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My First MillionConnor Price’s Viral Formula to Get +650M Spotify Streams (#484)
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CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:44
Streaming Math and Shaan's Fanboy Intro
The episode opens with Breanna's claim that roughly a million Spotify streams pay about $4,000, and that owning your songs makes streaming lucrative. Shaan then gushes about how Connor and Breanna use TikTok, and Connor credits the marketing ideas to Breanna.
- •A million Spotify streams averages about $4,000, and they average about 60 million streams a month across their catalog
- •Breanna says labels own 80% of songs, which is why people say streaming pays nothing
- •Shaan says they have figured out how to do music on TikTok like nobody else
- •Connor says much of the marketing and many viral ideas are Breanna's
- 2:44 – 6:54
Skit-First Content and Connor's Acting Roots
Shaan shows a skit video and explains why opening with entertainment instead of a pitch works. Connor and Breanna describe his acting career, how COVID pushed them toward TikTok, and how a first viral video converted to streams.
- •Connor says the goal is to not seem like you're selling, because people swipe away from "check out my song"
- •Connor has acted since age six, including playing Russell Crowe's son in Cinderella Man
- •When COVID stopped production, Breanna left AlphaPaw and proposed marketing his rapping
- •Connor initially thought TikTok was lame, but a viral video translating to streams the next day changed his mind
- 6:54 – 14:53
AlphaPaw Days and Applying Ad Skills to Music
Sam and Shaan recall meeting Connor while he was moving boxes at AlphaPaw, and Shaan describes seeing Breanna's ads. Breanna explains how the dog ramp ad approach and a push from Cliff Weitzman led her to go all in on Connor's music.
- •Sam remembers Connor moving boxes at Ramon's company before he blew up as a rapper
- •Breanna's ads for the dog ramp business used emotional hooks like an injured dog followed by a solution
- •The company grew from an office the size of a bathroom to a 20,000 sq ft warehouse in a year
- •Cliff Weitzman told her to "Kris Jenner" Connor, and she dropped her coffee brand
- •She applied the same hook-and-story mindset to selling songs
- 14:53 – 19:32
The Spin The Globe Series Breakthrough
The conversation turns to Connor's early songs, the flood of new music, and the Spin The Globe series that changed everything. They break down the Zambia video and how Breanna came up with the idea at the gym and bought a globe at Target.
- •About 60,000 songs are uploaded daily, which makes standing out harder
- •The Zambia video with artist Killa has 72 million views each on TikTok and YouTube Shorts
- •Killa went from 189 monthly listeners to over a million
- •Breanna came up with the globe idea and bought it at Target for about $19
- •Episode two with Dutch artist Benz became Spinning, which passed 100 million streams in under nine months
- 19:32 – 21:29
Hooks, Pacing and Content-First Songwriting
Connor and Breanna explain why the globe video worked, covering the curiosity hook, a new element every few seconds, and MrBeast-style editing. They also describe designing songs around content moments like the carrot flute and the fire alarm.
- •The opening hook sets up curiosity about where the globe lands, who the artist is and how the song sounds
- •Something new is introduced every four to five seconds to keep people from leaving
- •Breanna asks Connor to switch his flow so there is a new moment in the song
- •Songs are sometimes created after the content idea, such as the xylophone beat or rapping over a fire alarm
- 21:29 – 23:23
From $10K Dream to Six-Figure Months
Breanna says her original goal was $10,000 a month, and the Globe series produced their first six-figure month after a three-month accounting delay. She describes working all-nighters with a four-month-old baby to keep the momentum going.
- •Breanna's dream had been $10,000 a month
- •Royalties arrive with a three-month accounting delay
- •The Globe series produced their first six-figure month
- •They went harder after the breakout, pulling all-nighters while taking turns with the baby
- •Their streams chart went up and stayed up
- 23:23 – 28:35
Working as a Family Business
Connor and Breanna tell how they met as kids at an apartment complex, and how they have traded off supporting each other. Their siblings now work on the team, and they discuss keeping the marriage and family ecosystem healthy, prompted by Shaan's story of a guest who said to find people you love and do life with them.
- •They met at ages 10 and 11 at an apartment complex for child actors
- •Connor's acting income supported them early on, then Breanna supported him
- •Her sister, brother-in-law and brother all quit their jobs to work on the team
- •Christian mixes, masters and produces the music
- •They plan date nights so they don't become only business partners, and Breanna tells siblings business comes first
- 28:35 – 33:37
Seven Revenue Streams and Platform Strategy
Breanna runs through their revenue streams, with streaming first and YouTube also paying well. Connor explains how repurposing TikToks to Shorts made him the most subscribed artist on YouTube in November, and they compare TikTok and YouTube on converting views to streams.
