How To Start Making Money as a Musician
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- Опубліковано 18 тра 2024
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00:00 - My Stand-Up Routine
01:14 - Don't Quit Your Day Job
06:34 - Play As Much As You Can
07:57 - Learn to Sell Yourself
09:27 - Networking (Be A Good Hang)
10:17 - Release Your Music With Distrokid
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Is there a digital copy to buy as a way of support? I have not used a CD in the last 10+ years I think. Not a single item in my house that could read them.
I will bye the cd or maybe the vinyl, but I willl only stream it from my Roon Core
Use the app Session
🙌🏻🎼🎤🎸
What software do you use to record your music?
I think some aspiring musicians think doing pub gigs, teaching, doing weddings etc represents “giving up” on the big dreams. But, in fact this type of “musician-for-hire” work can perfectly position you to pursue the big dream! Self-employed musician work allows you the flexibility to pursue your goals. When an opportunity presents itself you don’t want to turn it down because you’ve already used up your annual leave!
And not to mention the other big benefit which is that you get to spend your paid working hours developing your skills as a musicians, rather than grinding away at some job you hate. 😊
I've had many musician friends laugh at me for playing material like Mustang Sally but they all have a day job.
After listening to you I started to cry because I find myself at the moment after leaving work to dedicate myself 100% to music, I love it and people underestimate it in all aspects, when a life without music would not be a life. Thanks for the video
Best of luck. You're not gonna want your obituary to read, 'never tried to accomplish my musical dream,'. I hope you succeed.
Good luck I hope everything works out
I am 69 now but when I was in my 20s,30, and 40s I supported myself playing music for a living. That was a time when club bands could play the same gig for at least two weeks and if you worked hard finding gigs you could work steadily. I think those days are over now. Most bands in Florida are playing one or two nights then packing up and playing several places weekly. Pay also sucks for musicians and a lot of clubs have jam nights where people play for free. Live music down here draws a bunch of old folks like me and that's about it and bands play early hours and are done by 11PM. Bands can't even sell CDs from the stage for extra money anymore.
Because nobody really buys CDs anymore, is that right?
Agreed. In the ‘80s/ ‘90s I was with a full time East Coast band (Great Train Robbery) and carved out a decent living with them for 8 years. Then DJs and house music came along and wiped out tons of live rooms that were on our regular rotation. Nowadays I work warehouse and just write & record on those rare occasions when I can keep my eyes open.
Somebody once told me you don't become a musician because you want to, you become a musician because you have to.
BTW Mary, I love - LOVE! - your album... Can't wait for my vinyl copy to arrive!
Yes, I só wholeheartedly agree with this!
...the world is gonna roll me
I started to make great money in music after 10 years of nothing simply because I was socially likeable.
I worked in a supermarket, I became friends with a coworker by being my naturally selfless self, his partner turned out to be an arts therapist and contacted a project writing lullabies for communities and parents which entered our state a year later, my acquaintance wanted me to be involved (he hated that I had to work a low skill day job to survive at the time)
So to me, the absolute best advice I could give is be kind and pleasant to everyone and anyone, not for this result, that wouldn't be genuine.
Just do it for the sake of having good character and reap the enormous benefits when they come.
The struggle is you have no idea what you'll end up doing, I'm making the bulk of my income writing lullabies with parents and producing, mixing and mastering others as well as for local musicians, teaching piano, guitar and vocals, doing songwriting lessons in schools (I don't have any teaching qualifications, they just like me as a person) and doing sound design for AR murals...
EVERY single one of them are from being liked socially and talking to people face to face.
Well that's me out then. ;p
How do you make a drummer's car go faster? Take the Dominoes sign off the roof.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard owns all stages of vertical integration for their output; publishing to label to promotion to merch to even owning the press some of their vinyl comes out of. They seem to have done well for themselves, even released an album for free on Creative Commons.
They own their means of production!
The sisters in Larkin Poe are also independent and release their albums on their own label. Kind of impressive they have been able to get an Grammy nominee for an fully selfproduced and released album. They also started their own "Patreon" on the bands homepage. Two very entrepreneurial ladys.
