Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Krysiak. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ryan, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

My band/business First To Eleven is lucky enough to earn all of its members a full time income. Because we are a cover band (a band that reinterprets other people’s songs) we have to carefully navigate the world of copyright when posting our songs on YouTube and streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. When we first started posting, YouTube’s content ID system would identify our covers as including a copyrighted work and divert 100% of the ad revenue to the original artist. Happy to just have the exposure that comes along with Millions and Millions of views we accepted the situation. It wasn’t until we had amassed over 100k followers that someone approached us and told us there are actually TWO types of copyright claims. One for the people that wrote the song and one for the people that recorded it. Since we re-recorded all of our cover songs in our own style we were able to submit our recordings into YouTubes content ID system reclaim 50% of our ad revenue on all of our back catalog. We essentially flipped a switch and instantly were making over $15k a month and the whole band could start making music their full time jobs. Luckily we loved what we were doing, stayed persistent when there was no revenue and we were able to turn a corner that led to sustainability.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I run a music school in Erie Pennsylvania that teaches kids to play instruments and form bands. One of the bands that came from our studio is First To Eleven. They have almost 2 Million subscribers and 690 million views on YouTube. We pride ourselves on consistency and constant refinement of our content. Our DIY approach has given us so much freedom and control over our own careers vs most traditional artists. Having found a winning formula with First To Eleven and my music school. I’ve been able to help my two kids Coen (8) and Quinn (10) get started on their own musical career paths as well reaching over 1 million followers and hundreds of millions of views on short form videos on TikTok and Instagram.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I think growth on social media has a lot to do with authenticity and approachability. As a creator I’m always tempted to try and upgrade the quality of my videos by simply throwing money at new Cameras, Lighting or Audio equipment. However, we’ve found that sometimes super professional videos aren’t enough to move the needle on their own. The best performing content we have is when we’re able to convey emotion and personality even if the production of the video itself isn’t at a super high level.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I can honestly say that in the beginning everything I learned about how to be a YouTuber I learned by watching YouTube. Camera operation, audio recording and a few other things just to get off the ground took only a few hours to get down the basics. Now, every problem, hurdle, or new venture we encounter is tackled by investing in programs, books or consultations by experts in the area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.firsttoeleven.com
• Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/firsttoeleven
• Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/firsttoeleven
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/firsttoeleven

Image Credits

Night Fury Photograohy