A Musicians Guide to Making It in 2026

Business Blueprint for Building a Music Career

Nanamin argues that musicians should run their careers as focused businesses rather than releasing music and content at random and hoping something takes off.

Framework and Playbook

1. Form a thesis before making or promoting a song. Define a hypothesis: “If I do X, I’ll likely get Y because Z.” For example, using a recognizable sample could attract listeners who already know the original song. Treat each release as a test. If the thesis fails, develop and test another one.

2. Make a large volume of music, then release selectively. Nanamin recommends making around 100 songs to build skills and identify the strongest material. Keep weaker tracks as demos; don’t automatically spend on beats, mixing, and mastering for every song. He estimates that artists may release only about 10% of what they create.

3. Build a recognizable visual identity. Develop styling and imagery distinctive enough that people can recognize you even from a blurred image or silhouette. Strong recognition can help turn one marketing impression into repeat attention.

4. Give audiences an ongoing story to follow. Make the artist’s journey feel continuous and involving, rather than just a one-off announcement about a song’s theme. Nanamin says layered stories and developments can encourage fans to follow along and bring others in. He cites artist rivalries and personal or career narratives as examples.

5. Market music by making sure people see it. The speaker’s simple definition of marketing is showing music to potential listeners. Suggested channels include:

   • Short-form content
   • Features and co-signs
   • YouTube music videos
   • YouTube ads, or Spotify ads for some genres
   • Playlists and other promotional opportunities

6. Treat PR as getting people to talk about you. Nanamin distinguishes PR (“people hearing about you”) from marketing (“showing your music to people”). A memorable image, sample choice, or public narrative can prompt discussion and shares—effectively earning attention without paying for every impression. He cites Molly Santana’s black grills, Chief Keef sampling Katy Perry, and rap beefs as examples.

7. Monetize after building an audience. Potential revenue streams include:

   • Merchandise
   • Streaming
   • Live shows
   • Selling mixtapes or albums on a “proud to pay” basis: music remains available to stream, while supporters can buy it with additional benefits

8. Expand by repeating what works at a larger scale. Once the business is financially stable, keep refining the music, image, story, marketing, and PR while reaching larger audiences. Growth can be independent or supported by a label.

Metrics, Examples, and Commercial Terms

• 100 songs: Suggested creation volume for practice and selection.
• Around 10% released: Nanamin’s estimate of how much of an artist’s output may make the final cut.
• Live-show example: 100 attendees × $30 admission = $3,000 gross before costs. The speaker presents this as an illustration of small-show earning potential, not guaranteed net income.
• 10,000 monthly listeners: Threshold Nanamin gives for artists who may be eligible to approach his label, Elevate Music, about its offer.
• $57 per month: Price Nanamin mentions for his music-monetization school.
• No specific growth timeline or income target is provided.

Deal and Execution Advice

• Build an audience and revenue base before relying on monetization; the speaker says merchandise and other income streams require fans.
• Review label offers individually and don’t sign under pressure.
• Nanamin describes Elevate Music’s offer as a distribution deal in exchange for a percentage of music revenue, while saying the artist keeps ownership and rights. The percentage and other contract details are not specified, so any offer would need careful review.

Presenter and Sources

• Presenter: Nanamin
• Organization mentioned: Elevate Music
• Examples discussed: 50 Cent and Ja Rule; Eminem and Hailie; Molly Santana; Chief Keef and Katy Perry; Pop Smoke.