Sure, you could say Tino loves music. If you’re trying to win the “understatement of the year” contest, you could say that. Or another “understatement of the year” could be… “He’s no quitter.” Boy oh boy, is THAT putting it mildly. Because Tino’s efforts in the cutthroat music world were almost legendary. First, he got fed up with traditional gatekeepers who rejected his work. Next, he got sick of “all the fairness” as he called it. And, finally, he took matters into his own hands. He thought to himself, “Hey, why not use the power of the internet? It seems to be workin’ pretty well for some of those YouTubers and Instagramers.” So, he set up an independent music publishing label entirely online. He found an affordable hosting company, DreamHost, where he could serve up a user-friendly website. But he didn’t make it all about him and his music. Tino decided to make his platform a place where hard-working artists could upload their music and communicate directly with their fans. Plus, for a little extra, they could even manage their merchandise sales without the enormous fees that come with traditional labels. Yeah, that could go a long way toward beating that old-school music world. He understood you gotta make money or else it’s just a hobby. So, Tino set up a subscription-based model. For a small monthly fee, fans could subscribe to get exclusive access to new releases, behind-the-scenes content, and live-streamed studio sessions. And that move helped to provid a steady income for the artists. Plus, it helped them build a loyal fanbase willing to support their favorite musicians directly. Without label gatekeepers. Here’s another understatement of the year contender. Tino was an idea guy. Yeah, that’s serious tip-of-the-iceberg stuff right there. Because he used social media channels and digital marketing strategies to promote his artists. He knew how to create compelling content to showcase their unique stories. And built an even stronger connection with their fans and potential fans. And he made sure email marketing was a BIG part of the whole fan connection process. Should I share more of Tino’s world-beating story? How about I just tell you that he made great use of: * Streaming technology * Multiple payment gateways * SEO strategies Tino (and the other artists) loved how it didn’t feel like their pockets were being picked by promoters, publishers, and recording studios and labels anymore. And fans loved the much more direct connection they could make with their favorite singers and bands. In just a few years, Tino carved what looked like a permanent niche for himself in the music world. That’s right. He found that, with the right tools and strategies, artists could indeed beat the music world at its own game. Wow, his story reminds me of the 8th song on my Do Right collection. Beat The World. In fact, check out these lyrics (that Tino didn’t write). ~ Every time you turn your back There’s somebody there to pick your pockets. And so you see there’s more to life, More than love and rockets. ~ And then, there’s this verse: ~ Yeah…every time you make your mark There’s somebody there to erase it. And people say that’s just the way it is And boy you’d better face it. ~ Get the rest of the lyrics, and all the lyrics to ALL the songs when you get your own Do Right Songbook Journal. You’ll also get lots of pages where you can journal, take notes in church, or just doodle if you prefer. AND you can download ALL the songs (at no extra charge) from a s...