PREMIUM COURSE

The Business of Uncompromising Art

Learn how to make a living as a musician without compromising your art from Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan.

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There are a million music business courses out there, but we dare you to find another that teaches you how to blow fire in a fan's face and still get paid for it. In fact, Ben Weinman might argue that's part of what made his mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan so successful for so long: authenticity, risk-taking, an obsessive focus on fans, and an unwavering DIY ethos drawn from his heroes in punk. 

This course isn't for everyone. If you're just out to make money, there may be other more efficient approaches. But if you're hoping to turn your art into a fulfilling, sustainable, lifelong career, well, Ben's been there and done that and has thousands of miles of well-trodden experience to share.

He'll divulge what he's learned, pulling lessons from his storied career with The Dillinger Escape Plan and Suicidal Tendencies, and from a diversity of partners and friends along the way. He'll elucidate how to attract a passionate fanbase, deliver honest art, and design creative strategies for making money in an industry plagued by old, tired models. Ben will also explain how he took what many called an "unmarketable" band and transformed it into an iconic act and a profitable economic engine with a rabid fanbase — so successful in fact that major artists and labels now come to him for advice. 

If you're an artist with big dreams and a heaping dose of curiosity and gusto, ready and willing to break down the barriers of what prior generations of musicians told you was possible, this course is definitely for you. 


Ben Weinman

The Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist & manager

Ben is a songwriter, guitarist, film scorer, and manager best known for founding and playing in mathcore group The Dillinger Escape Plan. Founded in 1996, The Dillinger Escape Plan became legendary for their complex music and wild shows.

Twenty years later as the only original remaining member, Weinman, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, had become known as one of the most influential bands of this error, winning countless awards for their success as innovators and for being predominantly independent throughout the course of their career. During this time Weinman was named one of SPIN Magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and one of the 20 Most Influential Metal Guitarists Of The Modern Era by VH1. He was also named one of Guitar World Magazine's 50 fastest guitar players of all time alongside guitar players such as Eddie Van Halen and Les Paul, was named one of Alternative Press Magazine's "10 Favorite Guitar Slingers", and was named one of Guitar World's Top 25 Cult Guitarists in 2009. He has created official remixes for numerous artists and has performed and collaborated with artists such as NIN, System Of a Down, Suicidal Tendencies, Soundgarden, The Prodigy, and Kimbra to name a few.

At the end of 2017, Weinman retired the band and became a full-time father, and farmer, while also finding time to score 4 motion pictures, music for HBO, and perform as a permanent member of the band Suicidal Tendencies. He is on the advisory board of, and has consulted for, numerous music-oriented companies, and is a voting member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to managing his own bands, he has managed and consulted for Grammy award-winning artists and has an international network of both massively well-known and up-and-coming musicians. Weinman has produced or coproduced all of his releases, as well as a number of other musical works. He has contributed to various publications and spoken at universities and conferences on the subjects of music production and the music business. His techniques and philosophies have been discussed, and featured, in publications such as Forbes, the Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek, and his music has been used for course studies at universities and music schools around the world.

During his time creating and performing with The Dillinger Escape Plan, he was honored with the following awards:

Two-time Recipient of the PLUG Independent Music Award for Metal Album of the Year.

Recipient of The Kerrang! Inspiration Award.

Recipient of the Kerrang! Spirit of Independence Award.

Recipient of the Revolver Golden Gods Award for Best Underground Band.

Ranked number 1 in the Revolver Magazine's readers poll of the 5 Greatest Live Bands of All Time

Recipient of the AIM Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Recipient of the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Icon Award.

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The Dillinger Escape Plan was considered "unmarketable" when it started out. Instead, they flipped conventional wisdom on its head by becoming an iconic, profitable act — and redefining the terms of success for bands to come. Learn from Ben's approach how to make a living off your art without compromising your voice or integrity.

Make a living from your art

Learn from Ben Weinman of Dillinger Escape Plan and Suicidal Tendencies how to stand out from the noise and create a sustainable career in music.

Cut Through the Noise

Learn to stand out from the crowd and grab attention with artistic integrity.

Cultivate a Passionate Fanbase

Explore how Dillinger built a loyal tribe of fans ready to follow them into the fire.

Develop New Ways to Make Money

Generate a plethora of DIY strategies for monetizing the product you've built.

Become a Worldbuilder

Build a subculture around your music that inspires audiences with mystique.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY

Course Outline

  1. Preview
    Section 1

    Doing It Differently

  2. Section 2

    Uncompromising Art

  3. Section 3

    Building Something That Matters

  4. Section 4

    The Fan-Centric Model

  5. Section 5

    Making a Living

  6. Section 6

    Conclusion

MORE INFORMATION

Who is this course for?

This course is for any artist or musician looking to build a career with their music, and to do so without compromising their core values, creative voice, or integrity. 

What will I learn in this course?

You'll learn topics such as: 

  • The main ingredients of The Dillinger Escape Plan's homegrown success
  • Lessons from the punk and hardcore scenes that birthed Ben Weinman's trajectory
  • How to approach your art in an authentic and honest way
  • How to build a passionate fanbase
  • Creative approaches to monetizing your art and brand
  • How to practice a "worldbuilding" approach to your art

Are there any pre-reqs?

No prior knowledge is required. Everyone is welcome. 

How long does this course take?

This course was designed for you to go through at your own pace. If you wanted to do all the content linearly from start to finish, you could probably finish it in a few sittings. 

You're also welcome to just skip around to the lessons and sections most relevant to you, your music, and your career.

Is there a specific start date?

You can start the course anytime.

How many lessons are there?

This course includes 40 lessons, including videos, graphics, text, activities, creative prompts, and much more. 

What do I get if I enroll as a subscriber?

As a subscriber, you'll get unlimited access to all courses on Soundfly.com, including this and all our other premium courses, to go through at your own pace. This includes all the videos, tutorials, demos, quizzes, activities, downloads, and other materials within our full suite of courses.

You're also entitled to a 25% discount on our custom mentorship program, you will be invited to join our exclusive community Discord group, you'll be able join subscriber-only Study Groups, artist Q&As and workshops, annual contests and giveaways, and you'll have access to a growing list of exclusive discount perks courtesy of our partner brands. Cancel anytime.

You can find out more about subscribing here.

What is your refund policy?

Our mission is to support musicians, not to rip anyone off. If you realize after subscribing that it's not what you wanted, email us as soon as you can with your reason for cancelling. Our policy is to issue refunds within two weeks of a purchase, for either a monthly or annual subscription, if the courses didn't meet your expectations.

Note that we cannot offer refunds on monthly subscription payments beyond a single month of payment because of the residuals we pay out to our instructors and artists.