The Big Question: How To Make a Living In Music?

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  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    Tbh, I once made a little money from music and it wasn't fun at all. 

    I did a gig, played great but was paid less than expected. So despite the good crowd, good set and great feeling, the last feeling was disappointment 

    After that, I let music be my hobby only and I got a lot happier. I also got some stick for not asking for much money from other bands, as apparently lessened the going rate for bands. 

    Cannot win sometimes! 
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    dindude said:
    Rocker said:
    The clichéd 'hobby that pays the bills' is merely a cliché . @Danny1969 and a few others have managed to make a living from music but they are the exceptions. Like having an interest or skills in computing and photography, the reality of making a living from these interests is far removed from the dream. 
    @danny1969, full respect, but his music income equates to around a £16K salary. I'd have to REALLY enjoy what I did for that. 
    It's not as much as that is it ? 
     
    Yes what I do wouldn't work for most people. The only reason it works for me is I've done the whole big earning thing and my outlook on life has changed since then. I enjoy making a little money go a long way these days. It's actually amazing how much money you can save when you have time to shop around and cook fresh food etc, when you have time to cycle rather than take a car, when you have time to build your own solutions to problems and maintain your own car \ house \ electrical items. 

    I also see my way of life as NOT having to do things I don't want to. For example when the suns out I can sit in my pool with a cold beer listening to music and having a gander on here while a lot of other people are beavering away in factories  \ offices \ stuck on the M25 etc. 
    I've just come back from a gig now, next gig is on Wednesday ..... it's not such a bad life :)
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    all the guys I know personally that are making a very nice living out of music are session players..
    they all have this in common:
    - they are extremely good players
    - they play for artists that had already made it in their own right either as solo artists or in established bands
    - they had some sort of 'fairy god mother' that gave them the leg up

    it was a combination of working hard and often, and a stroke of good fortune
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    Danny1969 said:
    dindude said:
    Rocker said:
    The clichéd 'hobby that pays the bills' is merely a cliché . @Danny1969 and a few others have managed to make a living from music but they are the exceptions. Like having an interest or skills in computing and photography, the reality of making a living from these interests is far removed from the dream. 
    @danny1969, full respect, but his music income equates to around a £16K salary. I'd have to REALLY enjoy what I did for that. 
    It's not as much as that is it ? 
     
    Yes what I do wouldn't work for most people. The only reason it works for me is I've done the whole big earning thing and my outlook on life has changed since then. I enjoy making a little money go a long way these days. It's actually amazing how much money you can save when you have time to shop around and cook fresh food etc, when you have time to cycle rather than take a car, when you have time to build your own solutions to problems and maintain your own car \ house \ electrical items. 

    I also see my way of life as NOT having to do things I don't want to. For example when the suns out I can sit in my pool with a cold beer listening to music and having a gander on here while a lot of other people are beavering away in factories  \ offices \ stuck on the M25 etc. 
    I've just come back from a gig now, next gig is on Wednesday ..... it's not such a bad life :)
    Wait, you have a pool? You're doing something right!
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  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22445
    I think I'm genuinely thick enough where I'll just keep doing it regardless of the cash. Pretty idiotic when you look at it objectively - you don't make money, you don't play huge gigs, you don't get a lot of happiness out of it... but you just keep doing it. Madness.
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  • BarneyBarney Frets: 614
    I think it would be hard to make money out of music unless you are a in demand session guy playing with a known succesful band then even that could be short lived..

    I would think the other way would be a good function band and teaching but even then could maybe be a bit hit and miss...i read about a lot of guys trying and and constantly struggling ..okay they do it because they love music ..how long before hate it because of all the heartache its causing financially...

    Im maybe sounding a bit negative here but in my opinion you are better using it has a second income ...i think things have changed a lot unless you are a top class player and even then its not garanteed work
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    Can't watch the vid from work, but of the full time pros I know in the industry those with multiple income streams do the best and that has always been the answer for most (except the few that become stars).
    I know one local lad (now appraoching middle age) that is a full time pro, has a number of albums out there and more in the offing, but he tours in a Vdub van with his two dogs and does mainly solo gigs around the country and occasionally on the continent. Even so he sometimes has to work a few shifts as a psychiatric nurse to cover the bills.
    Others are involved in retail ot aspects of the business that don't involve playing like agents or organising mini tours for others. Lessons and selling T shirts/CDs all help but you need to be adaptive and create a mini business you can wander in and out of.
    In the end having a job as a session/corporate/covers band ain't so bad if you don't like factories or offices.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16254
    Just thinking about other people I've known a little bit. Even the pretty successful one ( solo albums, worked as a sideman for internationally famous artists like members of the Rolling Stones) had a reasonably modest lifestyle.
    The guy I had a few lessons off worked mostly in Christian rock bands, as far as I ever worked out he had no religious faith but some of these were properly big gigs and more so in Europe than here.
    The other one runs his own jazz night and acts as a sideman for all sorts of just about on the radar people. Last spotted playing for Musical Youth, it's pretty much 0% rocknroll credibility but again these are reasonably well paid gigs. He is a guitarist first but worked a lot on his bass playing and, IIRC, got a lot more paying gigs through that. I think for Musical Youth and other people he also acts as the Musical Director. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357

    I think if anyone did want to go full time muso-ing then they would definitely need a second income to start with. I was only in 2 bands and only doing around 50 gigs year when I started running 2020 studios and then I met so many good people which led to so many opportunities ...... without running that studio I doubt it would have happened. You can be the best player ever but if no one knows that your not gonna get the calls, the gigs or the money

    In terms of skill, ability etc I'm not that good at all. I do have a reputation though of being able to figure things out very quickly and reasonably accurately and that's what most people are looking for in my line of work. Most of my friends in the same line of work are the same. They aren't the type of people who will impress you with their Gunthie Govan licks but they are are solid players who don't need endless rehearsals before they gig with others 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    @Danny1969 is right about the 'being known' thing. Many years ago as a spotty 19 year old young gun for hire my best move was once being in a band with the local 'fix it' drummer. Even after we split up people would ask him about dep guitar and my name was front and centre. You kinda had to take everything (folk/country etc.) at the last momenbt too, but the constant stream of gigs would lead to me being temp guitarist in a folk band longer that any full time guitarist in the bands 18 year history. As well as doing one gig for some 12YO school kids who fell out with thier guitarist 5 days before playing in front of thier parents and friends at the local social club. The contacts built paid dividends in later years too. Don't be precious, it's a job so just do it well and look for the next paid gig, stoke your ego in front of your bedroom mirror if you must but never where business is concerned.

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