In the mid 90s, I gave up a 7 year career in IT to pursue my rock star dreams. I started teaching drums to pay the mortgage, etc, and did that for 10 years. The band almost "made it", but decided to quit after yet another showcase gig in London. Now back in IT. Hmmm. 😢
a lifetime trapped in IT hell. I feel ya pain bro.
Damn bro
Cudos for returning to the ever evolving field of IT after 10 years - well done!
I feel your pain. But good job trying
Well you went for it and probably learned a sh!tload of useful things but most of all you don’t have any what-if’s
What do you call a guitarist without a girlfriend?.... Homeless.
I am a guitarist and I both have a girlfriend and I'm homeless. Check mate.
😂😂😂
Baa dum tsss
😬😬😬🤣
Me literally
Great video Mary, Im 30 now and Im starting my adventure as a composer for video games, is a long and not easy at all way because we are on a very competitive world, but for the person who read this: it doesnt matter the age, keep going, be perseverant, enjoy what you do and share, and let the time do its work. Thanks for your content Mary and congrats for your work! 😁
Wish you the very best of luck, Video Game Scores are absolute phenomenal and highly underrated, do you have socials so people can follow the journey?
How did you break into video game composing?
Not even Rick Beato could pull this story out of you, very impressive talk and career advice!❤
Cute…who’s Rick Beato?
As always, amazing and solid advice. You always seem to release a video at the right time that uplifts my spirits when I need it most. Thank you Mary.
You're the real deal. Love how polished you present yourself and your thoughts. Thanks for the great content, and hoping for your continued success!
All of us full timers have that guitar shop guy happen.
that dude literally saved your life
mine was a busker, yours a chap in a guitar store, they spoke logic and put us on the right path
guardian angels.
Thanks for the interesting video
I've been making music all my life, with a few interruptions. I never made any money from it and never managed to become famous and maybe get a contract. I worked many jobs, never had much money, starved and froze, and even slept on the street for a while. But I never lost my inner creativity to make music. Today I'm 70 years old and can live quite well on the money I get now. You have to have a deep passion to overcome all difficulties and follow your passion. Today I make my music in a very relaxed way. I don't need to follow Trent and do my thing. I make the music for myself, if others like it that's great, if not, it's nothing to worry about
Mary, your "good hang"-iness is why i watch your channel. you are a sincere person and that shines through no matter what you're doing.
Hi Mary, i have been playing guitar since i was 15, not telling you how old i am now, lol... i work 45 hours a week doing a mundane job that i feel wasted in but it pays the rent and puts food on the table, i am fortunate to have a little humble set-up at home where i can write, record and mix music, i also like to keep fit, gym 3 times a week, however i was helping someone move a massive jaccuzi and felt something snap in my arm, my bicep bunched up at the top of my arm, oh no......anyway 12 weeks of no playing, no using, even washing was a chore, i had surgery to have my tendon re-attached to the bone, about 15 weeks off work, you don't want to know how bad statutory sick pay is, just being able to play again was so wonderful for me, getting better and on the repair now. phew! what a drama, lol..... have a great day, all the best.
Love this advice Mary! ♥ I quit my full-time career and have a casual job (lecturing) which helps with bills, though I am now earning about $100/month from Spotify! 😅 I think songwriting deserves a mention too - I put that at the core of everything I do. I've been amazed by the difference between my most successful song releases and the also-rans. People, follow, comment, add it to their playlists, listen on repeat, make tiktoks, do covers - it's insane and very noticeable when you have a song that connects. I've probably written a couple of hundred songs, released over 30 and had 2 or 3 do really well. SO writing a lot of songs (increase your odds of writing a song with that secret sauce) and getting good at your craft is super important!
As someone who is about to graduation with a degree and have a full time job, this was incredibly helpful. Exciting to continue to pursue my craft. Thanks for the work you do on this channel!
Some really great insight, thank you Mary! I'm at the beginning of my journey so listening to people such as yourself is invaluable.
Hi Mary
Just ordered your vinyl release as I already have the CD and I see the preorder will soon sell out. Congratulations young lady. I hope everything in your life is going well you deserve it.
I think the best live start is definitely busking, you can see when you build a crowd, time your sessions to fit, have no one to let down but yourself and learn how to play in the cold.
I really appreciate you making these videos, Mary.
