I guess that's not saying much. It seems to me that every year is wild now, and each one is wilder than the last. Maybe that perspective is just par for the course of getting older, or maybe we live in unprecedented times and the world is slipping into chaos. Maybe both.
But I'm not here to wax philosophical about the passage of time and the crisis of modernity, damn it. I'm here to write a marketing newsletter.
Anyway, what I wanted to say was that a lot happened last year, not just out in the wide, wild world, but also in the narrow confines of my own small life, and also in the somewhat broader – but still quite small – group of 11,563 people who are receiving this email, of which you – yes, you – are the single most important.
Just kidding. But it does feel that way, right? Like, despite everything and everyone else out there, you matter the very most? Or at least, your perspective is the truest one: the most vivid, the most alive, the really-real ground of reality? Same. One of us is wrong, though. My money says it's you. But here's a good reminder for both of us to read This Is Water by David Foster Wallace, and to try to live its heart much better than he apparently did.
Okay, for real this time: marketing newsletter stuff.
A few weeks ago, back when we were still in the old year, I asked you to share your best wins and biggest goals. Here are some of them.
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Your biggest wins from 2025
"I started May 30th and I'm now in 126 countries 🎉" – Jayne
"My YouTube channel grew from 400 subs to now at 20k, and I also got one of my tracks placed in a big Canadian tv show airing on Christmas Day... Yay." – Ray
"Biggest win for 2025 was releasing new music/my first solo EP." – Jerry
"Biggest win on the marketing front: followed a version of your approach and one of the songs did pretty well – not gangbusters, but started hitting Discover Weekly, Radio, and Release Radar, and stayed in it for several months post advertising. I'm on track to make most or all of my money back on ad spend solely from streaming revenue." – Joe
"We exceeded our $10k album funding goal on Kickstarter, and it deepened our relationship with our fans by providing a platform and a reason to mail out our new record on vinyl, along with other merch, and personalized rewards like offering music lessons." – Rachel
"I released a 10-track album with a 13-track deluxe version that was the first fully self-produced project I’ve released since 2022." – Ava
"My biggest win is born out of loss: I lost three important people in my life this year, including my mother. I channeled my grief into creativity and am grateful to have music as an outlet." – William
My thoughts: William's win made me tear up, not going to lie. And I think it's a good representation of what we all really value: I'd estimate that, for like two-thirds of respondents, the biggest win from 2025 was making music. There's no beating that simple and profound act.
My job pushes me toward measuring success by numbers, but I believe this perspective – that music is an end in itself – is the better one. If you made or put out music last year, congratulations, and keep up the good work.
Your biggest goals for 2026
"Biggest goal(s) for 2026? Record 2+ new songs, play more shows. Get to 1 million streams across all platforms (we're about a third of the way there it looks). I've also soft-launched Sunset Moon Music Publishing (got tired of seeing artists and songwriters pay Songtrust to handle their administration and/or leave money on the table). Goal for that one is to help collect over $500k for songwriters in the first year." – Alex
"The main goal for next year is finishing and releasing my new album- #7, which will be titled 'Walking the Tightrope.'" – Stephanie
"2026 goal is to hit the charts." – Brook
"My goal is to boost my artist popularity mark on Spotify. It is currently at 15." – Simon
"Releasing 3 singles." – Chris
"My 2026 objective is: Releasing more music! I would like to have at least 5 tracks released in 2026." – Antoine
"My biggest goal for 2026 is to continue growing For The Kingdom into a recognized artist by releasing a new single every 4–6 weeks – and more importantly, expanding the reach of the mission: spreading goodness and God’s love through meaningful, uplifting music." – Tyler
"My biggest goal, music-wise, is to release the (above-mentioned) EP. And to polish and record the next 4 compositions for the follow-up EP. On a personal level, to spend more time with my son. And to generate more income. :)" – Mark
My thoughts: Same thing – so much of the focus (quite rightly) is on putting music into the world. I love it. Let's do it.
And to wrap this exercise up...
Here are my own wins and goals.
Since nobody's stopping me, I'll share them for both my music and for the business of Two Story Media.
My music answers:
- Last year's win: Finally cracking 1,000,000 streams on my own music catalogue. I know it’s just a number, but it still felt good.
- This year's goal: Releasing at least 3 songs I’m really proud of.
My business answers:
- Last year's win: It’s a toss-up between hiring Tom and having our highest-ever year of revenue. Probably Tom.
- This year's goal: I want to switch from having the agency be the main thing to having the membership be the main thing.
On that final note, I'll be talking more about our (rebranded and very awesome) Music Marketing Membership in the near future. I'm more excited about it than I am for the NFL playoffs. Stay tuned.
All right, that's all for today.
Thanks, as always, for reading. I'm really glad that you're here as we get 2026 started. The New Year promises to be wild, as ever, but here's hoping that it's also the year all of your wildest dreams come true.
Or at least the year you release some more music.
You've got this.
– Jon
Jon Anderson
Founder @ Two Story Media
Surprisingly Good @ Super Smash Bros on N64
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100% Human Guarantee
I wrote this, not AI.
Today's random photo: Alli had to drag me along on a candlelight tour of churches in our hometown of Frederick, Maryland, but I ended up really enjoying it. This is the ceiling of a Catholic church. Hot take: We need more beautiful architecture and fewer Amazon-box, strip-mall buildings.
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P.S. – If you want help effectively releasing your music this year, Join the Music Marketing Club. Inside, you get courses, one-on-one support, and connection with other artists. If you want to learn agency-level marketing on an indie budget, this is for you.
P.P.S. – Per my email from last week, we have 1 ad campaign slot left for January. Here's the link to apply if you'd like to be the one to claim it.