In 2022 we started a label out of necessity.
4 years later, there's already 169 songs in our catalog.
Here's some of the earlier releases you might have missed. Swipe through.
It's already may, but it's still not too late to remember that you love music. here's some sidequests you can start to keep this fun:
idea #1: document every session with a 3 second video and make a compilation at the end of the year. Post it or not, it's for you.
idea #2: Take a picture with every collaborator and turn it into a photo album.
idea #3: Make one 20 minute demo a day, at the end of the year pick your favorite 10 ideas, finish them and make them into your best album ever.
idea#4: Listen to one old album that you haven't heard yet every week, write down what you liked about it. Just to get inspired.
idea#5: Organize a private listening session and curate the room like you would if it was in an art gallery.
BONUS: go support some of your artist friends at their show sometimes.
Who am I? My name is Ruben and I'm a music producer and label co-founder of @exp.sharerecords .
Comment “CLEAR” and I’ll send you a link to my free newsletter where I share weekly insights for artists.
The best thing I did for my creativity recently had nothing to do with strategy.
You can't optimize your way into having something worth saying. You have to go get the story first.
Don’t forget to live some life. 🇲🇦
This is for the artist who keeps almost putting it out.
Whatever the reason sounds like on the surface: the mix, the timing, the visual, the content. The thing underneath it is often the same. Fear of being seen.
I need this reminder myself sometimes.
Swipe through. Full article + framework on Substack.
#independentartist #musicmarketing #artistmindset
Music has never been more optimised. And never felt more lonely.
At @exp.sharerecords , we've been doing the opposite for four years now. Taking a group of artists somewhere real, switching off, and seeing what happens when you stop trying to control the outcome.
Just got back from Morocco. Our fourth camp. Local artists, new sounds, a landscape that slows you down whether you planned to or not.
Here's what I keep seeing every time we do this:
The pressure drops. The playfulness comes back. The pure love of making something without caring how it lands. You hear it in the music.
Most artists are missing that right now. Not because they're doing something wrong. Because the process has become a solo activity optimised for an algorithm.
Worth asking yourself:
1. Where are you making music, and who are you making it with?
2. When did you last create something without caring how it would land?
3. Is there a real world experience your music is still missing?
The online world is where music travels. The real world is where it means something.
#musicindustrytips #independentartist #musicindustry
The 4th @exp.sharerecords camp in Morocco is a wrap. Here's what it taught me about building a label.
Nothing beats bringing people together IRL. A different environment, real immersion, creating something from scratch . I’ll never stop believing this is the most powerful thing we can do.
Co-ownership is a full journey. The highest highs, the personally challenging moments. And somewhere in between, you learn a lot about yourself.
Let go of doing it all yourself. Things get better. Stress drops. Every time.
Sometimes mint tea > coffee.
Beyond grateful to every artist, team member, and sponsor who made this happen. Watching something we dreamed up years ago become more real with every edition, that feeling never gets old. 🙏
#community #buildingcommunity #musiclabel #independentartist
Substack is for people who want a bit more depth beyond quick reel captions...
I'm Ruben btw, I'm a producer and label owner and I help artists move with clarity in the digital age..
If you want to dive a bit deeper and get free weekly insights that I give artists I work with, comment "CLEAR" and I'll send you a link to my newsletter!
#independentartist #musicindustrytips #artistbranding
March is the busiest month of the year for the label as it's the month of our writing camp, so I thought I'd take you with me on a random Tuesday in march.
When you're building something from the ground up, you're doing a lot of the work yourself -from creative direction to execution. And while in preparation for the camp, other label activities do not stop. It's busy, but I'd choose this over boredom any day.
And luckily we're a team. My mates cover logistics, finance, contracts, PR, distribution, A&R and a whole bunch of other operational stuff.
Not the most glamorous thing. It's just us running around the city to make something we believe in happen.
02 | Detach your self worth from
metrics.
I learned this the hard way:
If your confidence rises with streams, it will fall with dips.
Best to care strategically, and detach emotionally.
Full breakdown is live on Substack. Link in bio.
#independentartist #musicindustrytips
Not everything needs to be optimized, don't forget you love music. here's some sidequests you can start:
idea #1: document every session with a 3 second video and make a compilation at the end of the year. Post it or not, it's for you.
idea #2: Take a picture with every collaborator and turn it into a photo album.
idea #3: Make one 20 minute demo a day, at the end of the year pick your favorite 10 ideas, finish them and make them into your best album ever.
idea#4: Listen to one old album that you haven't heard yet every week, write down what you liked about it. Just to get inspired.
idea#5: Organize a private listening session and curate the room like you would if it was in an art gallery.
BONUS: go support some of your artist friends at their show sometimes.
Who am I? My name is Ruben and I help artists move with clarity in the digital age. I'm also a music producer and label co-founder of @exp.sharerecords .
Comment “CLEAR” and I’ll send you a link to my free newsletter.
Moments of music, life and inspiration.
Lately I’ve been:
– Stepping outside of work to find inspiration again. Visiting art. Listening to music I’m not involved in. Just being a fan.
– Finalising the music and rollout strategy for @mreklipse ’s upcoming project on EXP. First single drops this Friday (produced by me).
– Preparing our next @exp.sharerecords writing camp.
– Trying to stay healthy in the middle of all of it.
