The other pattern I’m seeing a lot is that there are SO many artists (REALLY GOOD artists) that it’s almost impossible for people to find them anymore. When electronic music was new and fresh and blossoming it was easy to spot an amazing artist. Heck people would market it for them, by word of mouth “Hey did you hear about ***** you gotta check him/her out !”
That still happens through social media kinda, but there are so many millions of amazing musicians that it’s almost an impossible ocean to navigate. A friend of mine @Barfunkel said the other day that it’s extremely difficult as a DJ to even sift through all the new releases on beatport because there are 1000’s every month ?!??
My question to everybody is: Is this a good thing ? I read above about the flood of DIY labels/musicians - does it ruin the original vibe and authenticity of underground electronic music when everybody and their dog can do it. Or is it a wonderful blessing that all the hidden talents that maybe would NEVER have been able to afford turntables, a mixer, or synthesizers/samplers can now start out on their laptop in their bedroom and possibly make it big ?
the opposite end of the paradigm is that without diy the only music people tend to hear is the music pushed by the bigger labels. During that heyday, there was a real lack of uniqueness that also carried over to electronic music. This actually killed the mainstream aspirations of the electronic genre for a long time. Labels were signing d’n’b, trip-hop, jungle, techno, etc artist that all adhered to the specific genre stereotype. Yes diy allows a lot of crap to be released into the wild, but it has created an environment where even a traditionally unmarketable artist can find a path to success.
I’m a bass player by trade (and education) and we play 3-5 nights a week, doing mostly bluegrass (rockgrass) at bars and restaurants.
It is the life I dreamt up long ago, and it has it’s ups and downs. My dream was never specific… just “play music for people.” That’s all I wanted to do. That’s all i still want to do. So that’s nice.
I have no kids. No wife. No mortgage. I’m 33. I’ve taken life really slowly in the sense of settling down. This frees up my money to spend (perhaps a bit wrecklessly) on gear and building a nice home studio.
We’re at something like 140 gigs for the year already. I can’t imagine this pace continuing for 25 more years, so when I want to slow down the live playing, I’ll have my studio built and I can live in there.
The downsides include but are not limited to:
*I’m gone most nights while my girlfriend is home from her career day job. …Be it rehearsals or actual gigs.
*I play holidays, so I’m rarely there for those.
*Weekends? What’s that? Friday is like Monday.
*Free drinking sounds awesome, right? Whew. It takes a toll. I’ve had more pints this year than people have had in three years. I worry about the ol’ liver, et al.
*Eating is always on the run.
*Sleeping on floors and couches is more common than in college!
*Unmentionable party factors/risks.
Luckily, I have a day job with more downtime than just about any other job i can think of. So, I sit here and read forums and watch homemade jams on youtube while getting paid. I can jam. I always have some piece of kit with me. This job pays rent, student loans, and the car payement. I would sink if I couldn’t do all of this on the clock. I’m fortunate in that regard.
Are we making ‘art’ every night we play? I think so. I’m satisfied artistically. I’m secure financially. I work my buns off, and there’s no stopping in sight. So long as the liver keeps cleaning me out, I’ll jam until I’m done.
I have some friends that rely on music to make their living. I’ve gone into it with them - they pick up jobs here and there as needed when festival season is over, or their spouses get a job to help out when things get tight. One friend in particular has talked about stress so bad it paralyzes him with anxiety sometimes.
I have one friend that is a graphic artist who has been looking for a gig for a while. He’s gone through immigration - green card - American citizenship now but it’s been like 2-3 years now and he might have to bail and move back to Peru because he can’t find a steady gig.
I’m lucky enough to have had my interest in music, electronic music and computers long enough and had to fix my own issues where I had enough experience to make it my day job working as an engineer. So in a way that’s my “music paying the bills” even if I don’t hit a note on a keyboard. The mortgage gets paid, baby gets to daycare, etc etc.
Best of both worlds is to have a guaranteed pension and/or passive source of income and not have to do real work and just play and create music on your own terms!
When you struggle to make money by music to put food on the table and a roof over your head and wheels to get around town, it creates tons of stress that saps energy from the creative flow and process.
That’s why every artist claim to release on at least Vinyl + Digital because there’s less release in Vinyl + Digital. If it’s Digital only some drop the deal and prefer to sign elsewhere.
I admit, as a DJ, i always listen Vinyl first and find my way through it. because it’s less fatigue to listening all new release in vinyl shop rather to listening every release in Digital. Also as you have to pay (way more) in a Vinyl Release… You really take care of the release… so it’s at least Damn Good music for the Label Artistic Director. There’s more friendship and Network deal in the Digital so the Release are not only based on Quality. As it’s cheaper to release you can release music for other things than Money Back on the Release.
Like Gigs exchange, Network Contacts, Booking Contacts etc…
There also a lot of people launching a Label to extend their network… but the problem is it’s Time Consuming and to make things right it’s like a real company and with all coming with it : If you do not have capital and cash to invest, no strategy, no network, you are dead
I think, it’s again this “two sides of a coin” thing.
Many more people are able to create and publish their music today compared to some decades ago, because there is no more that monopoly of a few music labels with some guardian angels standing in front of the doors, who decide, who may enter heaven and who not.
