Indepreneur Review 2024 – Is The IndiePro Membership Any Good?

Looking for an honest IndiePro review from someone who’s actually gone through the training? That’s what you’ll get in this article, but first, let’s give a quick rundown:

IndiePro is a membership website that trains musicians in various aspects of the music business. It’s delivered via the Indepreneur website, which also provides podcasts, Spotify placement services, music agency services and more.

What Is Indepreneur?

Indepreneur is an online community for independent musicians with a focus on helping musicians build a business with their music careers.

They offer trainings programs to help musicians successfully market their music, and an opportunity for creatives to connect with each other. In their courses, they cover everything from growing your email list and Messenger marketing to analytics and turning your music career into a business.

Indepreneur is partnered with IndieX, which is essentially their service (coaching, etc.) division.

Indepreneur claims to have thousands of students and graduates from every genre.

They also purport to be an alternative to signing a record deal, which they describe as the “best option” available to artists. Yet, the new music model has existed for quite some time now and was originally ushered to the fore by Napster in 2001.

There are many paths to artistic success, which is important to remember.

We’ll get into more detail on this later, but Indepreneur is also a proponent of the “sales funnel” model of marketing and selling, a strategy that has been around for a long time, but has become increasingly trendy in recent times with the emergence of funnel building software, which has made the process of creating funnels significantly easier and more accessible to the average person.

Our focus in this hands-on review will be on IndiePro membership. But in this section, we’ll take a quick look at what else Indepreneur has to offer.

Blog

Indepreneur’s blog is mostly centered on customer success stories and testimonials. But they also have content on topics artists are sure to be interested in – Instagram marketing, email marketing, growing a fan base, and so on.

Indepreneur’s blog is updated somewhat haphazardly, but they do have some up-to-date content.

Podcast

The Creative Juice podcast is well-known among musicians and creatives. The show is up to 154 episodes, and they publish new content weekly.

On their show, they talk about advertising, merch, holiday sales, selling music, fixing your broken marketing, and so on. The content addresses many of the same topics found inside their IndiePro membership.

Products

Indepreneur offers the following guides and courses (pricing also shown):

• Fan Finder Method – $95
• Spotify Field Guide – $65
• Grow Your Permission List – $85
• Ones and Zeros 101 – $45
• Fan Page Optimization – $27
• Free + S&H Funnel Strategy – $65
• Selling Tickets for Live Shows – $95
• Messenger Marketing for Music – $95
• Content Blitz Blueprint – $45
• The $1-A-Day Traffic Plan – $45
• How to Run Your Music Business – $45
• Email Marketing for Musicians – $95
• The Buddy System – Free with any purchase
• Ultimate Album Launch – Under construction

Most of these trainings are available inside the IndiePro membership for a low, monthly fee.

Services

Although you can learn to do everything yourself, sometimes you need help with your marketing efforts. After all, time is of the essence as an artist (to say “busy artist” would be redundant – of course you’re busy!).

Indepreneur offers various services that are basically extensions of their training programs.

Here’s what they offer:

• IndieX Agency Services: grow your online presence and revenue streams.
• IndieFounder Foundations: Eight-week coaching program on running your online music business.
• IndieFoudner Permission: How to build your fan base/email list.
• IndieFounder Affirmation: How to get your fans to make their first purchase.
• IndieFounder Education: How to keep your fans engaged post-purchase.
• Full Stack Merch: How to find a vendor for your merch and handle fulfillment.

Pricing is not available on their website. Users are prompted to contact the “IndieBot” via messenger for more info.

What Is IndiePro Membership?

IndiePro membership has been designed with artists, label marketers, and even managers who are looking to grow an artists’ fan base in mind. By taking advantage of the training programs available, anyone can learn the ins and outs of modern digital marketing, which is fast becoming an essential skill in music.

Inside the membership, you can access step-by-step trainings on how to set up your online campaigns, members-only live trainings, Q&A sessions, a private Facebook group, as well as exclusive deals and discounts.

