How To Wake-up From The Matrix

As I type this, I’m on a three-day solo retreat in the Columbia River Gorge. It’s an annual ritual I’ve developed over the years to find some space, reflect, reset and redefine my habits, goals and intentions for the year ahead. 

In other words, it’s how I wake-up from The Matrix – the mindless trance most of us are trapped inside of, due to a constant deluge of inputs, feeds, streams and the nonstop stimulus to our souls. Thanks to works like Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, I’ve become acutely aware of how humans aren’t good at slowing down, being quiet and embracing the wonders of solitude. Some have even argued solitude is becoming extinct. 

To be clear, taking long walks with your earbuds in isn’t solitude. Long drives while listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks isn’t solitude either. Spending a lazy Saturday afternoon alone on the couch while binge-watching Friends or soccer isn’t solitude. Enjoyable? Sure. Solitude? No way. 

Solitude is best defined as “freedom from inputs from other minds.” Props to Georgetown University Professor and leading thinker on minimalism, Cal Newport, for distilling it. In his research, Newport discovered regular doses of solitude are crucial for the effective and resilient functioning of your brain. 

During my annual retreat ritual, I block out all possible distractions and inputs, reflecting and thinking deeply about who I am, who I want to be, and getting clear about what really matters. I do some pen-to-paper exercises around what worked and what didn’t work during the past year. Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Start/Stop/Continue” framework? Just as important as finding some big, game-changing ideas, it’s equally important to look for opportunities to say no and simply create more open space…to think. 

While on retreats I prioritize sleep, I run and hike and soak or perhaps get a massage. It’s quiet time. Alone time. Solitude. It’s a rare opportunity to slow down, look out at the horizon and think deeply. 

I also try to build-in smaller, abbreviated versions of this practice during my regular days and weeks – and that’s helpful too. But it’s not the same. Three solid days away provides the ideal situation for me to go deep. Perhaps it’s not too different from Bill Gates “Think Weeks.” 

We aren’t really using our brains while we’re receiving all those inputs – and we’re practically getting them 24/7. Believe it or not, you’re not getting that much smarter while doing all that reading, podcasting, and binge-watching, either. Sure, you’re learning a few things. And perhaps it’s enjoyable. But be honest with yourself – you’re not exactly thinking deeply or wrestling with any of it. 

The real question to ask is, what are you doing with all of the information you’re taking in? What are all of these inputs and information doing for your life? What’s the tangible impact?  Stop lying to yourself. Show me. 

Furthering this modern mental epidemic is what we’re doing in the margins – those little blips of time in between things. I’m talking about virtually anytime we're waiting, in the bathroom, before and after meetings and calls, or perhaps whenever we feel that little buzz in the pocket. Our “margin time” is being mindlessly co-opted by our devices, feeds, news and social media trash. If you feel me, you’re in the matrix. 

To truly flex that supercomputer between your ears, you need solitude. There’s no way around it. 

Quiet. Stillness. No inputs. And most importantly, you need the quiet time and space to consider, contemplate, try-on, and wrestle with ideas, dreams, beliefs, conflicts, and those big, important life questions like “who am I?” and “what do I want to accomplish this year?”

The only way to truly experience real, deep thinking is to turn off all inputs. Period. 

Franciscan monk and author, Richard Rohr, said it best, “In our busy, frenetic world, it’s easy to slip into a mode of living that looks and feels a lot like autopilot. We go through the motions, move through our calendars, and rinse and repeat each day.”

Now stop for a moment and imagine what life could look like if you actually had a plan. Consider what you could achieve if you set clear goals for your year. Think about the impact of having every hour of every day planned and accounted for, as a result of deep thought and intention. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t have a lazy Saturday afternoon binge-watching Friends or watching soccer. Everyone needs a few days like that, no doubt. It just means you’re doing that with intention and it’s part of your plan, not because you mindlessly ended up on the couch because you were feeling burnt-out and saw a meme on Instagram about self care.

A famous person once told me that every day when he wakes up, he sits on the edge of his bed for a minute and contemplates “who am I and what will I accomplish today?” I have to admit, I rolled my eyes when I heard that for the first time.