During those old days there was a hard selection, who could publish and who could not. This can lead to quality, but also to cut down new fresh ideas, because the entire thing is ruled by making money first. But if you had a contract, you could at least forget about struggling for money for a while and focus on your art, at least as long as the label had interest in you and made money with you.
But there is one thing, I think that will not change in the near future. Talent and endurance of creative people may pay off one day. There are more opportunities for more artists to produce and to publish and the equipment needed is not an expensive barrier any more.
It is harder to be recognized, yes, but I think, at the end it will follow an old rule of the evolution. Diversity is a precondition to generate the fittiest of the next generation
I think we are all fortunate to have this opportunity to debate/discuss about music as a form of expression and means to make a living…life is subjective and we all suffer and rejoice moving thru it, and working to find whatever elusive golden middle ground.
My friends who are successful generally are hustling so much to produce to stay afloat, I wonder what life experiences are really informing their art. I’m increasingly glad to have balance and variety in life, and it makes me appreciate the time I can work on music that much more. BUT, it also sparks the art in a meaningful way.
To add to this, I think some of us get our creativity out elsewhere in addition to music too by the looks of the thread above. So music isn’t the only outlet. As a teacher, I feel there’s a lot of creativity and performance and improvisation involved in trying to teach teenagers history. It isn’t music, but it’s vibrant and inspiring in many similar ways.
haha… there was a long stint two years ago when I was working about 6-7 days a week, and getting night call outs with my boss for emergency electrical repair. Driving around London in the middle of the night getting paid triple for callouts and spending it on weird synths whilst seriously lacking in slee got really noiresque and made some great dark no nonsense techno back then
I used to think that I wanted to make a living out of music more than anything. I acted accordingly by not starting anything resembling a career. I’ve had success of a kind – reasonable attention in my small country, good reviews, a small number of dedicated fans – but never come close to even breaking even on music as a pastime overall. I don’t regret any of it though, it’s where I’ve found my friends and spent my best times.
As I got older, the life of the musician – even the slightly successful ones – began to seem less enviable to me. The money is not good, except for a tiny minority. You miss a lot of life when you have to do all your work in bars. You’re dependent on so many factors beyond your control.
In recent years I’ve started a career in education, like many on here. It’s liberating having a tolerable job and a steady income. It actually means I can do whatever I want. That said, getting too comfortable is toxic to the kind of music that I like. Lucky we have a massive problem with homelessness and terrible wages to keep me on my toes!
I still consider myself a musician first, just because it’s such a big part of my identity. Interesting opportunities still come my way. Playing shows is still the biggest kick, and probably the thing that I’m best at. I’ve come to realise that having an alternative income source is not necessarily selling out though - it can n a way to buy your own freedom. (still wouldn’t dream of being, say, a professional landlord or investor…)
Good thread! When someone is struggling it’s easy to feel not jealous of them.
Struggling might make you look stupid
in other people’s eyes but actually
Struggling is a way to grow.
it’s the only way to grow
without already
being a genius
I’m a designer (graphic/UI/UX) by day, married, two kids, mortgage, car finance, and I will be 40 this year. There’s basically no way I’m going to jack the job in to focus solely on a music career and I don’t think I’d want to.
My father has spent his whole career as a music manager, looking after a small number of (very) big name rock guitarists. As kids we quite often went along to shows and hung out backstage, and I think it normalised it a bit for me. I’ve never been starstruck by the music industry and I’ve always been very aware of the business & lifestyle realities of it. You’ve got to really, really want the whole package to pursue it.
I’ve done a series of indie videogame soundtracks, paid, and I really like that work. If it paid enough to support my family I’d love to do that full time, but it doesn’t and it won’t. I’ve had four soundtrack sales this year at about £4 a time. I just see it as someone buying me a pint, it’s a nice surprise.
Working on my own music in my own time is enough for now, I get a kick out of it, especially when I feel like I’m learning and improving. I wouldn’t mind having a go at becoming a songwriter, but…
I have so many incredibly talented friends, and only one person really makes a living from it, supporting a family with four children. The rest tend to work in the service industry. I worked at a seasonal restaurant for many years because the money was good and I thought the schedule flexibility was conducive to my musical pursuits.
At one point I dropped out of college when I had some momentum going, thinking I could subsist off performing live. It worked for a while, until the winter hit and the gigs slowed down, and I got a job making minimum wage at a record store. That was enough for me to go back to school and get my degree.
I finished school and kept working at the restaurant because my degree is in philosophy and I still had no career ambitions beyond making music. Thankfully I was with someone at the time who referred me to a temp agency which eventually lead to me working in the analyst field today. Turns out this line of work is even more conducive to musical pursuits because now I don’t lose out on a day’s pay if I need time off (plus better hours and other benefits).
At this point I am trying to get as deep into the analyst field as I can so I can make the most money possible so I can eventually buy a house and build a studio. It’s also nice to know I could support a family doing this if that time comes, having health insurance and all that.
As a result of my current position I am under much less stress in general and have never been happier with the music I’m making. I used to view myself as a musician/artist before anything else. Now I’m trying to be a human first and foremost, and feel much better off because of it.
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