Sure, a few tens of trillions of dollars and a couple million square miles of un-claimed turf is all you need to get going. Fun and profit for the whole family! Oh, you mean musically?
I disagree with that statement but I used to think it mistakenly. Heck you could say society value entertainers too much. Extreme example is Taylor Swift or think of any athlete/actor...etc list goes on and on. As I wrote in the latest video people make the hubristic presumption of thinking people should automatically value YOUR entertainment just because you provide it. Why should anyone pay money to watch you and your buddies play baseball? That is what they don't value. Megadeth plays a show they spend money on tickets. Cubs play a baseball game people pay money for tickets. If your some random band doing a Megadeth cover random drunks won't care and why would they? It's no different than if you decide to make some paintings and then setup a stand and be upset when no one buys your painting. Why should they buy your painting? I say all of this as someone who was in different original only band for years never making any real money besides gas/beer money.
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and it is very humbling. What you think is awesome and worth this much is only worth that much if someone else agrees, haha.
Very well said. Being a musician myself, I totally agree with you. I always advice young ambitious musicians to get a job FIRST, and pursue their music on the side. Even Steve Lukarther said the same thing. Since the millennium, live music is finished. Today, many pop music are made on a computer - not with real musicians. Kids, not only today but the last 10-15 years or more have abandoned live music completely. Live music venues have closed and if you go see any existing ones, they're usually older folks playing classic rock covers. And the audience are all older folks too. It's really sad. During my days, it was 19 to 30 yr olds in clubs watching live bands. But times have changed and not for the better. I'm now in two bands which hardly makes any money but this is all for the passion of music as I got a good job and nearing my retirement. Since I'm doing session work as well, that's the only place where there's money. Some interesting pointers: James Williamson (former Iggy and the Stooges guitarist in the early 70s) left the scene way back and became a VP in Sony Electronics. He still rock once in a while now that he is retired. Floyd Radford (2nd guitarist to Johnny Winter group) also left the scene way back to pursue a successful engineering career with Lockheed Martin. And he's still rocking. I don't think they ever regret it.
Oh I didn’t mention back in the day my dad frank was a very well known saxophone 🎷 player he once played on the Johnny Carson show as a guest player with the doc sav band and my mom Carol sue was a jazz singer and a concert pianist but sadly they both passed away of different cancers life is short for sure find what you love while you can may god bless us all on this earth 🌍 sincerely, Carol
I used to want a career in music when I was younger, I wanted a record deal and to record and tour. I am a singer and have been for the past 25 years. As I got older, I started to realize that the music industry is a vicious and dangerous environment. I could become a drug addict, a shooting victim or made a fool by the tabloids if I entered that world. I focus on my day job as a general labourer in a furniture factory and I perform live in local clubs.
This is why I treat playing and making music like it's something spiritual, like the practice of a religion. Not a business or a career. Music today has a horrible business model. It's terrible as a business, but as a "hobby" (I hate describing it like that) or if you approach it like it's a spiritual practice, music is amazing. And as a metal musician who primarily plays black metal, it's very easy to approach music in that way. I have a one-man band which is common in black metal. Can't play traditional live shows but that's why RUclips is so helpful. But I only treat it as a spiritual endeavor. I prefer that because if music was my career in today's world, that would require me to find band members and play lots of shows, and go on lots of tours all the time just to keep making money from it. I feel that would take all the fun out of being a musician. I notice it with bands of moderate fame: they get worn out from touring, traveling, and they lose that fire and passion they had for their music. Creating and playing music every once in a while is much different. What keeps me passionate about creating and playing music is the long breaks I take from it every once in a while. I'll play and create for a few weeks, then I'll barely touch my guitar for a few weeks, and when I do return to it, playing feels so fresh and empowering!
There is no business model because music is dead! Rock died in 1991. It was replaced with loser gangster rap with illiterate guys talking bleep into a mic with a primitive drum beat, techno computer syn, annoying no talent female voices with auto tune, and cookie cutter country crap. And on top of that, the kids think all music should be free and or steal it. This is why music is dead as a career and a money making business. Now with AI music its totally over. There is NO way to make a living creating or performing music.
I'm 66 now started Playing Drum Set Full time since my 14th birthday ( FULLTIME) Freelance Drummer Percussionist... Played with Chuck Berry Johnny winter Jennifer Lopez Al DiMeola Pheobe Snow Stevie Wonder Richard Bona ect.ect. & Many More Made Great $$$. Traveled the World.....I Still play .... Music Was Good To Me & I"M NOT FAMOUS !!!! I also teach...
So true. Really good advice to young people who are about to waste their entire financial lives on something that has no commercial value. Becoming a good guitar player is really difficult. Getting a degree in accounting or some other profession in most cases is much easier. the vast majority of people who take up a musical instrument will quit after they realize it's not easy to make that sound you hear on the radio. Having said that learning to play a musical instrument is a personal joy you can't put a number on. And like he says nobody cares. You could be playing the most difficult rock 'n' roll riff with some friends around that sounds great and they're looking at their cell phones trying to be polite but nobody cares except you. But that's all right. It's a skill that can bring you great pleasure. just make sure you have a job or other skills they can make you a great living. One more thing whatever you do don't spend a ton of money going to college and majoring music. You'll regret that for as long as you live.
I made a small fortune over the last 25 years making one man demos for local songwriters and publishers. I charged 300.00 a song and usually did 2 or 3 a day. However, I spent 30 years before that learning to play a bunch of real instruments and learning how to produce, arrange and engineer audio. Many ways to make money with music without being a rock star.
Ha. I went to clubs saw female singers got them to be servers at my restaurant (before hooters) made a fortune. Then, when the band broke up cause being a singer pays dic, I would have the band members clean cars in an empty parking lot next door. There are many ways to make money with music without being a rock star. They nicknamed my Gator.
I'm old as dirt. I was a software engineer working in startups back before startups were cool. In high school I drew, painted, sculpted and sold some paintings. But I wasn't that good either. After the Army I picked computer science as my major because computers had the most jobs in the newspaper want ads and the the highest pay. That was 1979 and few people had heard the word "computer". I had no idea what it was. I did a minor in Fine Art. Two years in I decided to look for a part time job in computers to see what was going on in the real world. One job was for a graphic artist at a new video game company. Close enough, I'd get to see computers being used. So I took my portfolio of drawings to the interview. They saw Computer Science as my major and flipped the interview to me creating games. They also liked I had the art thing too and could do the butt simple Atari 2600 graphics. They offered a salary I expected to get with a degree. To me a degree was a means to an end, not a goal, so I dropped out to take the job. 6 weeks later my first game was done and it became their best seller. They doubled my salary. But they made about $750,000 off my game in just the first month while I made $2,700. So I hit the newspaper again and found an ad looking for an Atari 2600 programmer by 2 guys with money. I quit and started a new company with those guys. Failed a few months later when the video game market crashed. I went on to other companies to create games and other kinds of consumer products At one game company a bunch of us developers were having dinner in a conference room (companies provided dinner so we'd work more hours...and we loved our jobs so win-win). Lot of these guys I'd known for several years from other startups (I worked at 14 in total, so worked with a lot of people). Someone said something about playing music. Then others chimed in and said they were into creating music too and 2 of us were into painting and drawing. We never knew this because were in career alliances, not social. Career was much more interesting. Anyways, turned out nearly all were seriously into some art. Creating is creating. An interest in music will translate into many other fields. There aren't a lot of morons who can create music. And there's some risk taking, some self-confidence a musician must have that can be an asset in many fields. In a few companies we'd have meeting and some engineers way brighter than me would have great ideas they would tell be as a fellow engineer but would need bring up in meetings or to management. Or they'd bring it up in a meeting and fold quickly with the first criticism. I'd learned confidence from showing my paintings and having most people not buy one. So I would present their idea while giving them the credit... "Jim had a great idea I thought about doing..." When I had some buy in around the able Jim could explain more details, answer questions. If a question was directed at me I would look at Jim and wait to see if he would answer it instead. This worked super well for me. I formed super strong alliances with these other engineers because I sold their ideas which were great ideas and they trusted me to give them credit always. When they went to a new startup they called me to join and I called them when I was at a new one. So I suggest not looking at music as an either or thing. It will likely be the most valuable skill you will have making money doing other things. You've done the work developing the skill of not just playing, but gaining the confidence to play in front of others. 80% of people are too scare to even talk at a meeting. You can own a meeting. Entertaining people is a skill that you have too. Able to read a room quickly, tell what people are likely and not liking. Important though to pick jobs were your music skills can be most useful. Anything at all creative. Your initial job may not be creative but if surrounded by creative people you'll be more likely to be spotted and given more creative tasks. And this doesn't just mean the arts. My brother is an electrician, better artist than I ever was. He was showing me how to wire a house and the way he ran wire was beautiful. Took all the twists out, perfectly straight runs, beautiful. And it was all going to get covered up. He said he did it that way because when inspectors looked at it they signed off without much inspecting. "Obviously this guy knows what he's doing." But it was his artist eye that drove him to do this. Wiring a house is creative imo. I've been slow flipping houses for the past 22 years. Same feeling as creating a painting. It takes attention to detail to create art and music. How many hours to learn a song to your standard? Days, weeks, months? 80% of workers you're in competition with won't focus on anything longer than a goldfish would. Business owners, manages highly value that skill.
Wow, what an amazing comment. I had to read that a few times to not miss anything! I enjoyed reading about where you’ve been and what things were like then. Art does appear in everyday tasks, very true, and music reaching into real world confidence is something I feel, too! Wow, amazing comment!
It only gets harder as you get older. Im in my 40s now and trying to get a band together seems impossible. Loads of "leads" and interest and virtually no follow through. I feel like most folks my age like to reminisce about past band experiences and think they want that until things start moving and then they don't. Their self image as a temporarily displaced rockstar seems to be more valuable.
Man, what a good comment. It’s weird how that works, right? It seems like life gives us a little bit of time for something like that to happen for us, and if not, it’s just super hard….
I would still remind that our mind is a so powerful tool to manifest anything, but it works also in a negative way also. It's true that those minium salary bar gigs are sucks, but i'll give here an example. David Benoit... This succeful smooth jazz pianist. He did a lot of small bar gigs in the 70's and i think he had also that same struggle, but it all changed in 1987, when he got that record deal with the GRP Records and then his career rocketed to the skies. He was at the right place at the right time and finally he made it. Record producer jazz-pianist Dave Grusin was also his hero and they created this together. So attitude is the key to everything success, but don't use that in a negative way, cause then you will create that negative circle and you will be manifesting all these negative things in your life, that's are destroying the all posibilities of your success. Of course jealously, hate, competition are also these negative things, which usually will bring a lot of stones exspecially the very talented artist's musical life journey. Here in Finland this jealously is our national sin.
I make a living as a musician. Freelance gigs-a-plenty & teaching private lessons pays the rent & bills. There's also the music professor route that some of my peers and elders have taken. They still perform, record & go on the occasional tour while holding down a steady & busy teaching gig. Oh and if you're talented at classical music and able to land a gig with a major symphony, those are high paying union jobs. It all depends on what you want to do with music. It's not all about being a "rock star" or whatever. There's more music out there to be played & what not than one might realize.
