What if I told you that the most talented artist you've never heard of just got rejected by a major label because they only had 50,000 TikTok followers instead of 500,000?
The music industry has become infected with a virus.
Not COVID.
Not some biological plague.
But something far more destructive to artistic careers.
The vanity metrics virus.
If an artist isn't going viral on TikTok, if they don't already have massive amounts of followers, video views, and music streams, labels won't even look at them.
It doesn't matter if they're the next Bob Dylan.
It doesn't matter if they write songs that could change the world.
It doesn't matter if they have genuine, devoted fans who would die for their music.
None of that matters anymore.
All that matters is the numbers on the screen.
This obsession has created a disgusting ecosystem of exploitation.
Promotion companies have exploded across the internet, all promising to generate the vanity metrics artists desperately need.
"10,000 Spotify streams for $50!"
"100,000 TikTok views guaranteed!"
"Get 50,000 Instagram followers overnight!"
But here's the dirty secret - these are all fake, bot-driven services.
Fake streams from fake accounts in fake countries generating fake engagement that means absolutely nothing.
And the few legitimate playlist services that actually exist?
They get taken down by the fake companies who use their same bot methods to report real playlists, destroying their competitors' networks on streaming platforms.
It's a race to the bottom where the scammers always win.
Meanwhile, real artists with real talent are left scrambling to buy fake metrics just to get noticed.
They're spending their grocery money on bot streams.
They're going into debt for fake followers.
They're compromising their artistic integrity chasing numbers that don't translate to actual fans or income.
But here's what's even more devastating about this vanity metrics obsession.
While the entire industry is focused on these meaningless numbers, there's a massive lack of services in the marketplace that help artists with the things that actually matter.
Creating strategic plans
Building systems and processes
Focusing on operations
This is where real businesses win.
But in the music business, services aren't focused here because artists are attracted to what they believe are magic buttons.
"Just get me more streams and everything will be fine."
"If I can just go viral, all my problems will be solved."
"I need more followers and then labels will sign me."
This is fantasy thinking.
Real success comes from: • Having a strategic plan • Building sustainable systems • Understanding your audience deeply and serving them consistently • Developing as a human being, not just as a content creator
But try selling "strategic planning services" to an artist when their competitor is offering "10,000 streams for $20."
The magic button always wins.
Even though the magic button never actually works.
This is exactly why we've developed our People Metrics system.
Instead of measuring artists by vanity metrics that can be manufactured, we identify artists who are winners on a human level.
We look for authenticity, not algorithms.
We measure character, not clicks.
We evaluate potential, not just plays.
Because when an artist is a winner as a human being, we know exactly how to build the foundations that make success inevitable.
While everyone else is chasing fake numbers, we're investing in real people.
While the industry gets distracted by meaningless metrics, we're building sustainable artist businesses.
While labels demand viral moments, we're creating lifetime careers.
The vanity metrics virus has infected the entire industry, but it hasn't infected us.
We cure it by focusing on what actually matters - the artist as a complete human being with a message worth sharing and the strategic foundation to share it effectively.
On September 10th in Mexico City, I'm revealing exactly how our People Metrics system works.
How we:
Identify true potential beyond the noise of fake numbers
Build artist businesses that thrive without depending on viral moments or manufactured metrics
Create the antidote to the vanity metrics virus that's killing real talent
You can register here:
Free live stream for everyone who registers and 101 chances for artists to be there in person.
The fake numbers game ends here.
Kind Regards
-The Baker
Solving The World's Problems Through Art | #thetimetodoisnow