Build a PASSIONATE following (for musicians)

[@CurtisHolt]

Thanks for the mention, Ben! I'm glad the artist vs reporter concept was valuable for you. It was a strange realization to come to because I noticed that it helped me to get back into creating certain types of work, but at the same time, it made me worried because I could now recognize how many of my mental patterns and habits had become such a detriment to 'the artist'. It felt like everything in my workflow suddenly appeared damaged (my workspace was littered with warnings to the artist for 'what to make' vs 'what not to make'), and knowing it's going to take a lot of dedicated time and effort to retrain myself (like a form of constructive therapy) to start working in a way that's healthier, mentally. Unfortunately, just when I started *actively* trying to apply this self-therapy to more of my work at the beginning of the year, I bumped into a chronic pain condition, which set me back a few months. But it's an ongoing project, and I can see there's a lot of work to do. Not many people watched that video, but I think it's one of the most important ones I've done. Firstly for myself, and then for anyone who recognizes the feeling of becoming paralyzed in their own cyclic thought patterns.

[@BenLevin]

Hey Curtis! I'm so glad you saw this! I hear you about the challenges of restructuring your thoughts to work in the artist-reporter paradigm. I am so grateful for the videos you've made about the topic. Always loving your videos! I hope you're feeling better!

[@herschoolcolors]

If we all pitch in, we can buy Ben a larger microphone

[@Sevag109]

😂😂😂

[@GizzyDillespee]

I didn't even notice the microphone until I read your comment, right at the end of the vid🤣. He's counter-balancing the tiny mic trend!

[@F_E_U]

it needs to be longer

[@ScttSt_vocals]

That's true. Let's do it

[@MetalVideoGamer]

Sennheiser MKH 8070

[@gunnarschmitz1889]

This has been the only artist career self-help video that hasn't made me overwhelmingly anxious. Even some of the most practical and helpful creators in this video space completely lose sight of the "art" part and get into right into social media/streaming analytics without ever implying that your art has value or meaning in the real world. Thanks for preserving my sanity, ben

[@BenLevin]

I feel that! Yeah, the art has to be dialed in and communicative before anything else can work! Otherwise what's the point?

[@Tsa-SONGS-ABOUT-BEING-a-DAD]

Feels same for me!

[@omnitone]

having a few passionate fans is better than have many apathetic listeners. this isn't even a facebook ass "inspirational quote", it's a tried and true practice.

[@wadecarefully]

Somehow, this feels humble and intimate in a way most of these kinds of videos don’t. Thanks Ben, you have helped at least one person feel inspired to create something today!

[@Tsa-SONGS-ABOUT-BEING-a-DAD]

Same! Love this guy's style

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Networking is a skill you can develop when you’re young that feeds you for the rest of your life. I know so many people who wish they’d learned to network when they were young. It’s such a vital skill! Good video, Ben.

[@greedo69]

music

[@robertschnobert9090]

You don't have to be a young person in their twenties or thirties to learn networking. You can learn networking at any age.

[@Tsa-SONGS-ABOUT-BEING-a-DAD]

Really rewarding too to realise it's not all about you

[@Gloinkboeing77]

As a part of Ben's audience, i can confirm that these work

[@FunkAndFluff]

12:23 The blood splatter as soon as you mention networking is legitimately one of the funniest bits of editing I've ever seen. Love your work!

[@robbru3112]

Networking could be seen as finding a game that you want to join in with and asking nicely. When a child joins a game of tag they're not being a mosquito.

[@xFliox]

Bro I needed this video so bad and I didn't even knew it, thank you a million times!!!

[@JETAlone12]

The networking thing was very helpful. I've been having a hard time finding a "real" job (I worked hard for this engineering degree, dammit, I wanna use it! I wanna help people!) in part because the idea of reaching out to people just to talk to them about getting work feels gross and skeevy in a way that's been hard for me to describe, and you just nailed it. Obviously that's not an attitude change that's going to happen overnight, but you did describe what I think is a better way to look at it.

[@d3_xd900]

is this the hit channel guy named Ben Levin? Now this is epic!

[@richdecibels]

I honestly can’t imagine a better creativity teacher, Ben your work is so right on, thank you for what you do 🙏

[@Striptoast]

This video will go straight to a playlist for when I feel lost creatively or sad about the lack of likes on social media. Such an important and humble take to the creative process. Thank you Ben ❤

[@rahzark]

Growing up having bands with friends always made it so i took for granted a lot of these things you talk here. Then the pandemic hit, then I became a parent and suddenly the music world I lived in was gone. It has been hard to re-invent myself. This video actually helps put stuff in a actionable list of to-dos :)

[@lucagiancottimusic]

This video alone has more valuable informations than hundreds of videos from self proclaimed music marketing "gurus". Thanks Ben!