I have found that good old fashioned flyering. Flyers taped to poles at crosswalks or other high foot traffic areas has been the most effective form of advertising I have ever done. Consider about a dollar per color flyer and when people encounter it, you have a captive audience. They can't skip it, can't block it. And in the right locations, hundreds of people a day will see it. I'm using the flyering method currently to promote a documentary I created, called The Salt Lake Strip, which is available on Tubi and other streamers. It's been pretty effective.
That’s a great idea. I know back in the day people said not to waste your time on flyers because they end up on the ground or in the trash, but it’s good to see you having some luck!
@@playalot86 well they do eventually end up destroyed. I have had a few of them last months. But the point is that you are guaranteed a captive audience. You are guaranteed that they will be seen. With digital marketing, it's hard to trust that the provider is doing what they say they are doing, and your audience is not a captive audience. They are completely distracted.
Oh yeah, screw digital marketing… you can’t even see the results of your efforts, and it feels like you’re just pissing away money! Haha, you’re right!
It’s tough these days. I was lucky to grow up in So Cal and study with a well known session bassist who got me into the business in the early 80s. I was making $80k doing tv shows, commercials and some touring. My last touring gig just a few years ago was with the Motown group The Miracles making $500-1000 a night. I was able to raise a family and put my daughter through med school. Now I’m retired and just play with my own band for fun and do remote sessions on occasion for clients. The studio scene I grew up in basically doesn’t exist anymore. It’s sad the young people will never get to experience that again. But so many great bands came from very small towns and humble beginnings. It’s not impossible. But it helps if you’re in a music Mecca!
I call myself a hobbyist rather than a musician. I don’t claim to have that level of skill. But I love to write songs, so I do the best I can with what guitar skills I do have. For me, it’s more about the enjoyment of creation, and if people enjoy it, then that’s good. It’s definitely a hobby in the end. Never had any thoughts about making money from it, but I respect those who do want to earn a living from it. But you’re right, it’s very hard to make a living in music right now.
As a 22 year old nobody I wholeheartedly agree with what you're saying I've been working for 4 years in a music store just to keep my music dream in the corner, and honestly i can barley touch it. but without my day job no one is willing to pay a dime for what i want do. I have a similar experience as a hired musician, i was hired by a theater company to play 4 shows as a bassist with a band, 25 pieces per show. rehearsals on weekdays and late nights, guitarist comes unprepared, drummer may or may not show up, sight reeding as well, for 800€. and honestly I'd rather keep working in music retail or any office job than doing any music related stuff that is not related to my original passion.
Brother I felt this comment wholeheartedly. It’s a bummer that you had a similar experience to mine so far, but ai think you’re on the right track. Save your mental health, and enjoy your passion for you. I hope you start a channel, too!
WTF You talking about? I live in san fran making $2500 per week playing 5 concerts per week. Thats $10,000 per month. Thats $120,000 per year. Then I'm also making a killing with licensing my music. You just have to work your butt off and not give up. Most musicians defeat themselves and they dont understand the business side. They only know how to make music and thats why they fail or they have a defeated mindset. It took me years to get to this place and I earned it. I started at the bottom and though I'm still far from where I want to be. I'm still higher up than many musicians today. Its easier than ever to make a ton of money off of music these days. I even relocated to san farn because my former location wasnt giving me enough concert dates. I also applied the teachings in the book "Think & Grow Rich". It really works! Many musicians in the comment box below are very small minded and negative people. I understand why they never got anywhere. Their own mindsets betrayed them. DREAMERS are the musicians who get famous. People with a vision who use the law of attraction. Research it and apply it. It will take you to a new level!
As a successful independent guitar teacher and musician for 35 years, I can attest that this gentleman is wrong. You can make money in music. But, you must understand business and you must find who wants you. Regarding playing live music locally: we always say the best member of the band is the one that can book gigs. I also earn royalties from music that is placed in television shows worldwide. I host music talent search events locally that earn a nice chunk of change. I buy and sell guitars. So, there are ways and there are ways. Positivity and a bit of cunning and you can earn your way in this game. Is it easy, hell no. It's work, just like anything else. In the timeless words of the great songwriter Willie Dixon, 'If you got a weak brain and a narrow mind, The world gonna leave you way behind".
Good lord, thankfully I didn’t have you as a mentor when I was coming up!! I know tons of musicians that are killing it out there. TONS. Do you have any idea how much high end tribute and wedding bands get paid??? Here’s the trick, you have to get in one of those bands. See how that works? It’s on you to make it happen. Not blame the industry for your failures. No victims here. You want something, you make it happen. Do you know how much high end instructors get for private lessons?? Here’s the other trick, you have to BE one of those high end instructors to get the real money. “Don’t pursue a career in music! Just take on that soul crushing desk job instead. You’ll be so happy you did!” Jeez
Haha, hey man, thanks for the feedback and comment, as well as, your tips on getting it done. In this video I had no intention of talking anybody out of playing music, or picking up an instrument. I hope you watched the entire video, but hey, thanks for sharing!
I'm a musician, particulary irish and french Canadian traditional music. I composed some tunes, making a video with and put it on RUclips. I tried in the past to live with that and it was poverty. Restaurant, bars, festivals, good money sometimes but nothing regular. Do you know Jean Carignan ? Just see that extraordinary fiddle player on RUclips. Probably the best in the world! He was a taxi driver in Montréal !!!So, no illusion. I did windows cleaning and it paid me very well. And more important, i played music that i like , for my friends and people watching it on RUclips and it satisfied me, i'm very happy with that. Thank you for your video, it is exactly what i think myself too. JF
I teach beginner lessons (guitar, piano, ukulele) and it’s pretty high demand in my small town actually, I make $ doing gigs, busking, and am working on my RUclips channel. I understand what you are saying, but I think it is possible to be successful on a small scale. Keep your day job, but there is money to make out there. Also, yes, playing in a band/group is tough!
one more thing....just think about all the incredibly skilled musicians you've seen out playing in little venues to 20 people and an empty tip jar; all the cats on Broadway in Nashville that have reached the pinnacle of their career and don't know it. The guys who actually got that record contract, made their first album, had a hit, toured behind it and that was it. Back to your home town to find a job. And all those guys were better than you will ever hope to be. Your dreams don't pay no bills.
Thank you! I’ve been musically, inclined all my life. I think I’m better than the average amateur musician, but not as good as the average professional. Still, sometimes I wish I had at least tried to have a career in music. I think I made a good choice. I’ve been able to travel a bit with a Christian outreach band. I made good money as a second job, in a cover band, alongside of my regular job. I love serving in my church, and I take that very seriously.
Yes. It takes a million hours of practice, and learning. Finding your “voice” is enough, and you are blessed if you ever find it. But, with all that you just said - sadly, you are so correct!
That's because they focus primarily on playing ability instead of writing their own original stuff. It doesn't matter if you're the second coming of Eddie Van Halen with leather seats and twin turbos. If you want to be an artist you have to write your own shit, and everyone focuses on playing fast, knowing scales and chords and knowing it all and being a truly EXCELLENT music-player. Being an exceptional music player doesn't mean you can CREATE good music. You can't. You can only PLAY great music, not CREATE it. YOU GOTTA WRITE YOUR OWN SHIT, KIDS.
@@nelsonhibbert5267 That's true, but to get the most out of music you gotta write your own. Covers can be really fun but the really creative aspect of it is when you're writing your own stuff.
That makes sense. I work in videogames and we do hire people for sound effects, and they're mostly musicians looking for a steady job. Music is quite challenging to make money at, even if you're really good. If you're a really talented artist, that is you can draw -- it is possible to make a living with art. There are quite a few more jobs creating visuals than there are creating sound.
I had a friend who sadly passed last year, but for quite a few years, he kept me plugged into various gigs when a keyboard player was needed. Also, got in on some wedding gigs and country club receptions, etc. But you're spot on. Since my friend passed, my gigs have dried up. It's tough to make it in music. Sadly , also many prefer a DJ with a huge digital collection of hit songs. I still try to support live music in whatever I can. But music as a career is a tough these days.
Sorry to hear about your friend. I love how you continue to fight the good fight. I hear yah, though… it is hard, and it feels like only a select few succeed… but sometimes you never know why. They could be industry plants. Etc. thanks for watching!
Great video and I agree with all your points. Although I’ve made a good living as a musician for like 34 years. But I would say I’m in the top 1% of all musicians in the world, including famous and very successful musicians. Definitely focus on the process and having fun. That’s what it’s about in the end.
I agree. I played in cover bands from about 1994 to 2010. I have played bars, hotels, and events. We were a top notch band but the pay always stayed about the same. Top pay was about $400.00 or $800.00 for Friday and Saturday 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM bar gig. I would set up lights and sound ahead of the show. After the show we would split the $800.00 evenly between 5 musicians. That would be about $160.00 each at the end of the weekend.Then came the tear down of gear the following Sunday. I played in the Kansas City area. It was a ton of work for such little pay. I never looked at it as a career. It was a labor of love, with many rock memories! 🎸🥁🎤
Damn, that’s pretty cool! Thanks for sharing! It just sucks that the place we get our start doesn’t want to pay us. Creating this artificial difficulty early on for musical acts.
You sound disappointed and a little bitter and that's understandable. That being said I do appreciate what you are saying and there is certainly truth to it. I am fortunate enough to have lived thru a time when you actually could make a pretty good living playing and I was able to do this for a number of years. I wish this were still true because the quality of some of the young musicians I've seen is pretty amazing. Not to be too simplistic but I think the problem is that over the past few decades music has become ubiquitous - everywhere, whether your putting gas in your car or shopping- you have access to it all the time and everywhere. It's no longer "special" as in the sense that you need to go out of your way to experience it. Unfortunately people don't seem to value what's so freely given. You are right when you say the business model currently operating in music is terrible because it is...and in truth it wasn't so great 50 years ago either! BUT in spite of that many of us were able to make our way even if we didn't get signed to a label because there were so many places to play and they did pay you, especially if you were able to draw a crowd- and because people weren't being distracted by all the other ways to be entertained or meet people, they went where others were. BUT obviously that's not how it is today. That being said it's also terrible not honoring or respecting what calls to your heart. Music has power and that power can be used for great good, like creating community(witness groups like Phish) and helping people to find meaning and navigate a chaotic and troubled world. So, like I told my kids when they started playing music, go for it...but have a back-up plan. Personally I learned so much being in bands: how to be in relationship with others, how to sacrifice, compromise, cooperate and negotiate, how to budget and the list could go on -my point is that so many of the skills learned back then have seen me thru this life. Add to that just the simple joy of music- either when I play(I still do) or witness someone else doing it, it makes my life better. And I think the world needs more of us feeling better. As the former music store owner, great guru and Mystic, Bernie Gracin told me back in 1969, "nothing is forever". In other words, everything changes- what goes around comes around, just not in the same way. At some point the scene will be different. In the meantime thanks to technology, we've been given the tools and the power to create like none of us back then could've imagined! if you have an iBook or just an iPad (even iPhone) you have programs like Garageband or stepping up from this, Logic, and what these are capable of doing is quite remarkable. I know you suggest this here and you are right. You can record and release your music and it can be heard anywhere around the world. Not so bad as far as I'm concerned! Making a living thru it? Maybe not. But feeling "alive" as you're doing it? Yes indeed. Let me paraphrase what Joseph Campbell said many years ago: People aren't so much looking for meaning in life, they're looking for the experience of being alive! I agree with Joe. Keep making music- in the end it matters.