When you join, you get most of the guides/courses we already talked about (in the Products section), and some others not listed. We assume this is because Indepreneur is regularly adding or removing trainings.

How Much Does IndiePro Membership Cost?

IndiePro membership costs $37 per month.

What Does IndiePro Membership Give You Access To?

Indepreneur suggests you start your journey off on The Buddy System training, regardless of what level you are at in your music career. This is so that you don’t get lost in their 50-hour plus training library. It also ensures you’re taking the right trainings at the right time.

With that in mind, the following 13 courses are available in the “Training Vault” (this list will look somewhat familiar based on what we’ve already shared with you in the Products section):

• The Buddy System. Artists are shouldered with the daunting task of turning complete strangers into raving fans. This training explains how to make this happen.
• Grow Your Permission List. One of the most reliable ways to build an engaged following that you can measure is with an email list. This training explains how you can grow it.
• Selling Tickets to Live Shows. This training explains how to target your audience by geography and utilize media to sell more tickets to your gigs.
• Fan Finder Method. A training that explains how you can use video (music videos and live streams) to grow your fan base consistently.
• Green Light Warmth Boosting. Learn how to use Facebook and Instagram ads to increase your organic reach. This can be done with a minimal budget.
• Spotify Field Guide. A detailed look inside Spotify, its algorithm, as well as how to get more streams and grow your following.
• Messenger Marketing w/ Music. How to use Facebook Messenger to reach more people.
• Fan Page Optimization. How to grow your Facebook fan page more reliably.
• Free + S&H Funnel Strategy. How to generate customers by giving away product for free. Basically, the sales funnel methodology.
• Ones and Zeros 101. Using data to improve your marketing and grow your music career. Knowing one's numbers is more important than most artists think!
• How to Run Your Music Business. This training focuses on productivity and the steps you can take to get more done with less.
• Email Marketing for Musicians. How to use email to engage your fan base and generate more sales.
• Content Blitz Blueprint. How to start a podcast, live stream, or vlog to keep your fans engaged.

So, there's an overview of the courses offered.

With IndiePro membership, however, in addition to the Training Vault, you also get access to:

• INDIESLIVE! Library: an archive of past bi-weekly Q&A sessions.
• Ground Reports Library: A monthly training edition of INDIESLIVE! detailing the latest best practices and trends.
• IndieDEALS: Savings and special deals on distribution, consultation, drums trucks, online apps, and more.

Although we won’t be covering these value-adds in any depth here, it’s always nice to know that the publisher supports their program and is willing to offer ongoing help and share the latest best practices, tactics, and strategies. We give Indepreneur a thumbs up in this regard.

What Is The Format Of The Training?

IndiePro membership instantly unlocks all available training (except for some of the standalone courses mentioned above) to members.

As noted earlier, however, there is a bit of an order to things based on what stage you are in your music career right now.

No matter how far you’ve gotten to in your music career, Indepreneur suggests starting off with The Buddy System training (at roughly three hours), and you can take your own path from there.

Most of the trainings are broken down into modules, which contain two to six lessons (or more) each. Some courses do not have modules at all and are just made up of lessons. Either way, the navigation and progression through the courses are relatively clear.

Although Indepreneur does say there are different trainings based on what level you're at in your music career and you need right now, the trainings are so tightly knit that we're not sure how you would be able to navigate the entire field without a clear understanding of each of the pieces.

Which is to say you might end up wanting to take all the trainings, just so you're clear on how all the steps work together.

Plus, even if you think you know email marketing or Facebook ads, it would still be wise to know how Indepreneur suggests you use these channels in connection with the core of the Indepreneur methodology, which is sales funnels.

So, if you want to build a comprehensive strategy, we suspect you'll be consuming all the trainings, even if you already understand certain areas well. Fortunately, there's a good chance you'll learn something new in each training regardless.

How Is The Training Delivered?

Most of the training is delivered via video on Indepreneur's own online course library. But Indepreneur has also done a great job of including descriptive text for each lesson and has made complementary PDFs available for many of their lessons as well. Additionally, you’ll find relevant links, images, and other resources for most lessons.

