“Independent does not mean amateur” is the guiding principle of producer and publisher Jon K.T., who emphasizes that being an independent artist requires mastering the business of music as much as the art.
Jon’s love for music began with drumming. Inspired by his mother’s Motown records, Jon started drumming at age eight, using a pair of chopsticks on the couch. He quickly discovered that different parts of the couch created different sounds. His makeshift drum set evolved, progressing to Tupperware and eventually to the church drum set when he was tall enough to reach the pedals. From there, Jon added guitar and keyboard to his skills, thanks to his uncle, who gifted him his first keyboard, sparking his journey into songwriting at just 14.
After finishing school, Jon worked as a carpenter, later moving from England to the U.S., where he joined Sony. Despite his day job, he remained deeply involved in music, performing and creating with various bands. When the 2008 recession hit, Jon lost his job, which led him to rethink his career. Determined to stay connected to his passion, he enrolled in an associate’s degree program in audio engineering at Madison Media Institute. There, he earned his Recording Technology degree, became Pro Tools certified, and stepped into the world of professional studio engineering. His degree opened doors: Jon first worked as a tutor and later joined a translation company, where he recorded, mixed, and mastered multilingual sessions for instructional videos and TV commercials.
Seeing a path forward, Jon pursued a bachelor’s degree in Music Production and later established his own production and publishing company. Though he initially focused on reggae, his studies in music theory expanded his sound, creating a fusion of gospel, pop, hip-hop, and reggae. With a promotion in his day job, Jon took on another educational challenge, earning a master’s in Entertainment Business, where he learned marketing, management, copyright law, and licensing essentials.
In the last five years, Jon has dedicated himself to educating independent artists on the music industry’s ins and outs. His mantra, “independent does not mean amateur,” serves as a reminder that while independence allows freedom from corporate influence, it requires the discipline to meet industry standards. For example, why spend thousands of dollars to record your song or music without hiring someone to market it for you? Another example is producers who sell tracks they made but don’t get credit for them. The people who create the music are creators, too. That’s why producers must go through publishing and buy a license to get their residuals. Also, it’s vitally important to copyright your song with the Library of Congress in the USA, or whoever handles copywriting in your country. Artists and Producers can find all the relevant information about the process online.
For instance, Jon often receives tracks with generic names like “Audio 1” or “Audio 2,” etc, instead of “guitar, drums, vocals, etc.”, a setup that frustrates engineers who then waste time relabeling each track. He encourages artists to take full control, advising them to invest in marketing, protect their work, and understand the business framework.
Jon emphasizes the importance of proper labeling and tagging when sending music to radio stations or attaching it to music videos. Essential details, like song title, artist name, songwriter, album title, and ISWC code, allow licensed radio stations to track plays and ensure payment. In the U.S., artists can license their work with organizations like BMI or ASCAP, which issue ISWC codes for performance rights and ISRC codes for streaming. Jon notes that generating income takes around 50,000 mainstream radio plays or 100,000 independent radio plays. He advises artists to report every live performance to their respective rights organizations for additional royalties.
Jon reminds us that independent artists don’t have to be amateurs. Independence in music is about taking responsibility, protecting your work, and ensuring that every performance and every play counts—on your terms.
Jon K.T. must be doing something right, as he’s just been awarded The Rampage Music Awards Multi-Artist of the Month for October.
Reggaewerx PR LLC 