I taught guitar for a few years. Everybody would say to me what a great gig that was....in actual fact....it was the most mentally draining work I have ever done.
Me too, brother, me too. After a while, I felt like nobody cared about guitar, music, or anything I was trying to teach them. Eventually, I felt like my time was being wasted by people who have no clue about what it takes to become a good musician. I felt like a commodity.
@@playalot86mind you, people who don’t know that the recipe is rather simple, especially when it comes to achieving musicianship through lessons: dedicated time practice time, effort, and trusting the process. I have a friend who defied the odds that so many people have convinced themselves prevent them from becoming a musician: starting as an adult. He started learning the guitar in his mid 20s, and now (about 4 years later), he has gotten great at it. I helped him learn and make sense of key concepts early on. He took them, learned and practiced them, and he’s continued learning and practicing. He was just reminding me of how much he owes a small amount of consistent and regular dedicated practice time over the 4 years to him being as good as he is now. He’s moving onto piano at this point, and he’s getting it down. Becoming a good musician is much “easier” to do than the average person tells themselves, but it’s hard to put in the dedicated time and effort. It essentially only takes practice and time.
@@cheapmusicgear I used to think that way too, that it was too late and I should've kept learning when I was a kid. What a dumb way to think. It's like telling yourself you'll never learn anything after a certain age it's just complete nonsense.
No distro is good. Even though distrokid is pennies, music revenue is even fewer pennies. YT is great, and you can archive videos whenever you want. IMO standalone songs can be good but maybe the best way is to provide genuine value in various forms that aren't just a song by itself; growing a channel dedicated to a niche that's alive; mixing and mastering, instrument technique/philosophy, gear, record production, electronic production, expertise-having such as techs (like TankTheTech), etc. Overall I think making videos that people genuinely want to watch, on a reasonable mass (an amount you're happy with) and having good title&thumbnail for every upload, quality over quantity, great video value like this one, etc. are keys to growth. Apologies for the rambling
I gave up a long while ago trying to have a career in music. I'm not about to take one of my only reasons for existing in life and making it a miserable experience.
Find a career that is either “music adjacent” or that allows you to travel to tour and record. It makes any success and progress you make in music that much more fulfilling when you aren’t trying to depend on it to pay your bills.
I'm not interested in a career in the industry. I'd like to do something outside of this that might not be appreciated within my lifetime but could be appreciated years after im gone. The experience of doing it is better than arriving at a finish line anyways.
Thank you for speaking the truth. There's an economics book about the music industry. It's one of the lowest ranking in terms of revenue. I agree with Mr Waterbug Design, but would like to add that other than tangentialities, there is an inherent importance in music (and fine art, too probably). It's so cardinal to humanity. Whoever has the key to the current economic puzzle will win big. Way big.
I would sadly have yo agree, I have a music degree and loving as a musiciannis stressful and the money is very little. I make most of my money teaching. Get an amazing teacher, pracrice a lot, play woth groups and that will be enough to be a pretty good musician.
Everything has to fall together,stars, in alignment,to find success, in anything,especially music.By the way,Taylor went to Nashville,at 11,with a CD, of cover songs.Every label on Music Row turned her down.💛
This is why a manager is vital - and a rare kind of person that manager must be. Because music needs to live from itself, not out of business method. The business needs to be run by another mind.
Just got off the road with an artist that has multiple number ones and other songs in the top 10. 40k per year! Glad to get it out my system but time to move on the way the economy is going.
It’s one of those things where you should really make it a hobby and hope it miraculously leads to something big, but if you only make it a hobby, the odds are low of making it big
These days, the majority of what passes for music - and art - is made from reputation, not soul. People don't even like art; they like famous artists, how good they make them feel and look in the moment. They love to throw money at fancy art and music because they no longer have souls - just reputations. I have no hunger for public attention. "Please, may have I more fame?" Nothing is more pathetic to me than validation. It's completely lost on me, and admiration? The furthest thing from understanding. The greatest menace to the musician - counterintuitively - is the musician's audience. There are ties that bind and there are ties that blind, and an artist becomes weaker with every recruit to his banner. As his fans put him on a pedestal, they'll dig his grave as (s)he falls, forcing them to posture what remains: the brand of themselves as a substitute, an avatar for the real deal. It's good to be free. Music has become so redundant that the wannabes can only simulate it. They're not getting rewards; they're getting coins for "Mario". And they're lovin' it.
Hello there yes your write sir Iam a professional pianist and singer drummer etc and it seems no one is interested in jazz music or classical but I’ll never give up my music until Iam real old say about 90.
been playing the drums for 30 years quit 8 years ago drum skins and stick cost to much now transport need 12k a year to drive on uk roads unloading and loading by myself never got payee. i had phone calls i had people begging me to come back but the damage has been done i don't think ill ever pick up the sticks again and i devoted my life to them.
One avenue that is still decent, but a bit saturated is becoming a public school music teacher. There are ways to make oneself marketable like certifying in special ed or becoming proficient in Spanish
Oh wow, that’s crazy. It’s a bummer that the truth of the matter is that playing LIVE for a living feels like a waste of time, haha. I wouldn’t mind performing for friends and family, though. Thanks for watching!
Being in a band is like dancing on a lily pad in a storm😂. No regular pay to depend on…no medical or dental insurance…if you gig you have to travel so gas, food and lodging eat up your pay…you have to leave home for extended periods of time…if you have pets and family you feel guilty and selfish for leaving them. Now you can’t sell original music anymore since Napster figured out how to transfer audio files for free. Not to mention booking agencies that require certain cover song lists and have their pet bands (usually a family members band) that always get the best gig’s regardless of how good your band is. It takes decades for family to switch from, “When are you going to get a real job? To Where are you playing next?” On the other hand some families will trot you out like a trained monkey to make money for them until you get older or smarter and get a lawyer to protect yourself….but what do I know? I’m still playing at 70 so there must be something good about playing music 😂💯
I mean of course there's going to be some demand for musicians, so some musicians will find success, but that doesn't stop the fact that the market is way over-saturated.
The thing is, the "market" became saturated years ago, even pushing people like myself with a formal education in music out. Part of that was my fault, but 2008 was a very difficult year, and starting a family became part of the equation. I was successful for over 10 years, and continued in different areas of music for many years after, but not in the same way. Anyway, it's much more saturated now. I would gladly teach and gig again though, but I would definitely subsitute with something more steady.
I agree with you. That’s awesome that you found some success! The arts are so accessible to all, as they should be, but now with the internet… it’s like wading through Cream of Mushroom soup! Haha
Great video. You are less than half my age but much of what you say i could of said 30 years ago. Only thing i would maybe say different, is IF you pursue music, get a masters or something so you can make a real paycheck at a university. I started off with college back in the 80s, only did 1 1/2 years. Should of followed through. Had a friend who did follow through, got a career in air force jazz band, and probably went on to teach college level, we lost touch, so im not sure about teaching...but even just music in military will get you a fat pension for life.
Great idea about getting a Masters Degree. I wish I would have done that… I couldn’t stand my guitar professor, though, haha! I enjoyed reading your comment! I guess I could’ve stuck it out with the ol’ Shitheead. Haha, thanks for watching!
We all run into mind-blowing musicians with almost no followers, nothing happening. They aren't earning a penny. Yet, they are objectively fantastic. It seems there is far more to the entertainment biz than just playing well. From that perspective, a musician is an independent sole-proprietor small business with perhaps as few as one employee (them). Scaling a business like that is extremely challenging. Not everyone is cut out to be a small business owner. Working in a partnership with equal owners (band members) is even harder. Consider just how few new businesses (of all kinds) make it. Only 25% will survive 15 years. Bands (with commercial intent) are even worse with greater than 90% failing. A big part of that is due to the business structure a band takes. It is one of the worst possible business structures to build and grow. Some of the big RUclips groups that have become successful run like full media companies and take the shape of traditional businesses as a result. It isn't that they built a successful band, they built a solid entertainment company capable of supporting any band (and they often do).
@@playalot86 your welcome , i past on your video , to a friend i was in a band with over 40 years ago , and he thought your advice was great to , cheers
..... Too late for me. I started in 1986, playing guitar and writing in bands until 2000 more or less. I tried luck in Europe in Italy, Holland and Austria until I settled down in Germany in 2003. Here again trying to start a band, producing, wrote instrumental music for a short film and three theatrics. Actually I am teaching guitar, bass and doing band coaching in 3 little towns. It's very hard, bad rewarded and I say to my students exactly what you say here in your video. Maybe as sound engineer in concerts or theatres, but the competence is megahard. I opened a RUclips channel with my own music and some cover versions, opened profiles here and there offering my services but nothing happened yet.
@@playalot86 The music in my channel (not still completed) tell more or less my story as musician. From my beginnings in Buenos Aires in the mid eighties, to my jump to Europe, I was mad in love with girls from Estonia, Finland, and somewhere else, my endeavors to get into the industry of film music, and many other things in between!
@@playalot86 .... The thing is when you acquired abilities that are no more required. The actual music (more and more based in the look and the image as theory knowledge, AI invading the charts, etc) converted us in old tools no more required in the business.
I follow a rock band called The Warning, (three sisters) If they bring in 50,000 in ticket sales for a show, not counting meet and greet, what percentage of ticket sales would they get, percentage to the opening act? and what percentage to the venue? Also, what percentage of merch does the venue get? good channel, thanks.
when you said "is nobody fault",,hmm man, we musicians and people that in the "industry" needs to speak up and more, a lot more.. we know who is responsible for all this mess. There's always gonna be corruption, we never gonna eliminate that BUT.. its a balance. Take the "best years" of music and entertainment and STILL there was corruption. Nowadays that balance its sooooo messed up, terribly wrong to one side. Thats why only "big acts" big band can make actual money.. and they are also to blame here, taylor swift, metalica, they're not saints.
It really depends on what you mean by "goes into music." There's a lot of talented musicians who go to music school and carve out a career in music whether it's teaching, music production, varied freelence gigs (jazz, blues, classical, musicals, etc) and in many cases a combo of those things. If your one and only goal is to get signed by some major label or go on major tours with a single band that only plays original music, ya good luck with that. The reality is that there are a lot more working freelance musicians out there who make a decent if not comfortable living that you've probably never heard of.
Could not agree more....no $$$ in it & your right that nobody really cares about you playing the instrument. Also if I am in a band I detest the loading of equipment in car, driving to practices, 3hr practice, then breaking down & reloading equipment in car to drive back & reload in my house. I stopped doing it because there are much better ways to enjoy your free time 😆🙂
Sadly all of this is all totally true. I spent my whole life playing music and at 72 I can tell you the business has deteriorated drastically since the 90s. I see the current state of gigging/teaching etc to be a sad mess. I'm glad to be retired. I was in the game when you didn't need a day job to support your musical ambitions.
