Framing And Outlining

When I was in college I got pneumonia and had to move home for a month and a half.

I sat in a recliner the entire time and through the help of strong prescription medication I would get my laptop out and click around in photoshop and a couple other design programs.

I never turned into a graphic designer but I learned a lot.

One of the main thing I remember is how framing and outlining changes the entire look.

It changes the way you see the thing being framed.

The thing being framed is the focal point, the attention getter, the point, the purpose…but take away the frame and it doesn’t catch they eye the same way. It doesn’t draw you in the same way. It looses the thing.


The mistake is thinking everything you do is a focal point. Some things have to be the frames.

Success comes when you know what to frame (thereby not framing other things) and what to frame it with (going all in on what you are framing).

***In a very literal sense…next time you see some artwork notice how many times the focal point is outlined.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Spotify New Royalty System

The official word will be coming in the next few days, but the new Spotify interface for artists and songwriters will include a feature where you can essentially set your own royalty rate per stream.

Think of it like a version of Radiohead’s pay what you want from years ago.

There’s been an incredible amount of back and forth legislation on streaming royalties but it’s looking like Spotify has come to a point where they’re going to go all in on artists and writers. To trust them to set their own rate (up to 10 cents per stream)…As Spotify is a vital service for artists and writers, Spotify trusts that artists and writers will choose a royalty rate that will allow Spotify to still have enough cash flow and long term revenue to keep everything going.

Artists and writers will take care of Spotify by selecting a royalty rate they believe will benefit everyone.

It’s a lot of power, but it’s more like handing a tiny bit of to a lot of people. Spotify is diversifying their risk, knowing that each artist will come to a slightly different conclusion on what their royalty rate should be and that ultimately everything will balance out across the entire platform.

Here’s to hoping.

***If you don’t see the new interface in the next few days, send an email to april@fools.day and they should be able to tell you everything you need to know.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Really Into You

You might be worried that posting a 90 minute interview or a 30 minute behind the scenes video is too much. That it’s too much in a culture thought to have a short attention span.

And sure it’s too much for a lot of people. A lot of people will simply brush by your offering. That long of a commitment isn’t for those people.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer it up.

The great thing is…the only people who click on the 90 minute interview or the 30 minute behind the scenes video are the type of people who want 90 or 30 minutes.

They’re really into you. And you’re giving them the opportunity they’re looking for.

If there’s no 90 minute interview then no one who wants to hear you for 90 minutes will get to hear you for 90 minutes.

So if someone loves what you’re doing there’s gotta be a rabbit hole of connection that you’ve laid out. The further down the rabbit hole, the less people but more special feeling.

What’s the badge(s) of honor hiding in plain sight that the people who are really into you get to experience?

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

The Real Reasons

Most of the time when the label, publisher, agent, across the table gives you a reason they don’t wanna work with you it’s not the real reason.

But really if you get a reason at all you’re one of the few.

Usually you walk away thinking the meeting went pretty well but then the relationship fizzles or you never hear anything at all. So there’s no actual momentum even though you thought it went well.

It fizzles or you never hear anything at all for one of three reasons…

1. You are not good enough yet

2. You are good enough but they don’t want to work with an act like you

3. You are good enough and they do want to work with an act like you but you represent too much risk (they’ll look dumb to their boss, they might lose money or reputation or their job).

If it’s the first one, go back to work.

If it’s two or three, change the meeting.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Personal Trainers and Paul McCartney’s Guitar

I wrote down these two blog ideas next to each other but at two different times months apart and just now realize how much they go together. So here…

Idea 1:

“That’s why celebrities look so good because they can afford personal trainers”- I overheard this in a hotel lobby.

Idea 2:

Paul McCartney’s guitar plays the same chords as yours.


Celebrities give us an easy out. They have the magic fairy dust and I don’t. Good things just happen for them and bad things follow me around. Life is easy for them and hard for me. They are different than me and that’s why they’re successful and I’m lucky to get scraps. And I can’t change that so I’m doomed.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Compromise-able

You’re going to have to make compromises. If you make them together you have a better shot at winning.

Even more, if everyone involved already knows and agrees which areas are compromise-able and which are not, that will go a long way to ensure the ‘together’ part of the first statement.

***Just to get your brain going: The things you are known for might be good places to stand your ground. The things you are not known for might be good places to let it be easy.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com