They’re Streaming You—But Not Buying? Here’s How to Make Em’ Pay with A Story

They’ll stream your music. They’ll quote your lyrics. They’ll watch every reel—but they still won’t buy. Not because your music isn’t good, but because you never gave them a reason to care beyond the scroll. If you want fans to pay, you have to stop promoting—and start storytelling. That’s how you convert attention into income.

Now, I assume that for a lot of you. This is probably not your first time hearing that you should tell your story, but I do want to mention that if fans and followers are not buying, then, that is a key indicator that you have not been telling your story. there’s a lot of information out there on telling your story as an artist but there is virtually no information informing artist on why this is necessary.

This episode is for any artist on any level who is having trouble selling anything other than people streaming their music on streaming platforms.

And I’m gonna help you understand The 4 key types of stories you need to show or tell to unlock all of the revenue you want to receive from your customer base in Fanbase.

Now, remember a week or so ago we talked about what the fans need to feel from you? It was all about vibes and feelings, right? Well, here's the other side to that coin. You may think I wouldn't be the one to do this, but I too thought if I just give you all the best information, you'll buy my stuff. Ironically, every artist thinks this too! "If I give them the best music, they'll share and support." But that is until you actually get it right and start to create a fan base that shows up for you at your shows knowing the lyrics. While getting them to recite the lyrics is another beast in and of itself, getting them to open their wallets and purses is what we'll tackle today. And no, it's not pounding them with more ads and more playlists even though we need it. It's the stuff you forgot. What they'll need from you are bits and pieces of struggle and triumph woven into your content. They need to know how it all began, how'd you get here, what were the fights with yourself, and what were the physical battles you needed to fight. Once there's a match-up and there is enough information to relate to, we've got them open. So let's break it down.

The Origin Story (Where did you come from and start)

Most artists want to hide where they come from or just simply don't want to express it at all, but the truth is any new follower that you get is looking for this exact answer first.

When you meet new people at a networking function or when you meet people in the general public, they always ask "Where are you from?" and "What do you do?" Those are the two most common questions people ask when they meet someone new.

Through my own behaviors of finding new artists, I noticed over time that my first instinct was to go to their Instagram bio pages to see where these people were from. It's something that we instinctually do so that we can familiarize ourselves with this new person that has come across our path.

The easiest way to do this is to just put your location in your Instagram bio. But if you're using other forms of social media, content over time that consistently expresses where you're from will allow people to resonate with you. If you're from Alabama, your state will ride with you, but also people from the South can relate to you. If you are from Brooklyn, the bigger you become, New York City will ride with you. People from the North will relate to you, and those that love artists from the Northeast will relate to you as well.

What this does is allow people to get their bearings on you. They're dialing you in so they can figure out where to place you in their brains and in their lives. If you don't offer this to people, they will remain lost on the subject, which means the initial connection can't happen. So they will continue to search for more information to resonate with you.

When I first heard Big K.R.I.T., I didn't hear his music first. I heard about him because a guy I was working with knew Sha Money XL, and because they were both from New York, I brushed it off as this artist being a New York rapper. I was very much in my subwoofers-in-the-trunk era in the back of my 92 cherokee at that time and I was only bumping Southern music. It wasn't until they re-introduced me to him as a rapper from Mississippi that I checked it out because now I could relate. Once I heard "K.R.I.T. Wuz Here" in 2010, he became one of my favorite rappers of all time—all because of association and regional relatability. I knew the origins; I could get my bearings now.

Now, it's always great to tell your story about where you came from and how you started. We need that—that helps us get our bearings even more on you as an artist. But at the very least, we need that location at the top of your bio as a subconscious puzzle piece to finding out who you are and where you end up in the filing cabinets of our minds.

The Catalyst Story (What did you learn or who guided you to get to this point)

A lot of artists don't like to give credit to the people who guided them along the way. However, this actually shows your human side—that you actually care about people who care about you. But on the flip side of that, a lot of artists don't like to talk about what they had to learn to get to the point they're at right now, and this is all information that we need to understand as fans so that we can understand how much you appreciate and care for the process.

Care and appreciation are two of the biggest pieces of information a potential fan can have about an artist because that turns them from a potential fan to an actual fan. Most artists want to allow that potential fan to listen to the music and feel where they're coming from. While this may be the case, and we can feel where you're coming from, we actually want to hear it from the mouth of the person who created it.

If you keep relying on your music to do the heavy lifting, it won't lift you far enough. Meaning you won't have enough leverage, and your fanbase growth will stall. You may say "superstars don't do this," or "bigger artists don't have to tell their story this much," but in the beginning, they did. When they got bigger, PR agents told their story through the media for them. That's why their social media has very minimal story and more highlights on it. You can't afford this consistent storytelling through the media yet, so you'll have to rely on your social media pages and email lists.

Throughout your content, talk about the tools you use, the people that helped you, and the things that you've learned that got you to each and every point — it shows appreciation, it shows care, and it shows character. This is the type of story that makes people fall in love with you.

Back when Big K.R.I.T. was getting on, he talked about how he made beats on Fruity Loops (as did I) and Reason (as did I), and how he played the tuba in high school (as did I). So now that's three things we have in common, plus he's from the South and makes Southern rap. Don't you think I'm a fan now because of the information I know?