There are specific types of people who have the drive and the willingness to sacrifice to work their way up to a place in the music biz that is financially comfortable. #1. The person whose life is all about this pursuit and will suffer poverty and indignities endlessly in that pursuit. #2. The person whose musical ability is so pronounced and obvious that success is virtually bound to happen. Everyone else is buying a lottery ticket at Quick Mart. The one thing that is painfully obvious is that there is NO UPPER MIDDLE CLASS for musicians; nobody in your nice subdivision plays in a local or regional band; those guys are still poor in their 40's before they realize their dream is over. So, yeah, choosing to be a musician is similar to choosing to be a schoolteacher; you know the pay is horrible long before you take the job. The better choice in hindsight is to choose a career in which you can build financial independence, and practice like crazy in your time off, then play part time if you're good enough. Selah
the money is in merch, my group (before disbanding) made 6 digit figures in merch alone. problem is fanbases are fickle, more so if you take a break (the dumbest thing i ever did)
I played about 1000 shows in my career the least I made for a show was $20 and the most was $4000 - I was always very professional was constantly surrounded by losers. About 7 years ago I started my own teaching business, rely on myself, dont have to deal with druggies or losers and have made more money than any of the imbeciles I had to share a stage with. I make $116 an hour. House is paid off and drive an Alfa Romeo.
See like that’s funny because both of the things you said are wrong. I DO have what it takes, and I did NOT discourage anybody in this video. I see you didn’t watch the entire thing…
Yeah… good advice I think. The pub/club circuit can be fun, but on the flip side, playing to angry drunk people certainly isn’t. And as you say, there ain’t any money in it, at least where I live anyway. High end corporate/weddings pay, but that might cost you your soul
Location Location Location. Tourist Areas all across the united states pay entertainers good money 250-500$ for 4hrs of playing, You will have to be entertaining (which means a lot of things, be funny don't be awkward) and yes you will play a lot of covers. Slide your originals in, and make sure your originals aren't boring.
'Bohemian Rhapsody' cost the band QUEEN only $600,000 to record. Now some Plumber in Bakersfield has recorded something even better working with NO BUDGET in his bedroom. Next up, something better than SGT. PEPPER on no budget! He will record the orchestra in his bathroom! Hey, enjoy all my free music on YT. THOUSANDS of uploads of my songs and I don't get paid a dime. Great technology! (I am currently living under a bridge in Santa Monica since my power got shut off!)
@@playalot86 I have many friends in the Beatles camp and worked with Paul's brother Mike for many years. The Beatles received MILLIONS in advances for their music. Then all the fans decided that STEALING MUSIC was okay (as did YT!) and that was that! Many of my old bands received $400,000 or more to record albums. And now the fans expect great music but don't want to pay for it. MOST PRO musicians have already quit the FREE music business. QUALITY down the toilet as well with NO BUDGET MUSIC! Maybe people should all start stealing cars and see how good the cars are next year! Oh and BTW I did many TV shows with QUEEN and also Rock in RIO. Heading out to my DAY JOB now! BYE!
@@playalot86 It was somewhat misleading, but the exchange rate in dollars has been off the wall lately. More accurate would be 3600 after taxes. I started up working in music school, but went over to regular school as a teacher after some time. I have an annual salary these days of around 65 000 dollars before taxes.
@@playalot86 Well, this isn't the US. I live in an expensive country. But my biggest achievement is that I built an apartment on top of the garage at my mother's place a few years ago, and paid it all in cash. So I basically have no rent. We do pay a lot of taxes in my country, but there is free healthcare and education, even at University level, so that makes somewhat up for it I guess. I am working now to save up my first million, that is close to 90-91 k in dollars I guess. But with the stock market these days, I don't know, I might suffer some drawbacks. I have also spent money like a drunken sailor this summer, renting a BMW for a crazy price. But eh, we only live once right?
Here's the thing ,cover bands at the local dive bar ,or solo coffee house venue ,& such don't produce a viable income.. Cover bands are a dime a dozen.....I've been to a lot of live shows & Venues, & all the bands cover songs... even if they do some original music; it's not very good so like 90% of their live shows are devoted to covering songs with some originals thrown into the mix, but all of their covers are generic dime a dozen. The reality is anyone can be a Musician , but real talent is rare... out of all the cover bands I have seen , not one of them really impressed me. How many times can I hear the same cover songs over & over again. Live music sucks.. Most Musician's don't have what it takes to be a real pro & write great songs..
@@playalot86 I have a theory why music is pretty much dead ,& why most or all music bands sound pretty much the same it's because we ran out of ideas ; all the good ideas in music have been used up.. there's no where else to go.. the music gods set the bar so high that none of us can reach... but some are trying to be creative with the help of AI , but AI music sorta sucks & very generic. I think our creativity, & talent factor has hit a brick wall . we have no place to go. sorta like in the auto car maker industry all the cars all look the same ,but for a few minor details is because we ran out of car ideas. same with music.. As the rockers age out we don't have anyone to replace them.. like when Chris Cornel died the music ended . I can't think of anyone that we have that can take his place & carry on the torch to.
@Mr.PhatsVarietyVibesShow I can definitely see where you’re coming from. There is so much homogeneous material being produced daily, and the visionary people die early…
being in a band sucks ....unless you get lucky and get with a good group of people...if not a good group you are 'trying to make it' ...with other adults with issues or other stuff pulling them away like 'adulting'....'job' etc
Build your own kingdom!
Sure, a few tens of trillions of dollars and a couple million square miles of un-claimed turf is all you need to get going. Fun and profit for the whole family!
Oh, you mean musically?
"Everybody wants entertainment but they don't value the entertainers." Too true. What a weird world we live in.
Right?! I think about it all the time. Haha, they’re like, you mean you don’t want the exposure? My word, if I could eat exposure I would… haha
I disagree with that statement but I used to think it mistakenly. Heck you could say society value entertainers too much. Extreme example is Taylor Swift or think of any athlete/actor...etc list goes on and on.
As I wrote in the latest video people make the hubristic presumption of thinking people should automatically value YOUR entertainment just because you provide it. Why should anyone pay money to watch you and your buddies play baseball? That is what they don't value. Megadeth plays a show they spend money on tickets. Cubs play a baseball game people pay money for tickets. If your some random band doing a Megadeth cover random drunks won't care and why would they? It's no different than if you decide to make some paintings and then setup a stand and be upset when no one buys your painting. Why should they buy your painting?
I say all of this as someone who was in different original only band for years never making any real money besides gas/beer money.
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and it is very humbling. What you think is awesome and worth this much is only worth that much if someone else agrees, haha.
If any facet of art is your passion, make sure you have a "day job."
Exactly!
Very well said. Being a musician myself, I totally agree with you. I always advice young ambitious musicians to get a job FIRST, and pursue their music on the side. Even Steve Lukarther said the same thing.
Since the millennium, live music is finished. Today, many pop music are made on a computer - not with real musicians. Kids, not only today but the last 10-15 years or more have abandoned live music completely. Live music venues have closed and if you go see any existing ones, they're usually older folks playing classic rock covers. And the audience are all older folks too. It's really sad. During my days, it was 19 to 30 yr olds in clubs watching live bands. But times have changed and not for the better. I'm now in two bands which hardly makes any money but this is all for the passion of music as I got a good job and nearing my retirement. Since I'm doing session work as well, that's the only place where there's money.
Some interesting pointers: James Williamson (former Iggy and the Stooges guitarist in the early 70s) left the scene way back and became a VP in Sony Electronics. He still rock once in a while now that he is retired. Floyd Radford (2nd guitarist to Johnny Winter group) also left the scene way back to pursue a successful engineering career with Lockheed Martin. And he's still rocking. I don't think they ever regret it.
Wow, thank you for the amazing comment! I enjoyed reading this!
Music is over valued by musicians. That’s the core of the frustration for musicians, but it’s an accurate valuation.
Wow, never thought of it that way before, either.
Oh I didn’t mention back in the day my dad frank was a very well known saxophone 🎷 player he once played on the Johnny Carson show as a guest player with the doc sav band and my mom Carol sue was a jazz singer and a concert pianist but sadly they both passed away of different cancers life is short for sure find what you love while you can may god bless us all on this earth 🌍 sincerely, Carol
Holy smokes! That’s incredible!
I used to want a career in music when I was younger, I wanted a record deal and to record and tour. I am a singer and have been for the past 25 years. As I got older, I started to realize that the music industry is a vicious and dangerous environment. I could become a drug addict, a shooting victim or made a fool by the tabloids if I entered that world. I focus on my day job as a general labourer in a furniture factory and I perform live in local clubs.
Wow, that’s commendable. Thanks for sharing your story!
This is why I treat playing and making music like it's something spiritual, like the practice of a religion. Not a business or a career.
Music today has a horrible business model. It's terrible as a business, but as a "hobby" (I hate describing it like that) or if you approach it like it's a spiritual practice, music is amazing.
And as a metal musician who primarily plays black metal, it's very easy to approach music in that way. I have a one-man band which is common in black metal. Can't play traditional live shows but that's why RUclips is so helpful. But I only treat it as a spiritual endeavor. I prefer that because if music was my career in today's world, that would require me to find band members and play lots of shows, and go on lots of tours all the time just to keep making money from it. I feel that would take all the fun out of being a musician. I notice it with bands of moderate fame: they get worn out from touring, traveling, and they lose that fire and passion they had for their music. Creating and playing music every once in a while is much different. What keeps me passionate about creating and playing music is the long breaks I take from it every once in a while. I'll play and create for a few weeks, then I'll barely touch my guitar for a few weeks, and when I do return to it, playing feels so fresh and empowering!
Wow, what a great comment! I had to read it twice!
Fk yeah,i love bm
Haha, I love it.
There is no business model because music is dead! Rock died in 1991. It was replaced with loser gangster rap with illiterate guys talking bleep into a mic with a primitive drum beat, techno computer syn, annoying no talent female voices with auto tune, and cookie cutter country crap. And on top of that, the kids think all music should be free and or steal it. This is why music is dead as a career and a money making business. Now with AI music its totally over. There is NO way to make a living creating or performing music.
Duuuuuuuuuude, you’re so right… it’s so true.
I'm 66 now started Playing Drum Set Full time since my 14th birthday ( FULLTIME) Freelance Drummer Percussionist... Played with Chuck Berry Johnny winter Jennifer Lopez Al DiMeola Pheobe Snow Stevie Wonder Richard Bona ect.ect. & Many More Made Great $$$. Traveled the World.....I Still play .... Music Was Good To Me & I"M NOT FAMOUS !!!! I also teach...
I loved reading this story! Thank you for sharing!
You go, man! Music has treated me great too! It's not all sob stories.
You’re right! I’m glad you’re contributing to the conversation!
