Thought's about becoming a full time musician?

[mks]

I've done it, but it wasn't as a full time musician but full time in the music industry for over 13 years. You have to be versatile and it's going to be a hustle. Mine was split at varying times between being a jazz musician, backup musician, producer, engineer, performer, DJ, record store employee, radio, and digital distribution.

Now I find myself back in college learning some new skills to have a backup. Something that I should have done sooner perhaps, but I had stars in my eyes. No regrets though.

Follow your heart.

[Dystinkt]

to make a go of it as a producer youll have to be in the top 1% of producers if that, the msot money iv ever made is 200£ from royalties for 6 minutes of airplay, so it is doable but you have to be the fucking muts nuts to get anywhere worthwhile

[Ficticious]

to make a go of it as a producer youll have to be in the top 1% of producers if that, the msot money iv ever made is 200£ from royalties for 6 minutes of airplay, so it is doable but you have to be the fucking muts nuts to get anywhere worthwhile

Well my drive tells me that I need to get that good or else I'll never be satisfied in music. I'm also stubborn as a mule...

I don't mind being poor as long as I can live and survive, I'd rather be poor with a sorta-decent-apartment (That hopefully doesn't smell or anything)

Than rich and bored the rest of my life.

Of course I do have business & work behind me which will be my main income for the moment.

[Dystinkt]

to make a go of it as a producer youll have to be in the top 1% of producers if that, the msot money iv ever made is 200£ from royalties for 6 minutes of airplay, so it is doable but you have to be the fucking muts nuts to get anywhere worthwhile

Well my drive tells me that I need to get that good or else I'll never be satisfied in music. I'm also stubborn as a mule...

I don't mind being poor as long as I can live and survive, I'd rather be poor with a sorta-decent-apartment (That hopefully doesn't smell or anything)

Than rich and bored the rest of my life.

Of course I do have business & work behind me which will be my main income for the moment.

Iv got a simialr goal pal, fuck being rich im happy just getting by but being able to produce and DJ for a job, failing that id go into teaching music production, its a good avenue to explore if you want to be involved in music but cant find a living from performance

[Ficticious]

Sounds fun to me. like a life I actually want.

[wormcode]

to make a go of it as a producer youll have to be in the top 1% of producers if that, the msot money iv ever made is 200£ from royalties for 6 minutes of airplay, so it is doable but you have to be the fucking muts nuts to get anywhere worthwhile

Haha or just save up money, and spend about 50-75 grand on a firm that does PR and marketing like a lot of famous people making really mediocre music. There's loads of companies who will make you famous for money, then it's up to you to either keep it up yourself, or keep the payments rolling their way.

[Electric_Head]

Sell drugs and occasionally make music = dorra.

Seriously though, couple months in and you're deciding to do it full time?
Wait till you hit a creative speed bump and rethink your entire past, future and present.
Your love for music becomes a love for fashion becomes a career in brick laying.

[mks]

If on the other hand you're making music because you're compelled to...

Making music was always the best way for me to get along with myself.

You always have wise words alphacat.

[sunny_b_uk]

i dont think you've been in it to know whether ul truely stick to it, im about 10 years in now and only in the past year i decided to do it full time.
i spend a lot of time making synths for myself, sound designing, producing, djing etc.. before that i was dancing for 8 years and i spent a lot more time at that.
i really thought that dancing would have got me further in life because i got paid decent money for a while & i feel i achieved a lot.. but time & situations can really make a change to anything.
i feel music is more of my thing recently but it took me that many years to realise regardless of how many hours i always put in.
best thing u can do is either dig in deep and learn everything you can about production etc or just do it part time and have something to back you up.
you could always right a timetable and sort the hours you make music just to make sure you get more time in.

[DubMikey]

What answer are you looking for?

"No, i have no objections to you being passionate about creating music around your job."

wtf.

Why do there need to be a question?

wtf.

[Attila]

If you have faith in yourself as a producer, I say go for it. Backups and plan b's are for people that lack the confidence and ability to realize their plan a.

[Soulstep]

If you have faith in yourself as a producer, I say go for it. Backups and plan b's are for people that lack the confidence and ability to realize their plan a.

This. You’ll never make it if you don’t put your all in, just because you put your all in don’t mean you goner make it.

music/film/games industries are terribly cruel.

Djing as income would stress me out to point where I dont think i could enjoy it, Club promoters deciding whether you eat this month

[deadly_habit]

If you have faith in yourself as a producer, I say go for it. Backups and plan b's are for people that lack the confidence and ability to realize their plan a.

More like people who are sensible, or advice from people who have been there done that.
The entertainment industries are highly competitive and cutthroat. Electronic music especially pays little to nil when it comes to releases, unless you're selling beats to pop acts, or hip hop guys regularly don't expect to make a living on that alone. Performance you'll have to be in the top acts and constantly touring to be able to make and ask enough to make a living from it, and even then it hinges on consistently being it that top % of acts that are in demand.
For example just a couple of physical releases i've had, shift vinyl (and digital) they never paid me a penny in spite of repeated attempts to get info.
fabric live cd, made some money from it, but they went into administration owing me a decent amount during that period and i just received a 35 pence check in the mail which is my settlement after all is said and done.
We won't even get into digital labels.
You constantly have to be on your hustle be it giving lessons, recordings bands, coming up with other outlets to make money using your skills.
Even working in studios, you may have a degree or have spent time in school, but you're still going to start off as an intern getting coffee, and even getting that position is highly competitive.
Working your ass off is not a guarantee of success in any entertainment industry.

