making big money in music

[JeffD]

I thought this article interesting. I don't know enough to comment on its veracity, or applicability to niche folks music and mandolin music.

But its a cold splash of reality that is worth sorting through.

[Mandosummers]

Between this depressing article and the news of Tony Rice's situation... ugh..

[Eddie Sheehy]

The only way to make a million playing music is to start with 2 million...

[JeffD]

The argument has been that niche music has more of a chance in the new musical economy. But the article seems to indicate that the more things change the more they stay the same - the music that makes it big is the music that is promoted the most, and the musical consumer, in general, is mostly tuning out all the new options and wants and supports the stuff that makes it through the noise level and is heard everywhere, i.e. the stuff that is promoted the most.

Luckily I am really good at something else, in a different arena, where I make my living. It won't make me rich, but it keeps me in mandolins.

[Gplayer]

Between this depressing article and the news of Tony Rice's situation... ugh..

Which is why it's probably a good thing most of us just play for the shear fun of it.

[JeffD]

I thought it interesting the analysis that there is no middle class in professional music. For the most part you are either barely scraping by (or supported by other work), or you are wildly successful. There is no just making a decent living to support your family.

There are probably exceptions, but not many.

[Mandosummers]

The argument has been that niche music has more of a chance in the new musical economy. But the article seems to indicate that the more things change the more they stay the same - the music that makes it big is the music that is promoted the most, and the musical consumer, in general, is mostly tuning out all the new options and wants and supports the stuff that makes it through the noise level and is heard everywhere, i.e. the stuff that is promoted the most.

Luckily I am really good at something else, in a different arena, where I make my living. It won't make me rich, but it keeps me in mandolins.

For musicians, what happens when they get old? I'm there and believe me things do not come as easy as they once did. If I were a young professional musician I'd live as meagerly as possible and invest all I could.

[bratsche]

Luckily I am really good at something else, in a different arena, where I make my living. It won't make me rich, but it keeps me in mandolins.

I am really good at doing a handful of things - unfortunately, they're all in the general sphere of creativity, where the end products are ultimately seen as luxuries, and not necessities. Despite racking my brain (while watching my age rise and my income plummet), I haven't yet been able come up with any actual "need" I can fill in today's economy; therefore, the prospect of eventually dying a penniless pauper has become very real. I've lived frugally even through the best of times, buy only pre-owned everything, haven't vacationed or dined out, etc. But I should have learned air conditioner repair, or something. It's frankly scary.

bratsche

[sunburst]

I am really good at doing a handful of things - unfortunately, they're all in the general sphere of creativity, where the end products are ultimately seen as luxuries, and not necessities. Despite racking my brain (while watching my age rise and my income plummet), I haven't yet been able come up with any actual "need" I can fill in today's economy; therefore, the prospect of eventually dying a penniless pauper has become very real. I've lived frugally even through the best of times, buy only pre-owned everything, haven't vacationed or dined out, etc. But I should have learned air conditioner repair, or something. It's frankly scary.

bratsche

What she just said, just change the sig line to 'sunburst'. I couldn't have said it better.

Having lived near Charlottesville for the last couple of decades as a luthier, I've met or otherwise know of a lot of C'ville musicians. The difference in income between Andy Thacker and Dave Mathews says a lot.

[Bertram Henze]

The combination of music and money always reminds me of...



... and who gets to keep the money?

[Tom Coletti]

What's more depressing than the impossibility of making a career in music is the fact that literally hundreds of mediocre products of the music "industry" are bathing in unholy amounts of currency and even writing vapid content of how much meaningless material crap that they own. The only thing more depressing than the above statement is that we have to distort or abandon our lifelong ambitions in acquiring this worthless green paper to begin with...

--Tom

[foldedpath]

I thought it interesting the analysis that there is no middle class in professional music. For the most part you are either barely scraping by (or supported by other work), or you are wildly successful. There is no just making a decent living to support your family.

There are probably exceptions, but not many.

This isn't exactly a new observation though, is it? Playing music for a living has always meant most musicians lived in poverty, or on the very lowest rungs of the middle class, while a very few were wildly successful. The non-charting musicians I've known all my life were either poor, or supported by music teaching or other part-time work.

It's never been any different in other creative fields either. How many poets, sculptors, painters, or writers actually make it into the comfortable middle class? I was able to make a lower-middle class living for a number of years in a "creative" field, but only by working on the commercial side as an advertising photographer, later followed by commercial graphic design.

If you're not a charting artist, then playing music just doesn't have as many commercial outlets as the visual or literary arts. There are only so many wedding and bar mitzvah gigs out there. The only middle-class musician I've ever known was a concert master for a local orchestra, and also a tenured professor at the local University's school of music.

The linked article is probably an accurate view of the current chances for making a decent living in the digital age, but I don't think the overall prospects for making a middle-class living are any different now than they were 25 years ago. Playing music for a living is a choice to live a certain lifestyle, for the vast majority of musicians.

[stevedenver]

well regardless of any of our subjective evaluations of the merits of any given type of music,
or the crassness of needing money over artistic endeavors and purity........

in watching The Voice last night, and seeing not only the hosts , but also celine dion, it was apparent to me
the first requisite is that the masses like what you offer-and I have found that being a musician, that my taste in music often does not coincide with what most folks like and buy.

Then, it takes extraordinary talent, being an entertainer not only a musician, a marketable public persona, hard work -like 40 hours a day everyday, way beyond music but endorsements, appearances, touring, etc etc , and the ability to make the masses buy what you offer. It seems overwhelming to do all that is necessary. I am sadly reminded of when Sierra Hull visited Denver, and the concert hall (300) was not filled.

