Replay:
‘‘The MAD Records Methodology’’
Enrollment in our 10-Week Artist Sprint closes on Tuesday, August 18th!
In our 10-Week Artist Sprint, our team will work directly with you to build a custom marketing and business strategy for your music career that doesn’t rely on luck or “the algorithm”.
From August 19th - September 28th, you’ll get access to weekly live classes (also available on replay), unlimited access to daily mentorship calls with our team to help implement what you’ve learned, and a self-paced curriculum to guide you along the way.
“MAD Records has transformed the way I think about the music business. In a mad world of streaming numbers and followers and whatnot, Michael has helped me focus on what’s actually important in building a sustainable career.”
— Abigayle Oakley (Touring Artist, recently featured on The Voice)
Does this sound like you?
If you are:
Writing and releasing music that you are passionate about but promoting it feels “gross” or “inauthentic”
Tired of trying to “go viral” or “trigger the algorithm” and want to build a long-term strategy that doesn’t rely on luck
Sick of pretending that streams and followers are the same as a real audience
Losing money on your music promotion with no clear idea of how you’ll ever make it back
Getting inundated with ads from “gurus” who claim to have the “quick-fix”
Finding yourself continually making music but avoiding promoting it
It’s time to stop gambling and start building.
Early bird enrollment closes on August 10th!MAD Records Collective Member - Cloud Prescott
There’s a big difference between building you music career and gambling your music career.
Gambling your music career means chasing streams, algorithms, and social media trends in the hopes that somehow it magically results in a real, engaged fan base.
Building your music career means approaching your career like an actual business and creating a strategy that doesn’t rely on luck or “the algorithm” in order to work.
We noticed that no one seemed to be teaching the latter, so we built a mentorship program that will show you exactly how to build your music career like a proper business.
In this 10-Week program, you’ll get access to weekly live classes with MAD Records Founder, Michael Gilbride, where he’ll walk through the entire MAD Records methodology for building your music career in a way that is actually sustainable and aligned with your core values.
You’ll also get unlimited access to live mentorship calls where you’ll work with Michael and our team of mentors to implement what you’ve learned to your specific circumstances.
You’ll also get access to our 10-Week Music Business Curriculum so you can follow along with Michael each week in the corresponding self-paced video lessons.
In just 10-Weeks, you’ll get complete clarity on how to approach your music career like a proper business so you can stop gambling and start building.
MAD Records Collective Member - Cole Ritter
What’s included in the 10-Week Artist Sprint?
Weekly Live Classes with MAD Records Founder, Michael Gilbride - Michael is a former Wall Street trader turned artist who blended his love of music and business to create MAD Records. Each week for 10 weeks, Michael will host a live session every Wednesday at 3pm EST (all sessions are recorded and available on replay) covering one week of the curriculum in depth, answering your questions along the way.
Unlimited Access to Mentorship Calls - Learning the concepts is only half the battle. Implementing them requires guidance, coaching, and support. You’ll have unlimited access to daily group mentorship calls where you can bring your questions, get your music reviewed, share your anxieties (we all have them), and get direct feedback and support on your music career.
Onboarding and Accountability Calls - We all fall off the wagon from time to time, which is why each enrollee will have an initial onboarding call to set them off on the right foot, as well as (optional) weekly accountability calls to stay on the right path.
Access to our 10-Week Music Business Curriculum - Follow along each week of the program with our 10-Week Music Business Curriculum where we'll teach you the fundamental concepts to building a real, engaged audience including fan funneling, email list building, values-led marketing strategies, monetization, and more.
A cohort - You're not doing this alone in a tab you forgot about. You're doing it with other people working through the same material on the same timeline.
10-Weeks to go from aimlessly making content to a clear, actionable plan for building a real, engaged audience that is ready to support your career.
Meet Your Mentors
Founder
Michael Gilbride is a former Wall Street trader and bestselling Substack writer who quit his career in finance in 2020 to pursue his solo music project, "telco". After years of releasing and promoting his own music, Michael became the General Manager of the online music production school, Mastering.com, where he fell in love with education.
