Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lexi Cline. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lexi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
I am a singer/songwriter with original music out on all streaming platforms. I started releasing music in 2020 and since then have dropped 14 tracks and am currently in the midst of releasing my first EP ‘Lost In My Mid 20’s’ slated to be a fully released project in October 2023. One of the biggest challenges I find in being an independent artist in the music industry in terms of profit would be the insanely low amount of income received per stream on all DSP’s. Artists received $.004 per stream on Spotify. Meaning if you get 1,000 streams you make $4, if you get 1 million streams you make $4,000. Not to mention that if you don’t own 100% of your royalties you have to pay a percentage of that to people who are also on the song. Artists can release their music to other DSP’s like Apple Music and Tidal to increase their revenue however, they don’t pay well either. It’s definitely confusing why this rate per stream is as low as it is.
Lexi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am from Denver, CO and moved to Nashville at the age of 19 to start pursing a music career. It started off by me just diving in to the live music scene, showing up at showcases, writers rounds, parties, bars, etc. Anything I could do to meet someone who could get me on stage to sing. I was super ambitious / driven for people to hear me sing. The first song I ever released was actually country and I performed it live with live musicians in the studio. So the recording was really an all around live mix which was super cool. I then started meeting more pop artists out at show cases and began to co-write more where we would write a song with a more pop sound. I eventually started working with a producer in Nashville who co-wrote and produced my first pop track out everywhere titled “Better Late Than Never”. I loved Nashville I learned a lot about the industry and about myself as a person. I then graduated with a film degree and moved to LA to continue my career. Since I’ve been in LA I’ve written with more people than ever, developed my sound fully to be a poetic, indie, folk pop sound, and started working in the music industry with a distribution company where I can release my music as an independent artist. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned so far in my career is how important it is to have your mental health in a good place. No matter what kind of opportunities you receive, you won’t be able to fully succeed without having learned what it is you require in your daily life in order to be your best self.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Ah social media. What a concept. LOL. Social media is one of the biggest tools at your disposal to help get your business up and running. Mostly due to the amount of exposure you can receive in such little time. Artists are popping off on social media within weeks and gaining thousands / millions of real organic fans. My advise would be stop trying to avoid it and start accepting we live in a digital world. I have always enjoyed making content. Maybe that’s because I also am not afraid to get on stage and sing in front of people? But since TikTok came out I’ve learned how to captivate an audience through the ability to talk to fans and let them know how much they mean to me. That’s crucial! I recommend trying to get on social media and interact with your customers. It will help a lot!!
Have you ever had to pivot?
A time I had to pivot in my career was recently when I started working for Too Lost Distribution & Publishing. I am a singer/songwriter and that has always been my biggest priority/ I organized my life to work around this passion. After living in LA for 2 years and working in customer service alongside my music career, I realized I not only wasn’t making enough money to support my career and how expensive it is in LA, but also I wasn’t learning anything that could coincide with my music. So I started thinking about what it would be like to work a 9-5 and do music, considering music is a full time job in itself, I was really hesitant. I became exhausted working in customer service and took a deep dive in to LinkedIn (which became my best friend). I noticed Too Lost was hiring for a couple roles so decided to apply and give it my best shot. I went after it by messaging people on LinkedIn and being very eager. I was really nervous to do music at the same time I was working, but it actually has completely changed my perspective on the music industry. I am learning a ton, meeting more people than ever, understanding how systems work, and honestly enjoying having more structure. I also have plenty of time to stay focused on my music career. So all this to be said, change is good. I suck at it and was really reluctant, but once I figured out what I wanted and utilized my skills to get it, I wasn’t disappointed.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @lexiclinemusic
- Facebook: Lexi Cline
- Linkedin: Lexi Cline
- Youtube: Lexi Cline
Image Credits
Hannah Ledbetter