The five-part audio series for the Podcast Flywheel Playbook, written and narrated by XO Xuded. Available on Spotify.
https://indieleverage.com/flywheel
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One podcast appearance can do more for your music than months of posting on social media. It's a way to use other people's platforms to find your fans. Here is a simple system to help you grow.
Why Podcasts Work
Podcasters are always looking for new guests. Small shows are easier to book. You're helping them by giving them a guest for the week. You don't have to be a big star to start. You just need to be a human with something to say. There is a podcast for almost every topic you can think of. When you go on a show, you aren't just selling your music. You're building a connection. People get to hear who you are. This builds trust with your audience.
The Three-Step System
First is the search. Look for active podcasts that match your interests. Don't use robots to find them. It's better to do it yourself. Use YouTube to find shows that are in your range. If you have 1,000 fans, look for shows with a similar size. Second is the schedule. Reach out and offer real value. Tell them you'll promote the show to your fans. Offer to make clips they can use. This makes it an easy "yes" for them. Third is the share. Don't just let the episode sit there. Download the video and make clips for your own pages. Turn one talk into dozens of posts. This keeps your brand growing even after the show is over.
Stack Your Proof
Every show you get on makes it easier to get on the next one. It might not seem big to be on one small show. But if you do it 50 times, that's a lot of proof. You can tell the next host that you've been on dozens of shows. This shows them you're a pro. It takes the risk away for them. They know you'll be a good guest because you've done it before. This is how you level up. You start small and build your way to the top.
Keep it Going
Building a brand is a long game. You don't need one big win. You just need a lot of small wins that add up. Each podcast appearance is like a digital time capsule. People can find them years from now and become fans. Don't just wait for people to find your music. Go where the people are already listening. Be a guest. Share your story. Grow your flywheel.
Building a brand is one of the best things you can do for your music. Most people only think about the songs. They forget that there's a human behind the art. You need to show people who you are if you want them to stick around.
Three Dimensions of You
A great brand has three layers. First is your music. This is your videos and your clips. It's the art you put out for the world to hear. Second is your personality. This is your beliefs and what you stand for. You can show this through talks or just being yourself. Third is what you do outside of music. Maybe you like sports or a hobby. This shows you're a real person with a life. Having these layers helps you connect with fans. It gives you more things to talk about. It makes you different from a robot.
Your Music is a Product
You have to look at your brand like a business. Your music is the product you sell. In any other business, you wouldn't just make a product and hide it. You would tell everyone about it. You would spend time making sure people see it. Don't get trapped in the loop of only making more music. You have to spend just as much time showing it to the world. If you only focus on the creation, you won't get the attention you deserve. You won't get the streams you could be getting.
Sponsor Yourself
Think about big companies. When they sell you one thing, they show you another. They have a whole system that keeps you around. You can do the same thing. You can use your other content to talk about your music. If you have a hobby or a talk show, use it. You can play your music in the background. You can tell people where to find your latest song. You don't need a big company to pay you for ads. You can just sponsor yourself. This helps people get deeper into your world. They might find you because of your hobby. Then they realize they love your music too.
The Compounding Effect
The more you do this, the more it grows. Your content doesn't just die. It stays out there like a digital time capsule. A new fan can find something you did years ago. They can spend hours learning about you. This builds a real bond. They feel like they know you. They know what you believe and what you love. If you want this to be your job, you have to treat it like one. Build a system that keeps working even when you're not. Don't just be another artist. Be a brand.
Most artists think they need to be constantly releasing new music. They think they have to please the algorithms like a mindless drone in a factory. This is a fast way to lose your soul.
If you feel like you're just hitting a deadline, then you're doing it wrong. Making music should be fun. You should scratch that itch when you feel inspired. But you don't have to put every song out right away.
When you rush to hit a date, you put out songs that are just okay. You might drop a song that is a 5 out of 10. This happens because you're on a clock.
This is bad for two reasons.
Your fans will stop caring. If you let them down too many times, they will stop paying attention.
You will burn out. You risk forgetting the reasons you enjoy making music.
People don't want to hear a machine. They want to hear a human. In a world full of AI music, being human is your greatest advantage.
When you slow down, you get your power back. You can make a lot of music and keep it in the vault. This lets you be picky. You only show the world your best stuff.
This also gives you time to tell people about the songs you already have. Just because you're not dropping a song this week doesn't mean you stop working. You should always be promoting your music.
If you feel like you're drowning in a schedule, stop. Take a breath. It's okay to be human. Your real fans will love you even more for it.
Never trade your soul for a deadline.
Do you want to get fans who really care about your music? Then you need a brand. A brand is more than just your logo. It is how people feel about you and your music. In this video, we teach you how to make a great brand.
A brand archetype is like a main kind of personality. There are 12 of them. They can help you decide how your brand should look and act. We say you should pick one or two for your music. If you try to be all of them, your fans will get confused.
Here are some of the 12 kinds of brand personalities:
The Hero: This person is brave and strong.
The Outlaw: This person does things their own way and is rebellious.
The Sage: This person is smart and shares what they know.
The Jester: This person is funny and likes to play.
The Magician: This person makes amazing things happen, like with magic.