You don't need to say a whole lot — just tell people how you learned what you learned.

So far, we've covered the easy parts of story selling the origin story and In the story of the guide, and what you had to learn — but these next two parts are where most artists run away and hide. Internal and external conflict So stay with me. And side note: if you need a strong business foundation to run your record label with funding, grab my 60-day record label system, complete with my funding partners to fund some of the ads and playlist promotion you’ll need to do with this process.

Internal conflict Story (What did you have to become to believe in yourself, and they should believe in you)

Many artists don't have trouble with the first two steps, but the real way you get fans is by expressing who you had to become as a person to believe that you were capable of doing what you're doing now. You may think that if you keep everything on the surface, it should suffice and be enough for fans, but that's not how a person becomes a fan of yours.

The real reason people can't become lifelong fans of yours and why you have them stuck at the door is because you're not real yet — they need to know that you've struggled and come through some internal battles. What habits did you have to give up? Who or what did you have to limit yourself from being around? What emotional pains have you experienced and how did you overcome them?

Right now, write down all of your internal conflicts and battles and figure out if you're going to put them in song or if you're going to tell them through visual content. Either way, if you don't express it, people can't relate to you deeply, so you'll still remain surface level.

For me, Big K.R.I.T. did this on a record called "The Vent." It's a deep introspective record that allows me as a fan to see into his world, and it gives me that much more respect for him as a man and as a creator.

It's not always about current struggles. Start with those past internal conflicts that were easy to overcome and express those. This way, it won't be so difficult to start.

External Conflict Story (Who or what got in your way, and how did you break through it)

Many artists, in addition to their internal conflicts, don't think that fans want to know about their external conflicts—those obstacles and people that actually got in their way physically. The truth is, this builds a relationship with your fans in the present.

A lot of you can't get over this hump because, again, just like with internal conflicts, many of you don't think that what you're going through physically matters to your fans. Whether it's battles with your label, trying to lose weight, or needing management because things are getting overwhelming—this all adds to the story.

I know this because this is what we all tune into on Instagram when we expect to see you show up on our timelines. And ironically, you, as an artist, expect to see your favorite artists show up often on your timeline too.

You can start with the shallow things that aren't really hitting you deeply and express your problems with them in a funny way, a sad way, or a nonchalant way. This will allow people to get insight into what's going on currently in your world, from your recent past, or what's blocking you from the future physically.

This is how you get people to tune in daily. This is when people expect the part two and come back to check to see if the battle has been won.

When Big K.R.I.T. parted ways with his record label Def Jam, he expressed how it was the best thing. He explained how he was in the middle of the transition from physical sales to streams at the time, and it just wasn't the best place for him during that time. He was able to create another masterpiece a few years later with "K.R.I.T. Iz Here."

These stories are what keep your fan base alive and hoping for more. Don't think too deep into the process. You can start with raw, unedited video content or use your email list to tell these stories through typed words first and work your way up to keeping the information flowing. Eventually, it will become second nature to you, as it becomes for all artists whether you believe it or not.

Here’s what you can do!

Take 30 minutes today to write down your story using these 3 key elements: your origin (where you're from), your catalyst (who/what helped you), and your conflicts (both internal and external). Then, pick one element to share on social media this week. Start small, but start somewhere. The goal is to create a resonate energy between you and your fanbase. The real question isn't "should you do this?"—it's "how much longer can you afford NOT to?"

Now, If you need help with devising a strategy, join our group strategy calls every Monday night at 7pm EST inside of the Music Money Makers community. Click below to join

Now, You've probably tried other strategies before that didn't quite deliver what they promised. Maybe you've invested time and energy into approaches that left you feeling stuck in the same place. And those experiences have made you hesitant to put yourself out there again.

These doubts come from a place of wanting to protect yourself or thinking that you need to, but they're actually holding you back from connecting with your audience in a meaningful way. You might worry that sharing your story makes you vulnerable, but that vulnerability is exactly what makes fans relate to you. Vulnerability creates Superstars. Remember, every major artist you admire started by sharing their story, one piece at a time. You don’t need perfect conditions. You just need to start with what you’ve got — and watch how far that can take you. Because People won’t pay if they don’t feel you. And they won’t feel you if they don’t know you.

What’s it going to cost to keep doing it your way

let me tell you what it's really going to cost you if you keep avoiding telling your story authentically. Here are the real costs of staying silent:

1. Lost Revenue: Every day you don't share your story authentically, you're leaving money on the table - fans can't connect with what they don't know exists

2. Missed Opportunities: Industry gatekeepers and potential collaborators need to understand your journey to believe in your vision

3. Stunted Growth: Without sharing your story, your fanbase remains surface-level, preventing the deep connection needed for long-term success

At the End of the Day

If you're struggling with low streaming numbers, frustration from seeing other artists succeed while you remain stuck, or uncertainty about how much of your story to share and how to share it authentically, you can now transform into an artist who deeply connects with followers, builds loyal fans, and confidently shares your unique journey — all through the power of authentic storytelling.

Music Money Makers: if you make music, you should always make money. Log on to musicmoneymakeover.com, grab the 60-Day Record Label System complete with funding, join the Music Money Makers Community, grab the free stuff, and watch this next video right here! Peace!