Part 2: Coaching for musicians: Artistic & professional development – positioning, release strategy, and growth

Success in the music industry often sounds like talent, timing, and that one moment that changes everything. In reality, it comes about far less spectacularly—and far more consistently: through decisions that feel like work. In weeks where you’re planning releases while also trying to get your life in order. In questions like: What’s my next step, actually? What do I want to stand for? And how do I make sure people don’t just listen to my music—but come back?

Because artistic freedom is great. But it only becomes truly sustainable when you pair it with structure. When you don’t just have ideas, but a plan. When you don’t just release, but develop. And when you start treating your career like a project that’s allowed to grow—without bending yourself out of shape in the process.

At recordJet, we know this point well—from almost 18 years of working with independent artists. Many don’t fail because of the music, but because they lack direction, have fuzzy positioning, or start thinking strategically too late. That’s why, in this second part of our coaching series, we’re introducing people from the industry we believe in and are convinced can help you move forward. We deliberately see ourselves as a connector: we don’t offer coaching ourselves, but we make experts visible who support artists individually—hands-on, strategic, and with a real understanding of the realities of the music business.

While the focus in the first part of our series “Coaching for musicians: These experts support you in everyday music life” was all about mental health, in the second part we’re looking at artistic & professional development for you as an artist: everything around positioning, release strategy, growth, business routines—and the question of how to build a setup that doesn’t just work “for the next drop,” but for the years ahead.

Michael Schneider

Sparring and coaching for artists and teams in challenging phases

Michael Schneider brings 16 years of experience in the music industry: artist management, Spotify, and a leadership role on the label side. He supports artists in preparing key decisions, sorting through pressure and conflicts, and staying clear and able to act even in complex professional situations.

Focus: strategic decisions, release pressure and putting numbers into context, team conflicts, public expectation pressure, clarity at high speed.

Ideal for: artists, management, and teams at turning points who need to find a clear direction under pressure or are looking for a trusted, confidential counterpart.

You can reach him here: www.coaching-michaelschneider.de, email: michaschneidercoaching@gmail.com

Mandy Tamm

Release strategies & streaming positioning on equal footing

Mandy Tamm works as an independent strategist for artists, labels, and management teams. Previously, she spent seven years as a Pop Editor at Spotify in Berlin and Los Angeles, curating, among other things, “New Music Friday Germany” and “Today’s Top Hits.” Mandy’s approach is data-driven, but always with an eye on story and cultural context.

Focus: market-oriented release strategies, streaming partnerships, data-driven positioning, target market definition, sustainable fanbase growth.

Ideal for: artists who want to grow strategically—not by chance.

You can reach her here: email: mandytamm@gmail.com

Martin Hommel

Structure, direction & real talk for music life

Martin Hommel has been working in the music and media field for around 15 years (including booking, music journalism, radio/TV production, project management). Martin supports several clients long-term and is currently expanding his work through training as a systemic business coach (DGSF-certified).

Focus: structure & direction, release strategies, fan communication & social media, branding & self-presentation, balancing music & private life.

Ideal for: artists looking for practical direction—and who also want to honestly reflect on what they really need.

You can reach him here: martinhommel-coaching.de

Melanie Fürste

PR & coaching combined—visibility and stability

Melanie Fürste combines many years of label experience in public relations with solid coaching training. Her approach: PR creates visibility—coaching creates stability. For artists who want to sharpen their positioning while also working on inner clarity, vision, and personal development.

Focus: positioning & vision, goal clarity, decision-making questions, inner blocks, personal development—plus a PR perspective on visibility.

Ideal for: artists who want to show up strategically without losing themselves in the process.

You can reach her here: www.melanie-fuerste.com, email: fuerstepr@gmail.com

Why coaching for artists isn’t a luxury—it’s development

Many people first invest in what’s visible: production, promo, marketing, videos. And yes—that matters. But artistic and professional development often happens somewhere else: where you get clearer. Where you stop making decisions out of gut-level stress. Where you don’t do your releases “somehow,” but plan them intentionally. And where you start leading your project not only creatively, but strategically too.

That’s exactly where coaching can help. Not as a “fix” for a bad day, but as a tool for sustainable growth: to sharpen your positioning, plan your next steps realistically, build routines that support you—and to avoid getting lost in the flood of possibilities, expectations, and to-dos.

If one of the people in this article resonates with you, feel free to contact them directly. You’ll find the contact details in each profile.

In the end, it’s not about functioning better. It’s about steering better. Your energy, your decisions, your path. Coaching isn’t a sign of weakness, but of professionalism: you get perspective, structure, and tools before you get sidetracked—and before talent turns into stress. If you feel you’re at a point where an outside impulse would do you good, take your time and look at the coaches. Maybe the right support is in there—so you don’t just make music, but truly develop as an artist in the long run.