I Swim With Sharks Inc. was created in response to a growing problem in the independent music industry: artists have more access than ever before, but less understanding of how to build sustainable careers. While technology has made it easy to release music, it has not made it easier to navigate strategy, longevity, or growth. I Swim With Sharks Inc. operates as both a music distribution company and an artist development platform, designed to educate artists before scaling them.

Unlike companies that rely on a single pipeline, I Swim With Sharks Inc. works across multiple distribution partnerships, allowing artists to be placed intentionally rather than generically. Through relationships with Roc Nation Distribution, The Orchard, KMG Distribution, and Symphonic Distribution, the company supports artists at different stages, genres, and goals. This multi-lane structure exists because artists do not grow the same way and forcing them into one system often stalls progress instead of accelerating it.

The company was founded by Andre Williams, widely known as Dre, whose experience in major-label A&R and executive leadership exposed a consistent gap: artists were being distributed without being educated. I Swim With Sharks Inc. was built to close that gap by teaching artists how the industry actually functions, so they can make informed decisions rather than guessing their way forward.

One of the most common areas where artists struggle is marketing — not because they lack effort, but because they misunderstand what marketing truly is.

That brings us to a critical question explored inside the Sharks ecosystem:

What is the biggest misconception artists have about marketing?

This question is addressed by Tori “TC” Medley, a strategist and educator at I Swim With Sharks Inc. TC works closely with artists to help them understand marketing as a long-term system rather than a short-term task.

According to TC, the biggest misconception artists have about marketing is believing it begins after the music is finished — and ends shortly after release. Many artists treat marketing like a checklist: post content, run a few ads, push a song for a few months, then move on if it doesn’t immediately “work.” This mindset alone has caused countless strong records to disappear prematurely.

TC explains that marketing is not an event it’s a commitment. Records do not all break on the same timeline, and success does not follow a universal schedule. When artists decide that a song failed simply because it didn’t take off within a 30-, 60-, or 90-day window, they are often abandoning records that simply haven’t had time to find their audience.

Marketing, TC emphasizes, is about continuity. It’s about building familiarity, context, and belief over time. Audiences rarely connect deeply with something they see once. They connect through repetition, storytelling, and sustained presence. When artists stop pushing too early, they don’t give listeners the opportunity to form that connection.

TC points to real-world examples to illustrate this truth. August Alsina released “I Love This Sht”* multiple times before it truly broke. The record didn’t explode on its first push — it gained traction because it was kept alive. The artist continued telling the story, continued positioning the song, and continued believing in it long enough for audiences to catch up.

This same principle explains why older songs resurface years later. Songs don’t randomly become relevant again. Artists, teams, or fans reintroduce them through context — new moments, new platforms, new audiences. Catalog grows when records are supported long enough to live beyond their initial release window.

At I Swim With Sharks Inc., artists are taught that marketing should evolve, not stop. A record can live for years if it’s supported strategically. TC helps artists understand when to reposition a song, how to reframe it for new listeners, and how to continue telling its story without feeling repetitive.

The misconception isn’t just about what marketing is — it’s about how long it lasts. Marketing doesn’t end because time passed. It ends when the artist stops believing in the record.

By reframing marketing as an ongoing process, artists stop abandoning strong work and start building catalogs that actually have room to grow. That shift alone often separates artists who cycle endlessly from those who build real careers.

Learn more about I Swim With Sharks Inc.
https://www.iswimwithsharksinc.com
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