I have known a few old timers, a woman that sang and a guy that played blues and pop, folks that played jazz/pop piano in a posh bars and restaurants for decades, or the long standing house band in a country western joint, all of whom got gigs around town and did parties and events, and made a passable living.....but live music a part of the dining or bar experience, like that is ...perhaps, a thing of the past....

I gave hard thought to music during the short time I was at berklee, and I realized a lot of hard truths, and it really crushed me. My son is an aspiring muso ....I am being patient. It seems to be a killer professional calling. Even some of the biggest are here today gone by next year.

[Spruce]

The issue of money and the music biz has always reminded me of the conditions that create revolutions in third world countries--99.99% of the wealth is held by .001% of the participants...
Which is one reason why I watched with glee the (supposed) demise of the big labels that have been screwing musicians for over a hundred years...
Yeah, right...

I think we missed a golden opportunity with the digitalization of musics...

Imagine this.
For a hundred bucks a year, you have access to everything that has ever been recorded...
I'm talking everything.
Bootlegs (if sanctioned), legit releases by big and small-time artists, ambiant noise, whatever....everything.

And if someone chooses to download your CD, you get paid for it accordingly...

I do believe this is where it is all heading, but how we get there is anyone's guess...

[DataNick]

My quick anecdotal contribution: I gave "making it in the music business" a serious 5 years of my life from age 21 to 26 in LA. No regrets and one of the best things I've ever done as I can never lament, what if, etc. Had an epiphany then of my pals who were in their late 30s still tryin to "make it" either in music, acting, etc. while tending bar, waiting tables, etc. I then decided to join the US Navy to learn a trade, get a roof over my head, 3 square meals, and $$ for college. They called me "old man" at 26 y/o in bootcamp but served 6 years as a US Navy Corpsman, got my nursing license thru my Navy experience, got out and entered into healthcare. Along the way I got into Healthcare Administration which led to Quality Mgt; went back to school for Computer Programming and have worked in the IT field as a "Data" guy since.

And all along the way I continued to play, write, and record. I like to say I support my musical "calling" by working as a Data Analyst...

[bayAreaDude]

Not really a bad thing in my opinion, I never really agreed with musicians ever making big money in the first place. Now if the same thing could just happen to Hollywood, the world would finally be righting itself.

[almeriastrings]

Not that difficult. You have to learn to "twerk", be gratuitously offensive, get yourself into the lowest, dumbest elements of the media on a regular basis... feature in the "gossip" columns.... have no real talent, etc. Hard work. But someone's got to do it!

Downside. You will likely end up dead before your time - but the silver lining is you are now a legend and keep on selling!

Just don't try and do it playing bluegrass

[JeffD]

This isn't exactly a new observation though, is it? ...The linked article is probably an accurate view of the current chances for making a decent living in the digital age, but I don't think the overall prospects for making a middle-class living are any different now than they were 25 years ago..

Exactly. What is new is that many (myself included I guess) thought things were going to change with the new technologies that allowed easier and more direct access to artists music, and the predicted imminent demise of "gate keepers". Turns out that nothing is changing.

[stevedenver]

Not really a bad thing in my opinion, I never really agreed with musicians ever making big money in the first place. Now if the same thing could just happen to Hollywood, the world would finally be righting itself.

I don't understand. For the amount of time and effort, rehearsal, investment in training (years) and gear, travel etc., I see no reason artists shouldn't be paid, and perhaps paid enough to ....support themselves. Of course that's not the market economy. But, like teachers, and others, there are many who merit a fair days pay that don't always get it. OTOH, it takes a special person to host a morning news show, to be so appealing as to carry a movie by attracting goers, etc. I guess I am acknowledging were not all equal, but a lot are talented and hardworking, and by 'rights' should be able to get something beyond free beer.

[JeffD]

The issue of money and the music biz has always reminded me of the conditions that create revolutions in third world countries--99.99% of the wealth is held by .001% of the participants...

They even say something like that, music world is a third world economy.

I think we missed a golden opportunity with the digitalization of musics...

Well the article points out that technology has made the cost of recorded music almost nothing, so there is no money in recording. And if you are not promoted by big money there is no money in touring.

[Nick Triesch]

Only very few make it in music today and way less in Bluegrass. My Wife and I have followed a fantastic Celtic band here in San Diego for 30 years. They write their songs and play wonderful instruments but they are no better off than they were 30 years ago. Still playing the local coffee house. Still poor. In San Diego Bluegrass has a tiny following. Most people that show up at bluegrass jams are old blue haired folks. Maybe 50 of them at any given time. When we saw Sierra Hull at Summer grass there were maybe 400 people watching and she is one of the best in the world. Bluegrass was made to play for fun. Kind of like lawn darts.

[JeffD]

What is distressing to me is not that I haven't a chance, cause I chose a different path because of a different kind of love. What distresses me is the premise that, as opposed to what seems would (could) have been enabled, it is NOT true that "one way or another all the great music is getting heard." There is a lot of really great music that never gets heard outside of a very small radius.

[JeffD]

Bluegrass was made to play for fun. Kind of like lawn darts.

I think, unfortunately, you nailed it.

[OldSausage]

Actually, this rather cheers me up. Since crystal ball gazers are always wrong about everything, probably things will start looking up soon.

Either that or, you know, they won't.

[catmandu2]

Exactly. What is new is that many (myself included I guess) thought things were going to change with the new technologies that allowed easier and more direct access to artists music, and the predicted imminent demise of "gate keepers". Turns out that nothing is changing.

The masses are generally ambivalent if not hostile to the arts