Hey friends, Seth here from Tribly.

Another year in the books. As we look toward 2026, the industry is getting noisier. Everyone is looking for the next "hack" or viral moment.

But the artists who will actually win next year aren't the ones chasing algorithms. They are the ones treating their music like a business.

Let's get into it.

We talk a lot about "ownership," but what does that actually look like in practice?

Look at LaRussell.

He famously turned down major label deals (rumored to be from Roc Nation and others) to build his career from his backyard in Vallejo, CA. He refused to hand over his masters or his data.

Instead, he released his album I Hate When Life's Going Great directly to his fans using a "Pay What You Want" model.

The Result: He sold 1,100 units in 24 hours and earned ~$27,000 immediately.

To put that in perspective: On Spotify, he would have needed ~7 Million streams to make that same amount of money.

The Lesson: LaRussell didn't wait for a viral moment or a playlist placement. He won because he owned his list. He captures data (phone numbers and emails) from every fan who comes to his shows. He doesn't rent his audience from Instagram; he owns the relationship.

LaRussell had to build his own custom infrastructure to capture that data and sell directly to fans.

Most artists don't have the time or resources to code a platform from scratch. But you don't have to.

Tribly is that infrastructure in a box. We give you the tools to capture fan data, own your list, and sell directly to your audience—just like LaRussell—without needing a team of developers.

That is the difference between "hoping for streams" and "building a business."

Your New Year's Resolution shouldn't just be "make more music."

It should be "Own my audience."

To help you build that foundation, we are opening the door one last time before the new year.

For the next 48 hours, you can unlock Tribly Pro for just $5/month for a full year.

This is your access to the same "Direct-to-Fan" power LaRussell uses, for less than the price of a coffee.

USE CODE: GIFT26

This week, we're featuring artists who are ignoring the vanity metrics and building real communities:

The platforms will come and go. Your direct connection with your fans is forever.

-Seth from Tribly