Why Indie Artists Stall: Lessons From a Spotify, Meta & Sony Insider | JC Sanchez, Orphiq

Why do so many independent artists stall out? JC Sanchez has seen it from inside Sony Music, Spotify, and Meta, and his answer is simpler than you’d think: artists mistake one busy week for consistency, then disappear for three months. JC is a creative music strategist and the founder of Orphiq, an AI artist management platform built to answer the question every indie artist asks: what do I do today? Sarah sits down with JC to talk about what actually moves the needle for artists in 2026 and what’s just noise. In this episode: Why Spotify monthly listeners is a vanity metric, and the number you should be watching instead How over half your streams likely come from fewer than 20% of your listeners The streaming and social signals the algorithm actually responds to What record labels do on every release that indie artists can copy for free Where to spend a $200 music promotion budget for the biggest return The patterns JC saw in artists who broke through versus artists who stalled How AI tools like Orphiq can build a release plan in minutes, and where they stop Why building superfans matters more than chasing playlist spikes Whether you’re a self-managed artist, an independent musician, or working on an artist’s team, this conversation will change how you read your Spotify for Artists data. Book a one on one strategy call with Sarah Fleshner, host and artist manager: https://businesssideofmusicpodcast.com/#bookacall To stay in the loop, follow Business Side of Music on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for updates, resources, and new episodes. Follow us: Facebook: @tbsompodcast Instagram: @bsompodcast TikTok: @bsompodcast www.businesssideofmusicpodcast.com © 362 Entertainment 2026. All rights reserved.