How should you spend your beatBread advance?

Our foundations are built on the philosophy that artists should be able to own their music and have the freedom to decide what partners and services best fit their needs. At beatBread, we’ll never tell you how to spend your advance. We’ll never tell you what services to use, who to partner with, or even require that it be spent on your music career.  

We just provide funding, then get out of the way. The rest is completely up to you.   

However, some artists may find themselves face-to-face with an overwhelming amount of capital wondering, “What do I do with this?”  

When it comes to your music career, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. We’ve seen artists put their advance toward marketing, music videos, studio time, producers, or even living expenses (like rent!) For inspiration for your plan, here’s how some beatBread-funded artists have used their advances to propel their career and what music industry experts suggest. 

Fund your next album, collaboration, or tour 

beatBread offers artists the chance to access the funding they need in key moments, without compromising ownership and control. So, naturally, many beatBread-funded artists used their advances to fund their next project.  

Twenty-three percent of artists that took beatBread advances say they used the funding to pay for producers, studio time, and collaborations and features; and 7% of artists used it for touring.  

Independent producer 100 Keigh used his advance to amplify his touring opportunities and cover music production costs, while indie-pop artist Katie Buxton used her advance to produce music videos exactly the way she envisioned.   

“I realized I needed funding when I started getting all of these big ideas for videos that I wanted to create,” she said. “The only thing standing in between me and making those a reality was the funding.”  

“(The music videos) came out better than I could’ve ever imagined, I don't know if I would have been able to make it possible without the funding from beatBread.” 

Boost your music marketing game 

For most artists, it’s all about marketing. In fact, 37% of beatBread-funded artists say they used their advance toward enhancing their music marketing.  

Dane Amar is just one of hundreds of artists who chose to focus on marketing. The rising hip-hop artist tripled his monthly listeners after using his advance to market his music on a larger scale – a tactic that any artist can use to establish a unique identity in a crowded music market. 

“I realized I needed funding when my song, ‘Green Tea and Honey,’ hit a million streams on Spotify in a month,” he said. “I was just so perplexed; I didn't know what to do. After receiving the funding from beatBread, I was able to really market my music right.” 

With beatbread, artists don’t just have the freedom to choose how they want to spend their advance, they also have more choice to select the promotion, marketing, and production partners that best fit their unique needs. 

Fuel money-generating streams of income 

Achal Dhillon, CEO of The Music Federation, recommends focusing on the revenue streams that are already working. Simply put, go with what you already know works. 

“If live shows make money, then funnel the advance there – same for merchandising, 
recording, streaming, performance rights, or whatever else is working,” he said. 

Reinvesting in these already-proven areas of income is just another way artists can maximize their advance. 

Live off your advance – focus on your career 

We've seen artists use their advance for pretty much everything – including living expenses.  

For some artists, an advance enabled them to focus on their music without having to worry about the financial pressure to take on other jobs or side gigs to make ends meet. In fact, more than 20% of beatBread-funded artists say they used their advance to pay for life expenses. 

For West Coast rapper Trizz, his beatBread advanced gave him the financial stability and support he needed as an artist. 

“beatBread provided a financial opportunity for me to live comfortable and actually be an artist,” he said.