For months now, everyone has been sharing this performance by Angine de Poitrine.

And honestly? I get it.

It’s strange, impressive, memorable, and impossible to ignore.

But the music marketing world immediately turned it into a lesson: “THIS is what artists need to do now.”

More spectacle. More novelty. More shareability.

And I think that interpretation misses the point. Because I watched the full performance. I shared it myself. …and my share didn't mean what the marketing gurus says it means.

In this episode, we unpack the difference between fascination and fandom, why “shares” don’t mean what many artists think they mean, and how musicians accidentally start optimizing for attention metrics that have very little to do with real connection.

We’ll talk about:

• viral performances gimmicks vs. artistic identity
• why deeply meaningful music is often less shareable
• Goodhart’s Law and proxy metrics
• the danger of building your career around the wrong signals
• and how to find the thin overlap between what you truly are and what your audience genuinely responds to

Because attention says: “Huh. Interesting.”

Connection says: “Oh. That’s me.”

The article I mention by Gurwinder is here: https://www.gurwinder.blog/p/why-everything-is-becoming-a-game

Free guide: 🎧 5 Artist Branding Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

If you want a clearer artistic identity and message, grab the guide here: → https://www.musicdemo.org/branding

Ready to go deeper? My course Unbreakable walks you step-by-step through the process of defining your artist identity, clarifying your message, and turning listeners into lifelong fans with a future-proof brand.

Learn more here: → https://www.musicdemo.org/unbreakable

Scratch Track is the podcast for grown-up musicians who still believe in their music — but don’t have time to chase trends, go broke, or burn out.

About to release some new music?

👉 Get the "Music Release Checklist Your Distributor Hopes You'll NEVER Read" → https://www.musicdemo.org/music-release-checklist

Want help brainstorming a great lead magnet for YOUR music?

👉 Get the free list: "25 proven list-building ideas for musicians" → https://www.musicdemo.org/list-building

Thinking of removing your music from Spotify? 👉 Use our decision-tree first → https://www.musicdemo.org/leave-spotify

In this episode of Scratch Track: Reality Check, we break down the latest headlines shaping the music business right now:

1. Apple Music rolls out new tools aimed at turning streams into ticket sales

2. AI-generated music floods streaming platforms — and raises serious questions (while Deezer develops tools to counter the flood)

3. SoundCloud introduces “superfan” features for exclusive releases AI-generated music floods streaming platforms — and raises serious questions

Are these meaningful stories for busy musicians… or just more worry with no ROI? Check out the episode for our verdict on each story: Buzzworthy,... or b&ll$h!t?

We cut through the hype and look at what these stories really mean for working musicians with limited time and budget, and loads of responsibilities outside music!

- Erika Parr (co-founder of Demo)

- Chris Robley (host of Scratch Track)

- and Mike Warner (Work Hard Playlist Hard).

Find out more about Mike at https://workhardplaylisthard.com/home

Check out his label at https://stillcadence.com/

If you want a clearer artistic identity and message, grab the guide here:

→ https://www.musicdemo.org/branding

My course Unbreakable walks you step-by-step through the process of defining your artist identity, clarifying your message, and turning listeners into lifelong fans with a future-proof brand.

Learn more here: → https://www.musicdemo.org/unbreakable

👉 Get the "Music Release Checklist Your Distributor Hopes You'll NEVER Read"

→ https://www.musicdemo.org/music-release-checklist

👉 Get the free list: "25 proven list-building ideas for musicians"

→ https://www.musicdemo.org/list-building

👉 Use our decision-tree first

→ https://www.musicdemo.org/leave-spotify

There’s a promo tactic floating around right now that promises buzz, engagement, and momentum.

It’s called astroturfing.

Fake fan accounts. Manufactured hype. Staged controversy.

And while it might work for artists with teams behind them… it can quietly drain your time and energy (and self-respect) if you're a mid-life musician.

And I'll bet time and energy are your scarcest resources right now.

In this episode of Scratch Track, we break down:

• What astroturfing actually is
• The “sock puppet” playbook
• The real costs of fake momentum
• A simple 3-part filter to evaluate any promo tactic or tool before you waste time on it

Because the goal isn’t to do more. It’s to build something real.

If you’re balancing music with work, family, and real-life responsibilities, this episode will help take a breath and focus on what actually moves things forward.

Free guide: 🎧 5 Artist Branding Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

If you want a clearer artistic identity and message, grab the guide here: https://www.musicdemo.org/branding

Ready to go deeper?

My course Unbreakable walks you step-by-step through the process of defining your artist identity, clarifying your message, and turning listeners into lifelong fans with a future-proof brand. Learn more here: https://www.musicdemo.org/unbreakable

About to release some new music?

👉 Get the "Music Release Checklist Your Distributor Hopes You'll NEVER Read" → https://www.musicdemo.org/music-release-checklist

Want help brainstorming a great lead magnet for YOUR music?

👉 Get the free list: "25 proven list-building ideas for musicians" → https://www.musicdemo.org/list-building

Thinking of removing your music from Spotify?

👉 Use our decision-tree first → https://www.musicdemo.org/leave-spotify