This was one of your best ones yet, Mary! Thank you 😊
Merry Christmas to you and yours Mary! 🤙♥️
Good Stuff Mary!
This was great! Very informative.
It's so rare that someone who has had your experience tells it like it is. Well done Mary I have the greatest respect for you.
Number 4, be a good hang was presented in the best way I’ve ever heard it said. Well done Mary.
It was the opposite for me. When I worked full time, I was practicing 4 hours a day. After that I've been working part-time only 20 hours a day, came to live above my parents, etc. I got extremely depressed and even tho I did 650 shows as a sound guy, I felt completely stuck. Now that I'm seeking full-time employment seriously again, I feel like I can finally take control of my life back. Forget the idea that having as much time for yourself as you can is the only way to be an artist. When you're not being able to pay the bills or the rent and still sometimes starve, let me tell you : you are not going to be a productive artist.
This was excellent!! Thank you for sharing your wisdom from your experience! 🙏🏽 I appreciate you.
Great advice! Thanks for making this
Thanks Mary for the advices, admire your determination and love to music ❤❤❤!
Thanks Mary! Great one! prioritising playing live is a great reminder! :)
This is good, solid down to earth advice. Thank you very much. Also for NOT saying shit like "go for which music sells best".
Yes,yes yes! So much yes to this advice. Thank you for sharing!
I also did IT work for many years, music always being a side thing, or a hobby, or even forgotten completely.
I was inspired 2 years ago to start writing and recording music again, and so I did. I used the process of learning songs and posting covers to youtube, and just being consistent, to push me to pick up my guitar everyday.
I finally made the same big choice as you and quit the IT job I had back in July of this year. Soon after I took a much more part time job, but doing live sound at a local venue.
I am now meeting musicians constantly and quickly building a good reputation for myself.
I have now joined a band playing acoustic guitar and running sound for them.
It's still not easy, its always a struggle. Motivation is still always hard to come by, but I am genuinely happy and fulfilled in ways I have not been in many years.
If you have the means and the passion, do it! Give it all to your passion and make incredible art. =)
This is exactly the video I needed. Thank you tremendously ❤
Amazing advice that shows hard work and effort is everything and there is no silver bullet / quick solution. I wish I had this advice when I was young! People think it's all about "talent", "songs", "looks", "image" - all those things come from hard work and effort. You also have to be willing to take risks...calculated risks. Great video.
Really clear and truthful video, keep up the good content!
I love how you are so real with all your steps. I feel more secure hearing it all.
Mary, your advice is dead on. Best video ever!
thank you for your very helpful, clear and informative videos.♥
Im a 58 year old full time musician (mostly studio work)
and I have seen better days (mainly in the 90s)...so to say the good days of working in a studio with a band and with a decent payment.
now I keep recommending your channel whenever I meet a young musician/artist 😊
This is good life advice and translates to all kinds of creative business endeavours! Thank you so much!
Thank you Mary and I LOVE THE ALBUM ❤😊
Your insights are invaluable! I have pointed my son to your site time and time again as he works at establishing himself in the video game and sound design field. You are authentic and genuine! You have paid your dues and I highly respect how you are paying it forward to the upcoming community in your "lessons learned" advice. There is nothing more liberating than creating your own voice in this world, and nothing more scary than figuring out how you can use your creativity to earn a living that you feel proud of! Thank you! 👏👏👏
Hi Mary love your honesty.
Fantastic advice, presented in a clear-cut, straightforward fashion. You are an absolute natural in front of the camera, Mary. It’s evident how much thought, time, and effort goes into your music and videos.
Hello from a new fan! 👋 Love your music, great voice and beautiful guitar playing 😎💜
Great video... I am checking it out because my teenage daughter is considering a music career. As an amateur musician that only play in church I have always considered a blessing to be paid for doing the music you like. It is terrifying to think if she could be able to support herself. Thanks for your openness and willingness to encourage al the newcomers. Greetings from Chile and I wish you nothing but the best.
Be a good hang is important in any field, let alone music. Networking is often seen as teeth-pulling and painful, but approaching it with the goal of being a good hang and interesting and making some impression goes a long way. People like to be around people they like... so be likable first. The relationship can grow from there, or maybe it never will, but leaving behind a string of people in your industry who like you will pay massive dividends down the road. I bought a copy of your album for my niece who you remind me of... I can't wait to listen to it with her!