Then I got a little older and a little grayer.  And now I’ve more or less adopted that daily practice for myself, along with magic mornings. And guess what? It works. It all really works.

There’s many ways to do this kind of work. My mentor, Mario Schulzke, has a 600 square-foot log cabin in deep, rural Montana. Nothing fancy. No electricity. No running water.  The only possible distractions are weather and bears. That’s solitude. Another mentor of mine, Chris Corbin, has an old Toyota pickup truck and pulls a simple fiberglass row boat behind it. Nothing fancy. And wherever he floats, he finds solitude, and thinks deeply about life, love, work… and bull trout.

Solitude provides the opportunity for deep thought, critical thinking and resilient brain function. Which allows for the forging of one’s own beliefs, intentions and specific plans. Followed by healthy habits and steady practice, leads to action. Which leads to impact. Which leads to meaning and feelings of joy and gratitude. Which wakes you up from the matrix. 

RW

Marmoset's 2021 Annual Transparency Report

Amid today’s societal landscape where so many are giving back and standing-up for the greater good, it’s hard to know who’s merely talking the talk and who’s truly walking the walk. 

So in 2020 our team decided to publish an internal audit to help demonstrate the power of transparency. The objective was two-fold: First to take a hard look in the mirror to identify ways for us to improve our own organization. And second, to serve as a signal fire to the community – inviting a broader conversation around values and accountability, exploring how we might collectively lift up and transform our industry toward higher standards and a brighter future. We’ve committed to publishing this report annually, with this 2021 report (published in 2022) serving as our second edition.

It’s no secret the industries and workplaces we intersect with and work within have been unfairly leveraged and controlled by homogenous insiders and gatekeepers for far too long. Finally, the tide is turning. Transparency is the most powerful tool we have to help level the playing field. 

By the time you finish reading our new 2021 report you will know what we believe in, what we’re willing to fight for, and how our values take tangible shape in the work we do and in the community we serve. You’ll also see our shortcomings and areas needing the most work. It’s all there, warts and all. And I welcome any questions, criticisms, conversations or ideas you may have to offer. You can reach me at rw@marmosetmusic.com.

Most importantly, please amplify the power of transparency in your own workplace, industry and community. Let this signal fire spark conversations and connection around shared values and ideas of how we might lift up our workplaces, industries and communities toward a better and brighter future. 

With gratitude,

RW

The Mirror of Truth

German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe famously said “Tell me with whom you consort with and I will tell you who you are. ” While insightful and thought provoking, it’s also perhaps a little too simple for today’s modern world. Given Goethe was born in 1749, it’s reasonable to believe people were the main influence back then.

In modern living however, what informs “who we are” can be a bit more complex. I gave a TED Talk a few years back about leading creatives and have continued my study of the modern creative professional ever since. 

My 2022 adaptation of Goethe’s concept expands to include today’s three most important human tells:

1. Inputs

2. People

3. Time

Show me your inputs – the information, media and entertainment you consume. Then show me the people you spend most of your time with (thank you, Goethe). Next account for how you spend your time each day. When analyzing time, just focus on your free time and downtime – the time you spend outside of work and other necessary responsibilities. It’s best to examine what we do when the choice is 100% ours, lest our work defines us.

Capture every detail, then reflect on it deeply. Look into the mirror and tell me who you see.  If you can objectively and truthfully outline these three realities, you will have an accurate mosaic of who you are – whether you like it or not.

Upon completion of this self-inventory exercise, gather it all into a common document and give yourself some time for contemplation. Ask yourself what’s working and what can be improved. Remember, “garbage in, garbage out.”  (And who cares how many times your grandfather said that to you. Some things are undeniably true.) Then set some simple, actionable goals for what you want this inventory to look like by this time next year.  

As Seneca brilliantly said, roughly around 50 AD: 

“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested… So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.” 

I quit playing video games years ago because it scared me how quickly time passed while playing them. Now I’m so neurotic I try to read audio books… while exercising… while taking notes and cataloging ideas. Good? Bad? Who knows? Watching sports is my time waster these days.

