It isn't the 15 seconds, or the 10 hours you put in to pull the whole thing together. It's the 20 years it took you to get there what they are paying for.
20k for 15 second. Well done man, you deserve it. Thanks for sharing. It's the reaching out that a lot of creatives get stalled at. Some guru once said ( I wish I could remember who?), the music business is 20% talent and 80% business. I think we all forget that.
I think this title is a bit confusing. It’s not 20k for 15 second beat, it’s 20k for something you are good at and you’ve built through years of hard work. It’s like a reward if you prefer. But still great
@@ClementBaudoin Similar to the cartoonist Sergio Aragones. He charges quite a bit for a commission, and can crank one out in seconds to minutes. When asked, "I paid you all that, for such a small amount of your time!?", he replies along the lines of, "No, you paid me for all the time I spent building my skills to the point that I could create that piece so quickly for you."
Twitter has been a huge tool for me to reach out to people to get work. Also I find silent vfx clips and ask the artist if I can repost them with sound design. This resulted in a sound design job for a game.
The idea of a “real musician” is so interesting… I’m a classically and informally trained musician so I work with lots of types of musicians. When I work with someone who doesn’t have formal classical training, they’re like “wow! You’re a REAL musician, you know stuff about music theory and can read music!” and when I work with someone who only has classical training they’re like “wow! You’re a REAL musician, you can play with your ear and don’t have to read music!” 😂😂 so yeah… we’re all “real” musicians
Kurt Cobain, if you rate him on his technical skills - was not a great musician. If you rate him on his songwriting, it's another story. All routes are feasible
There’s some pretty dumb logic going on. Written music didn’t always exist either. Does that mean people before written music weren’t musicians? Maybe they were cooks?
This is a bit odd. I thought ear training was part of a formal music training. At least every school of music I've been to included ear training more so than the informal teaches you could pay privately. Isn't the entire point of music theory to explain what we hear and allow us to communicate it in written form? I do get what you mean. But I don't understand how these folks that made these statements got to them.
Andrew Huang used to run a website called "songstowearpantsto". I especially remember randomly encountering a song called "Fishcat" which you can still find on UA-cam. I won't link it directly because Andrew did not upload it himself. That song is from around 2004 iirc.
Love this - I did commercial work years ago under a producer I worked for and now I'm finally getting back into it on my own and it's so dang exciting.
Stuff like this is always something I feel like I understand most of the time, that being the "you don't need to be a household name to be a successful musician" comment, but regardless it's still always good to hear again every now and then. It helps recenter yourself into your own world and into what you yourself can do. I struggle a lot with comparing my music to others' work, but things like this help me refocus and remember what good I can still do, and how I can still impact the world. So... thanks, this came at a good time for me.
There also some cases where most people never heard who they are but have heard there music so many times. S3RL can be an example or renard/Kitsune^2/ Jackal Queenston aka Emma essex. This you prob heard many time. Kitsune^2 - Rainbow Tylenol
Me too. I’m just getting started because I’ve been afraid to put my music out there just because I don’t fully understand the industry and I’ve been wary of making it a career. But I was literally just thinking that it’s not that great being a songwriter only because you just supply the idea and may never be known for it. Also if you don’t have many connections and are not great at singing or producing it’s super difficult to get your work out there. But it was definitely encouraging to be reminded that success is not defined by popularity
I don’t see this as him flexing but as genuinely motivating upcoming people who love music and want to make it a source of living, like myself and many others who are not currently making a sustainable income from music.
What a breath of fresh air......just to hear someone be so transparent and break all this down. People get so weird about money and getting paid, so it's like pulling teeth just to figure out what to charge for your work sometimes. Thanks for making this one!
What even IS a "REAL MUSICIAN"?! Some of the most incredible and proficient musicians I've ever met have never made a bunch of money playing music. Like seriously, best guitarist I know is a jazz God and also makes music with modular synths and he's never made the money back he's even spent on equipment (although to be fair modular synths can get pretty expensive but my point stands). The dude also rips on the drums and a bunch of other instruments, and I'm the friend most of my friends view as a "real musician" because I was in a band that toured but this dude is far more of a "real musician" than I am.
