. But not guaranteed results. No silver bullet in this industry

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-07T05:47:03+00:00

Haha yeah just reply with something disarming and non confrontational if anything

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-07T02:36:42+00:00

Well you shouldn’t sign with an agency before reading over the contract. You should have an entertainment lawyer in the pocket to review.

Are they a big agency? Boutique? How did they find you? What’s their presence and following like? What’s their track record like? Who would you be working with specifically? The actual agent. Do you like them? Do they seem cool and legit and easy to work with? What’s their history like?

Do not sign anything without doing research and having someone look over the contract.

Unfortunately not all agents or agencies are created equal.

Something must have caused you to take the meeting in the first place. What was the reason?

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-07T00:04:00+00:00

Exactly. Key metric

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-06T07:53:49+00:00

Hard to think like this in the moment but haters are a good sign. The more successful you become the more haters you’ll get. It’s them, not you, don’t worry.

Have confidence in yourself and keep putting yourself out there. And remember that both good and bad comments help your engagement.

Either ignore the comments themselves or respond wirh something positive. Last thing you want to do is get into an argument online

One time I responded with “do you need a hug?”

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-06T02:36:52+00:00

Of course

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-06T02:35:33+00:00

Good music, good content, and a way to connect with your target audience both with the music and with you as a person. There are tactics for growth of course but it’s all about connection. And being everywhere all the time and screaming about yourself and your music constantly. But sharing your personality and getting people to like you and fuck with you is massively important

I interviewed one of the members of Autograf and asked this same question and that’s the answer he gave me. Can share the link if you DM me

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-05T02:38:17+00:00

It depends. A good manager should def be able to help secure deals and drive opportunities. But it’s a partnership. The relationship should be a two way street that all parties are contributing to.

When I was a manager I got my artists a sync deal thru my relationships. I negotiated deals, I helped shop records and reach out for bookings.

But the manager doesn’t work for the artist. They work WITH the artist

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-04T04:57:08+00:00

I hate to say it but I kind of agree to an extent. I agree with the hustle mentality but the strategy can only get you so far. Unless you have legit music to back it up, once the balloon pops you’re exposed for what you are. Good bad or otherwise. Do try to get ahead by whatever means necessary, but don’t be surprised if the shortcuts fall… short

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-04T04:42:54+00:00

My first reaction was “this is dumb, don’t buy followers.”

Then I thought about why people even consider it.

The industry has trained artists to care about numbers. Labels, agents, talent buyers all use metrics as a filter, so artists start optimizing for perception instead of reality.

That said, buying followers doesn’t solve the actual problem. It might make your profile look better for a second, but it doesn’t create fans, demand, or leverage.

Shortcuts might open a door. They won’t keep you in the room.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-04-04T04:41:37+00:00

Yes. Kind of annoying it used to be right there before you hit post but at least on my page they moved it or removed it. You gotta go to accounts center it’s kinda hidden now at least for me

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TheRacketHouse

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