- •Revenue streams include streaming, YouTube, brand deals, syncs, publishing, merch and live shows
- •Reposting popular TikToks to Shorts without the watermark brought 800,000 subscribers in a month
- •YouTube lets them pin a streaming link, while TikTok removed pinned comments and hides comments with Spotify or link in bio
- •Brand deals are now six figures to high six figures, handled by a brand agent team
- •Connor explains publishing as the songwriter side of a song, separate from the master
- 33:37 – 41:02
Why Touring Is at the Bottom
Breanna says touring is their lowest revenue stream, since the European opening run roughly broke even. They explain their approach of pop-up shows and festivals, and Shaan offers Mike Posner as an example of treating live events as content.
- •The European tour only broke even after bus, tour manager, travel, DJ and merch costs
- •They plan pop-up shows and festivals rather than full tours while their son is young
- •Breanna doesn't charge fans for meet and greets
- •Touring requires building proof of ticket sales venue by venue, unlike going viral on TikTok
- •Shaan suggests optimizing live events for content, as Mike Posner did with park shows
- 41:02 – 42:26
Independent Goals and Selling the Catalog
Breanna describes their mindset of treating songs like real estate and their goal of scaling like a business. They say they'd like to sell the catalog for $50 million in three or four years, and Shaan tells them to aim much higher.
- •Breanna cites Mike Stud's comparison of songs to real estate
- •The goal is to scale the music like a business and potentially sell the catalog
- •Their target is $50 million in three or four years
- •Shaan advises adding a zero and the numbers $100 million and $500 million come up
- 42:26 – 50:37
Characters, Skits and Big Creative Dreams
Shaan says the TikTok content felt more original than the full songs on YouTube, and Breanna explains the different goals of each platform. Sam praises the recurring characters, and they discuss ideas like a show called The Studio and a Netflix Spin The Globe series.
- •Breanna says TikTok is for reaching new listeners while YouTube nurtures existing ones and pays via AdSense
- •Connor plays all the characters because it was the most efficient way and they film late at night
- •Sam says he gets to know the characters and remembers the videos when he listens to the songs
- •They dream of a show called The Studio and pitching Spin The Globe to Netflix
- •Sam and Shaan compare their potential to Weird Al and Lil Dicky
- 50:37 – 55:48
Creative Timeline and Staying in Your Own Lane
Breanna and Connor give the time a video takes to script, film and edit, and explain they only post a TikTok when it can convert to streams. Shaan argues using Joe Rogan and MrBeast that they should commit to their new lane, and Breanna says they are independent by choice.
- •Songs take hours to weeks, while Breanna scripts a video in 20 to 30 minutes, Connor films one to two hours and edits one to three
- •They only invest in a TikTok if it can convert to streams, since TikTok doesn't pay for views
- •Shaan compares their path to Joe Rogan and MrBeast sticking with a new lane
- •Breanna says they've talked to every major label and are independent by choice
- 55:48 – 58:24
Celebrity Recognition and Real-Life Fans
Sam asks about heroes and celebrities who reached out. Connor says Russ is his North Star for independence and shared advice, and they describe the fan encounters they have in real life.
- •Russ DM'd them unsolicited advice to stay independent
- •Connor sees Russ as the blueprint for doing things independently
- •Simu Liu reached out, and Logan Paul and T-Pain liked videos
- •TSA agents and kids recognize Connor, including a five-year-old fan he took for donuts
- 58:24 – 1:01:44
Adjacent Opportunities: IconBrick and Viral Sounds
Shaan asks about adjacent opportunities they see, and Breanna points to Lego animator IconBrick, who could promote his own songs. Sam and Breanna then discuss soundbites becoming songs and why they focus on attaching Connor to his music.
- •Breanna suggested IconBrick release his own music alongside animations for other artists
- •They are releasing a song with him in a couple of weeks
- •Sam notes soundbites on TikTok are becoming songs
- •Breanna says viral sounds often aren't connected to the artist, which is why they focus on long-form skits
- 1:01:44 – 1:07:38
The Struggle Before the Fame and Breanna's Homeschooling
Shaan asks about the low points before success. Connor credits Breanna's support, describes his fear of judgment and his anonymous alter ego, and Breanna explains how being homeschooled fed her creativity and entrepreneurship.
- •Connor was struggling for acting work before COVID halted auditions
- •He once uploaded music anonymously as Unidentified because of judgment fear
- •Breanna pushed him to go all in on TikTok, and Ramon gave her confidence and offered to be her first investor
- •Breanna says homeschooling gave her time to start small businesses, write stories and film remakes with her siblings
- •Sam says the takeaway for male listeners is to get a strong woman as a partner
- 1:07:38 – 1:18:37
Parenting Advice and Wrap-Up Plugs
Shaan asks for advice for Sam, who is about to become a dad, and Breanna says to be present in the newborn days. The episode closes with where to follow them, Connor's DMCA-safe copyright-free playlist, and Breanna's plans for a Home Studio newsletter and kits.
- •Breanna says to be present in the newborn days and put your phone down when your kid is annoying you
- •She would like to adopt rather than go through pregnancy again
- •Connor's songs are listed in a DMCA-safe, copyright-free Spotify playlist for creators
- •Breanna plans a Home Studio newsletter for independent artists and possibly home studio kits