Music isn't really about the fame imo, but it is every artist's dream to get noticed and be able to thrive off of music as an income. The situation we are in right now as distributing artists is that there is like 50,000 songs uploaded to spotify each day. Most of them have no marketing.
Part 2: Back when you had to go through a major distributer to get your music heard, it was a little bit more about being good and pitching your music well then it was about hitting the right spot on the media algorithms. Fame is luck most of the time, and you don't need it to be a "real" musician.
I think this is mostly due to the fact that most musicians entertain suspicion towards developping actual business skills -more so in France where making money and music are antithetical. I mean let's face it, making and producing music has never been this accessible, low price points have litterally brought the means of production to the masses. I'm regularly apalled by awefully talented people who won't even touch marketing with a five foot pole.
That's sad. People nowadays think, that you could be considered as a musician only if you earn money for that. I've been making electronic dance music for 3 years and still haven't earned even a dollar for that. But I consider myself as a musician, maybe not professional but I am indeed musician.
thank you for emphasizing that there are many valid musical jobs. It’s a healthier mindset for the community. As you know, we are already our own worst critics,, so the last thing we need is someone telling us that our success isn’t valid unless we fit into whatever mold they consider as “valid”. Thank you for sharing this and thank you for being an overall positive influence on the community.
Been a fan since Songs To Wear Pants To, from the before times. You even created a track in an attempt at collaboration when I sent you all the Texas Instruments Speak&Spell samples and circuit bent glitch sounds I made. It was scary how fast you were. It’s nice to watch your success, and see you share your knowledge. Best wishes.
the online music community has a tendency to turn on itself and produce more infighting than music. I'm glad your channel is hear to dispel that and just be a place of learning for all musicians :)
I listen to whatever industry gems you offer up for one reason; The sheer extent of impact you’ve made on my music personally. You’ve gained a massive amount of my respect and gratitude for being the single creator that makes me want to create the most. I’ve gotten on Live more times after your vids than the freakin puppet, and he’s great! You’re one of the greats dude. Keep it up…. PLZ!!!
I needed to hear this 10-12 years ago when I decided music wasn't a career option because you're made to believe if you're not world famous, then you haven't had a successful career.... But I'm 28, just started my uni course doing Music Production and sound engineering and this video inspires me more than you know! I've always loved your videos, man! 🙌
is studying college for music production or composing essential?Can't I learn it by courses,private lessons or other stuff? I'd be happy if you answered.
@@jennakhai I think it depends on what you're looking for and your commitments etc. For me, I liked having a few different tutors that I could see in person to help one to one with any issues I had, I was also taught subjects I didn't think of studying like sound design, foley etc so expending my skills which is a plus! Also making new friends on the course with the same interest as me. My ability in mixing and mastering, sound design and composing/theory has increased so much more than I thought! I would definitely recommend studying, but also look into private if that fits your lifestyle! Hope this helps 😊
It's so hard to conceive of Andrew doing this for almost 20 years when they barely look 25 on a bad day. Is being good at music the secret to eternal youth?
@@haidar6280 It's a word used to refer to a person that doesnt specify gender. I Dont think andrew cares about pronouns, but 'they' is the most inclusive one by far
@@TimTam69420 uhh, when you lump he, she and gender non-binary (identifying as they/them) in the same boat, it's pretty offensive. It's equivalent to lumping all non-caucasian people into "brown people."
I've been transitioning into being a full time producer and it's been scary, but this video has helped me a lot and had made me feel super valid. Thank you!
You are such a genuinely beautiful human being just being human, I think it’s awesome that you share this insider view point with the world. You must inspire so many Andrew, just keep going no matter what. Peace ✌️
Is it weird that I as a complete stranger still feel proud of someone such as yourself. Maybe it's because you are relatable, and thus I can potentially see myself in your shoes to some extent. Anyway. glad you shared this information. Keep doing what you do, and may success keep coming your way.
I’m a commercial director and photographer in Toronto and this approach and attitude totally applies across other creative industries! Super interesting to hear how you got started, thanks!
Thanks Andrew. This video came out at the same time I just released a new tune. I always feel a sense of overwhelming failure the weeks after a tune drops and no one takes the time to listen. I have make music for others and they love it. I guess just have to keep grinding :) thanks for the "inspo"
This is such solid advice. I’m fortunate enough to make my living in music. I’m not famous by any stretch but if you can get to a point where you can actively support yourself doing what you love, that’s success in my eyes.
