Creating music playlists, opportunity here?

[Audiophile]

Hello folks.
I started to read tmf for a week ago and couldn't put it down. I was thinking about ways I could use the knowledge I have to get a way into the fastlane.
So an idea came to my mind. Besides working a 9-5 I spend most of my time with music. Listening to a thousand of songs and sort out the best ones to a couple of hundred. I create Playlists and most of the time my friends come to me to get their hands on those new lists I created. So I thought I can get people around me to listen to the Playlists why not do it on a larger scale on the internet.
My plan so far is posting a taste, some tracks of the list on Instagram, doing a follow up podcast on YouTube providing additional information on those tracks. Posting new releases on Twitter. All of those things refer to my page on patreon where I will offer my Playlists for a monthly subscription. I'm currently in the previous stages of starting everything. Learning how to utilize Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Patreon.
I was wondering what you are thoughts on the idea and I am looking for any advice or help I can get.

 

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[Supercar]

Sounds like a lot of manual labor to me. You will be competing with Pandora and (forgot its name) who employ statistics and advanced computer algorithms. How will you do it better?

 

[Audiophile]

Sounds like a lot of manual labor to me. You will be competing with Pandora and (forgot its name) who employ statistics and advanced computer algorithms. How will you do it better?

The music genre I would provide the Playlists for are not mainstream music I guess those algorithms and statistics work after what's popular.
So to answer your question I wouldn't have to do it better than them, since my audience would be considered a niché.

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

are not mainstream

Seems like there's not much money to be made...

But it's also easy to launch, so give it a try.

 

[Audiophile]

Seems like there's not much money to be made...

But it's also easy to launch, so give it a try.

Maybe I should try to explain a bit. The niché would be sub genres of electronic music. I guess there are around 10 million people who listen to that music I estimated around 1% of them are willing to pay for Playlists and if I reach around 5-10% of those and can offer my service to them it should be a good start. Question would be how can I reach those people?

 

[Kingsta]

The question is, are you allowed to sell a Playlist that contains artists work without their permission? Maybe I'm missing something here.

 

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[Audiophile]

The question is, are you allowed to sell a Playlist that contains artists work without their permission? Maybe I'm missing something here.

Why wouldn't I be allowed to sell Playlists which do free advertisements for artists work ? Since I'm not making money with the music but with the Playlist i created?
Maybe I am missing something?

 

[BD64]

Does the market really need this? Plenty of playlists out there.

Also pretty sure if you want to distribute music you need to pay for licenses. Good luck making that profitable.

 

[Bhanu]

Hi Audiophile ....lovely idea indeed .
I just have one advice ...please don't create a playlist rather help people make their own playlist by helping them with info they require . "where I will offer my Playlists for a monthly subscription". I think we should give market what they want not what we think they want.

 

[Audiophile]

Does the market really need this? Plenty of playlists out there.

Also pretty sure if you want to distribute music you need to pay for licenses. Good luck making that profitable.

I was wondering about the need myself. There are a lot of Playlists around. But if a decent amount of my friends come to me and ask for the new music I got this month, that shows me that the other Playlists they can get are lacking or missing something. So I thought I can offer the same service on a bigger scale. People want to hear new music everyday. I would give them the new music, in Form of Playlists and save them the time to search for it themselves.
Do I need a license to distribute Playlists?

 

[Audiophile]

Hi Audiophile ....lovely idea indeed .
I just have one advice ...please don't create a playlist rather help people make their own playlist by helping them with info they require . "where I will offer my Playlists for a monthly subscription". I think we should give market what they want not what we think they want.

Thank you for the reply.
Your advice sounds good. Do you think that showing the people how to make the Playlists themselves is more needed than providing the lists for them ?

Originally I thought that I save the people the time to search for the music themselves but I think I should give your advice a thought as well.

You see I was asking people on reddit what I could do with my knowledge. How could I help people and make money with the information I got. Like I said in my first post I listen to thousand of songs in a month, have multiple ressources to get new music from, I know when new music will come out. People suggested to make Playlists and sell them. So I thought of a plan on how to best do it. I started to read about business and entrepreneurs and came to read tmf . Wanted to hear what this community had to say that's why i posted here.

Off topic: can you tell me what the meaning of the dots.... You Used is? I have seen people using them but never understood why

 

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[Bhanu]

Thank you for the reply.
Your advice sounds good. Do you think that showing the people how to make the Playlists themselves is more needed than providing the lists for them ?

Originally I thought that I save the people the time to search for the music themselves but I think I should give your advice a thought as well.

You see I was asking people on reddit what I could do with my knowledge. How could I help people and make money with the information I got. Like I said in my first post I listen to thousand of songs in a month, have multiple ressources to get new music from, I know when new music will come out. People suggested to make Playlists and sell them. So I thought of a plan on how to best do it. I started to read about business and entrepreneurs and came to read tmf . Wanted to hear what this community had to say that's why i posted here.

Off topic: can you tell me what the meaning of the dots.... You Used is? I have seen people using them but never understood why

Hi Audiophile,
.... In my case represent I am thinking something before I type he he .
I think you can start a blog where you provide info about songs, what you think about a song you listened,when a new song is coming etc...grow your audience by creating a FB group, YouTube channel and linking them to your blog . Once you have reached certain threshold like 10,000 people visiting your blog daily provide two options...help build people their playlist or provide playlist you have made . Let them choose which one they want . You can also start doing influencer marketing, sell t-shirts (one of my friend sell t shirt based on rock music theme and is quite successful ),goggles etc. Keep two things in mind though ...stick to this idea 3 years at least. And always always look for providing more and more value to your consumer.

 

[lewj24]

I was wondering about the need myself. There are a lot of Playlists around. But if a decent amount of my friends come to me and ask for the new music I got this month, that shows me that the other Playlists they can get are lacking or missing something. So I thought I can offer the same service on a bigger scale. People want to hear new music everyday. I would give them the new music, in Form of Playlists and save them the time to search for it themselves.
Do I need a license to distribute Playlists?

I don't know of anyone that pays for music besides things like spotify or actually going to the concert.

Do your friends pay you for your playlists?

 

[Audiophile]

I don't know of anyone that pays for music besides things like spotify or actually going to the concert.

Do your friends pay you for your playlists?

And yet vinyls sold last year was even higher than ever since 1991. So there are people out there who are willing to pay for other services than Spotify or going to a concert. How much do you know about music especially electronic music, honest question?

No I don't take any money from my friends for that service.

 

[lewj24]

And yet vinyls sold last year was even higher than ever since 1991. So there are people out there who are willing to pay for other services than Spotify or going to a concert. How much do you know about music especially electronic music, honest question?

No I don't take any money from my friends for that service.

I know nothing about music. I'm just a 22 year old kid who wouldn't pay for music and most of my friends wouldn't either. I do have a couple of friends that are buying vinyls but I think that's mainly because they think it's cool, it's definitely not their main source for music. I also have a lot of friends that go to concerts frequently.

And really comparing vinyls to playlists is like comparing apples and oranges. Yea they both deal with music but vinyls are cool, hip, play music, and sound classic. Your playlists on the other hand? It's just a list of songs right? The only value I see is people wouldn't have to do it themselves. I think the value skew is low and so is the entry barrier. Anyone can make a playlist. Not anyone can create a vinyl that plays Led Zeppelin. People will pay $20 for a Led Zeppelin vinyl. They get a physical record with their favorite music that makes them seem hip and trendy. How much will they pay for your list of songs?

Nobody cares that you love music, listen to it all day, and think you have the best playlists. The market cares about what they want. The question is, do they want your playlists bad enough to not only pay you for them but also pay you enough to make a decent profit?

Whenever your friends ask you for your next playlist charge them $10 and see if they'll buy it. Do some simple market research. I'm betting they'll pass. But remember, I'm just one speck in the market of millions. Find out what the market thinks before you take my word on it.

 

[BD64]

I know nothing about music. I'm just a 22 year old kid who wouldn't pay for music and most of my friends wouldn't either. I do have a couple of friends that are buying vinyls but I think that's mainly because they think it's cool, it's definitely not their main source for music. I also have a lot of friends that go to concerts frequently.

And really comparing vinyls to playlists is like comparing apples and oranges. Yea they both deal with music but vinyls are cool, hip, play music, and sound classic. Your playlists on the other hand? It's just a list of songs right? The only value I see is people wouldn't have to do it themselves. I think the value skew is low and so is the entry barrier. Anyone can make a playlist. Not anyone can create a vinyl that plays Led Zeppelin. People will pay $20 for a Led Zeppelin vinyl. They get a physical record with their favorite music that makes them seem hip and trendy. How much will they pay for your list of songs?

Nobody cares that you love music, listen to it all day, and think you have the best playlists. The market cares about what they want. The question is, do they want your playlists bad enough to not only pay you for them but also pay you enough to make a decent profit?