I was in selling or sales training for a lot of my life while also making music. One of the most interesting comments I heard from someone I knew was, "I like Andy - he never tries to sell me stuff!" Interestingly he was one of my best customers. It is a truism in sales that "people buy from people they like" and it carries through into life in general. If people like you they are much more willing to go along with you - buying your merchandise, supporting you at gigs, helping you in your career etc. Come across as needy or demanding or as a user and you will be struggling.
I have not made money playing music (except one time I did a Christmas show for my grandma's elderly group), but I have recently started playing with other musicians that I've met and it has definitely already made me a better musician. I would like to start playing actual gigs, but I suck at writing music (at least the lyrics) and don't know a lot of songs to cover. I'm trying to change that second point by learning new songs, but everytime I try to write a song, I can't get past hating any lyrics I do write and almost every melody I can come up with is the same as another song I've heard. It's really hard to come up with songs that don't sound like everything else I've heard.
Lots of great points! I like the one about being a “good hang”. Very important to good networking. I found teaching a good earner and actually taught me a great deal.
Nice one Mary 🥂
Thanks for the advice! I sometimes wish it would be nice to be a musician for a career, but I'm committed to pursuing a programming career, and this helps regardless! I'm still going to do music as a hobby, of course, and I'm working on getting good enough to produce music, then play live.
Taking notes here Mary thank you!
Hoping one day just to play keys anywhere anytime for a living 👍🎹
This is super gold advice!
What a great video. Resonated with me personally on so many levels.
Incredible video! 10/10 would recommend. From someone who works at a label, one last piece of advice: include people on your team when both you AND THEM need to be on that team i.e. managers, labels, FOHs, backliners, content creators…
Thank you, great video!
Excellent Life Advice in general - Good thoughts to / for you as you journey onwards…thank you.
This was great!
Hat’s off to you! You actually explained that you have to WORK at your craft, WORK at getting better at performing, and WORK at building your business. It’s as hard or harder than any other job you can get yourself into, but if it’s what you want to do, that’s the path. Honestly, I didn’t have the same drive to do the business as I had to just play. So, for the next 4 decades I worked a job that became a profession, and played on the side. I got to play as much as I wanted to, made a bunch of money doing it that paid for lots of cool gear, all while raising a family. It was my solution. Yours might be different.
Mary, your respect points went up a notch with this video. You said what every prospective full-time musician needs to hear. The ones that don’t do this are the jokes at the front of the presentation.
Needed this today, thanks.
Your tutos are pure poetry ,you are a god send to the artist's communtiy .
I got lucky twice when first O got fired from a job I hated and then got a phone call to tour Europe! Had 3 great years of great experiences in Europe! Now I work part time and spend the rest in my studio.
Great advice Mary. Big fan here. Love the last bit...be a good hang. I always think it's essential to have the confidence to not tout yourself. Be genuinely interested in what others have to say. Work on engagement with your audience. The objective is to have them seek you , not the other way round.
Followed her advice and one year later I am happy with the results!
Great video. More like this please. Definitely take the advice to heart. I am much more of a recording artist (never could song and play at the same time) so my path is going to be a bit different, nonetheless very helpful advice.
Once again, sanity and sage advice from Mary.
About 10 years ago I worked on Prince Street and the Navy Volunteer was one of the pubs we would end up in on Fridays. I must have missed you - I’m sure I would have remembered…
Spot-on, Mary!!
I wish I had heard your point of view 20 years ago. Thank you
Solid. Nice work.
Words to the wise.Great insight into what's required. There's no guarantee, but there's always room for one more good person. Be that person.
Useful video thanks 🙏
Hey Mary! I like your videos. But I was reluctant to buy your album. Too much today's main stream, too much pop music for a child of the 1970s like me, I thought. Finally I still ordered it.... And yesterday I held it in my hands: The signed copy of your CD. And I don't regret it 🙂 I have listened to it more than once since, and it is running here again now. Thank you for your music! Thank you for your videos! Thank you for sharing your personality with us! Regards from Germany. Rainer.
