Jack McCarthy joins you on Gig Gab to dig into the real business of music, how to grow attention, capture it, and convert it into lasting fan relationships. You’ll learn why the right material works, how to transform inspiration into your own content, and why audio quality matters less than energy when you’re trying to make fans say, “who is this band?” It’s about creating cultural moments, fueling FOMO, and turning one-time listeners into repeat buyers. This is where “Always Be Performing” extends beyond the stage into every piece of marketing you share.
From building email and SMS lists to flattening the revenue rollercoaster with calendars and consistent outreach, you’ll see how indie artists can move from surviving to thriving. Jack and Dave walk through practical strategies like dissecting viral hits, harnessing UGC, and even using AI to smash blank page syndrome. You’ll hear why you’re probably not being “salesy” enough, and how treating your marketing as another form of performance makes it feel authentic, not forced. If you’re ready to stand out in a noisy world, this episode shows you how.


00:00:00 Gig Gab 501 – Monday, September 29th, 2025

September 29th: National Silent Movie Day


Guest co-host: Jack McCarthy from Indepreneur & their Creative Juice Podcast
00:02:35 Let’s talk Business of music
00:03:04 Indepreneur – Music Marketing Education

Monetizing a fanbase
Coaching artists
IndieX – an agency working 1-on-1 with artists


00:04:42 Start gathering attention

You need to start growing a critical mass


00:05:51 Once you have attention you need to capture that in a number of different ways
00:06:40 Converting attention into a next step

Audience into an email or SMS list
Or getting someone to buy from you the first time (tickets, merch)
Buying from you again (Patreon)


00:08:09 To gain attention: pay attention to the types of videos that capture your attention

Clickbait is effective for a reason!
Apply the same ideas to the stuff that you make
Emulate and morph it into something


00:10:15 Learn other peoples stuff… then learn FROM other people’s stuff

Eventually you have something that is yours


00:12:25 Coaching people through creating their first posts

So much of it involves working to “get the suck out of it”
Learn what makes you… you!
“I would love to make a video like that”
Story of when Dave almost got crushed by a monitor tower


00:15:44 Should we always be filming?

Capture as much as you can while you’re working (performing, songwriting)


00:17:33 Audio quality is better than video quality

But there is the definition of “good enough”
Energy matters most. Make people ask, “who is this band?”
Create FOMO for people to come to your SHOW


00:20:06 Creating cultural moments

Make people ask, “what is that?” “who is that?” “how can I be there next time?”


00:22:52 Creating User Generated Content-style channels for your own band
00:25:29 Dissecting Oasis’s creation of cultural moments
00:27:33 SPONSOR: Square – See what Square has been up to in your neck of the woods, and then visit square.com/go/giggab
00:28:51 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems?