How Indie Artist Tamara Bubble Found Sync Licensing Success | From CPA to Sync Superstar!

Summary

In this interview, Tamara Bubble, a rising rapper and artist, shares her journey from struggling artist to successful music licenser. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on music licensing over traditional methods like gigs and album sales. Tamara explains how licensing provides significant marketing benefits and financial stability, offering a detailed account of her first licensing deal and its impact on her career. She also discusses her book, 'From Sync to Superstar,' which offers strategies for artists to leverage licensing for success. The conversation highlights Tamara's hustle, strategic approach, and the transformative potential of music licensing for indie artists.

Takeaways

• 🎤 Tamara Bubble emphasizes the importance of music licensing as a key strategy for independent artists to gain exposure and income.
• 💼 She discusses her background as a CPA and how her accounting skills have helped her organize and manage her music career effectively.
• 🚀 Tamara's first licensing success came through networking at a sync summit conference, highlighting the value of industry connections.
• 💡 She stresses the necessity of having a large music catalog for increased opportunities in music licensing.
• 📈 Tamara shares her experience of transitioning from a CPA to a full-time musician, made possible by the income from music licensing.
• 📉 She clarifies misconceptions about the immediacy of income from licensing, explaining that it can take time to receive upfront payments.
• 🎧 Tamara mentions that streaming income is not her primary focus, but it has been growing as a result of her music licensing placements.
• 📚 She has written a book titled 'From Sync to Superstar' to share her insights and strategies for success in music licensing.
• 🔄 Tamara advises against being too 'precious' with individual songs, advocating for constant creation and pitching to music supervisors.
• 🔑 She believes that music licensing should be the primary or sole focus for independent artists due to its potential as a catalyst for growth.
• 🎵 The artist's new album 'Your Favorite Rapper Is a Girl' is a testament to her strategies, as it represents her real-time execution of the concepts from her book.

Q & A

Who is Tamara Bubble?

Tamara Bubble is an artist, rapper, and advocate for music licensing as a primary focus for indie artists.

How long did Tamara Bubble work as an artist before discovering music licensing?

Tamara Bubble worked as an artist for at least seven years before discovering music licensing.

What activities did Tamara engage in as an artist before focusing on music licensing?

Tamara engaged in open mics, showcases, live performances, radio interviews, selling CDs on the street, and running ads and PR campaigns.

What made Tamara decide to focus on music licensing?

After taking a course on making money in music, a module on music licensing by Kathy helped her realize that licensing could fund her music career without needing a label, investor, or large marketing budget.

What was Tamara Bubble's first significant licensing deal?

Her first significant licensing deal was seven songs in the show 'Hustle in Brooklyn,' which she secured after networking at a Sync Summit conference.

How does Tamara Bubble view the relationship between music licensing and marketing for indie artists?

Tamara believes music licensing should be the sole focus for indie artists as it provides significant marketing opportunities without the need for large budgets. Licensing placements act as a catalyst for further exposure.

What was Tamara Bubble's day job before fully committing to music licensing, and how did it help her?

Tamara was a CPA and traveled 100% of the time. Her accounting skills helped her stay organized and manage the business aspects of her music career.

How long did it take for music licensing to pay off enough for Tamara to quit her day job?

It took about three years from her first placement for music licensing to pay off enough for her to quit her day job in July 2020.

How does Tamara handle the creation and pitching of new songs for licensing?

Tamara creates songs and immediately sends them to music supervisors without spending too much time perfecting each one. She believes in building a large catalog and consistently producing music.

What is the main income stream for Tamara Bubble, and how does streaming income factor in?

Tamara's main income stream is from upfront payments for music licensing, which makes up about 90% of her income. Streaming income is a smaller but growing portion due to the exposure from licensing placements.

Why did Tamara Bubble decide to write a book instead of creating a course or academy?

Tamara decided to write a book, 'From Sync to Superstar,' to reach a wider audience and provide comprehensive guidance in a manageable format, as she does not have the time to teach a course or academy.