If you're an independent artist drowning in conflicting advice about TikTok ads, playlist pitching, and "going viral,” this is for you.
I get it. Everyone's selling you something different, and meanwhile your best track is sitting at 20 streams.
Here's what actually works: Nic D went from wedding photographer to 1.5 billion streams in 4 years.
No label. No ads after 2020. No playlist payola.
These are documented numbers, verified timelines, and the actual system he uses.
Everything below is backed by numbers and proof.
The Reality Check: What It Actually Took
Timeline to First Results
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2-3 months: First 10,000 TikTok followers
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6 months: First breakout song ("Fine Apple")
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8 months: First $10,000/month in streaming revenue
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12 months: 1-2 million monthly Spotify listeners
Investment Required
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Recording setup: $1,000 (used MacBook, Shure SM7B, Focusrite 2i2, Pro Tools)
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Beat licensing: $150 per track with license
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Mixing/mastering: "A few hundred per song" (outsourced)
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Content creation: iPhone + free editing apps
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Total monthly burn rate: Under $2,000 including living expenses
Output Volume
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1 song released every 1-2 weeks consistently
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3-7 content variations per song
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Posted "nearly every day" during peak growth
These aren't aspirational numbers. This is what it actually cost and how long it actually took.
The System: Content as Your Distribution Engine
Forget everything you think you know about "going viral."
Nic D's breakthrough comes from treating content like a data collection system, not a prayer to the algorithm gods.
The Weekly Release Engine
Nic recorded 50 songs in his Honda van during 2020 (to avoid waking his family).
This buffer meant he could release weekly without scrambling.
Each song became fuel for multiple TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
The key insight: speed over perfection.
As one industry observer noted, "It's easy to put out a song a week when you outsource 90% of the process."
Content Creation Process
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Batch filming: Several performance clips or skits in one session
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Multi-platform posting: Same video to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts
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Variation testing: 3-7 different videos per song
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Quick iteration: If first video flopped, try different angle
The Three Best Formats
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Performance preview: Singing snippet in interesting setting with hook text ("wrote this for my wife")
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Comedy skit into song: Short scenario that transitions into music (his "Fine Apple" waitress skit)
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Direct-to-camera: Talking about the song/process with captions
What the Data Actually Says About What Works
Here's where most artists get it wrong: they think content is about entertainment. For Nic D, content was market research.
Metrics To Track
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TikTok engagement rate: Shares and comments-to-views ratio
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Spotify saves: How many listeners hit the heart icon in first few days
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Conversion rate: Views-to-streams within one week
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Fan signals: Comments asking for full version or emotional reactions
How to Test to Find Your Viral Moments
When "Fine Apple" started getting comments like "need this on Spotify ASAP," that was his green light to push harder.
When other songs got low engagement, he moved on. No ego, just data.
As Nic D explains: "You can't control having lots of streams or a viral moment... You can control releasing new music in a constant manner, so if one song doesn't catch fire, you have others coming."
The Spotify Algorithm Reality
Most artists completely misunderstand how Spotify actually works. Here's what matters:
Spotify processes 100,000 uploads per day. Nobody is listening to your track to decide if it's good. The algorithm only cares about engagement patterns.
How It Actually Works
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Algorithm analyzes listener behavior, not song quality
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It needs initial data to find patterns ("guys in their 20s who like Childish Gambino are loving this song")
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Without that initial wave of attention, even the "next Bohemian Rhapsody" goes nowhere
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Release Radar only shows songs from last 30 days to users who might like them based on listening history
Your Job: Generate enough initial traffic so Spotify can identify patterns and spread your music to similar listeners.
What Doesn’t Work (The Expensive Lessons)
Perfectionism: Nic wasted time early on perfecting songs that sat on his hard drive. His advice now: "Forget about perfection and just keep knocking music out there."
Albums Too Early: He avoided full albums until he had an audience. Singles get focused attention; albums spread promotional energy too thin.
Overproduced Content: Long-form vlogs and polished promotional videos tend to flop. Entertainment comes before promotion on social media.
The Actual Tools and Costs
Recording
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Shure SM7B microphone (~$400, same mic Michael Jackson used)
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface (~$150)
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Used MacBook with Pro Tools
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Pro tip: Nic still uses this exact setup after 1.5 billion streams
Beat Sources
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YouTube and BeatStars for instrumentals
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$30-$200 per licensed beat depending on terms
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Connected with producers like 100 Graham (who made "Fine Apple") through online collaboration
Content Creation
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iPhone for all video shooting
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CapCut or similar mobile editing apps
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Ring light for better lighting (~$20)
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Phone tripod for stability (~$20)
Distribution
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DistroKid for streaming platforms
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Opts out of YouTube Content ID to encourage others to use his music freely
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Simple Shopify store for merchandise
Platform-Specific Execution
TikTok: Primary launchpad. Leaned into trending sounds, duets, and 2-second hooks. Minimal captions to encourage comments.
Instagram Reels: Slightly more polished versions of best TikTok content. Used captions and Stories to drive traffic to new releases.
YouTube Shorts: Same content, different audience. Sometimes videos that flopped on TikTok worked on YouTube and vice versa.
Cross-posting strategy: Filmed in 9:16 vertical format, avoided platform-specific graphics so same video could live everywhere.
The Growth Milestones
2020: Wedding photographer recording in van. First $4,500 streaming month by December.
Early 2021: 50,000 TikTok followers, tens of thousands of streams per release.
May 2021: "Fine Apple" hits #5 on Spotify Viral 50, 250,000 daily streams, $30,000 streaming revenue that month.
Late 2021: 500K+ TikTok followers, 1-2 million monthly Spotify listeners.
2022: 1 million TikTok followers, 4 million monthly Spotify listeners, crossed 1 billion total streams.
2024: 2.1 million TikTok followers, 1.5+ billion total streams, sustainable 500K-1M streams per new release.
Your Implementation Plan
Week 1-4: Foundation
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Record 10-15 songs (don't perfect them)
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Set up basic recording chain
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Create TikTok, Instagram, YouTube accounts
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Start posting one piece of content daily
Week 5-12: Data Collection
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Release one song per week
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Create 3 content pieces per song
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Track which formats get best engagement
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Note which songs generate save/comment requests
Week 13+: Optimization
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Double down on formats that work for your music
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Increase posting frequency for breakthrough songs
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Continue weekly releases regardless of individual song performance
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Let audience reaction guide which songs to push harder
Ready to Execute? Get the Free Launch Pack by De Novo Agency
Everything above is strategy. Below is your step-by-step execution toolkit: weekly calendars, hook generators, idea banks, and accountability checklists. The same system Nic D used, packaged for immediate implementation.
Download the Free Launch Pack by De Novo Agency →
What's inside:
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A 7-day song release calendar based on Nic D’s real timeline
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3 swipeable post formats with copy-paste hooks and script prompts
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A replicable idea bank (first 15 ideas you can film this weekend)
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A “post if this happens” response matrix (e.g., what to post if a video flops or comment explodes)
Download the Free Launch Pack →
The Bottom Line
Nic D didn't crack some secret code. He treated music like a tech startup: rapid iteration, data-driven decisions, and relentless consistency.
The system works because it generates the initial engagement data that Spotify's algorithm needs to spread your music. Once you hit that threshold, the algorithm can "pour fuel on the fire" faster than any ad campaign.
The blueprint is proven. The tools are accessible. The question is whether you want it bad enough to actually execute.
Don't just read about it. Download the complete implementation toolkit and start this week.
