How study music playlists sparked an unexpected music career

Cam, a Bachelor of Commerce alum, never expected his degree to set him on a path toward becoming a successful piano composer. Yet, the University had a significant influence on his unconventional career.

Today, with a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list and compositions released on the prestigious label Deutsche Grammophon, Cam's journey demonstrates how the right environment can transform a side project into a sustainable creative career.

Commerce-informed composition

Cam’s success as a piano composer wasn’t due to luck. He applied the entrepreneurial mindset he learned during his time at the University to engineer opportunities in his niche where he could connect with new audiences.

One of Cam’s strategies involved identifying patterns in Spotify’s biggest piano playlists. “I call it the Peaceful Piano Formula,” he shared.

“There are certain rules. Every track, for example, would be two to three minutes long and use felt piano, which has a dampening effect.”

By composing to this formula and researching how to effectively pitch his compositions for playlist inclusion, Cam started to break into the niche.

This platform allowed him to pursue his broader mission: helping listeners engage in mindfulness and process difficult emotions through music they might never have discovered otherwise.

“I was lucky enough to land on Peaceful Piano a couple of times, and I've also now been on over 100 different editorials across different streaming platforms,” he said.

Unlike many contemporary artists chasing a musical career, Cam decided to focus on growing his online audience rather than pursuing live performance.

“I've just hit over 200,000 followers on Instagram recently, and that was through identifying trends,” said Cam.
To find success, Cam analysed the online space he hoped to occupy and didn’t shy away from changing his approach when it failed.

“I was trying to post videos of my own compositions every day, which didn't really work for me,” he shared.

“So, I started to look at other Instagram accounts which had large followings. They did covers and there were certain songs which, for some reason, always did well on Instagram.”

Cam took inspiration from these accounts and began posting covers of popular songs on Instagram, too. “My social media grew from 2000 up to 100,000 followers in a few months,” he said.

Although Cam’s platform grew by following trends, it formed part of a long-term plan to support his personal artistry.
“With 100,000 followers and 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, if someone looks you up online, they will see you have a significant following,” he explained.

“Then opportunities start to open up, and you can collaborate with bigger artists.”

Cam has also converted his followers to dedicated fans by posting more original compositions on his page over time.

Having a business mindset has also helped Cam futureproof his creative career. “I’ve spent some time creating strong passive income streams,” he said.

Another huge Spotify niche Cam identified was lullaby music for babies. By applying the same analytical lens to these lullaby playlists, Cam was able to successfully create tracks for them and open up a new avenue for creating contemplative and youthful melodies.

“A lot of my income is passive income I've generated from these tracks. I get about 300,000 to 400,000 streams just from baby lullabies and ambient music per day,” he shared.

“It means I am able to work on different projects which take a lot more time but might not pay off straight away.”

Encouragement and exploration

Cam believes the University played a pivotal role in shaping his unconventional career trajectory by fostering an environment where he could explore his interests.

Before releasing his first piano compositions, a breadth subject Cam undertook as part of the Melbourne curriculum sparked a new creative direction, leading to his debut music release.

“What sets Melbourne apart from other universities is the breadth subjects. They encourage you to expand your skill set and explore different avenues,” he shared.

Cam took Electronic Dance Music Technique as a breadth subject which honed his basic production skills.

“Learning to produce techno really pushed me to start releasing my own music and get me into this music world,” he shared.

“Doing that subject was probably the impetus to my career pathway, in a way.”

Cam’s commerce cohort also became a source of personal motivation.

“Surrounding myself with people who are really career-focused is something that has helped push me as well,” he said.

“One of my best friends who studied commerce with me, Vinnie Cesnik, was also growing his own social media as a cooking influencer, and we pushed each other in different ways.

"The opportunities the University offered really helped plant the seeds to support this career path that I ended up going down.”

Earned industry recognition

Cam’s grit and entrepreneurial mindset have led to meaningful achievements and recognition of his craft.

“Since focusing on growth through my social media, I've got a lot more direct fans. Getting my music in front of people feels really special,” shared Cam.

As of 2025, some of Cam’s neoclassical compositions have also been released through the most prestigious classic music label in the world, Deutsche Grammophon.

“I was, honestly, quite blown away by it. I've taken this non-traditional pathway, and I feel really recognised within the industry.”

Cam also made the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the arts this year, an accolade that recognises him as one of the most talented and entrepreneurial young individuals in his field.

For students and young alumni looking to follow a similar path, Cam encourages them to pursue their passions, even if a correlating career isn’t immediately obvious.

“What I can recommend to anyone – if you've got a passion for something and if you have time – is developing your craft separately from your career,” he said.

“You may not start something thinking, ‘this is going to be my career,’ but over time, it could happen.”