[@Tsa-SONGS-ABOUT-BEING-a-DAD]

It does and free too

[@bobolson5423]

Yet most of the interviews of the most successful say do your own thing and stay true to it. And keep on doing it. If you focus on pleasing people you’re really only posing.

[@metalsalsa]

Youve always inspired my musical creativity Ben!

[@MyshkoMusic]

I LOVE YOU BEN LEVIN. Plz never stop doing what u do. You are my most favoritest music content creator out there. Much love 😍😍😍

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

“Treacherous” is the right word

[@wilbertopdedijk5741]

I love that he included justice cow in the list of "favorite mucisians"

[@oldzerhuman555]

this is gonna blow up, trust me, its gold

[@LowEndLobster]

This is an EXCELLENT video that is so relatable. Great advice to those starting out and growing channels :)

[@h4nd]

Love the comment about not rounding down. I released a song that this one guy in Serbia loved. Like he listened to it every day in a commute playlist alongside some of my favourite artists. Even having that one person dig what I did to that level felt great. Unrelated question: how important is a consistent sound? because my tastes are eclectic I know I don't have a consistent vibe to my work. I'm doing post rock / progressive at the moment but I love writing metal and hard rock too. There's overlap but ultimately it may be jarring for people to hear one genre when expecting another. I want to be genuine about writing stuff I like but I also don't want to alienate those who like certain slices of what I do. I've considered releasing different styles of music under different monikers but I barely have the capacity to try build a following on one band, never mind multiple bands.

[@Dante_Seth]

this is the best video on this topic i've come accross so far especially coz it feels like it comes from a musician who gets it not a detached manager thats never really tried to become an artist themselves

[@whattheactualduq]

Ben, You are Awesome!!! 😎 I loved this video

[@afimtastic]

Thank you Ben, it's always nice to hear you prioritizing honest art over money and expensive equipment just to express yourself. Take care and never stop inspiring many artist who aren't secure about themselves, big love from Peru man! 🎉❤️‍🩹✨

[@VTM_rp]

These steps can easily be extrapolated for any sort of creating, not just music. This video is a diamond in the rough. And the background scoring throughout has been *chef's kiss*

[@foorkite]

Grateful for Ben

[@damienro0]

Ben I'm a fellow musician, and I loved it, Id like to provide subtitles and doubling into Spanish for free.

[@matt_reverb]

Thank you so much for this! Giving away all this valuable information in such an authentic and concise manner is incredible! Super dope!

[@guitarandhow]

I'd like to know more about what to consider when making a release schedule.

[@jeongsungwoo]

Thank You Ben for your wisdom

[@bevans224]

I am extremely grateful to have come across you now. I am in music school and have been struggling to stay creative. On top of practicing all the instruments I want to learn and trying to build music off of it, it feels so overwhelming. thank you for providing this resource. I am excited to see where we both go in our journeys!

[@H1zoneTv]

justice cow is one of my favorite musicians too!

[@Withing_]

Really incredible video, very insightful and presented in your own true voice

[@marvinvieth7853]

this is going to be my bible for the following months of me trying to make a living as an artist for the first time

[@thelaconicmusic]

Make your own favorite music. Then you won't need the last step.

[@Dizzeegaskell]

Ben, I want to thank you for all you've done. You've been a consistent source of inspiration and have influenced how I think about and teach music. I wish I could support the channel financially, but I hope this comment will do for now, untill I amass my huge PASSIONATE following. Love, James

[@tuggywoolsack]

You rock Ben, this is super actionable advice. I felt really validated by your focus on an offline artistic life, and I've always wanted to do an in-the-studio performance video. I'm even more motivated to make that happen now

[@turqua.aditya]

Appreciate with all the help. Love your advice and has made me think about therapy more proactively. Thanks again.

[@davecarrsfabulouscontraption]

This is really helpful, thankyou Ben! 🙏

[@3bnuri]

you are my guru mate!❤

[@51max50]

Yet another video of yours that is totally therapeutic and wholesome. Thank you Ben ❤️

[@TapThePlanet]

Love, love, love all of this, especially the emphasis on the offline world, and your own mental health. The internet is not a perfect reflection of our reality, but a distortion. In terms of how to engage in your musical community and with projects, I would encourage anyone struggling to play to their strengths, and to think outside of the box to find out ways to get what you want out of music while avoiding the things you don't enjoy doing or give you anxiety. For me, I love to practice and perform, but I'm not as comfortable promoting myself, or socializing (lol), so when I moved to a new community, instead of starting by booking live shows, I started street performing. This allowed me to do the things I love and receive the recognition I was looking for, while avoiding the things I find challenging. I took this mindset into my next internet production project and it also saved me a lot of grief, and made it my most fun one to date. 🥰

[@JohnMcNeilObsessiveLearner]

This was really helpful and the advice non-obvious. Now I need to figure out how to apply it my art!