[Sharmaji]

fwiw full-time musicians don't have "day jobs." music IS your job. making it, getting it heard, performing it, etc.

[deadly_habit]

and getting to that position isn't just something you up and decide one day.

[Attila]

If you have faith in yourself as a producer, I say go for it. Backups and plan b's are for people that lack the confidence and ability to realize their plan a.

More like people who are sensible, or advice from people who have been there done that.
The entertainment industries are highly competitive and cutthroat. Electronic music especially pays little to nil when it comes to releases, unless you're selling beats to pop acts, or hip hop guys regularly don't expect to make a living on that alone. Performance you'll have to be in the top acts and constantly touring to be able to make and ask enough to make a living from it, and even then it hinges on consistently being it that top % of acts that are in demand.
For example just a couple of physical releases i've had, shift vinyl (and digital) they never paid me a penny in spite of repeated attempts to get info.
fabric live cd, made some money from it, but they went into administration owing me a decent amount during that period and i just received a 35 pence check in the mail which is my settlement after all is said and done.
We won't even get into digital labels.
You constantly have to be on your hustle be it giving lessons, recordings bands, coming up with other outlets to make money using your skills.
Even working in studios, you may have a degree or have spent time in school, but you're still going to start off as an intern getting coffee, and even getting that position is highly competitive.
Working your ass off is not a guarantee of success in any entertainment industry.

If you're making worthwhile music, then yeah it's pretty well guaranteed you'll be able to find an audience big enough to support yourself. And again, if you're expecting to make any money off releases you're at best delusional. If you're not willing to dedicate your life to gigging then clearly you won't make a living off of your own material. It's about being sensible in regards to how the industry runs, not in regard to your work ethic or dedication. Not going all in virtually guarantees failure. No one becomes successful after saying "whoa there, I need to scale back a little bit and focus on things unrelated to my goals."

[Aufnahmewindwuschel]

Soundcloud

taht sums it up for me he has lke 4 comments on that tune and i dont say comments mean anything but come on skill sdont mean anythign anymore if you want to make it its all about making aname for yourself get some tatoos and talk about how gay dubstep ahs become with all those brickwalled tunes

[Attila]

I'm starting to feel like this forum has a legitimate phobia of success. Like "oh yeah, that only happens to super lucky people after they sell out. Not us underground producers who make real music". I've never heard from someone's who's been there say not to go for it. It's always a bitter, self-important half-asser that suggests it's impossible.

[deadly_habit]

If you have faith in yourself as a producer, I say go for it. Backups and plan b's are for people that lack the confidence and ability to realize their plan a.

More like people who are sensible, or advice from people who have been there done that.
The entertainment industries are highly competitive and cutthroat. Electronic music especially pays little to nil when it comes to releases, unless you're selling beats to pop acts, or hip hop guys regularly don't expect to make a living on that alone. Performance you'll have to be in the top acts and constantly touring to be able to make and ask enough to make a living from it, and even then it hinges on consistently being it that top % of acts that are in demand.
For example just a couple of physical releases i've had, shift vinyl (and digital) they never paid me a penny in spite of repeated attempts to get info.
fabric live cd, made some money from it, but they went into administration owing me a decent amount during that period and i just received a 35 pence check in the mail which is my settlement after all is said and done.
We won't even get into digital labels.
You constantly have to be on your hustle be it giving lessons, recordings bands, coming up with other outlets to make money using your skills.
Even working in studios, you may have a degree or have spent time in school, but you're still going to start off as an intern getting coffee, and even getting that position is highly competitive.
Working your ass off is not a guarantee of success in any entertainment industry.

If you're making worthwhile music, then yeah it's pretty well guaranteed you'll be able to find an audience big enough to support yourself. And again, if you're expecting to make any money off releases you're at best delusional. If you're not willing to dedicate your life to gigging then clearly you won't make a living off of your own material. It's about being sensible in regards to how the industry runs, not in regard to your work ethic or dedication. Not going all in virtually guarantees failure. No one becomes successful after saying "whoa there, I need to scale back a little bit and focus on things unrelated to my goals."

Yea, but what I'm saying is people go into an industry with zero experience in it expecting to be able to make a full time living. Things happen in steps not immediately, it's just foolish to not have any backup plans and also pretty unrealistic. There are loads of people who "go all in" and get nowhere. There is a difference between scaling back and building up a set of attainable goals toward the bigger picture and being unrealistic with no plan other than to be a full time musician.

[OfficialDAPT]

Yea, but what I'm saying is people go into an industry with zero experience in it expecting to be able to make a full time living. Things happen in steps not immediately, it's just foolish to not have any backup plans and also pretty unrealistic. There are loads of people who "go all in" and get nowhere. There is a difference between scaling back and building up a set of attainable goals toward the bigger picture and being unrealistic with no plan other than to be a full time musician.

Exactly, that's why I decided to go to college next semester.