So true. Really good advice to young people who are about to waste their entire financial lives on something that has no commercial value. Becoming a good guitar player is really difficult. Getting a degree in accounting or some other profession in most cases is much easier. the vast majority of people who take up a musical instrument will quit after they realize it's not easy to make that sound you hear on the radio. Having said that learning to play a musical instrument is a personal joy you can't put a number on. And like he says nobody cares. You could be playing the most difficult rock 'n' roll riff with some friends around that sounds great and they're looking at their cell phones trying to be polite but nobody cares except you. But that's all right. It's a skill that can bring you great pleasure. just make sure you have a job or other skills they can make you a great living. One more thing whatever you do don't spend a ton of money going to college and majoring music. You'll regret that for as long as you live.
Haha man, so many good points in this comment. Thanks for watching!
I made a small fortune over the last 25 years making one man demos for local songwriters and publishers. I charged 300.00 a song and usually did 2 or 3 a day. However, I spent 30 years before that learning to play a bunch of real instruments and learning how to produce, arrange and engineer audio. Many ways to make money with music without being a rock star.
This is great to read. I’m glad because sometimes we forget about those other ways.
WOW! That kicks ass man, you rock
Ha. I went to clubs saw female singers got them to be servers at my restaurant (before hooters) made a fortune. Then, when the band broke up cause being a singer pays dic, I would have the band members clean cars in an empty parking lot next door. There are many ways to make money with music without being a rock star.
They nicknamed my Gator.
Wow, thank you! 😊
Haha, that nickname! So great!
Yep! This guy is telling the truth, doesn’t matter where you live now, the public don’t value music anymore. Sad
I wish I wasn’t correct! 🥲
I'm old as dirt. I was a software engineer working in startups back before startups were cool. In high school I drew, painted, sculpted and sold some paintings. But I wasn't that good either. After the Army I picked computer science as my major because computers had the most jobs in the newspaper want ads and the the highest pay. That was 1979 and few people had heard the word "computer". I had no idea what it was. I did a minor in Fine Art.
Two years in I decided to look for a part time job in computers to see what was going on in the real world. One job was for a graphic artist at a new video game company. Close enough, I'd get to see computers being used. So I took my portfolio of drawings to the interview. They saw Computer Science as my major and flipped the interview to me creating games. They also liked I had the art thing too and could do the butt simple Atari 2600 graphics. They offered a salary I expected to get with a degree. To me a degree was a means to an end, not a goal, so I dropped out to take the job. 6 weeks later my first game was done and it became their best seller. They doubled my salary. But they made about $750,000 off my game in just the first month while I made $2,700. So I hit the newspaper again and found an ad looking for an Atari 2600 programmer by 2 guys with money. I quit and started a new company with those guys. Failed a few months later when the video game market crashed.
I went on to other companies to create games and other kinds of consumer products At one game company a bunch of us developers were having dinner in a conference room (companies provided dinner so we'd work more hours...and we loved our jobs so win-win). Lot of these guys I'd known for several years from other startups (I worked at 14 in total, so worked with a lot of people). Someone said something about playing music. Then others chimed in and said they were into creating music too and 2 of us were into painting and drawing. We never knew this because were in career alliances, not social. Career was much more interesting. Anyways, turned out nearly all were seriously into some art.
Creating is creating. An interest in music will translate into many other fields. There aren't a lot of morons who can create music. And there's some risk taking, some self-confidence a musician must have that can be an asset in many fields.
In a few companies we'd have meeting and some engineers way brighter than me would have great ideas they would tell be as a fellow engineer but would need bring up in meetings or to management. Or they'd bring it up in a meeting and fold quickly with the first criticism. I'd learned confidence from showing my paintings and having most people not buy one. So I would present their idea while giving them the credit... "Jim had a great idea I thought about doing..." When I had some buy in around the able Jim could explain more details, answer questions. If a question was directed at me I would look at Jim and wait to see if he would answer it instead.
This worked super well for me. I formed super strong alliances with these other engineers because I sold their ideas which were great ideas and they trusted me to give them credit always. When they went to a new startup they called me to join and I called them when I was at a new one.
So I suggest not looking at music as an either or thing. It will likely be the most valuable skill you will have making money doing other things. You've done the work developing the skill of not just playing, but gaining the confidence to play in front of others. 80% of people are too scare to even talk at a meeting. You can own a meeting. Entertaining people is a skill that you have too. Able to read a room quickly, tell what people are likely and not liking.
Important though to pick jobs were your music skills can be most useful. Anything at all creative. Your initial job may not be creative but if surrounded by creative people you'll be more likely to be spotted and given more creative tasks. And this doesn't just mean the arts. My brother is an electrician, better artist than I ever was. He was showing me how to wire a house and the way he ran wire was beautiful. Took all the twists out, perfectly straight runs, beautiful. And it was all going to get covered up. He said he did it that way because when inspectors looked at it they signed off without much inspecting. "Obviously this guy knows what he's doing." But it was his artist eye that drove him to do this. Wiring a house is creative imo. I've been slow flipping houses for the past 22 years. Same feeling as creating a painting.
It takes attention to detail to create art and music. How many hours to learn a song to your standard? Days, weeks, months? 80% of workers you're in competition with won't focus on anything longer than a goldfish would. Business owners, manages highly value that skill.
Wow, what an amazing comment. I had to read that a few times to not miss anything! I enjoyed reading about where you’ve been and what things were like then. Art does appear in everyday tasks, very true, and music reaching into real world confidence is something I feel, too! Wow, amazing comment!
Is that a comment or a book?
I love it, haha!
To sum up, 'Keep pushing MF'ers....believe in yourself."
Stay hard Motha F&$&ers! - David Goggins haha
It only gets harder as you get older. Im in my 40s now and trying to get a band together seems impossible. Loads of "leads" and interest and virtually no follow through. I feel like most folks my age like to reminisce about past band experiences and think they want that until things start moving and then they don't. Their self image as a temporarily displaced rockstar seems to be more valuable.
Man, what a good comment. It’s weird how that works, right? It seems like life gives us a little bit of time for something like that to happen for us, and if not, it’s just super hard….
Wow, as someone who has been in music for 20 years, I agree 100% with you. Music is is not how I make a living. It’s more like a spiritual vocation.
Oooooo, I like that! A spiritual vacation!
I would still remind that our mind is a so powerful tool to manifest anything, but it works also in a negative way also. It's true that those minium salary bar gigs are sucks, but i'll give here an example. David Benoit... This succeful smooth jazz pianist. He did a lot of small bar gigs in the 70's and i think he had also that same struggle, but it all changed in 1987, when he got that record deal with the GRP Records and then his career rocketed to the skies. He was at the right place at the right time and finally he made it. Record producer jazz-pianist Dave Grusin was also his hero and they created this together. So attitude is the key to everything success, but don't use that in a negative way, cause then you will create that negative circle and you will be manifesting all these negative things in your life, that's are destroying the all posibilities of your success. Of course jealously, hate, competition are also these negative things, which usually will bring a lot of stones exspecially the very talented artist's musical life journey. Here in Finland this jealously is our national sin.
Holy buckets, what a comment! Thanks for sharing!
As an online producer, I make enough to do music full-time. I appreciate the honest advice but nothing is impossible.
My man! Nice work, and I’m glad you’re making it work! I agree, nothing is impossible!
Yep. This board is going to get hammered with successful musician stories.
Haha, I hope it does!
I make a living as a musician. Freelance gigs-a-plenty & teaching private lessons pays the rent & bills. There's also the music professor route that some of my peers and elders have taken. They still perform, record & go on the occasional tour while holding down a steady & busy teaching gig. Oh and if you're talented at classical music and able to land a gig with a major symphony, those are high paying union jobs. It all depends on what you want to do with music. It's not all about being a "rock star" or whatever. There's more music out there to be played & what not than one might realize.
I love this!
I have found that good old fashioned flyering. Flyers taped to poles at crosswalks or other high foot traffic areas has been the most effective form of advertising I have ever done. Consider about a dollar per color flyer and when people encounter it, you have a captive audience. They can't skip it, can't block it. And in the right locations, hundreds of people a day will see it. I'm using the flyering method currently to promote a documentary I created, called The Salt Lake Strip, which is available on Tubi and other streamers. It's been pretty effective.
That’s a great idea. I know back in the day people said not to waste your time on flyers because they end up on the ground or in the trash, but it’s good to see you having some luck!
@@playalot86 well they do eventually end up destroyed. I have had a few of them last months. But the point is that you are guaranteed a captive audience. You are guaranteed that they will be seen. With digital marketing, it's hard to trust that the provider is doing what they say they are doing, and your audience is not a captive audience. They are completely distracted.
Oh yeah, screw digital marketing… you can’t even see the results of your efforts, and it feels like you’re just pissing away money! Haha, you’re right!
It’s tough these days. I was lucky to grow up in So Cal and study with a well known session bassist who got me into the business in the early 80s. I was making $80k doing tv shows, commercials and some touring. My last touring gig just a few years ago was with the Motown group The Miracles making $500-1000 a night. I was able to raise a family and put my daughter through med school. Now I’m retired and just play with my own band for fun and do remote sessions on occasion for clients. The studio scene I grew up in basically doesn’t exist anymore. It’s sad the young people will never get to experience that again. But so many great bands came from very small towns and humble beginnings. It’s not impossible. But it helps if you’re in a music Mecca!
You’re right, and I bet growing up in Southern California was cool! I know we’ll never stop fighting the good fight.
I call myself a hobbyist rather than a musician. I don’t claim to have that level of skill. But I love to write songs, so I do the best I can with what guitar skills I do have. For me, it’s more about the enjoyment of creation, and if people enjoy it, then that’s good. It’s definitely a hobby in the end. Never had any thoughts about making money from it, but I respect those who do want to earn a living from it. But you’re right, it’s very hard to make a living in music right now.
I love that you keep going! It’s hard, indeed.
As a 22 year old nobody I wholeheartedly agree with what you're saying
I've been working for 4 years in a music store just to keep my music dream in the corner, and honestly i can barley touch it.
but without my day job no one is willing to pay a dime for what i want do.
I have a similar experience as a hired musician, i was hired by a theater company to play 4 shows as a bassist with a band, 25 pieces per show.
rehearsals on weekdays and late nights, guitarist comes unprepared, drummer may or may not show up,
sight reeding as well, for 800€.
and honestly I'd rather keep working in music retail or any office job than doing any music related stuff that is not related to my original passion.
Brother I felt this comment wholeheartedly. It’s a bummer that you had a similar experience to mine so far, but ai think you’re on the right track. Save your mental health, and enjoy your passion for you. I hope you start a channel, too!
WTF You talking about? I live in san fran making $2500 per week playing 5 concerts per week. Thats $10,000 per month. Thats $120,000 per year. Then I'm also making a killing with licensing my music. You just have to work your butt off and not give up. Most musicians defeat themselves and they dont understand the business side. They only know how to make music and thats why they fail or they have a defeated mindset. It took me years to get to this place and I earned it. I started at the bottom and though I'm still far from where I want to be. I'm still higher up than many musicians today. Its easier than ever to make a ton of money off of music these days. I even relocated to san farn because my former location wasnt giving me enough concert dates. I also applied the teachings in the book "Think & Grow Rich". It really works! Many musicians in the comment box below are very small minded and negative people. I understand why they never got anywhere. Their own mindsets betrayed them. DREAMERS are the musicians who get famous. People with a vision who use the law of attraction. Research it and apply it. It will take you to a new level!
