More ThanStreams

The person behind “More Than Streams”

FINCH
BERGLING

Finch Bergling
Music Marketing ExpertPodcast HostMarketing GraduateProducer & SongwriterFull-Time NomadPlaylist CuratorContent CreatorMarketing EducatorGen Z [and proud]

Music producer, playlist curator, and marketing educator helping independent artists build something bigger than streams.

Read My Story

Why I Started More Than Streams

PHOTO — Finch as a young musician, at a keyboard or in the studio.

My first years making music.

Chapter One

Where It All Started

It started with music. Way before any of this, I was just a guy who loved making songs and dreaming about who might hear them. So I spent my early years writing, recording, and releasing, and I really believed that if the music was good enough, everything else would follow on its own.

PHOTO — A candid, introspective moment. Quiet, honest, a little tired.

Releasing songs into the void.

Chapter Two

Then Reality Hit

But it didn't work like that. I kept releasing songs and nothing happened. No matter what I did, almost nobody listened, and it felt like nobody even noticed I had put something out. I know what it feels like to release a song and watch nothing happen, and that feeling stayed with me for a long time.

PHOTO — A phone or laptop screen, late-night, chasing numbers.

Paying for shortcuts that never lasted.

Chapter Three

Chasing Shortcuts

So I started chasing shortcuts. I paid for fake streams, I trusted services that promised the world, and I got scammed more times than I want to admit. Every shortcut cost me money, and the lesson was always the same. If you rent your way to the top, it all disappears the second you stop paying.

PHOTO — Finch at a desk, studying or building ad campaigns.

Learning marketing changed everything.

Chapter Four

Marketing Changed Everything

Then I went to university and studied marketing for three years. After that I joined a music marketing company that ran ad campaigns for major artists. For the first time, I saw how the music industry works behind the scenes.

PHOTO — Finch in a working setting, headphones or mixing board.

Working inside the industry.

Chapter Five

Seeing Both Sides

Now I had lived both sides. I was the hard-working musician who had no idea how to get heard, and I had also seen the industry full of shortcuts that disappear the second you stop paying. I know what it feels like to pay for fake streams. I know how easy it is to want to quit. And I know what changes when you finally have a system behind your music.

PHOTO — Finch working with an independent artist, present day.

Working with independent artists.

Chapter Six

Why More Than Streams Exists

That is why I built More Than Streams. Since then I have worked with hundreds of independent musicians, and what they need is the same thing I needed back then. They don't need fake numbers or shortcuts. They need a system that lets them focus on what builds a career, and on the music that started all of this in the first place.

What I Have Learned

PHOTO — Finch at a mixing board or in a recording session.

Music

is not enough.

Every day, so much new music comes out that no one can keep up. Making good songs is just the start. After that, people still need a way to find you.

PHOTO — Phone screen showing streaming stats.

Streaming

is not enough.

You can get a million streams and still get nowhere if those listeners never turn into fans.

PHOTO — A small crowd at a live performance.

Fans

are not enough.

It feels great when people love your music. But if you have no way to make money from it, it still won't pay your bills.

With a system in place, you can build:

A thriving music career

Income that keeps growing, so you are not stuck depending on one platform or getting lucky.

PHOTO — Finch smiling or celebrating a milestone.

Freedom on your own terms

You release on your own schedule, without waiting for a label to say yes.

PHOTO — Finch working from a relaxed setting, laptop open.

A fanbase that grows with you

People who care about your music and keep coming back for more.

PHOTO — Engaged fans at a show or people sharing music.

What I Believe

01

System over chance

If you don't have a system to get your music out there, you are leaving it all up to luck. And you can't build a career on luck.

02

Quality needs reach

Good music matters. But no one will hear it if you have no way to get it out there.

03

Shortcuts cost more

I paid for fake streams once. All I learned was how it feels to get scammed.

04

Fans over streams

A few people who really care are worth more than a big number that means nothing.

05

Build, don't rent

Streaming money alone is not enough to build a career. A system you own can take you there.

06

Honesty over hype

I will always tell you what works and what does not, even when the honest answer is hard to hear.

My Three Core Values

PHOTO — Candid, unguarded moment.

Authenticity

PHOTO — Finch speaking directly to camera.

Transparency

PHOTO — Finch with artists or community.

Connection

Numbers I'm Proud Of

0

years in marketing school

0+

students across my programs

0+

readers on The Weekly Dose

0+

followers on social media

0M+

listeners reached

0+

years making music

0+

podcast listeners

0+

musicians placed on playlists

0+

playlist followers

A Bit More About Finch

PHOTO — Casual, not corporate

PHOTO — With gear or in studio

PHOTO — Wide behind-the-scenes or event moment

PHOTO — Lifestyle, polaroid-style

PHOTO — Podcast or recording setup

I am not a guru. I am still figuring things out, and I share what I learn as I go. I love music, I love the people in this industry, and I love watching a musician go from "nobody is listening" to "people are messaging me about my song."

A few more things about me:

  • Based in Bansko, Bulgaria
  • I have been to 29 countries
  • My favorite genre is Alternative
  • I play a lot of tennis and padel
  • I can rewatch The Office and Game of Thrones forever
  • I will say yes to any buffet