Great stuff Mary. Especially the stuff about gigging / performing music. That's how I got to where I'm at. I started busking. If you have the nerve to busk, you'll have the nerve to play stadiums lol. Be frugal. Set goals. Work towards them systematically.
Never give up. Grind, and you'll realize whatever potential you have.
0:24 Shots fired! 😂
Thank you so much for sharing those experiences; they really motivated me. I'm a music producer myself and am eagerly looking forward to starting my career as a musician in 2024. To support this endeavor, I'm planning to secure a job in I.T. as a Business Analyst. I have saved a substantial amount of money that will sustain me for about six months, allowing me to spend more time in my home studio. I believe an I.T. job, especially one that allows remote work, will be beneficial. Thank you for the helpful tips. God bless.
So much harder now than before. My band used to make 1K a night to play at good gigs, $250 for small gigs. If you played two or three times a week you could actually live as a musician. So many hoops to go through just to get noticed, forget about paying your bills! The only difference is that getting on social media can get you to the entire world, not just regionally. Mary is a good example if you have lots of skills, but she is not the norm.
I studied photography as a (not so) mature student. I already had a son and a mortgage when I was at college, and a second son by the time I finished my degree. My saddest realisation was I would never be able to make it as a professional photographer as the route to a client base essentially meant working for free for several years. The kit was extremely expensive and the industry cut throat. The degree did end up getting me a career, but not as a photographer. I don’t even do it as a hobby any more due to how much digital editing costs.
Good general advice, not just for musicians
The answer for me was Sync Licensing. Long tail backend royalties that can grow exponentially over time. 99.999% can't hack writing / mixing / mastering 50-100 tracks per year. Nobody cares what you look like and you can do it all from a home studio.Definitely don't give up your day job though ( until you earn more from your music )
Thank you!
Great advise, Mary.
Wow, that was a comment that got a response super fast! Thanks so much Mary!! OK, wait, I thought this was the info on how listeners that love you can support you even if they don't have a turn table, a cd player or access to your live shows. WHY doesn't listening to you on streaming make YOU any money? I posted a comment and so many told me you make nothing on streaming. That seems so wrong - and hopeless.
you are such a good musician and your advice is great. I´m a 61 year old swede who have take a year off just to play more guitar. I have saved money so i can pay myself for playing (i guess no one else will😁). I just want to play, write some songs and enjoy the moment. Take care
Just thanks you from France for that
Amazing tips
clicked here as much curious about it. after 5 minutes this video was so motivational! deep one if you're really into music business and try to make a living from it. i'm there too
Hello Mary, You are Awesome and so is this Video
A lot of the points you make like needing to be able to sell yourself and being a good hang raise an important issue which is that, when it comes to choosing whether or not to pursue music as a career, talent, dedication, and even hard work are far from everything and there are other non-musical qualities that are equally important. Someone who is very introverted and/or doesn't have people skills and entrepreneurial skills should think twice about doing it. Music is a people-centered profession first and foremost. Being able to do very complex harmonic analysis or play scales well is not what will move your career forward.
You’re amazing 👏👏👏🥂
Been doing music full time for years now and it is truly rough 😅 Had to become proficient in teaching guitar, bass, keys, voice, drums, AND offer recording and instrument repairs before I finally was making enough to pay the bills without a side job. Still figuring out how to make any money from releasing my own music 😵💫 I think I'm cut out more for teaching and performing than I am for promo lol
In the 80s, in northern Tasmania (Australia), my bandmate/guitarist/best mate and I used to sell cassette albums from my crappy pleather clad brown briefcase. Most gigs, we made more from these than from the door. Sell merch, sell yourself! Totally agree
you could always read audiobooks if all else fails lol you have the most calming voice
The key phrase “because that’s what everyone told me.“ Don’t listen to everyone else. Listen to yourself. They don’t have to live your life. You do. If you look at music as your occupation, you will treat it as such. If you look at it as your hobby, you’ll treat it just the same.
The rules are absolutely right. And you need extreme many luck 🍀🎸🎶
I imagine quitting that crushing day job was one of the happiest days of your life!
I get the feeling this video (and the others in this line that you've made over the years, too - along with various comments _in limine_ or something more apt but less fancy Latinish) might just be something that makes a difference to the outlook, and hence, life, of many a non-musician, too.