[@justawatchin2]

Thanks Ben. This was affirming.

[@TheAntibozo]

Easy: just be as amazing and beautiful a human as Ben Levin is and you will have passionate fans.

[@Beatloider]

I recently received a very kind message from someone who loved my music! It was very motivating and felt like 1=10 😎

[@yoavshati]

One thing I'd add is that we can collectively build our passionate followings by passionately following each other. Give small creators (of any art) a chance and provide the things you would want to receive like feedback, compliments, collab offers, etc.. We obviously can't be the entirety of each other's followings, but we can help each other start, improve and grow An interesting place to find musicians looking for this audience is right here in the comments, as we're all here for that reason. My channel is mostly sheet music of the classical music I write, so probably not most people's cup of tea, but you should check out other people in the comments

[@key-chain]

Thank you for this video Ben. You've inspired me to take this and run with it in my musicianship and artistry

[@Tony_Westcliff]

Last points about playing solo are so true! I tend to use big productions as a bit of a crutch and can be good to know a song works stripped back. I recently bought a baritone uke with a pickup and having something so small and unassuming just makes it easier to imagine playing in places that wouldn’t book me to if they saw me with a guitar etc

[@BorisovSergey]

It's weird, that this video came out in the exact moment I've needed it. We were discussing visuals and strategies for our band just yesterday. Thank you, Ben!

[@bradwolf9897]

Ben, you’ve been one of my favorite artists for at least a decade now. Thank you for all the inspiration, and thank you for supporting all the other artists. Thank you for sharing your passion with the rest of us, and thank you for lifting us when we’re downtrodden. I’m reaching new heights in my music career and when I think about all the times I almost quit, it fills me with pride. 🙌

[@joeriffanucci]

Thank you Ben! You, and Bent Knee changed my musical life when I heard your music. We just released a record last month and are in this exact scenario right now.

[@frenzyhat]

I appreciate your videos very much! I am starting to release my music and I feel very inspired by you!

[@alexxartificial]

This is one of my favorite videos that you’ve done. The part about not rounding your listener stats down is something that everyone needs to hear and only I’ve only actually heard from you.

[@grimelandmusic]

Really great video! Feels really grounded and practical, sooo much better than pretty much all the "advice for artists" stuff I've come across in the past. Thanks for sharing! :D

[@chakuseki]

Sage advice!

[@omegacanon]

Your tip to watch out for feeling annoyed or called out is spot on! If it rubs the wrong way that means there is merit to the advice! Thanks so much!!

[@sirwilliamkarl5591]

I love long format music and therefore write it. This is bad for schedules as a twenty minute piece takes forever to write. I have tendonitis so performance is out. Like your advice but some forms of music don't fit well with it.

[@matthewbenedict5923]

Such a genuinely helpful resource!!!

[@skeletonbow]

Great video Ben, lots of good advice!

[@supershape8510]

8:55 never knew that if i scrolled fast enough on your channel, it morphs into that of Adam Neely. cool trick!!

[@anachronismic]

This was very good! Its helped me reaffirm a lot of my thoughts about being a creative right now, albeit in a slightly different lane. The bit on the numbers and the bit about reframing networking i feel are especially poignant

[@SeanMcQuilter_Music]

Thanks Ben. I’m just starting to try and build something musically for myself. I appreciate the framework, it seems like exactly what I need. It’s so hard to sort through the chaos of trying to market myself, getting gigs, trying to get students, and I appreciate you breaking down a process to get from where I am to somewhere cool!

[@notarabbit1752]

heey your band is playing with Nova One on my birthday! One of the biggest things I struggle with right now is getting back into making and sharing music. I spent a long time a while back releasing lots of stuff that basically all went ignored. Frankly now I think it's because it wasn't good enough, but it was still a lot of time and energy spent that never came back. I'm better at it now, but it's very difficult to not feel like making anything new isn't just a waste of time.

[@EstamosDe]

Thanks you! Im learning here

[@MulryTime]

great advice, great "Say it Ain't So" arrangement

[@vanessalouzon]

This was so helpful, thank you so much!

[@KookyCloud]

Thank you very much for this video, really helped me.