Wow!
As a successful independent guitar teacher and musician for 35 years, I can attest that this gentleman is wrong. You can make money in music. But, you must understand business and you must find who wants you. Regarding playing live music locally: we always say the best member of the band is the one that can book gigs. I also earn royalties from music that is placed in television shows worldwide. I host music talent search events locally that earn a nice chunk of change. I buy and sell guitars. So, there are ways and there are ways. Positivity and a bit of cunning and you can earn your way in this game. Is it easy, hell no. It's work, just like anything else. In the timeless words of the great songwriter Willie Dixon, 'If you got a weak brain and a narrow mind, The world gonna leave you way behind".
Thank you for the great comment! It’s good to disagree! I enjoyed reading this.
Good lord, thankfully I didn’t have you as a mentor when I was coming up!!
I know tons of musicians that are killing it out there. TONS.
Do you have any idea how much high end tribute and wedding bands get paid???
Here’s the trick, you have to get in one of those bands. See how that works? It’s on you to make it happen. Not blame the industry for your failures.
No victims here.
You want something, you make it happen.
Do you know how much high end instructors get for private lessons??
Here’s the other trick, you have to BE one of those high end instructors to get the real money.
“Don’t pursue a career in music! Just take on that soul crushing desk job instead. You’ll be so happy you did!”
Jeez
Haha, hey man, thanks for the feedback and comment, as well as, your tips on getting it done. In this video I had no intention of talking anybody out of playing music, or picking up an instrument. I hope you watched the entire video, but hey, thanks for sharing!
I'm a musician, particulary irish and french Canadian traditional music. I composed some tunes, making a video with and put it on RUclips. I tried in the past to live with that and it was poverty. Restaurant, bars, festivals, good money sometimes but nothing regular. Do you know Jean Carignan ? Just see that extraordinary fiddle player on RUclips. Probably the best in the world! He was a taxi driver in Montréal !!!So, no illusion.
I did windows cleaning and it paid me very well. And more important, i played music that i like , for my friends and people watching it on RUclips and it satisfied me, i'm very happy with that.
Thank you for your video, it is exactly what i think myself too.
JF
I loved reading this! Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoyed reading this!
@@playalot86 thank you! You're so right in your vidéo. Lot of young musician who dream, have to learn good lesson liké you said. It's only realistic.
Thanks man! It’s a sobering lesson, indeed!
I teach beginner lessons (guitar, piano, ukulele) and it’s pretty high demand in my small town actually, I make $ doing gigs, busking, and am working on my RUclips channel. I understand what you are saying, but I think it is possible to be successful on a small scale. Keep your day job, but there is money to make out there. Also, yes, playing in a band/group is tough!
I have hope again! Haha, but seriously, that’s awesome, and makes me feel like I can do it, too. Sometimes I think too much.
@@playalot86 but are you even a musician if you don’t overthink? 😅 I have down days for sure, it’s all part of it I think. Gotta ride the wave 🌊 🎶
You make perfect sense and some of these comment's do not.
I agree, holy smokes, when I released my latest 4 guitar performance videos, I felt the same way!
Thanks brother, that’s the tough part about RUclips…. Haha taking the good and the awful. Haha
one more thing....just think about all the incredibly skilled musicians you've seen out playing in little venues to 20 people and an empty tip jar; all the cats on Broadway in Nashville that have reached the pinnacle of their career and don't know it. The guys who actually got that record contract, made their first album, had a hit, toured behind it and that was it. Back to your home town to find a job. And all those guys were better than you will ever hope to be. Your dreams don't pay no bills.
What a profound comment. Yeah, so many smug musicians are living on borrowed time, haha.
Thanks for your honesty! I just make music at home for me. If someone else likes it, good. If not, good too.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching, and you are a wise man!
Thank you! I’ve been musically, inclined all my life. I think I’m better than the average amateur musician, but not as good as the average professional. Still, sometimes I wish I had at least tried to have a career in music. I think I made a good choice. I’ve been able to travel a bit with a Christian outreach band. I made good money as a second job, in a cover band, alongside of my regular job. I love serving in my church, and I take that very seriously.
My man! I’m glad you enjoyed the video! It sounds like you’ve accomplished much!
Yes. It takes a million hours of practice, and learning. Finding your “voice” is enough, and you are blessed if you ever find it. But, with all that you just said - sadly, you are so correct!
Thanks for watching, man! Yeah, it’s a hard pill to swallow that hard work isn’t enough.
The streets are littered with excellent starving musicians.
Yes! It breaks my heart!
That's because they focus primarily on playing ability instead of writing their own original stuff.
It doesn't matter if you're the second coming of Eddie Van Halen with leather seats and twin turbos. If you want to be an artist you have to write your own shit, and everyone focuses on playing fast, knowing scales and chords and knowing it all and being a truly EXCELLENT music-player.
Being an exceptional music player doesn't mean you can CREATE good music.
You can't.
You can only PLAY great music, not CREATE it.
YOU GOTTA WRITE YOUR OWN SHIT, KIDS.
@@devilsoffspring5519 Even if you write your own "shit" there's no guarantee of a successful music career.
@@nelsonhibbert5267 That's true, but to get the most out of music you gotta write your own. Covers can be really fun but the really creative aspect of it is when you're writing your own stuff.
This is truth! So much focus on technique!!! It’s ridiculous…
That makes sense. I work in videogames and we do hire people for sound effects, and they're mostly musicians looking for a steady job. Music is quite challenging to make money at, even if you're really good. If you're a really talented artist, that is you can draw -- it is possible to make a living with art. There are quite a few more jobs creating visuals than there are creating sound.
Wow, thanks for the amazing comment! I will keep that in mind! I encourage you to check out my instagram if you like!
I had a friend who sadly passed last year, but for quite a few years, he kept me plugged into various gigs when a keyboard player was needed. Also, got in on some wedding gigs and country club receptions, etc. But you're spot on. Since my friend passed, my gigs have dried up. It's tough to make it in music. Sadly , also many prefer a DJ with a huge digital collection of hit songs. I still try to support live music in whatever I can. But music as a career is a tough these days.
Sorry to hear about your friend. I love how you continue to fight the good fight. I hear yah, though… it is hard, and it feels like only a select few succeed… but sometimes you never know why. They could be industry plants. Etc. thanks for watching!
Great video and I agree with all your points. Although I’ve made a good living as a musician for like 34 years. But I would say I’m in the top 1% of all musicians in the world, including famous and very successful musicians. Definitely focus on the process and having fun. That’s what it’s about in the end.
Wow, I wish I could have reached that level. There’s still time, but you are right. Focus on the process. It’s in the Dao De Jing.
I agree. I played in cover bands from about 1994 to 2010. I have played bars, hotels, and events. We were a top notch band but the pay always stayed about the same. Top pay was about $400.00 or $800.00 for Friday and Saturday 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM bar gig. I would set up lights and sound ahead of the show. After the show we would split the $800.00 evenly between 5 musicians. That would be about $160.00 each at the end of the weekend.Then came the tear down of gear the following Sunday. I played in the Kansas City area. It was a ton of work for such little pay. I never looked at it as a career. It was a labor of love, with many rock memories! 🎸🥁🎤
Damn, that’s pretty cool! Thanks for sharing! It just sucks that the place we get our start doesn’t want to pay us. Creating this artificial difficulty early on for musical acts.
Yeah, we've all heard about those "rock memories......" 😉
Oh snap! Haha
You sound disappointed and a little bitter and that's understandable. That being said I do appreciate what you are saying and there is certainly truth to it. I am fortunate enough to have lived thru a time when you actually could make a pretty good living playing and I was able to do this for a number of years. I wish this were still true because the quality of some of the young musicians I've seen is pretty amazing. Not to be too simplistic but I think the problem is that over the past few decades music has become ubiquitous - everywhere, whether your putting gas in your car or shopping- you have access to it all the time and everywhere. It's no longer "special" as in the sense that you need to go out of your way to experience it. Unfortunately people don't seem to value what's so freely given. You are right when you say the business model currently operating in music is terrible because it is...and in truth it wasn't so great 50 years ago either! BUT in spite of that many of us were able to make our way even if we didn't get signed to a label because there were so many places to play and they did pay you, especially if you were able to draw a crowd- and because people weren't being distracted by all the other ways to be entertained or meet people, they went where others were. BUT obviously that's not how it is today. That being said it's also terrible not honoring or respecting what calls to your heart. Music has power and that power can be used for great good, like creating community(witness groups like Phish) and helping people to find meaning and navigate a chaotic and troubled world. So, like I told my kids when they started playing music, go for it...but have a back-up plan. Personally I learned so much being in bands: how to be in relationship with others, how to sacrifice, compromise, cooperate and negotiate, how to budget and the list could go on -my point is that so many of the skills learned back then have seen me thru this life. Add to that just the simple joy of music- either when I play(I still do) or witness someone else doing it, it makes my life better. And I think the world needs more of us feeling better. As the former music store owner, great guru and Mystic, Bernie Gracin told me back in 1969, "nothing is forever". In other words, everything changes- what goes around comes around, just not in the same way. At some point the scene will be different. In the meantime thanks to technology, we've been given the tools and the power to create like none of us back then could've imagined! if you have an iBook or just an iPad (even iPhone) you have programs like Garageband or stepping up from this, Logic, and what these are capable of doing is quite remarkable. I know you suggest this here and you are right. You can record and release your music and it can be heard anywhere around the world. Not so bad as far as I'm concerned! Making a living thru it? Maybe not. But feeling "alive" as you're doing it? Yes indeed. Let me paraphrase what Joseph Campbell said many years ago: People aren't so much looking for meaning in life, they're looking for the experience of being alive! I agree with Joe. Keep making music- in the end it matters.
Haha, you’re right, I do sound bitter! Haha whoops… I will never give up, though!
Hey man. People are crying out for 80s live music.
Really?!
@@playalot86 Yeah. I read the comments of 80s videos :) They keep saying they miss the 80s and that todays music is crap.
Haha, too funny!
I taught guitar for a few years. Everybody would say to me what a great gig that was....in actual fact....it was the most mentally draining work I have ever done.
Me too, brother, me too. After a while, I felt like nobody cared about guitar, music, or anything I was trying to teach them. Eventually, I felt like my time was being wasted by people who have no clue about what it takes to become a good musician. I felt like a commodity.
@@playalot86mind you, people who don’t know that the recipe is rather simple, especially when it comes to achieving musicianship through lessons: dedicated time practice time, effort, and trusting the process.
I have a friend who defied the odds that so many people have convinced themselves prevent them from becoming a musician: starting as an adult. He started learning the guitar in his mid 20s, and now (about 4 years later), he has gotten great at it. I helped him learn and make sense of key concepts early on. He took them, learned and practiced them, and he’s continued learning and practicing. He was just reminding me of how much he owes a small amount of consistent and regular dedicated practice time over the 4 years to him being as good as he is now. He’s moving onto piano at this point, and he’s getting it down.
Becoming a good musician is much “easier” to do than the average person tells themselves, but it’s hard to put in the dedicated time and effort. It essentially only takes practice and time.
