FAQ
What sndwzrd is, who built it, who it's for, what it costs, and when you can get access. Answers below are deliberately short.
What is sndwzrd?
sndwzrd is an AI assistant for music artists, packaged as a set of specialized wizards. The Assistant Wizard handles operations — schedule, files, stems, A&R email, royalties, contacts. The Manager Wizard handles outbound work — gig booking, ad campaigns, playlist and sync pitching, press. The Artist Wizard (coming soon) is the scale layer — a voice and style clone, an AI-native artist persona, or a creative co-director, deployed on the artist's terms. Together they give independent artists the same workflow infrastructure that signed artists get from a full team.
How is sndwzrd different from AI tools that generate music?
sndwzrd does not write or generate music. It is an assistant for the artist behind the music. The product helps you organize, plan, release, and grow — it does not replace the creative work. The thesis is that the bottleneck for most independent artists is operational, not creative.
Who built sndwzrd?
sndwzrd was built by Wesley Thompson (handles: sndwiz, Soundwizzy), a working engineer and studio owner with more than 15+ years inside the industry — including four years at Counterpoint Studios in downtown Salt Lake City. Studio and tour credits include Post Malone, NBA YoungBoy, Olivia Rodrigo, among a long list. Anything sound — music production, feature and film edit, field recording, live A1, scores and sound for films, commercials, ads, and spec ads. He is a working musician as well as an engineer, which is why the product is built around how artists actually operate.
Who is sndwzrd for?
sndwzrd is for independent and developing music artists, producers, audio engineers, and small management teams. It is most useful for artists who are serious enough about their careers to want professional workflow but are not yet at a level where they can afford a full manager, A&R, and operations team.
What does sndwzrd cost?
Two lanes. Hosted wizards are annual memberships: Assistant Wizard $50/mo, Manager Wizard $100/mo, Artist Wizard $300/mo when it opens (opens when the work is ready). Invite-only cohort of twenty — join the waitlist. Separately, the Freedom / private-server path is a buy-once offer on hardware you own (Pilot then Freedom Engagement) — see sndwzrd.com/freedom. Studio booking stays request-access + deposit on either path.
Is there a private server / Freedom option?
There are two lanes and they do not mix. Hosted wizards are annual memberships (Assistant $50/mo, Manager $100/mo, Artist $300/mo when open) on the invite cohort — plus a free forever wedge seat for vault and personal schedule. The Freedom / private-server path is a separate buy-once offer: Pilot then Freedom Engagement priced under about a year of your current burn, on hardware you own, with optional updates never required. Studio booking stays request-access + half-down on either path. Details: sndwzrd.com/freedom.
What are the sndwzrd wizards — Assistant, Manager, and Artist?
Three commercial wizards, with real job titles underneath. The Assistant Wizard is PA + day-to-day ops: schedule, vault, rollout checklists, inbox drafts, splits. The Manager Wizard is the Artist Manager hub — filter, weekly brief, fall-guy scripts, and coordination of specialist packs (Booking Agent for live only, Publicist for earned media, Social for owned channels). The Artist Wizard (coming soon) is the scale layer — clone, persona, co-director — not a substitute manager. Manager ≠ Agent ≠ Publicist ≠ Social; see sndwzrd.com/team for hire order and packs.
Is the Manager Wizard my booking agent and publicist?
No. Best practice keeps those separate. The Manager is the hub and fall guy. Booking Agent, Publicist, and Social are specialist packs under the hub — drafts and checklists that require your approval before anything goes out. Confusing them is how early careers burn out one person; we name the lanes so the product does not.
What order should an artist build their team?
Industry best practice: entertainment attorney as needed before contracts; self-ops / PA always; Artist Manager when business eats creative time; booking agent after proven live draw; publicist campaign-by-campaign around real releases; social specialist when owned-channel craft outgrows DIY. sndwzrd product build follows the same foundation-first order — ops, then manager hub, then social, publicist, and agent packs. Details: sndwzrd.com/team.
Is there a wizard for music engineers?
Yes — the Mind Wizard (sndmnds) is the engineer wing: voice ID across the file library, Pro Tools session orchestration, StemPrep (artist dumps into a clean Pro Tools–ready delivery package), automated client status, and a voice-gated portal. The live build is mid-flight at soundminds.dumpsterdev.com; the offering page on this site is /sndmnds. It ships when the artist wizards are stable enough to share the spine.
What is the Artist Wizard and how is it different from AI that generates music?
The Artist Wizard is not a music generator. It is a set of opt-in capabilities the artist owns and controls. You can deploy a voice and style clone of yourself for content drops, fan DMs, virtual shows, and sync placements. You can create an AI-native artist persona that you own and release under as separate intellectual property. You can engage a creative co-director that learns your taste and gives feedback on works in progress without performing for you. Every output is watermarked and logged with full provenance. You set the licensing terms — who, where, how long, for how much. You can disable the clone instantly. Your voice and music are never used to train anyone else's model. The wizard exists so artists can scale presence on their own terms, not so AI can replace them.
How do I book a studio session?
Studio time is request-access only — there is no open public calendar. Submit a request at sndwzrd.com/book (or ask in site chat). Every request is reviewed personally; on approval you receive a temporary passcode that unlocks the booking portal. Choosing a slot holds it pending; half down (or the stated deposit) plus signed terms confirm the date. No bulk or walk-in locks.
When can I get access?
Early access is rolling out by cohort, starting with artists and producers who can be onboarded personally. Join the waitlist on sndwzrd.com to request a slot in an upcoming cohort.
Does sndwzrd connect to streaming services and distributors?
Yes. The product is designed to integrate with the tools artists already use, including streaming dashboards, distributors like DistroKid, performance rights organizations, and royalty payout services. The roadmap prioritizes the integrations that the first cohort of artists actually depend on.
Is sndwzrd safe to use with unreleased music?
Yes. Audio and metadata are stored encrypted, access is scoped to the artist and the people they explicitly invite, and unreleased material is never used to train any model. The product is operated by a working studio owner who understands what unreleased stems are worth.
What is the Local section in the player?
Local is the free Homeplate path — unsigned artists upload and listeners start micro (one city, one scene) before algorithmic global discovery. Listen at homeplate.dumpsterdev.com; upload at homeplate.cloud. Pair it with a free Assistant wedge seat on sndwzrd for vault + personal schedule with no babysitting.
What is the free Assistant wedge seat?
The wedge seat is the forever-free Assistant path: claim access, then use vault (stem/master index linked to Homeplate) and personal schedule alone — no founder babysitting. Paid Assistant / Manager / Artist tiers expand outbound Manager work and the Artist Wizard clone layer.
Can sndwzrd help me with marketing my music?
Yes — but not the played-out 'check my links / I'm better than Ed Sheeran / I bought Suno' game. Digital marketing presets at sndwzrd.com/digital teach Social, Publicist, and Manager outbound to hit real pain: labels barely market anymore; the talent-scout era is over; they want platform, fanbase, and structure that already exist. You carve destiny with Local proof, owned media, and approval-gated campaigns — Assistant plans the machine; Manager hub filters and fall-guys; ads stay under budget guardrails you approve.