[@DEFENSEMECHANISM]

this video is perfect for me! i'm going to be ben levin and live ben levin's life! so i know i will succeed!!!

[@LTGuitarist]

Great advice Ben. You've managed to articulate a lot of things I've been feeling for a while. The only thing I'd add is patience - I've been making music and music-related stuff for nealy 20 years and I'm only now feeling like I have a handful of reliable followers. Great video :)

[@boazbrisker81]

You are something, love your work Ben

[@borokymusic]

What a beautiful video. Thanks Ben!

[@PabloGambaccini]

I resonate a lot with your advices. I have come to the same ideas you propose at the end and I am starting to work on them. Thanks for sharing your experience/expertise 😊

[@kiwij1424]

Surely if you can just make one person love your music, is that not enough? That's enough for me.

[@brentmccormick6446]

Thanks for all of this wisdom Ben! Since you asked for ask me anythings-I’d love to get your take on interesting/unconventional ways to perform solo. I had a great band in the town where I used to live - but like you I moved somewhere new and a little more remote. I play solo sometimes as a singer songwriter with a guitar but find myself craving fuller weirder arrangements, percussion etc. Learning my way through it there, but would love to see how you approach a solo set! Thanks again for this and all your art. Super encouraging!

[@scorchedmoon2800]

Just a bunch of Ben droppin' rad advice and spittin' straight facts, hell yeah my dude! I got to meet you a couple of times in Atlanta while you were on the road with Bent Knee, I hope we get to cross paths again one day!

[@WizardOfArc]

This is inspiring…. Also saved the video so I can go back for reminders…. Makes me think about how to play my stuff solo….

[@markusreuter]

Wonderful, Ben. Let's talk soon.

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

Sacks full of blood = People. Ben is a vampire confirmed. He doesn't even age anyway!

[@christofferskoglundmoe726]

Absolutely smashed it with this one!

[@DoctorWhomThe1st]

I really needed this video

[@noelhutz]

Thanks Ben, you're the best

[@chrismillett]

Man, this was a sooper good one, Ben!

[@danzipori]

This is really inspirational Ben. Your humble and empathic approach is incredibly engaging. Thank you so much for being you and creating all this beautiful and meaningful art. 💘

[@m0thgirl809]

i love you so much i don't even know what else to say

[@seedmole]

So much good stuff in this video, matches a lot of my own experiences going to concerts and making music since around 2010. My biggest mistake, I think, was letting myself get carried away in times when all the collaborative energy gets really strong. I'd commit to too many things, then run out of energy because of it and retreat for a while. These days have been interesting, the last big music project I did was in tandem with a game for a solo gamejam.. got a lot of very positive responses from people through that, and it was in such a novel format that it felt completely different and refreshing. It also widened the range of music I'd make, because suddenly it felt like I was making music not to express myself, but to express the ideas related to a specific project -- I want to get back to more conceptual projects like that.

[@andylowemusic]

A splendid video

[@nadavcohen7197]

Thank you

[@coastercook]

Great advice. Thanks, Ben

[@connorclose3084]

Love you, Ben. One of the most consistent sources of inspiration for years, thanks for everything you do :)

[@404no57]

this makes me think of Dr Levin and the days of a few thousand subs

[@XantuxNepomuk]

One aspect I've been struggling with recently was the question if I should release all music under the urella of one project/ band, or if it's okay to have multiple projects going at the same time. I've always more or less been part of a band or had my own band. And it's sometimes difficult to differentiate between stuff that has nothing to do with "my band" and "the band"... Especially because I've written and produced pretty much 100% of my bands music. But some people in the band might be interested to be more involved, but then aren't able to show a level of dedication that wouldn't make me feel slowed down by invloving them more. So now when I release music, I'm never sure if I maybe should start a new project, or just release a new song as the same "band". --- ah, a question might be good here: Do you have any thoughts on the difference between you as an artist and e.g. the project "ben levin" or the project "bent knee" ? Maybe you have some thoughts on pros and cons of "seperating projects" - even e.g. in regards to relasing specific genres under different names

[@InventorZahran]

I think about this all the time! I'm currently a solo artist, but I want to eventually form a band. If I'm the creative director and primary songwriter, then is it really "the band's music"? Or is it just "my music, but played with a band"?

[@andrewlewis8223]

This video is such a breath of fresh air, thank you Ben.

[@alexkior]

Really inspiring. I even thought about recover my own music projects I deserted a long time ago due to the lack of interest from others.

[@desrosimon]

This vid is a gem. Tons of practical knowledge. Ben, you rock!

[@samtayla2326]

❤ Love your way of explaining things

[@paulhayes5592]

What a great video. Thank you!