I've been a glorified babysitter myself for the past couple of decades :)
@@cheapmusicgear I used to think that way too, that it was too late and I should've kept learning when I was a kid. What a dumb way to think. It's like telling yourself you'll never learn anything after a certain age it's just complete nonsense.
Oh yeah, every one is like, you must be incredibly gifted by God! And it’s like no… it’s practice… haha
As Frank Zappa said "People hate music but love entertainment"😢
Did he really say that? I wonder why.
I’ll have to look into that. Haha
Maybe he was aware of something we weren’t? Hmmmmm
No distro is good. Even though distrokid is pennies, music revenue is even fewer pennies. YT is great, and you can archive videos whenever you want. IMO standalone songs can be good but maybe the best way is to provide genuine value in various forms that aren't just a song by itself; growing a channel dedicated to a niche that's alive; mixing and mastering, instrument technique/philosophy, gear, record production, electronic production, expertise-having such as techs (like TankTheTech), etc. Overall I think making videos that people genuinely want to watch, on a reasonable mass (an amount you're happy with) and having good title&thumbnail for every upload, quality over quantity, great video value like this one, etc. are keys to growth. Apologies for the rambling
Hey there! Thank you for the amazing comment! I have never used Distrokid!
One of the best videos on RUclips! Thank You man
Wow! I’m honored by your kind words! Thanks for watching! You’re welcome!
Harsh reality. I agree. Play for fun and keep your day job.
I agree
I gave up a long while ago trying to have a career in music. I'm not about to take one of my only reasons for existing in life and making it a miserable experience.
My, man! Exactly! It doesn’t seem worth it!
Find a career that is either “music adjacent” or that allows you to travel to tour and record. It makes any success and progress you make in music that much more fulfilling when you aren’t trying to depend on it to pay your bills.
Yes! Staying in the field somehow is important!
Telling the truth brother. Thank you.
Thanks for watching, man, I appreciate the kind words!
I'm not interested in a career in the industry. I'd like to do something outside of this that might not be appreciated within my lifetime but could be appreciated years after im gone. The experience of doing it is better than arriving at a finish line anyways.
Yes! The journey is the best part!
Thank you for speaking the truth. There's an economics book about the music industry. It's one of the lowest ranking in terms of revenue.
I agree with Mr Waterbug Design, but would like to add that other than tangentialities, there is an inherent importance in music (and fine art, too probably). It's so cardinal to humanity. Whoever has the key to the current economic puzzle will win big. Way big.
Oh man, I didn’t know that. I’ll have to check out that book. Thanks for watching!
@@playalot86 Rockonomics
Thanks a ton!
I would sadly have yo agree, I have a music degree and loving as a musiciannis stressful and the money is very little. I make most of my money teaching. Get an amazing teacher, pracrice a lot, play woth groups and that will be enough to be a pretty good musician.
I’m glad you’re making some money!
Everything has to fall together,stars, in alignment,to find success, in anything,especially music.By the way,Taylor went to Nashville,at 11,with a CD, of cover songs.Every label on Music Row turned her down.💛
Yes, I agree, and some people arguably don’t deserve success, but of course, I can’t be in charge of that. Haha
This is why a manager is vital - and a rare kind of person that manager must be. Because music needs to live from itself, not out of business method. The business needs to be run by another mind.
That’s a really good point!
Without a 'manager'...I make six figures. Solamente...no manager.. Anything is possible. Remember that.
Damn! I’m still impressed by that!
Just got off the road with an artist that has multiple number ones and other songs in the top 10. 40k per year! Glad to get it out my system but time to move on the way the economy is going.
Wow! That’s incredible! Super cool! You guys rock!
Good to see that bike in the back of the metal box made of plastics, metal, water, oil and electricity (clearly a strange device).
Haha, I can see your point!
Over 40,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify per day. Per DAY!!!
This is what sealed the deal for me to not pursue it.
Oh sweet Jesus, yeah, I had no idea!
It’s one of those things where you should really make it a hobby and hope it miraculously leads to something big, but if you only make it a hobby, the odds are low of making it big
It’s ironic, right?
These days, the majority of what passes for music - and art - is made from reputation, not soul. People don't even like art; they like famous artists, how good they make them feel and look in the moment. They love to throw money at fancy art and music because they no longer have souls - just reputations.
I have no hunger for public attention. "Please, may have I more fame?" Nothing is more pathetic to me than validation. It's completely lost on me, and admiration? The furthest thing from understanding. The greatest menace to the musician - counterintuitively - is the musician's audience. There are ties that bind and there are ties that blind, and an artist becomes weaker with every recruit to his banner. As his fans put him on a pedestal, they'll dig his grave as (s)he falls, forcing them to posture what remains: the brand of themselves as a substitute, an avatar for the real deal.
It's good to be free.
Music has become so redundant that the wannabes can only simulate it. They're not getting rewards; they're getting coins for "Mario". And they're lovin' it.
Man, this comment rocks. So many good points, and it was fun to read. Thanks for watching!
"If you love music, sell Hoovers or be a plumber. Do something useful with your life."- Robert Fripp
What a great quote! I see what he meant.
I joined the military and fought in useless wars that made us LESS safe & free. At least music doesn't kill
😬😬😬 oooooo, is it scary if you have a point?
Hello there yes your write sir Iam a professional pianist and singer drummer etc and it seems no one is interested in jazz music or classical but I’ll never give up my music until Iam real old say about 90.
I hope you never give up, either! This world is rough, damnit… ugh.
been playing the drums for 30 years quit 8 years ago drum skins and stick cost to much now transport need 12k a year to drive on uk roads unloading and loading by myself never got payee. i had phone calls i had people begging me to come back but the damage has been done i don't think ill ever pick up the sticks again and i devoted my life to them.
Holy smokes I don’t blame you!
One avenue that is still decent, but a bit saturated is becoming a public school music teacher. There are ways to make oneself marketable like certifying in special ed or becoming proficient in Spanish
That’s a very good point.
Dude you’re right I’m a singer songwriter it’s hard to make money !! I just quit playing live it’s a wast of time !!👍🎤🎸
Oh wow, that’s crazy. It’s a bummer that the truth of the matter is that playing LIVE for a living feels like a waste of time, haha. I wouldn’t mind performing for friends and family, though. Thanks for watching!
Please keep music apart of your life my friend. I've going through allot of the same early 30s woes myself lately
Absolutely will good sir! I know I’ll never give up!
Being in a band is like dancing on a lily pad in a storm😂. No regular pay to depend on…no medical or dental insurance…if you gig you have to travel so gas, food and lodging eat up your pay…you have to leave home for extended periods of time…if you have pets and family you feel guilty and selfish for leaving them. Now you can’t sell original music anymore since Napster figured out how to transfer audio files for free. Not to mention booking agencies that require certain cover song lists and have their pet bands (usually a family members band) that always get the best gig’s regardless of how good your band is. It takes decades for family to switch from, “When are you going to get a real job? To Where are you playing next?” On the other hand some families will trot you out like a trained monkey to make money for them until you get older or smarter and get a lawyer to protect yourself….but what do I know? I’m still playing at 70 so there must be something good about playing music 😂💯
Holy smokes, what an amazing comprehensive look at the life of a musician! Thanks for sharing your story, and for watching!
I pay my bills gigging. Do what you wanna do guys.
Wow! Super cool! Thank God I’m not correct all the time, haha. Maybe I should move… huh…
I mean of course there's going to be some demand for musicians, so some musicians will find success, but that doesn't stop the fact that the market is way over-saturated.
I believe it!
The thing is, the "market" became saturated years ago, even pushing people like myself with a formal education in music out. Part of that was my fault, but 2008 was a very difficult year, and starting a family became part of the equation. I was successful for over 10 years, and continued in different areas of music for many years after, but not in the same way. Anyway, it's much more saturated now. I would gladly teach and gig again though, but I would definitely subsitute with something more steady.
I agree with you. That’s awesome that you found some success! The arts are so accessible to all, as they should be, but now with the internet… it’s like wading through Cream of Mushroom soup! Haha
You hit the nail on the head. Do for the love of the music.
Absolutely, and thanks for watching!
Great video. You are less than half my age but much of what you say i could of said 30 years ago.
Only thing i would maybe say different, is IF you pursue music, get a masters or something so you can make a real paycheck at a university.
I started off with college back in the 80s, only did 1 1/2 years. Should of followed through.
Had a friend who did follow through, got a career in air force jazz band, and probably went on to teach college level, we lost touch, so im not sure about teaching...but even just music in military will get you a fat pension for life.
Great idea about getting a Masters Degree. I wish I would have done that… I couldn’t stand my guitar professor, though, haha! I enjoyed reading your comment! I guess I could’ve stuck it out with the ol’ Shitheead. Haha, thanks for watching!
Music and the music business normally have nothing to do with each other.
What an interesting point!
Don't do anything in this world, until u understand everything. This world isn't for the innocent.
Oh my, I hope you’re all right!
We all run into mind-blowing musicians with almost no followers, nothing happening. They aren't earning a penny. Yet, they are objectively fantastic. It seems there is far more to the entertainment biz than just playing well. From that perspective, a musician is an independent sole-proprietor small business with perhaps as few as one employee (them). Scaling a business like that is extremely challenging. Not everyone is cut out to be a small business owner. Working in a partnership with equal owners (band members) is even harder. Consider just how few new businesses (of all kinds) make it. Only 25% will survive 15 years. Bands (with commercial intent) are even worse with greater than 90% failing. A big part of that is due to the business structure a band takes. It is one of the worst possible business structures to build and grow. Some of the big RUclips groups that have become successful run like full media companies and take the shape of traditional businesses as a result. It isn't that they built a successful band, they built a solid entertainment company capable of supporting any band (and they often do).
Isn’t that funny how that works? Haha, yeah, this has got to be the most concise breakdown I’ve read. Thanks for watching!
If you really want to make no money, get signed to a major record label. Speaking from experience here.
Ooph, sounds like you have a solid point!
I agree
My man!
Wonderful honest advice , cheers . 👍🤠 subscribed today.
Wow! Thank you for the kind words and the support!
@@playalot86 your welcome , i past on your video , to a friend i was in a band with over 40 years ago , and he thought your advice was great to , cheers
Wow, so cool! I’m honored!
..... Too late for me. I started in 1986, playing guitar and writing in bands until 2000 more or less. I tried luck in Europe in Italy, Holland and Austria until I settled down in Germany in 2003. Here again trying to start a band, producing, wrote instrumental music for a short film and three theatrics. Actually I am teaching guitar, bass and doing band coaching in 3 little towns. It's very hard, bad rewarded and I say to my students exactly what you say here in your video. Maybe as sound engineer in concerts or theatres, but the competence is megahard. I opened a RUclips channel with my own music and some cover versions, opened profiles here and there offering my services but nothing happened yet.
Aw man, I’m bummed to read that. Sounds like you’ve lived quite the life so far!
@@playalot86 The music in my channel (not still completed) tell more or less my story as musician. From my beginnings in Buenos Aires in the mid eighties, to my jump to Europe, I was mad in love with girls from Estonia, Finland, and somewhere else, my endeavors to get into the industry of film music, and many other things in between!
