For Indie Labels & Music Publishers

AI, built into how your
label actually works.

A program for independent record labels and music publishers under 50 staff. Diagnose the gaps. Implement the workflows. No software to buy. No Suno, no Udio — this is AI on your side of the catalog.

Book a Free 15-min Discovery Call → View Sessions & Pricing

No commitment. Paid programs run $1,200 (1-hour audit) to $49,500/yr (embedded partnership).

WHY THIS PAGE EXISTS

Indie labels and publishers are sitting on the highest-value AI use cases — and the smallest amount of help.

Big-3 catalogs have data science teams. Tech-bro startups have ChatGPT plus-or-minus. You have 5–40 people running A&R, marketing, sync, catalog, ops, and finance — and a clear sense that AI should be cutting 5+ hours a week off the calendar, but no one's had the time to actually build the workflows.

Asset production has outgrown your team.

Every release ships with 4–6 visual variants now (Spotify Canvas, Reels cuts, lyric videos, EPK pages). Your headcount hasn't doubled. Without a shared workflow, every person on the team builds their own.

A&R and sync are still mostly manual.

Both are now genuinely AI-shaped problems — and the teams building these workflows now are the ones who'll have a measurable speed advantage by next year.

Catalog metadata is inconsistent across the back catalog.

Genres, moods, BPM, key — half of it is missing or contradictory. That kills both internal search and sync revenue.

"Use AI more" became a memo, never a workflow.

Every person on the team uses a different prompt with a different style for the same task. Consistency falls apart inside a quarter.

THE 3-SESSION IMPLEMENTATION SPRINT (TIER 02)

Three deep-dives over three weeks. Diagnose, build, and standardize the workflows your team will actually use.

This is what's inside the rooms. Pricing on the next section.

SESSION 01.
Diagnose & Map.
2 hours, live
  • Full AI readiness assessment for your team and catalog.
  • Mapping current AI usage across A&R, marketing, sync, catalog, ops.
  • Identifying the top 3–5 workflows worth building, ranked by ROI.
  • Output: a ranked workflow priority list and scoping doc.
SESSION 02.
Build & Implement.
2 hours, live, ~7–10 days after Session 01
  • Hands-on workflow build for the top 2–3 priorities.
  • Prompt templates your team owns and can re-run.
  • Tool setup and workflow implementation guidance.
  • Output: 2–3 working AI workflows your team can run tomorrow.
SESSION 03.
Standardize & Roll Out.
2 hours, live, ~7–10 days after Session 02
  • Team briefing and internal adoption support.
  • Playbook write-up — workflow docs your team owns.
  • 30-day rollout plan with named owners.
  • Plus 30 days of async email follow-up with Tim.
Your Expert

Not an AI generalist.
A music industry practitioner.

Tim Stickelbrucks isn't approaching music as an outsider with an AI background. He's been inside the same industry infrastructure his clients operate in — working across DSPs, creative media, music operations, and technology for over 10+ years in AI.

Tim Stickelbrucks, CEO of Afacture

Tim Stickelbrucks, CEO of Afacture.

  • CEO of Afacture — AI consulting, creative technology, and music-industry advisory
  • DSP consulting experience across Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube — working at the intersection of algorithmic curation and rights data
  • Author of Entertainment Rewired — on how AI is reshaping the next generation of storytellers, musicians, and creators
  • Deep background in machine learning, VFX, film, branding, and experiential technology — working with artists, studios, and rights holders across US coasts
  • Creator of Seekree and other AI-native applications deployed at scale across creative business environments
  • Every engagement is 1:1 with Tim directly — no junior staff, no frameworks handed off, no account managers
Connect on LinkedIn Book a Free Discovery Call
Choose Your Path

Four ways to work
directly with Tim.

Every engagement is 1:1, scoped to your catalog and team, and built around action — not theory.

Tier 00 · Always Free
Free 15-Min Discovery Call
1 × 15-Min Call · No commitment
Free
Start here — Tim will tell you exactly which program fits, or point you elsewhere if none do.
  • Direct 1:1 call with Tim — no sales team
  • Honest assessment of fit before any money changes hands
  • Recommended tier (or honest "not yet") based on your team size and goals
Book Free Call →

No credit card · No pitch · 15 minutes

Tier 01
AI Opportunity Session
1 × 60-Min Live Strategy Session
$1,200
One-time · Stripe payment collected at booking
  • 60-minute 1:1 strategy session with Tim
  • AI opportunity audit specific to your label or publisher operations
  • Top 3 quick-win recommendations you can action immediately
  • Tool and workflow shortlist tailored to music-industry needs
  • Session recording + written action summary
Book Your Session

🔒 Secured by Stripe · Credit card

Tier 02 · Most Popular
AI Implementation Sprint
3 × 2-Hour Deep-Dive Sessions
$4,800
One-time · Stripe payment collected at booking
  • Three deep-dive 2-hour sessions with Tim
  • Full AI readiness assessment for your team and catalog
  • Custom AI roadmap built for music-industry operations
  • Tool setup and workflow implementation guidance
  • Team briefing and internal adoption support
  • 30-day async follow-up via email
Book Your Sprint