Whenever your friends ask you for your next playlist charge them $10 and see if they'll buy it. Do some simple market research. I'm betting they'll pass. But remember, I'm just one speck in the market of millions. Find out what the market thinks before you take my word on it.

This. I wouldn't pay for a playlist... hell spotify's algorithm already curates custom playlists based off my personal tastes. And it does it damn well.

 

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[Audiophile]

I know nothing about music. I'm just a 22 year old kid who wouldn't pay for music and most of my friends wouldn't either. I do have a couple of friends that are buying vinyls but I think that's mainly because they think it's cool, it's definitely not their main source for music. I also have a lot of friends that go to concerts frequently.

And really comparing vinyls to playlists is like comparing apples and oranges. Yea they both deal with music but vinyls are cool, hip, play music, and sound classic. Your playlists on the other hand? It's just a list of songs right? The only value I see is people wouldn't have to do it themselves. I think the value skew is low and so is the entry barrier. Anyone can make a playlist. Not anyone can create a vinyl that plays Led Zeppelin. People will pay $20 for a Led Zeppelin vinyl. They get a physical record with their favorite music that makes them seem hip and trendy. How much will they pay for your list of songs?

Nobody cares that you love music, listen to it all day, and think you have the best playlists. The market cares about what they want. The question is, do they want your playlists bad enough to not only pay you for them but also pay you enough to make a decent profit?

Whenever your friends ask you for your next playlist charge them $10 and see if they'll buy it. Do some simple market research. I'm betting they'll pass. But remember, I'm just one speck in the market of millions. Find out what the market thinks before you take my word on it.

While I could argue about some of your points, I would rather save us the time.

Thank your for the reply though. I will do some simple research on some sub reddits with the genres I wanted to provide the Playlists for and see whether people are interested in paying for the Playlists or not. That's a good advice lewj24.

 

[Audiophile]

This. I wouldn't pay for a playlist... hell spotify's algorithm already curates custom playlists based off my personal tastes. And it does it damn well.

That's a good thing that Spotify knows what you like and gives you custom Playlists.

Almost all of the friends of mine have Spotify and they still come to me for new music. I wonder why they do that, maybe Spotify does a good job creating those Playlists when it comes to mainstream music but is lacking when it comes to "underground" music?

And if you wouldn't pay for Playlists that's okay as well. I have seen people that don't pay for any entertainment until they get and income and have money, so they try to support the people and the artists they like.

 

[akTwelve]

There are a lot of DJs doing something very similar to what you are describing in the form of internet radio shows, even for less popular sub genres of electronic music. For example, on SoundCloud you can find Silk Music Showcase (chill progressive trance), Heldeep Radio (dance house), Drum&Bass Arena and DnB Dojo (drum n bass) to name a few of hundreds. The fact that so many of these radio shows exist hints at profitability, but I believe many of them are incentivized by record labels. You might be able to monetize a larger following by offering to feature new music and post links to buy the music. I doubt you will find many people willing to pay money for a basic playlist. You will have to offer more than that. If you have the personality for it, maybe you could buy some songs on a DJ site with replay rights like beatport.com and put together your own radio show! Just make sure you understand the licensing. The RIAA has a ruthless reputation. Once you have a following, you can experiment with selling advertising or directly to fans (assuming that’s allowed legally).

 

[Audiophile]

There are a lot of DJs doing something very similar to what you are describing in the form of internet radio shows, even for less popular sub genres of electronic music. For example, on SoundCloud you can find Silk Music Showcase (chill progressive trance), Heldeep Radio (dance house), Drum&Bass Arena and DnB Dojo (drum n bass) to name a few of hundreds. The fact that so many of these radio shows exist hints at profitability, but I believe many of them are incentivized by record labels. You might be able to monetize a larger following by offering to feature new music and post links to buy the music. I doubt you will find many people willing to pay money for a basic playlist. You will have to offer more than that. If you have the personality for it, maybe you could buy some songs on a DJ site with replay rights like beatport.com and put together your own radio show! Just make sure you understand the licensing. The RIAA has a ruthless reputation. Once you have a following, you can experiment with selling advertising or directly to fans (assuming that’s allowed legally).

Thanks for the great advice. I heard that mixcloud pays the fees for licensing so maybe I could upload a radio show or a set there to get a following. The idea was always to provide the people with new music in Form of Playlists and affiliate links to buy the music.


Do you know anything more about mixcloud?

 

[akTwelve]

I don’t know anything about MixCloud. I hadn’t heard of it before you mentioned it. Worth a try though!