Everyone in the history of humankind has exactly the same number of hours in a day to be great… or to be average. The choice is yours. Everyone gets to decide what we consume, who we spend our time with, and what we do with our time. In this, each of us ultimately decides who we are and what’s possible.

And then we die. Memento Mori, Amor Fati.

RW

I Changed My Mind About Subscription Models And Here’s Why You Should Too

In December 2018 I drafted a fiery essay about why subscription music licensing models are bad for artists, bad for music, and might even be a degradation to humanity. As you can see, I had some big emotions about it.

Thankfully, I never published it. 

Today I’m writing, and actually publishing this, to say I was wrong. I’ve learned a lot about this unique area of the music licensing landscape over the past 3-4 years, and I’ve changed my mind about most of it. 

Moreover, I’m excited to announce Marmoset will launch a game changing new subscription brand and technology in the new year. It’s got some pretty wild, never before seen features and surprises in it too. We can’t wait to share it with the world.

But first a little context. It’s been a long and winding road for us to get here, so let’s slow down and unpack it a little bit. 

Marmoset’s Beginnings

In 2014, four years after our beginnings as a scrappy Portland, Oregon based start-up, Marmoset challenged the industry with a fancy new online music licensing platform. At the time, it caused a little stir and we won some awards for it. Competitors even copied us. And there were a few critics and cynics out there too, who cringed at the very idea of it, believing it cheapened the value of music. 

Perhaps at the heart of the matter, there’s been a long growing fear of a race-to-the-bottom end game for music licensing. Or at least a perpetual cheapening of the perceived value of music. While these dark market forces are real and certainly do exist, our team at Marmoset has always worked hard to fight the good fight. 

We’re pretty good at it too: our team has increased the average price per license every single year. No easy feat. 

The Subscription Model Boom

Now the marketplace has mostly moved on past click licensing, and today, most of the innovation, buzz, and a little criticism too, happens around subscription models. 

In a short time, the growth and investment in the subscription music licensing space has quickly rocketed nearly beyond comprehension, with some early market leaders earning valuations between $500 Million to upwards of $1.5 Billion (yes, Billion). It’s wild. You don’t have to like it, but you certainly cannot deny the energy and velocity subscription models have in the marketplace. 

Here’s perhaps the most important part I got wrong about music licensing subscription models: I totally misunderstood WHO they’re for. 

Subscription music licensing isn't meant  to serve the traditional music licensing ecosystem, like TV & Film, commercials and mainstream media for ads and brands. It’s purpose is to serve the unmet needs of a rocketing new, and starkly different marketplace: The Creator Economy. 

Enter The Creator Economy

What’s the Creator Economy? Think internet influencers, Youtubers, TikTokers, Twitchers, Instagramers, Snapchatters and Podcasters. AKA high-volume content creators who are pushing new content and videos out daily on a wide range of new and emerging social media apps. 

The Creator Economy is the fastest growing sector of the global small business economy. Slow down and let that really sink in for a moment. 

With more than 50 million creators worldwide and rapidly growing, this marketplace is virtually endless. Anyone with a computer or a device can be a creator. In fact, a recent survey actually found that more American kids want to be a YouTuber (29%) than an Astronaut (11%) when they grow up. 😢

To understand the industry a little deeper, you need to know who’s funding it. Advertisers and marketers of all shapes and sizes are the biggest single source financing the Creator Economy, paying influencers to promote their products, services and brands. It’s estimated creator sponsorships will grow to $15-$20 BILLION by 2022. 

Why does all of this even matter? Because nearly all of the content being produced features MUSIC.

To be clear, the Creator Economy is an almost completely new, distinctly different client base from what we’ve built our Marmoset ecosystem on. Historically, our core clients have been brands and advertisers of all shapes and sizes, including ad agencies, production companies, global brands, in addition to traditional TV and Film clients. The Creator Economy is starkly different. 

Worth noting, both sectors – traditional music licensing and the Creator Economy – are GROWING. These marketplaces mostly don’t compete against one another. There’s no significant cannibalism or degradation happening between them. It’s apples and oranges.

In doing my homework, perhaps the biggest, most insightful lesson I’ve learned was the result of having real life conversations with real life customers who were feeling the friction of a slow-to-evolve marketplace – including the friction of my own company. 