🔒 Secured by Stripe · Full package paid at Session 1 · Sessions 2 & 3 scheduled with Tim

Tier 03 · Only 5 Slots
AI Transformation Partner
4 × 1-Hour Sessions / Month · 12-Month Engagement
$49,500
12-month commitment · $12,375 billed quarterly
  • 4 dedicated sessions per month with Tim
  • AI built into the operational DNA of your label or publisher
  • Ongoing strategy, iteration, and catalog optimization
  • Priority access and direct line to Tim
  • Custom AI tooling and workflow development guidance
  • Annual AI transformation review and report
  • Full 12-month engagement — structured for real transformation
Book a Discovery Call

📋 Free 30-min call · No commitment · Invoice via Stripe · ACH / Wire accepted

All paid programs begin with a free 15-minute discovery call to confirm fit.
Tim works with a limited number of clients at any time — these slots are not always open.

10 AI Workflows for Independent Record Labels — free PDF by Tim Stickelbrucks
FREE DOWNLOAD

10 AI workflows your team can steal this week.

Each one comes with the exact prompt, the expected output, and how much time it saves. Built for indie labels and publishers under 50 staff. No Suno, no Udio.

You're on the list — check your inbox in the next few minutes.
A Line We Draw

We don't teach Suno.
We don't teach Udio.
We don't teach generative music tools.

Not because we don't understand them — but because we do. These tools are built on training data whose copyright status remains unresolved. The artists and rightsholders who created that training data are the same people our clients represent. Teaching those tools to labels and publishers would be a conflict of interest we're not willing to carry.

What we do instead: we help you build AI into every operational layer of your business that doesn't touch generation. Metadata enrichment and catalog cleanup. A&R signal detection and sync pitch workflows. Marketing automation and release-calendar tools. Team standardization across asset production. These are the tools that make your catalog more valuable, your team more efficient, and your market position stronger — without putting anyone out of a job.

"crashaicourse.com — read it twice. AI crash course. Crash-AI course. We mean both."
Common Questions

Everything you
need to know.

Do we need technical expertise on our team before working with you?

+

No. The sessions are built for label and publisher operators — A&R directors, licensing managers, catalog managers, and founders — not engineers. Tim translates complex AI capabilities into plain-language strategy and specific, executable workflows. If you can run your label, you can benefit from this.

Will you sign an NDA before our sessions?

+

Yes. A mutual NDA is available for Tier 02 and Tier 03 engagements. For Tier 01 sessions, Tim operates under a standard confidentiality understanding, and a formal NDA can be executed on request prior to booking. Catalog data and business strategy discussed in sessions are treated as confidential.

We're a small indie label. Is this affordable for us?

+

The AI Opportunity Session at $1,200 is specifically designed to be accessible for independent labels and publishers who need a clear starting point without a large commitment. The 15-minute discovery call before booking helps us both confirm that the session will deliver real, specific value for your catalog size and team.

Are you teaching Suno, Udio, or any music-generative tools?

+

No — and that's deliberate. Those tools are displacing the very artists and creators our clients represent. We focus exclusively on AI that augments operations — metadata cleanup, A&R signal detection, marketing workflows, catalog analytics, sync pitch automation — without compromising the creative ecosystem.

We already use ChatGPT. What's different?

+

Using ChatGPT one-by-one is fine. Building 3–5 team-wide workflows that everyone runs the same way is what actually saves time. The Implementation Sprint (Tier 02) is about that.

We're a 4-person team. Is the program too small for us?

+

No. Smaller teams move faster through the implementation session. Below 4 people, you save the most time relative to headcount.

We're a 30-person team. Is the program too big for us?

+

It works as the kickoff. After the 2 sessions, larger teams often run a follow-on sprint for a second department. Mention team size on the free discovery call and we'll scope it.

Where are you based?

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Manhattan Beach, CA. Sessions are delivered live and remote.

What's the cancellation and rescheduling policy?

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Sessions can be rescheduled up to 48 hours in advance at no charge via Calendly. Cancellations within 48 hours are non-refundable. For multi-session packages, individual sessions can be rescheduled with 48 hours notice.

Is every session really 1:1 with Tim — or will we be handed off?

+

Every session is directly with Tim Stickelbrucks. No junior consultants, no account managers, no frameworks handed off to someone else. You're booking Tim's time and expertise — and that's exactly what you get.

Ready to make AI work
for your catalog?

Start with a free 15-minute call. Tim will tell you honestly whether this is a fit — and what it would look like for your label or publisher.

Book a Free Discovery Call → View Sessions & Pricing

No commitment · Paid programs run $1,200 (1-hour audit) to $49,500/yr (embedded partnership)