Inside the Playbook: Matt Hansen on the ROI of Opening Slots

Matt Hansen joins Mauricio Ruiz on The Manager’s Playbook to break down the real business behind touring as an independent artist.Matt explains how he used short-term distribution deals to fund touring and releases, why he kept ownership of his earlier songs, and how opening for artists like Train, Teddy Swims, Alec Benjamin, and Lauv helped grow his audience.He also talks about losing up to $140K on opening slots, turning live performance clips into streaming growth, and how “Let Em Go” jumped from around 90K to 600K daily Spotify streams.This conversation also covers catalog ownership, touring ROI, front-of-house relationships, performing with no soundcheck, and why opening slots can be one of the best ways for artists to build leverage.For independent artists, managers, music marketers, and aspiring music executives, this is a practical look at how touring can create value beyond the nightly settlement.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/Listen to the full episode here -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54E4CbJCx5Mc7tKAlwIySp?si=Vg5LiESwTBWKYKRsO6usiAWatch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook