The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

How Fly By Midnight Went From YouTubers to Sold Out Tours

Jul 17, 2024

Justin Bryte and Justin Slavo, the talented duo behind Fly By Midnight, share their inspiring journey from YouTube cover artists to creators of emotive pop music. They discuss the strategic decision to balance covers with original songs to keep their fan base engaged and the DIY ethos that shapes their content. The pair reflect on their experiences navigating the music industry and the changing landscape of virality on platforms like TikTok. With plans for future projects, they emphasize the importance of authenticity and creativity in maintaining relevance.

01:13:19

Creator website

Episode guests

Justin Slavo

Justin Bryte

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Fly By Midnight successfully transitioned from YouTube cover artists to recognized independent musicians, emphasizing the importance of high-quality original content.

Their experimentation with viral content and adaptability on platforms like TikTok reflects their commitment to engaging a diverse audience.

The duo's approach to distribution and marketing, particularly the collaboration with STEM, highlights their focus on artist-friendly growth strategies.

Deep dives

Harnessing Viral Potential

The artists highlight the unpredictable nature of virality in their content, noting that some of their most successful videos originated from unexpected pieces. They discuss their ongoing experimentation with various audio-visual combinations to find the right pairing that captures audience attention. One artist mentions the excitement of potentially reviving older songs through fresh content that may resonate differently at different times. This approach reflects their belief in the enduring appeal of their music and the possibility of rediscovering hidden gems even after initial release.

Intro

5min

From Online Creators to Touring Success: The Thrill Tour Experience

2min

From Covers to Collaboration

22min

Navigating Early Industry Challenges and Innovative Distribution Solutions

6min

From Covers to Virality: A Musical Journey

21min

Navigating the Evolving Music Landscape

16min

Creative Ambitions and Evolving Strategies

4min

Reflections on Success and Longevity in Music

3min

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

Fly by Midnight is comprised of Justin Bryte and Justin Slavo, two best friends who honed their craft in New York and are now making waves in Los Angeles, creating and self-distributing emotive pop music.

In the episode, they discuss their journey as independent artists, starting with cover videos on YouTube and transitioning to original music. They talk about the intentional decision to release covers alongside their original music to maintain their existing fan base. The duo reflects on the importance of DIY and the value of creating high-quality content on a low budget. They also discuss the challenges of gaining industry recognition and label interest, as well as the changing landscape of virality on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Fly By Midnight discusses their approach to creating viral videos and their experimentation with different types of content. They also talk about their experiences with booking agents and their plans for future releases.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

04:53 The Thrill Tour

08:17 From Covers to Originals

19:10 Content on a Budget

28:50 Label Involvement

37:59 Balancing Virality and Authenticity

44:46 Animation and Video

52:42 Keeping Content Fresh

1:00:21 Distribution

1:11:12 Making it in the New Music Business

Subscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/new-music-business-podcast/