76. Fifteen Minutes of Fame 2024 Year in Review

Originally Published January 3rd, 2025

In the Beginning…

I had zero expectations going into this. An independent artist, wanting to make a name for myself, I had discovered there were so many other artists out there who wanted that exact same thing; to be heard. After trials, errors, and little to no interest, I thought of the blog. Sure, blogs are a little bit dated, but it’s a permanent publication. It’s something artists can reference that tells people who they are and what their music is. Whether it is something that an artist references from time to time for their own purpose or if it is used as a platform for more people to discover an artist, I feel like it accomplishes something. I can happily say, I am a fan of every single artist I’ve reviewed. My hope is they each find their audience and, if the Fifteen Minutes of Fame blog helps them reach that audience, then I am fulfilled.

On Threads, I posted for the first time mentioning the blog on June 29th. I wasn’t expecting much, as previously stated. Afterall, I had a little more than 300 followers, I had never been social media-savvy, and had no idea whether or not there would be any interest. The post got about 400 views and 3 comments. The next day, I launched a campaign, terrified that it would not be well received. After 12,000 views and nearly 250 comments, I was overjoyed. I began to dream that Fifteen Minutes of Fame could turn into something; a beacon for Independent Artists to share, create, collaborate and lift each other up. The last half of 2024 has been all of that and more.

On Threads, we grew from 324 followers to 1,328 followers. Submission posts were viewed anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 times with several hundreds of artist submissions.

Instagram grew from 332 followers to 828 followers. Content reached tens of thousands of viewers with thousands interacting with the content; from reels, to posts, and stories all promoting Fifteen Minutes of Fame artists.

Facebooks following doubled in size from 71 to 142 and had shown signs of engagement as that community begins to grow. 

Fifteen Minutes of Fame is more than just a blog now. Additionally, Fifteen Minutes of Fame interviews artists. In 2024, there were 4 artist interviews conducted and published on YouTube. We have begun to do Blind Reactions, which are also posted on the Fifteen Minutes of Fame YouTube page. Since starting in October, the Fifteen Minutes of Fame YouTube page has gained 75 followers and have posted 27 videos, which have encompassed 1,500 views and 242 interactions.

The blog itself has been viewed more than 21,000 times in the six months it’s been live. There have been 75 articles published. The artists covered, spanned across 22 different states; including Washington D.C, 11 countries, and 4 continents. 

To say the first (half) year of Fifteen Minutes of Fame has been a success in my eyes is a massive understatement. In the time I’ve gotten to know these artists, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing culture, community, and compassion that I’ve merely hoped existed in the world. To confirm it’s there has been the most amazing gift. I more than inspires me to, not only continue this thing we’ve started, but do everything I can to encourage it to grow into something more and more artists can find and become a part of. 

2025

So, I have a plethora of plans when it comes to Fifteen Minutes of Fame. I want to do the absolute best I can to build a strong and sturdy platform in an effort to expand what we do and who we serve.  So, here is what 2025 will look like….

WEBSITE LAUNCH

That’s right, we’re going to have a HOME BASE!!! In the next 2-3 months, I will be working diligently to convert the FMOF content to where it’s coming from one hub. Right now, I am hard at work designing the site, a new LOGO, and bringing published materials from the old blog site to the NEW website. 

The website will be a destination for all things Fifteen Minutes of Fame. It will be where reviews are published, there will be direct links to social media platforms, interviews, blind reactions, and there will be a forum to keep up to date with events for artists and there will eventually even be a merch store! Stay tuned because this will launch very SOON!

The foundation of Fifteen Minutes of Fame are the artist reviews and those will continue. I will also be continuing the interviews and blind reactions, though I will be continuing to work on how these are presented to make them more marketable to viewers who are discovering FMOF artists for the first time. 

Additional Journalists

I want to be able to reach as many artists as possible. I have been considering taking on 1 - 2 additional journalists. I would continue to write myself, and serve in the capacity of editor as well. Doing this, would give us the opportunity to push out more reviews. 

YouTube Show

I am going to be doing a recap show on YouTube to showcase new releases on a larger capacity, as well as use in the capacity of touching base with FMOF alumni to keep tabs on their pursuits and endeavors. These shows will occur ever other Friday.

TikTok Live Reviews

I would like to start doing live reviews of artist releases. I want to utilize this in a capacity to review all artist music. There won’t be stipulations for when songs are released like with the blog. It’s an opportunity for artists to have the work they’re proud of reviewed and constructively criticized in a public capacity. Since, deciding to launch this, I’ve noticed a few people do this on TikTok. Where Fifteen Minutes of Fame will (and have) differed, is we will continue to be a forum for independent artists to feel welcome and comfortable sharing their music. There will be no deliberate trashing of the music or performance of independent artists. There is no “brutal honesty” with the term being used as an excuse to be mean to people for clicks. Our reviews may not always be all positive, but they will only provide criticism for the sake of the artists having growth opportunities and unrealized potential. 

It goes without saying that the TikTok live agenda has the caveat to it that we will still have TikTok in the US in a month. Hopefully we will. If not, I will be doing this on YouTube or Instagram. I will find a way to continue to reach artists.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the ideas I have going forward. There are some larger goals are a little less reachable at this point but are things we are working towards being able to accomplish, nonetheless. 

My New Year’s resolution for Fifteen Minutes of Fame is to make this forum a serious destination for independent artists. I also want to be a sounding board for the rest of the music industry to begin to take independent artists more seriously. 

Accredited voting member of the recording academy….

One of the ways I have been trying to do this is I am working becoming an accredited voting member for the recording academy. My hope is to be eligible to vote for the 2026 Academy music awards. Though it may be a while before independent music is represented in any capacity with mainstream music, to be voted in any capacity for a Grammy nomination is an honor not to be overlooked.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame Music and Arts Festival

Another goal I have is to host a Fifteen Minutes of Fame Music and Arts Festival. This will be an opportunity to support artists in a live capacity. Not just musicians, but painters, sculptors, designers, etc. If I can do this successfully, I would want to possibly even tour this idea and host festivals in different areas where interest can be garnered.

As these visions become more realized, I will be putting more out regarding this. As of now, these are some of the things we have to look forward to as Fifteen Minutes of Fame continue to grow and reach independent artists.

So, here’s to a busy and exciting 2025. I look forward to getting back into the FMOF groove. This is about you guys. You guys are the future of independent music. You inspire me to do more every single day. 

Let’s build together.