On Repeat Is Turning 1: Thank You!

It all started with Thelonious Monk.

Sage advice from Thelonious Monk

I missed the days when music discovery meant passing someone a mixtape at work or school. Of finding a new artist while crate digging. When recommendations came not from a sterile algorithm but from a friend saying, “you gotta hear this!”

I couldn’t find anywhere to recreate those connections online, so I built it. I had no idea if this would succeed or if On Repeat would be just one more place on the internet, flinging content into the void.

One year in, I’m delighted to say it’s working. What started as a small list of people close to me (read: my wife, kids, and my work email) has grown to a community of 100s spread all over the globe.

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Where we’ve been

In the first year, I’ve shared well over 100 songs (not including playlists), and collectively you’ve shared 100s more.

• There were interviews with the team behind the Vinyl Nation rock doc, Young Gun Silver Fox, Bikelane, and a London DJ building his own community one show at a time.

• We had several guest posts with other Substack writers.

• I shared one of my favorite projects in recent memory; Rudi Seitz’s investment in independent artists and the unique way he’s finding who to support. Expect a follow-up once it hits its own 1-year mark.

• Untold record reviews/music discovery.

• News & notes from around the industry.

• And, of course, (probably) too many links to the absurdity that is #musictwitter.

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Most of this is available to everyone, and that’s intentional. I’m also asking free subscribers to consider upgrading to paid. Doing so gives you access to everything. I’ve decided to keep prices the same this year, so an annual subscription is still just $45/year.

We are almost at the point where this project is fully sustained by paid subscriptions. Paid subscribers already enjoy ad-free posts. I would much prefer that model over being ad-supported and assume most of you would agree.

And as much as I’d like to regale you with tales of glory and fast living, the reality is that your support covers things like licensing fees, Grammarly Pro, and addiction to Pilot G2 pens. This is a digital publication, but the first draft is still outlined by hand.

I’m also mindful that not everyone is in a space to pay for a subscription. If that’s you, just email me, and I’ll comp you one. I’ve been there. You don’t have to prove anything or make your case. All you have to do is ask. Critically, for those of you able to pay, your help makes that possible.

And it really helps when you spread the word and recommend the site to all the music lovers in your life.

Where we’re going

I’m excited about what’s ahead and hope you are too. In addition to the regular features you’ve come to expect, I plan to increase the level of interviews (ideally, this would be a regular feature) and guest posts.

There will also be more in-depth articles/deep dives on records-both new and old. I have a few on the drawing board that I think people will enjoy.

I also want to hear from you. What’s working? What isn’t? What would you like to see more of in Year 2? This page has been through a few iterations, and some of the best changes have been driven by reader feedback.

Seeing which posts resonate with people and which don’t is always surprising. There are no wrong answers here. Please comment below or reply directly to this email.

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Year 1 has been a wild ride. I hope you’re having as much fun being here as I’m having on the other side of the screen. The responses/engagement are incredible and are only increasing.

One of Thelonious’ tips was to “always leave them wanting more.” That’s the page’s North Star. My goal for On Repeat is to liven up your playlists and occupy a permanent spot on your list of “never miss” newsletters.

Thank you again for being here, and I appreciate your support!

Kevin—

P.S. Reading this in your inbox? You can find a shareable version of this (and every post) here. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.