😎😎😎 my man is a player over here! Haha, so cool!
@@playalot86 .... The thing is when you acquired abilities that are no more required. The actual music (more and more based in the look and the image as theory knowledge, AI invading the charts, etc) converted us in old tools no more required in the business.
I knew I hated AI… haha.
Honest true perspective, Thanks.
Thanks for watching. You’re welcome!
I follow a rock band called The Warning, (three sisters) If they bring in 50,000 in ticket sales for a show, not counting meet and greet, what percentage of ticket sales would they get, percentage to the opening act? and what percentage to the venue? Also, what percentage of merch does the venue get? good channel, thanks.
Wow! I could only dream of that kind of success. Thanks for the kind words!
Great band!
when you said "is nobody fault",,hmm man, we musicians and people that in the "industry" needs to speak up and more, a lot more.. we know who is responsible for all this mess. There's always gonna be corruption, we never gonna eliminate that BUT.. its a balance. Take the "best years" of music and entertainment and STILL there was corruption. Nowadays that balance its sooooo messed up, terribly wrong to one side. Thats why only "big acts" big band can make actual money.. and they are also to blame here, taylor swift, metalica, they're not saints.
Yeah… I think you’re right, haha… I was trying to be diplomatic! 🤣🤣
I heard years ago that someone who goes into music has a 4% chance of making a living at it. It's probably more like 2% or less now.
Holy smokes, I had never heard that.
It really depends on what you mean by "goes into music." There's a lot of talented musicians who go to music school and carve out a career in music whether it's teaching, music production, varied freelence gigs (jazz, blues, classical, musicals, etc) and in many cases a combo of those things. If your one and only goal is to get signed by some major label or go on major tours with a single band that only plays original music, ya good luck with that. The reality is that there are a lot more working freelance musicians out there who make a decent if not comfortable living that you've probably never heard of.
@@jodi183 Do you mind telling us your age and how long you’ve been in the music business?
I’m 33 and have been fighting the good fight for 12 years!
Good point. I forgot to mention that.
This is really good! Hope this gets more views for other musicians to see this! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks brother, I really appreciate it!
Could not agree more....no $$$ in it & your right that nobody really cares about you playing the instrument. Also if I am in a band I detest the loading of equipment in car, driving to practices, 3hr practice, then breaking down & reloading equipment in car to drive back & reload in my house. I stopped doing it because there are much better ways to enjoy your free time 😆🙂
I hear yah, man, I wish I wasn’t correct, but after all these years… ugh…
I was a Hendrix-freak, but I quit when I found out that the singer-songwriter was holding all the aces.
I see where you’re coming from.
Fresh air brother, you earned a new subscriber here.
Wow, thank you for your support!
This was a Zappa statement on his album 'Joe's Garage'. 1979
Oh! I didn’t know that!
@@playalot86 check out the album
Will do!
Been in music industry for 20 years and finally decided to abandon it. Best decision by far in my life
That’s awesome!
It's sad but it's true
Well damn, it is sad, but if it makes sense to you then that’s that! Haha
Sadly all of this is all totally true. I spent my whole life playing music and at 72 I can tell you the business has deteriorated drastically since the 90s. I see the current state of gigging/teaching etc to be a sad mess. I'm glad to be retired. I was in the game when you didn't need a day job to support your musical ambitions.
Man, that must’ve been soooo nice to be in that prime time. Man, it’s super sad to see the state of things now.
There are specific types of people who have the drive and the willingness to sacrifice to work their way up to a place in the music biz that is financially comfortable. #1. The person whose life is all about this pursuit and will suffer poverty and indignities endlessly in that pursuit. #2. The person whose musical ability is so pronounced and obvious that success is virtually bound to happen. Everyone else is buying a lottery ticket at Quick Mart. The one thing that is painfully obvious is that there is NO UPPER MIDDLE CLASS for musicians; nobody in your nice subdivision plays in a local or regional band; those guys are still poor in their 40's before they realize their dream is over. So, yeah, choosing to be a musician is similar to choosing to be a schoolteacher; you know the pay is horrible long before you take the job. The better choice in hindsight is to choose a career in which you can build financial independence, and practice like crazy in your time off, then play part time if you're good enough. Selah
That is a great point, and now I’m struggling to find a career myself. I’m sort of in panic mode, haha.
The best choice is the one that gives you no regret. Store up your riches in heavenly treasures. Otherwise, serve man and get paid by man.
Absolutely I agree.
the money is in merch, my group (before disbanding) made 6 digit figures in merch alone. problem is fanbases are fickle, more so if you take a break (the dumbest thing i ever did)
Oh wow, that’s very enlightening. 6 figures?! Holy buckets!
Oh and tonight I’ll be in my recording studio having fun playing my drums and recording some new music I have written I’ll probably be up all night.
My man! I hope you have a great time!
I played about 1000 shows in my career the least I made for a show was $20 and the most was $4000 - I was always very professional was constantly surrounded by losers. About 7 years ago I started my own teaching business, rely on myself, dont have to deal with druggies or losers and have made more money than any of the imbeciles I had to share a stage with. I make $116 an hour. House is paid off and drive an Alfa Romeo.
Holy smokes! Nice job!
thank you sir. will do🤙
No problem 👍
Just because you didn't/don't have what it takes does not mean people shouldn't try and aspire to their dreams of becoming performers.
See like that’s funny because both of the things you said are wrong. I DO have what it takes, and I did NOT discourage anybody in this video. I see you didn’t watch the entire thing…
@@playalot86 You're quite right poika, I didn't watch the whole film as it got pretty dreary pretty quick.
Haha, hey that’s fair. No worries, homie!
Yeah… good advice I think. The pub/club circuit can be fun, but on the flip side, playing to angry drunk people certainly isn’t. And as you say, there ain’t any money in it, at least where I live anyway.
High end corporate/weddings pay, but that might cost you your soul
Thanks for checking out the video!
I don't think that people even like music anymore. People still like old music, but I don't think that people really appreciate new stuff.
You might be on to something.
Location Location Location. Tourist Areas all across the united states pay entertainers good money 250-500$ for 4hrs of playing, You will have to be entertaining (which means a lot of things, be funny don't be awkward) and yes you will play a lot of covers. Slide your originals in, and make sure your originals aren't boring.
That’s a mighty good point that I forgot about!
'Bohemian Rhapsody' cost the band QUEEN only $600,000 to record. Now some Plumber in Bakersfield has recorded something even better working with NO BUDGET in his bedroom. Next up, something better than SGT. PEPPER on no budget! He will record the orchestra in his bathroom! Hey, enjoy all my free music on YT. THOUSANDS of uploads of my songs and I don't get paid a dime. Great technology! (I am currently living under a bridge in Santa Monica since my power got shut off!)
Oh my, this is very interesting.
@@playalot86 I have many friends in the Beatles camp and worked with Paul's brother Mike for many years. The Beatles received MILLIONS in advances for their music. Then all the fans decided that STEALING MUSIC was okay (as did YT!) and that was that! Many of my old bands received $400,000 or more to record albums. And now the fans expect great music but don't want to pay for it. MOST PRO musicians have already quit the FREE music business. QUALITY down the toilet as well with NO BUDGET MUSIC! Maybe people should all start stealing cars and see how good the cars are next year! Oh and BTW I did many TV shows with QUEEN and also Rock in RIO. Heading out to my DAY JOB now! BYE!
Haha holy smokes! Solid facts!
Spot on
Thanks a ton for watching!
I earn 4000 dollars a month working as a teacher (after taxes).
Holy buckets
@@playalot86 It was somewhat misleading, but the exchange rate in dollars has been off the wall lately. More accurate would be 3600 after taxes. I started up working in music school, but went over to regular school as a teacher after some time. I have an annual salary these days of around 65 000 dollars before taxes.
Hot damn! That’s fantastic!
@@playalot86 Well, this isn't the US. I live in an expensive country. But my biggest achievement is that I built an apartment on top of the garage at my mother's place a few years ago, and paid it all in cash. So I basically have no rent. We do pay a lot of taxes in my country, but there is free healthcare and education, even at University level, so that makes somewhat up for it I guess. I am working now to save up my first million, that is close to 90-91 k in dollars I guess. But with the stock market these days, I don't know, I might suffer some drawbacks. I have also spent money like a drunken sailor this summer, renting a BMW for a crazy price. But eh, we only live once right?
Sweet fancy Moses that’s awesome! My mom won’t even let me have a window garden! 🤣🤣🤣 let alone build an apartment on top of our garage! Haha
Here's the thing ,cover bands at the local dive bar ,or solo coffee house venue ,& such don't produce a viable income.. Cover bands are a dime a dozen.....I've been to a lot of live shows & Venues, & all the bands cover songs... even if they do some original music; it's not very good so like 90% of their live shows are devoted to covering songs with some originals thrown into the mix, but all of their covers are generic dime a dozen. The reality is anyone can be a Musician , but real talent is rare... out of all the cover bands I have seen , not one of them really impressed me. How many times can I hear the same cover songs over & over again.
Live music sucks.. Most Musician's don't have what it takes to be a real pro & write great songs..
Your points are very fresh and I see where you’re coming from.
@@playalot86 I have a theory why music is pretty much dead ,& why most or all music bands sound pretty much the same it's because we ran out of ideas ; all the good ideas in music have been used up.. there's no where else to go.. the music gods set the bar so high that none of us can reach...
but some are trying to be creative with the help of AI , but AI music sorta sucks & very generic. I think our creativity, & talent factor has hit a brick wall . we have no place to go.
sorta like in the auto car maker industry all the cars all look the same ,but for a few minor details is because we ran out of car ideas.
same with music.. As the rockers age out we don't have anyone to replace them.. like when Chris Cornel died the music ended . I can't think of anyone that we have that can take his place & carry on the torch to.
@Mr.PhatsVarietyVibesShow I can definitely see where you’re coming from. There is so much homogeneous material being produced daily, and the visionary people die early…
Sloan Struble (Dayglow), made his own way by producing his own stuff. The record companies are rich vultures!
Yes they are!
being in a band sucks ....unless you get lucky and get with a good group of people...if not a good group you are 'trying to make it' ...with other adults with issues or other stuff pulling them away like 'adulting'....'job' etc
Oh yeah, I agree. It’s very hard to make it out there. People lose interest, and such… ugh.
atleast ur a guitar god!
Oh my my you humble me kind lad! Thank you very much for the kind words.
“Playing by yourself sucks, teaching sucks, playing bars suck, playing venues suck.” Why bother playing at all?! I😂
Oh my God, you’re right. Haha
I go to the park at 5am and blow until sunrise. ,
@@robertnicolay8327 I go to my grandmother’s every day at 7 and bury my face in her underwear drawer.
@@robertnicolay8327 Ooooo how much to see you? 😏
Haha oh my
i make beats and i’m currently going to a state university for audio engineering. i’m very concerned for my future, but fuck it we ball ig.
Haha, I like it I like it. You’ll find a way to make it work and be a part of the scene.
@@playalot86 Hey man, hey man, what kind of scene is that? Gotta keep it real cool man...:)
Hahaha, oh my word.