In 2020 we surveyed and interviewed a wide sampling of our clients, including a subset who loved Marmoset, but grew frustrated and moved on to explore subscription services. It took dozens of hour-long phone conversations with actual customers for it to really sink-in for me just how different the Creator Economy is from the old school, traditional music licensing game.

These specific types of customers publish new content daily. Publishing frequently, they can’t afford to pay thousands or even hundreds of dollars per song for a 30-second social media clip, especially when they’re not even certain the user has the sound on in the app. Because of the immense volume of content they’re creating, they don’t have the time or bandwidth to do single, one-off licenses the traditional way. 

They told me, time and time again, they simply don’t have time to exchange multiple emails, over multiple days (sometimes weeks), back-and-forth negotiating pricing, terms, billing, and sometimes waiting even longer to receive hi-res files and PDF invoices. It’s a painstakingly slow, antiquated service model. 

High volume content creators want an easy-to-use, friction-free app, where they can grab music and go. Who can blame them?

Impact on Artists

I know there’s one very important question some of you may be wondering about. How does a subscription model impact the economics for artists? 

A new subscription product, aimed at an almost entirely new marketplace, will earn new revenue for artists, above and beyond whatever they may have been already earning via sync and other income streams. While we have no crystal ball or ability to predict the future, our conservative estimates suggest it means increasing the income of participating Marmoset artists by 10-20% to their baseline. More optimistic estimates project even better than that, especially over time, and as things grow.

While it’s true the economics of the subscription model aren’t as exciting as the traditional sync model, it will serve as a meaningful addition and supplement to an artist’s bigger economic pie. 

The bottom line is: We’re growing the pie. 

Annnnnd we’re boldly exploring the future. Burying our heads, fighting it or spreading fear and worry isn’t going to get us anywhere. We’ve got to stay open, keep learning, keep testing new ideas, keep exploring and keep moving forward. It’s the only way. 

As is always the case, the subscription model approach will not work for every artist. We get that. When we started Marmoset ten plus years ago, many artists weren’t cool with regular, traditional music licensing. We’ll never pressure artists to work with us on any level, subscription models or otherwise. We’d prefer to only work with artists who are aligned and just as excited about it as we are. 

The Path Forward

Yes, change can be hard for some folks. I see you. Humans have been fighting change for thousands upon thousands of years. As someone important once said, “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” 

Meanwhile, new technologies are constantly emerging. Blockchain. Cryptocurrency. NFTs. Same day delivery. Electric, self-driving cars. Space travel. Vast new marketplaces are sprouting up every day, growing by leaps and bounds, while most of us are sleeping. But how quickly is the music licensing world evolving? What if we were more solutions oriented? More future oriented.

If we can be more curious about new ideas, new models, technologies and evolving marketplaces, we’ll find new opportunities to support the artists we represent and the communities we’re trusted to serve.

So… YES, it’s true! On behalf of all of us on the Marmoset team, we are excited to announce we are on the cusp of launching a thrilling and innovative new subscription model designed specifically for the Creator Economy. We've got some pretty wild, patent-protected features and tools, all built on top of the highest quality music the world has come to love and expect from Marmoset. Stay tuned for more details -- we’ve got big announcements on all things subscription models in the early days of the new year. 

A final note: there’s one very important lesson I’ve learned along the way during our ten-plus years in business: always keep a long term, wide angle perspective about things. As interesting of a topic as subscription models may be, that’s not what it’s all about. Let’s not get too distracted here. Subscription models are but one piece of a much bigger, more exciting, constantly evolving puzzle. 

For instance, consider the fact that we’re more than ten years into this and Marmoset is STILL the only Certified B Corp in the game. We’re also the first music licensing company on the planet to invest 10% of profits back to community partners. And we’re the only music company brave enough to publish an Annual Transparency Report -- providing a clear line of sight through the entire organization. 

At the end of the day, we will continue to hold fast to our commitment to serve the artists we collaborate with and represent, the clients we partner with, and the community it all supports.  Rest assured, we will never stop giving you everything we’ve got to make a positive impact in this world. That’s our purpose. 

With gratitude,

RW