290. How Two Friends Used Free Mixes to Build a Multimillion-Dollar Career

290. How Two Friends Used Free Mixes to Build a Multimillion-Dollar Career

From Trading Secrets by Audioboom Studios

April 13, 2026 · 59 min

About this episode

Jason talks with Matt Halper and Eli Sones about their journey from college friends to successful independent DJs and the business strategies behind their brand.

This week, Jason is joined by Matt Halper and Eli Sones — the duo behind Two Friends, for a conversation on how they turned a college hobby into one of the most successful independent DJ brands in the world. Starting as best friends making music for fun in middle school and college, Matt and Eli share how they took a leap after graduation with no real income, betting on themselves in an industry dominated by record labels. What began as small gigs paying a few thousand dollars quickly evolved into a global touring business but not without years of uncertainty, financial risk, and reinvestment. They break down the real business of being a DJ today, revealing why the majority of their revenue doesn’t come from music, but from live shows, brand partnerships, and building an experience-driven brand. From early days barely breaking even to landing six-figure deals and major residencies in Las Vegas, they explain how they scaled strategically while staying independent. They also dive into the viral success of their Big Booty Mixes and why, despite millions of listeners, they’ve never made a dollar directly from them. Instead, they reveal how free content became their most powerful…

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