In today’s age of constant competition—whether online, in life, or in music—the key is to know very well who you are and who your audience is, says Sam Lee, founder of Songular, a company focused on targeted audiences and streaming for independent artists and music businesses. Sam is coming to Romania for Mastering the Music Business, an event taking place between September 9–11. International and local specialists will join forces with Romanian artists and beyond, through workshops, showcases, and informal meetings.
"The challenge for independent or DIY artists is always having the budget to invest in their long-term careers, especially these days when ‘breaking through’ often takes 5-7 years. Artists don’t need to spend big money to see results - but they do need to put the work in themselves first", says Sam.
He helped building careers over time that resulted in platinum records, top singles and millions of streams. Among the names in his portfolio are Joji, Gorillaz, Eliza Rose, Fontaines D.C., J Hus, Zara Larsson, Flume and many others. In the interview below, we discuss music, AI, independent artists, and how to get noticed in 2025.
Your musical upbringing
The pivotal moment was hearing David Bowie’s album Ziggy Stardust when I was about 12. Until then I’d never really listened to any music other than my parents’ CDs - bands like Oasis, The Beautiful South, Robbie Williams and The Housemartins. But the way Bowie used lyrics and drama to create a vivid world around his music really appealed to me, and from then on music became the thing I was most interested in. Later on I played in bands while I was at school and college, and then left my hometown of Swindon and moved to London when I was 20 with a ‘real job’ in music.
The story of Songular
Songular is a digital and streaming consultancy for independently minded artists and music companies. We handle all aspects of an artist’s commercial strategy, which usually includes editorial, algorithmic and direct-to-fan - all underpinned by a sharp focus on audience data. We aim to understand who is listening and what the opportunities are.
How hard is it to build an online career in these days
It’s really challenging. There is so much out there to compete with - not just music but generally online and in life. People don’t have much time. So you have to get in front of them where they are, instead of hoping that they come to you. The key is to know who you are and who your audience is - then be super-specific in how you speak to them. Don’t try to appeal to everyone, but be authentic, find the platforms that work with your approach, and focus on building genuine connections there.
How important is streaming for an artist
It’s probably the most important part of any release campaign. I think people are familiar with most of the mainstream DSPs now and they’ll have their favourite.
What do you think about Spotify
I have always highlighted the importance of not being too reliant on any one platform, and that’s as important now as it’s ever been. Artists have a lot to consider nowadays - ethically, financially, practically - and if they choose not to distribute their music to a certain platform for whatever reason then I support them. My job is to help them navigate that decision and put frameworks in place to continue working towards success, making sure that existing or potential fans aren’t being cut out of the picture.
How your company works
The main ingredient is the artist having a clear creative vision. With all of those campaigns there was a story to tell that came directly from the artist themselves. Where I come in is to help translate that vision into a framework that utilises each digital platform’s strengths so that we can reach as many fans as possible.
Indie artists
The challenge for independent or DIY artists is always having the budget to invest in their long-term careers, especially these days when ‘breaking through’ often takes 5-7 years. Any artist looking to build a team around them needs to be honest with themselves and ask what impact the investment will have. Are they chasing vanity metrics? Artists don’t need to spend big money to see results - but they do need to put the work in themselves first. From my side, I’m always transparent about our realistic goals and expectations when we’re speaking to potential new clients so they can assess if it’s something that makes sense for them at the stage they are at.
How do you see the future of music
AI music is not going anywhere and the truth is that most people probably won’t care whether the music they’re listening to is AI-generated or not (although shout out to Deezer for labelling AI content on their platform). But music fans will care, and I think we’ll see more of those people preferring to use platforms that offer real engagement opportunities with the artists they love. So I’m optimistic about the opportunities for artists in the next few years. And I keep discovering brilliant new stuff - Getdown Services, seeing Zenbu Kimi no Seida live in Taipei, Yousuke Yukimatsu’s Boiler Room, Yussef Dayes in Japan, Myriam Gendron on Bandcamp - to name just a few. That keeps me feeling energised and excited for the future.