Your brand is your reputation. We see many artists make a mistake by just focusing on getting more streams. It is more important to get people to care about you. This is what a brand does. It makes people want to be a part of what you are doing.
We talk about how to build a brand in a few easy steps. First, you need to know who you are as an artist. You can do this by picking a brand archetype. Next, you need to show your brand in everything you do. This means your music, your videos, and your social media posts should all feel the same. This helps people know who you are and what you stand for.
We give some honest advice. We say you should try new things to see what works. If something does not work, it is not a waste. It is a way to learn. Use what you learn to do better the next time. The goal is to build a real friendship with your fans.
We gave an example of a plan artists can use to get more fans and make money. Here is a simple plan for the next 30 days that you can use over and over.
Week 1: Find Your Brand First, you need to know who you are as an artist. Pick one or two brand archetypes that fit you the best. Then, write down how you want to talk to your fans and what kinds of pictures and videos you will make. This is like a rulebook for your brand.
Week 2: Make Your Content This week is for making things. Make 5 to 10 short videos that show your new brand. These videos should be fun and simple. They should show your fans who you are as a person. Do not worry about them being perfect. Just get them done.
Week 3: Share Your Content Now it is time to put your videos out into the world. Share them on all your social media pages. You can post one video each day. Watch what happens. Do people like one video more than another? This is important information.
Week 4: Learn and Plan Again This is the most important week. Look at the numbers. Which videos did people watch the most? Which ones got the most likes or comments? Learn from this. If people liked your funny videos, make more of those next time. Use what you learn to plan your next 30 days.
We've all heard of a "one-hit wonder." This is an artist who has one very popular song and then is not heard from much again. In this video, we look at why this happens and if it is a real problem.
A Look Back in Time
A long time ago, it was normal for artists to have only one hit song that people knew. The music business was different then. Sometimes, record labels only needed one hit song from an artist. The Penguins, who sang "Earth Angel," are a good example from this time [02:43].
How MTV Changed Music
When MTV came out, music was not just something you listened to. It was something you watched. Artists had to have a cool look and make great videos. This made it harder for some artists who did not want to change their style, like the band Dexys Midnight Runners [05:02].
The Digital Age
Today, anyone can become famous very fast with the help of the internet. But you can also lose that fame just as fast. The pressure to make another big hit can be too much for an artist. We see this with artists like Gotye and Carly Rae Jepsen [06:59].
The Real Problem is the Mind
The "one-hit wonder" problem is not about magic. It is about how people think. When you have a giant hit, that song can become who you are to everyone else. It is hard to be known for anything else [08:38]. This can make an artist feel lost or overwhelmed. It is a big challenge to deal with sudden fame.
In this video, we look at the Abbey Road EMI TG12345 channel strip plugin. This is a special computer program that makes music sound a certain way. It is made to sound like the original machine that The Beatles used to record their album called "Abbey Road" [00:11]. The plugin gives music a clean and bright sound. It has an old-school feel from the 60s but with the clear sound of the 70s [00:37].
How to Use the Plugin
For Vocals: You can use this plugin on your singing. It can make your voice sound fuller and help it stand out in the song. The video shows how to use it on rap vocals to get a certain sound [02:06]. It has different settings to try, like "vintage vocal" to make it sound old or "cut through lead vocal" to make it pop.
For Drums: The plugin can also be used on drums. The video shows how it can be used on a drum loop to give it a hip-hop sound [06:52].
For Bass: The video also shows what the plugin can do to a bass guitar. But the host of the video did not like how it sounded on the bass [09:25]. He said it was not a good fit for it.
Summary This plugin is a cool tool for making music. It can make your vocals and drums sound better. But it might not be the best choice for every instrument. The host of the video thinks it might work best on rock songs, which is what the plugin's description says [09:37].
🖥️ Vocal Recording Templates by Indie Leverage: https://indieleverage.com/templates
We released a video on Indie Leverage called “Using Abbey Road Chambers in a Real Mix | Intimate Reverb of the ’60s.” In it, we show how one of the most legendary reverbs in music history can now live inside your DAW and transform your mixes.
Abbey Road Chambers started as real echo rooms in Abbey Road Studios during the 1950s. Engineers placed speakers and microphones inside these spaces and sent tracks through them to capture natural reflections. That is how records from the Beatles and so many others gained their warmth and depth.
The Abbey Road Chambers plugin by Waves recreates all of that, including:
• The three original echo chambers
• Tape delays and filters
• The exact speakers and microphones used
• The full signal chain that made the sound so iconic
When you load it up, you are not just adding reverb. You are stepping into the same sonic space that shaped an era.
In our video, we placed the plugin into a session to hear what it could do. The workflow is simple:
• Pick a chamber with the character you want
• Move the virtual mics to change space and depth
• Add delay or filters for extra color
• Blend it back into the mix
The result does not feel digital. It feels human. A plain vocal suddenly comes alive, like it is being performed in a real room with history behind it.
Our conclusion was clear: Abbey Road Chambers is not just another reverb plugin. It is a tool for creating emotion. For artists, that matters because fans connect with songs that feel alive, not just polished.
That is what we focus on at Indie Leverage. We want to help artists use tools like this to build a sound that becomes part of their brand. When your music carries character, fans do not just hear it. They remember it.
