Welcome to 2026. In the last episode, I shared what I'm grateful for and the personal questions I'm sitting with. Today, I'm sharing the strategic side: what I learned in 2025 that changed how I work.

Six concrete lessons from running this podcast and newsletter, plus 300+ conversations with independent musicians and creative professionals. Some of these lessons were uncomfortable. Some contradicted what I thought I knew. A few are still unresolved—I'm learning in real-time.

If you're trying to build something sustainable as a musician or creative professional, there's value in seeing what worked, what didn't, and what I'm still figuring out.

Topics Covered:

• Newsletter-first architecture: Why the newsletter became the business and the podcast became newsletter growth infrastructure
• How better questions in guest submission forms filter for quality and save time
• Why systems don't kill creativity—they enable it by removing decision fatigue
• Content gating creates better value through a clear hierarchy (free vs. premium)
• Guest quality compounds; guest quantity doesn't—one excellent guest beats three mediocre ones
• The tension between strategic thinking and creative joy, and the warning signs to watch for
• The shift from SEO optimization to conversion optimization in episode descriptions
• What "sustainable" actually means when building a creative business

This is the first episode of 2026. If you're balancing creative work with business thinking, wondering how to structure systems without losing spontaneity, or defining what success looks like on your own terms, this episode is for you.

Scheduling Note: Next episode will be in three weeks (buffer break for content creation). After that, we resume the normal every-two-weeks schedule.

Show notes at UnstarvingMusician.com.

The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers.

Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor

This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup.

Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm.

Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Join podcasters who are building shows that last.

The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo

Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process.

More Resources for musicians

Pardon the Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support!

Stay in touch!

@RobonzoDrummer on Instagram

@UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

Every year, I write up a gratitude list. This year, the list came easily - but it's mixed with what I'm learning, because growth and gratitude feel connected right now.

In this holiday edition, I share what I'm grateful for in 2025: 31 years of marriage, the Unstarving Musician community, my health, and the accidental connections that turned into real relationships. But I also talk about the harder questions I'm sitting with about work, stress management, and what "making it" actually means.

If you're dealing with the tension between strategic thinking and creative joy, wondering if you should quit your day job, or trying to define success on your own terms rather than social media's terms - this episode is for you.

Topics Covered:

• Why day jobs might be the smartest path for most musicians
• The cost of strategic thinking (and when it becomes exhausting)
• Redefining "making it" - still creating in 5 years, not burned out, not broke
• The question of celebrating versus numbing stress
• What the "mystery of the quotient" means for finding your tribe
• Health, sustainability, and the choices that compound over time
• How loss clarifies gratitude

This is the last episode of 2025. The next episode drops on January 2nd of the new year. Happy holidays, and thank you for being part of this community!

Show notes at UnstarvingMusician.com

The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers.

Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor

This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup.

Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm.

Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Join podcasters who are building shows that last.

The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo

Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process.

More Resources for musicians

Pardon the Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support!

Stay in touch!

@RobonzoDrummer on Instagram

@UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube

Most independent artists have thousands of dollars in unclaimed royalties sitting in four separate collection systems—and a four-year window to recover this money before it's redistributed to major labels.

In this episode, I break down the systematic framework for conducting a personal royalty audit. You'll discover why being registered with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC isn't enough, and learn about the three additional systems most artists don't know exist: SoundExchange for digital performance royalties, publishing administration services for worldwide mechanical collection, and the Mechanical Licensing Collective for streaming platform royalties.

I'll walk you through the five-step implementation process: auditing your current registrations, gathering documentation, registering with missing systems, claiming historical royalties, and creating an ongoing management system to prevent future losses.

This framework builds on insights from music business educator Amani Roberts in Episode 339, where he reveals how artists consistently leave money on the table through incomplete registrations and missing split sheet documentation.

Topics Covered:

• The four registration systems required to collect all your royalties
• How unclaimed royalties are redistributed to major labels after four years
• How to verify you're registered correctly with your PRO (writer AND publisher sides)
• SoundExchange registration for Pandora, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM royalties
• Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) free registration process
• When publishing administration services are worth the cost
• Split sheet documentation as the foundation for royalty collection
• Metadata management across all four systems
• Common mistakes that cause royalties to go unclaimed
• Step-by-step audit process with time estimates
• Creating an ongoing system to prevent future unclaimed royalties

December is the perfect time for this year-end financial cleanup—start recovering money you've already earned.

The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers.

Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor

This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup.

Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm.

Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Join podcasters who are building shows that last.

Visit UnstarvingMusician.com to find resources and links to things mentioned in this episode.

Stay in touch!

@RobonzoDrummer on Instagram, X/Twitter, and Bluesky

@UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube