Rick Barker is a highly accomplished music industry professional with over 25 years of experience. As the former Manager of Taylor Swift, he has guided the careers of numerous artists. Rick is also a co-writer of "The $150,000 Music Degree" and the host of "The Music Industry Blueprint Podcast," where he shares his expertise and empowers aspiring musicians and industry professionals.No Labels Necessary is a Weekly Podcast hosted by Sean "BrandMan" Taylor and Jacorey "Kohrey" Barkley, unveiling the world of marketing from Indie Artists to Major Labels.Topics Covered:03:58 The Severe Cost of Radio Tours 06:04 Becoming Taylor Swifts Manager09:05 How Taylor Swift Broke as Artist11:17 The Problem With Wanting To Be Like Drake, Kanye or Beyoncé|13:58 Taylor Swift's Fan Engagement Hack20:32 Fans Buy Merch For This Reason Only24:15 Fan Building Strategy: Doing What Everyone Else Isn't26:30 Stop Waiting For Labels To Give You The Chance30:25 Why Taylor Swift Went From Country to Pop34:42 Recouping Her Original Record Deals and Owning Her Masters37:58 Stop Chasing Trends To Grow Your Audience41:01 Why Labels We're Not Setup To Help Every Artist45:42 Giving Artist The Power To Grow Their Music Career59:03 Music Business Vs. Music Industry01:01:00 Building Community and BrandGet Free Courses That Helped Multiple Artists Get Millions of Streams!https://www.brandmannetwork.com/grammy?el=dsp