The content is easy to consume and progress through.

Indepreneur's trainings also include action steps to be completed. This is so that you gain real life skills and competencies you can apply in your music career. That makes the training “stick.”

How Much Training Is Available?

The Training Vault gives us a good sense of how long it takes to consume and implement each course’s contents. Here’s a breakdown of the 13 courses available and their approximate runtime:

• The Buddy System – 3 hours
• Grow Your Permission List – 4.5 hours
• Selling Tickets for Live Shows – 6.5 hours
• Fan Finder Method – 7 hours
• Green Light Warmth Boosting – 2 hours
• Spotify Field Guide – 5.5 hours
• Messenger Marketing w/ Music – 5 hours
• Fan Page Optimization – 1.5 hours
• Free + S&H Funnel Strategy – 2 hours
• Ones and Zeros 101 – 2.5 hours
• How to Run Your Music Business – 3 hours
• Email Marketing for Musicians – 4 hours
• Content Blitz Blueprint – 5 hours

That takes us to a total of 51.5 hours of training.

But don’t forget that there are hours and hours of bi-weekly INDIESLIVE! Q&A and monthly Ground Reports sessions as well, in case you need more.

Basically, there is well over 100 hours of training inside IndiePro membership, if you include the live Q&As and other monthly trainings.

This is good value, to be sure, but it would take a while to get through, no matter how fast of a learner you are. The membership is good value if you use it.

Actual Lesson Titles And What They Help You Accomplish

In this section, we’re going to look at what you can expect to find within the training available inside IndiePro membership. Specifically, we’ll be looking at a few lesson titles, so you can begin to get a better sense of what you can accomplish inside the program. Let’s get into it.

DIY Playlist Placement

This lesson comes from the Understanding Playlists module of the Spotify Field Guide.

In this lesson, Circa (more on Circa later) shares how you can begin the process of pitching your music to playlists on your own.

Circa first shares how to find user generated playlists since many playlists are owned by record labels. It’s unlikely you will ever get on a record label’s playlist unless you’ve been signed to their label. So, generally, he talks about which playlists are worth pitching to, and which aren’t.

If you’ve ever wanted to develop a mental model on how to think about playlists and choose the right ones for pitching, this is a good lesson to take.

The Upsell

This lesson comes from the Free + S&H Funnel course.

In this lesson, Circa shares why the Upsell is a critical part of your sales funnel, as well as what to offer. He also shows examples of real sales pages selling upsells.

In addition, he walks through the process of setting up an Upsell page within popular funnel building software, ClickFunnels (which is what Indepreneur recommends as a funnel builder, though they do highlight some alternatives as well).

The Upsell is critical to generating money with your free plus shipping sales funnel.

Which Videos Work Best

This lesson comes from the Fan Finder Method and Preparing Your Video ad module.

In this lesson, you will discover what types of videos to prepare for Facebook and Instagram ads.

Circa begins by sharing that the typical music video doesn’t work that great on Facebook and Instagram, and why that is.

He then elaborates on the psychology of capturing the attention of your audience and shows real examples of videos that work well in advertising.

As you look to engage prospects and fans with your videos, this would certainly prove a good training to take.

Email Campaigns

This lesson comes from the Using Paid Traffic To Sell Tickets module inside the Selling Tickets for Live Shows course.

In this lesson, Jesse (more on Jesse later) explains why selling tickets and email marketing are critical to creating a profitable music career.

He shows his email list audience breakdown within Mailchimp and explains how to connect with people in different geographic regions or segments.

Audience segmentation is critical to keeping track of your audience and sending them relevant marketing, which is one of the points emphasized here.

Jesse also shows how to set up a campaign within Mailchimp, just short of writing the copy for it.

Projects And Sprints

This lesson comes from the How to Run Your Music Business course and Agile-Scrum Framework module.

In this lesson, Circa explains why task switching is a major productivity killer. He also shares some tips on how to organize your various projects and priorities to ensure you're getting the right things done.

