How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Dee Diaz, Vice President of Marketing at Reach Records.

At Indie Week 2026, Dee shares the innovative marketing strategies behind Lecrae’s Reconstruction album campaign, which helped propel the project to a Billboard Top 10 debut. From sending exclusive mailers to the label’s most loyal fans. To building a gamified direct-to-fan platform called The Workshop, Dee reveals how Reach Records prioritized community, superfans, and authentic artist engagement over chasing algorithms.

Find Dee Diaz:

https://www.instagram.com/deediaz_/

https://www.instagram.com/reachrecords/

Check out Ari’s Take:

https://aristake.com

05:06 - Meet Dee Diaz and Reach Records

08:47 - The History of Reach Records and Lecrae

12:31 - Building the Reconstruction Campaign

15:07 - The 1,000 Fan Mailer Strategy

16:19 - Creating The Workshop Fan Community

19:37 - Turning Superfans Into Brand Ambassadors

29:09 - Community Service as Music Marketing

37:39 - The Story Behind “Coming In Hot”

43:29 - Why TikTok Doesn't Convert Like It Used To

46:17 - What It Means to Make It in the New Music Business

47:00 - Audience Q&A

Edited and mixed by Ruben Zarate

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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