What subgenres of electronic music are you creating playlists for?

 

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[Audiophile]

I don’t know anything about MixCloud. I hadn’t heard of it before you mentioned it. Worth a try though!

What subgenres of electronic music are you creating playlists for?

Some of the radio shows I listen to come out earlier there because someone makes a rip of the show. You dont get any money from the plays though. Which is why it is okay to upload your mixes or podcasts there, I think.


The genres would be progressive/deep/tech house and melodic techno.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Sounds like you have discovered a need in your specialty niche, and probably could build a large audience doing so, but ultimately, you must monetize that audience so you're not making $3/hour.

I don't see that here unless you build some huge paying following on Patreon. Possible, but I'd be worried about getting 1 check from 1 provider -- that's very employee like.

 

[barman]

I'm a paying subscriber to Spotify and do enjoy the custom lists it creates for me. That said, I'm not a huge music junkie like you or your friends, especially dance and house and shit, so I don't see myself ever paying for "custom playlists." I think people really just hate paying for music and would rather spend it on experiences like concerts or shows. I don't mind paying $12 a month for Spotify but it maxes out there.

Like LewJ24 said - ask for money for your service. If people actually pay you for your service, then you might be on to something. Ask them! What exactly do they like about your service? Are you able to spot new music before anyone else does? Whats the real need you are fulfilling? Do you have a certain style people like? Cash exchange is the ultimate business validator.

All that said - there's nothing stopping you from being successful at the "tastemaker" part of your plan.

My plan so far is posting a taste, some tracks of the list on Instagram, doing a follow up podcast on YouTube providing additional information on those tracks.

Do you really love doing this? Maybe interviewing the people behind the music? Spotting trends and up and coming musicians? Could you see yourself doing it for a long time? If you became the person that connects people, music, and musicians, then a year or two down the line when you have a big audience, bigger and better opportunities than selling playlists will arise.

Tim Ferriss had a great podcast on this very topic recently that might help you go in the right direction: How to Build Popular Podcasts and Blogs

 

[Audiophile]

Sounds like you have discovered a need in your specialty niche, and probably could build a large audience doing so, but ultimately, you must monetize that audience so you're not making $3/hour.

I don't see that here unless you build some huge paying following on Patreon. Possible, but I'd be worried about getting 1 check from 1 provider -- that's very employee like.

Just finished your second book. It was great as well. A lot of valuable advice, wonder how long it will take to get my money working for me.

And thank you for your opinion on this topic. I was checking out the forum for a bit mostly the golden threads. In your opinion is selling still one of the must learns to have a business running? I read in a thread that marketing, selling and copy writing are the best skills to learn, it was a little older though, they were arguing whether learning how to code is still valuable as it changes a lot nowadays. What is your opinion on that?

 

[Audiophile]

I'm a paying subscriber to Spotify and do enjoy the custom lists it creates for me. That said, I'm not a huge music junkie like you or your friends, especially dance and house and sh*t, so I don't see myself ever paying for "custom playlists." I think people really just hate paying for music and would rather spend it on experiences like concerts or shows. I don't mind paying $12 a month for Spotify but it maxes out there.

Like LewJ24 said - ask for money for your service. If people actually pay you for your service, then you might be on to something. Ask them! What exactly do they like about your service? Are you able to spot new music before anyone else does? Whats the real need you are fulfilling? Do you have a certain style people like? Cash exchange is the ultimate business validator.

All that said - there's nothing stopping you from being successful at the "tastemaker" part of your plan.

My plan so far is posting a taste, some tracks of the list on Instagram, doing a follow up podcast on YouTube providing additional information on those tracks.

Do you really love doing this? Maybe interviewing the people behind the music? Spotting trends and up and coming musicians? Could you see yourself doing it for a long time? If you became the person that connects people, music, and musicians, then a year or two down the line when you have a big audience, bigger and better opportunities than selling playlists will arise.

Tim Ferriss had a great podcast on this very topic recently that might help you go in the right direction: How to Build Popular Podcasts and Blogs

Thank you for the advice. I will start my initial idea next week and I will see where I go from there. I will have to adjust and see where the market and the need of the clients in that area will lead me. If it won't work I will go the road of gathering a following, either by doing podcasts giving new information on upcoming music or starting a blog writing about it.

 

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[Late Bloomer]

I guess there are around 10 million people who listen to that music I estimated around 1% of them are willing to pay for Playlists

What are the ways that someone else could verify these statistics? What competition proves that there is a thriving market for playlists?