After years of building Mastering.com, Michael used his background in online education to build MAD Records.
Michael Gilbride
Head Of Music Services
Rob Schustack is a voting member of the Grammys with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. He got his start working in A&R at Atlantic Records and went on to be involved in in both the publishing and sync side of the industry working with brands, bands and catalogs like Disney, Amazon, Google, Febreze, BMW, Wu Tang Clan, Ceelo Green, Nirvana, Hall & Oates, Aerosmith and many others.
Rob Schustack
Operations Manager
Lucy Warr has navigated the industry from the live circuit and label releases to high-level collaborations, accumulating over 3 million streams, radio plays and editorial placements along the way.
Having worn the many hats an artist has to wear, she understands firsthand how difficult it is to balance the creative and business sides of the industry… and now works directly with other artists to help build their careers, all while still writing, releasing, and promoting her own solo music.
Reid Sorel
Head Producer
Reid Sorel is one of the best emerging producers in Nashville, TN. Reid completed his music production degree at Belmont University in 2021 and has cut over 100 records already with artists such as Twinnie, Camille Parker, and Dan Marshall.
Lucy Warr
10-Week Sync Sprint
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Sync Opportunities
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Direct Accountability
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Music Feedback
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Business Coaching
10-Week Sync Sprint " Sync Opportunities " Direct Accountability " Music Feedback " Business Coaching
What previous artists’ thoughts of the 10-Week Sprint…
“This is a turning point for me! I've been part of the MAD Records Collective for 3 weeks now, and what I've learned in these last months surpasses everything I've studied about music/business in the last two years! I started to see things from a different perspective, and I can already see the results! And for me, the highlight of the program: being part of this group and this community of great musicians who respect and support each other! I'd recommend it to people in the music industry who take music seriously and are striving to build and expand their audience.”
—Juliana von Mühlen
“This was super helpful. It's my first attempt at developing some business and promotion strategy and the MAD Records approach is exactly what I wanted. I'm not quick to pull the trigger on every pitch that comes by. When you join Substack the first thing you're greeted by a rabid pack of peddlers trying to sell you their own perfect process for succeeding as a creative. It's a bit overwhelming. I took my time, and when I found MAD Records it felt much more authentic and honest than anything else. Not pre-packaged 'tips and tricks', not an out-of-the-box 'formula for success.' It's a real focus on the skills and systems that can help anyone achieve their own unique approach, with emphasis on the importance of mindset and creativity, and an engaged community of like-minded artists to share the journey with.”
—Matt Hayter
“The Sprint helped me clarify the direction I want to take my music, and my overall why for doing it. I think it’s a challenging climate for artists and producers, and it’s easy to waste years and money trying to get the purpose and marketing right. The Sprint walks through all the tough questions of ‘how will I actually make this work’ in a fun and supportive environment.
What I didn’t see coming about this Sprint was how connected I’d feel with the group of artists in my cohort. To see everyone get more clear, directional and purposeful with their music over 10 weeks was really cool.”
—Robyn Unwin
Enrollment for the Sprint ends on August 18th so be sure to enroll ASAP!
You’ll get immediate access to our private community where you’ll schedule your onboarding calls before the program officially kicks off on August 19th.
Ready to start building?
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or email info@madrecordscollective.com with any additional questions.
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We are looking for passionate artists that are sick of chasing virality or the algorithm, and are willing to take a long-term approach to building their music career. If you are looking for quick fixes or shortcuts... then this is not the program for you.
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Most artists we work with also have full or part time jobs, so we’ve designed everything to fit around a busy schedule. We recommend 3-5 hours per week over the course of the 10 weeks for best results.
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Don’t worry, all calls are recorded and available on replay. As for the mentorship calls, we have daily mentorship availability so you can always pick the call and time that works best for you.
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You’ll have the opportunity to continue working with us through our Incubator program, and many students choose to stay onboard so they can implement what they’ve learned during the sprint with the help of our team.