After all, there's always plenty for an artist to do, every single day. If you aren't organized, you're going to have a tough time trying to get everything done. And that means less progress in your music career than you'd like.

This training would prove useful to anyone looking to increase their productivity and improve their work habits.

Who Teachers The Course?

It depends on which course you take. By founder Kyle “Circa” Lemaire’s own admission though, he’s the one doing most of the teaching. But some courses are taught by other Indepreneur staff as well.

Most of what we’ll share here about each teacher can also be found on Indepreneur’s website, so we won’t be getting into explicit detail.

With that, let’s meet the main IndiePro teachers.

Kyle “Circa” Lemaire

Circa is the main man at Indepreneur, as he is the founder and primary teacher.

Lemaire makes websites and sings soul music. He’s got an obvious passion for teaching independent artists how to market their music as well.

You'll certainly get well-acquainted with Lemaire if you end up joining Indepreneur.

He teaches: The Buddy System, Fan Finder Method, Spotify Field Guide, Messenger Marketing for Musicians, Fan Page Optimization, The Free + S&H Funnel, How to Run Your Music Business, Email Marketing for Musicians, Content Blitz Blueprint

Jack McCarthy

Jack McCarthy is the IndieX agency lead. McCarthy found his start in the Philadelphia music scene working with independent artists.

As a guitar tech and touring guitarist, McCarthy has toured around the country. He also has over 10 years of marketing experience.

He teaches: Grow Your Permission List

Jesse Gillenwalters

Jessse Gillenwalters started out as an Indepreneur student and community member.

Today, he is a dedicated instructor for the IndieFounder Coaching program. He’s also responsible for testing new marketing strategies.

He Teachers: Selling Tickets for Live Shows

Corrin Campbell

Campbell is another well-recognized face at Indepreneur thanks to her dyed, colorful hair.

Campbell has over a decade of experience in music and marketing. She played a key role in forming a partnership between the U.S. Army and the Vans Warped Tour as well.

She teaches: Green Light Warmth Boosting, Ones and Zeros 101

IndiePro Usability

There are many things that can affect your experience within any membership or course. But one of the top thing impacting your experience is user interface, design, navigability, and other features like progress saving.

In this section, we’ll be sharing our thoughts on how usable IndiePro is.

How Does IndiePro’s Navigation Measure Up?

Overall, we find Indepreneur’s navigation and usability near perfect.

The courses, modules, and lessons are organized well. The training offered is extensive, and many of the lessons come with plenty of additional resources.

They also urge learners to take action on what they learn, such that they learn the skills and competencies needed to do well in music, instead of just theory.

The color scheme and fonts choices are easy on the eyes (though we do feel there are easier to read fonts than the ones they've chosen).

The videos are high quality and are easy on the eyes and the ears (although that is going to depend a lot on whether you like listening to Circa’s voice for hours).

Videos are often accompanied by supportive text, links, and other resources, which is great for different types of users.

While inside a course, the navigation is marked clearly, and you should never find yourself lost.

A minor nitpick is that we found it a little difficult to navigate back to the Training Vault at will, but by no means did this prove a major concern. Simply find the “Training Home” link for the specific course you’re taking, and you’ll find links to everything that’s available inside IndiePro membership again.

Additionally, while progressing through each course is relatively straightforward, it's also easy to (accidentally) skip over an entire group of lessons and onto the next module.

We also found the occasional broken link and/or page that wasn’t linked up properly, but we can’t dock too many points for that.

Is Progress Saving Available?

Yes. You can mark lessons complete, which allows you to see how much progress you’ve made with each module. You can also track overall progress.

So, you shouldn’t lose your spot, even if you end up picking up again after a bit of a hiatus.

IndiePro Review Conclusion – Is This Indepreneur Membership Work Buying?

Overall, IndiePro is a decent choice for those who want to further learn the business side of the music industry.

While not everyone is a fan of paying monthly for a membership, they do provide a lot of information, and you can always dip in and out if you decide.

That’s it for this IndiePro review and Indepreneur review, share what you felt about the program in the comments.