Meet Michael Burton

We were lucky to catch up with Michael Burton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael , so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

There is nothing I’ve been through that hasn’t happened before to someone else. Everything will be okay. No one is as concerned or judging of you to the degree you think. Focus on your passion and love the people who make you feel happy to be alive. And read history books you’ll see we are living in the best times in recorded history

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I go by the name Keybeaux. I am a rapper, songwriter, producer. I was overwhelmed by hip hop music and the culture as a child and infatuated with songwriting and music production early on. I would say my music career officially started at 15 recording songs on a karaoke machine and passing out mixtapes at high school. I envisioned I would be a signed artist to a major label by 18. I was unaware of how difficult that journey was. I wouldn’t find my own unique place in the industry until age 31. I became a full-time freelance songwriter and artist by way of the website Fiverr. I offered my talents on the platform and had enough clients that allowed me to quit my 9 to 5. And the money financed my own music that I realized, my Music videos, my life. The passion for music has only grown and Im focused on releasing more music as well as ghostwrite and produce for other artist. As of 2025 I’ve written and recorded over 8,000 songs on Fiverr alone, and over 2,000 songs written or produced for myself and others outside the platform. Still feels like I’ve only begun.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The quality that was very important early on was enjoying the process of making a song. I can recall spending hours dissecting a Mariah Carey or Stevie Wonder song. What chords did they use? What harmonies are happening on the verse? How did Nas think of that punchline? So many things are happening while listening to a song that I wanted to understand deeply. So enjoying the process allows you to be a student forever and never lose the love.

Put yourself out there! This is major! I would second guess everything I created waiting for validation from peers and family. Little did I realize the world is insanely big. 1000 people may have heard my music and didnt like it, but 10,000 others may be the target audience. And countless opportunities have been presented simply because a company or artist even knew I existed. Making art, be proud of it and share it with the world with no shame

Knowledge is power. Reading books on artist from the past, reading articles about business, never accept that you know enough. Read, research, experiment with the information and repeat. I knew very little about business until I went full time as an entrepreneur. I learned how to market myself, what people wanted from me and were willing to pay. Always be open to new information.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Currently the music industry and many artist are struggling to connect to fans and release music with a similar impact to how it was in the past. With streaming services paying out fractions of pennies for songs, with a push for artist to be content creators first, musicians second, it has been feeling quite daunting for many. I’ve always stayed optimistic and open for things to change because something stronger is always around the corner. I connected with someone who created an app primary for artist to sell their music with a larger payout than any other digital streaming service. I was blown away. It’s been the answer many have been looking for. Currently im focused on releasing my music on this platform called The Outlet App. Its for artist who want to bring their fans to their art and for artist to be compensated fairly. I see this as the future, direct to consumers. I’m extremely excited for what’s to come on this app and for all fans of my music.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keybeaux
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/keybeaux
• Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/keybeaux