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The program officially kicks off on Wednesday, August 19th and runs until September 28th. Live classes take place on Wednesdays at 3pm EST and are available for replay.
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Early bird pricing is $750 if paid in full, or 3 payments of $250. Once early bird pricing expires, the program will cost $900 if paid in full, or 3 payments of $333.
“MAD Records is the place that provides you the opportunity to succeed in the industry. There are plenty of aspiring writers, producers, and musicians who complain that they can't get a foot in the door of the industry. Well, MAD Records is that proverbial foot! They provide access to resources that are actually relevant to the modern artist/producer, an extremely talented and engaging community of like-minded individuals, and the chance to get feedback on your work from Industry pros. Best of all, the monthly challenges that engage your creativity and push you past your comfort zone into the territory where inspiration meets influence, allowing growth to occur. I'm glad to have found them, and I encourage anyone who is interested in a career in music to give MAD Records a try.” - Logan Belle
Don Arbuckle
"You can go about doing this on your own—you can watch YouTube videos—but at some point, you're going to plateau until you’ve had an opportunity to work with real people, real experts, people who’ve been there, people who’ve done that. And that’s what you're going to find in this community."
“I had a real sense that there was something special about this program, and it felt like I’d found it at exactly the right time for me on a personal level. It’s a proper support system. Fast-moving, loads happening, but you get real guidance, real accountability, and you actually make progress” - Sam Richards
“Once I realized how talented you guys were as a group, I had to get involved. I'm in the infancy stage of my sync career, and I definitely need the guidance. You all know what you're doing.” - Ryan Wooten
“A great place for musicians, artists and producers to hone their skills and collaborate with others in a committed, purposeful way.” - Robyn Unwin
Word On The Street…
Giddy
"I genuinely believe that joining incubator is one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself as a person. What it does is it goes really deep, it provides really deep, really hands-on, really caring, genuinely expert mentorship that helps you to define your own goals and values as a person and make and implement a career plan that is in line with those goals and values."
Cloud
"I have a clear idea of the mechanics of what it takes for specifically an artist to understand how to get people to develop a relationship with you... and then getting them to a point where this relationship has enough trust for them to invest in you. I booked my first show, I created my first merch, I gathered materials for my EPK... I did all the fundamental things that I needed to get done to really be a true artist in my own eyes."
Judah Sloane
"The artist incubator program has truly changed not just me musically... but most importantly in my eyes, a true mindset shift on what it means to take that passion and turn it into a business. I have a true mindset shift on what it means to take that passion and turn it into a business that can sustain."
Shannon Sharpe
"I have learned so much; not only have I moved towards my goals and actually made progress—not just had my wheels spinning and not knowing where to go—I’ve had actionable steps, I’ve had support along the way... and it’s been so exciting to actually see my dreams start to become a reality."
“Forget Berklee, this is the trade school for artists. Constant mentorship, high accountability, and actionable advice from people who walk the talk. You'll build a career, not just a resume.” - Timothy Shay
“Seeing RESULTS. If you simply do what is asked of you from Michael, Rob and team, you get results. But you have to actually pay attention to what is being said, diligently, aggressively, because there's lots of (detailed) information flying at you fast, so the replays are very important.” - Ryan Wooten
“Best decision I've made for my artist career by far! It's a safe, genuine and welcoming space to learn, share and grow with other artists of all levels. Amazing mentors and opportunities. Can't recommend it enough!” - Simon Lahaie
“The honest caring motivation provided by your staff and by the events that continually challenge me to improve. That plus the amazing (AMAZING!) members of this community who not only have such extreme talent, but are always willing to help each other out, without regard to compensation, payback or recognition!!” - Don Arbuckle
Daniel Jenkins
“The number one thing is access to these pros…These are guys who love to help people, they’re sharing an incredible wealth of knowledge… There’s so much value for your investment here. I released an EP this year, I don’t think I would’ve done that if I wasn’t in this program…It’s been really clarifying, helpful, and I’m super grateful. I highly recommend it.”