Man, This video is such a perfect timing for me. I'm still figuring out how to earn money from making music and then comes Andrew with this video. This is why I love Andrew Huang
I am glad he also said it. If you are still figuring out how to earn from music this probably may help you: 1) make relevant content like there is no tomorrow (like Andrew does on his UA-cam channel): you increase your exposure and your authority. This means more streams, more merch sells, more courses/lessons. Better translation: bigger numbers (streams, followers, people at gigs...) 2) improve your connections: be where other professional are. This means webinar, physical meetings or online groups, conferences... make connection and offer help. It doesn't bring you numbers as point n.1 but you get paid jobs (after offering free/cheap ones). Best is if you can do both options. Hope this help and wish you tons of money and fun :)
I had skipped this video because the title didn’t catch my interest, but I am so happy the video I watched just prior to this one led to this one playing. It is so interesting to hear the details of how this segment of the music industry works. And as usual, the content is well constructed and paced. I wish all my college music business professors were as clear, engaging, and to the point as you, Andrew Huang.
Thanks for the encouraging and informative video! I recently scored my first major video game but have been struggling to find my way into the world of scoring ads. This video game me a few ideas to pursue!
This is great. I took Andrew's course on music production and now write and produce my own music, mostly just for myself as a hobby. I like to gift songs to my family and friends for birthdays or whenever. Not everyone is even looking to make money from making music, and I like the idea that we shouldn't feel like we need to monetize every thing we have even a little skill at. Nor should we have to have a certain level of skill do something that we enjoy. Once you get to where you want to make money on something, you have to move focus to how to sell yourself and your stuff, which is time away from doing the thing we love. Now, on the flip side, would I love to quit my day job and make money from music? Yeah... I would, and maybe I'll make efforts toward that in the future, but I do think it's perfectly acceptable to just keep hobbies and hobbies, and enjoying them to the fullest. Measure success by those factors, instead of fame or fortune.
I totally agree. Sometimes if you try too hard to monetize what you love, you kill your joy in it. Art needs some freedom to breath. Guys like Andrew have learned to walk the line in between deadlines and personal expression, which is cool, but I kind of prefer my non-music day job to handle deadlines and pressure and just make music for my own enjoyment or those around me. The payoff to me is that amazing feeling when you finally finish some project you've poured everything into and are satisfied. Nothing beats that feeling.
You have something that a lot of people doing similar stuff do not have. TALENT. I see music makers who have no talent who make money. So I guess I agree that you don't have to be the Rolling Stones to make a living in music. But musical talent is obviously a huge plus, along with being reasonably articulate. I used to stop watching stuff as soon as I realized how bad the person was at expressing themselves. Then I started giving them a chance and would offer advice, that usually got a reply like "if you don't like it, watch someone else". So having a huge ego might work against you unless you have tons of natural ability. It's hard to be successful in the music industry. You could do very well just teaching people how. You have all that it takes to teach and guide. I like what you do because you are talented and NOT full of yourself. Keep going forever.
Pro Tip: Negative UA-cam comments are mostly meaningless. All comments help the algorithm. To feel anything from the text of anonymous strangers is unhealthy and irrational. Even my own comments (this very one) are just a pointless discharge of weird dopamine reaction to a false sense of communication that is not actually happening. We are the product being harvested as the data is collected and sold. Cool video.
It's mind boggling how genuinely inspiring you are! I have been following you since the days of PFUDOR and that one OldSpice auto tune remix you made, and I remember thinking "Y'know, I could do that one day." Years later, I've taken your course twice now, and it was thanks to that I mustered up the confidence to start doing commissions myself. I still recommend your music theory and tip videos to my friends when they ask about composition, haha. You, and hundreds of other artists out there are a constant reminder for us just starting that while success isn't guaranteed, it's never out of reach. Keep on rockin' Andrew!
Thank you. People still want to troll down that rabbit hole. I usually write a bunch of songs, and they go out to the public, but I also do a lot of writing for local businesses that need music or people that need tracks. I stay busy. Not my full-time, but after so many years in this business (50+), I love what I do. Being a superstar is fine if that is what you want, but doing what you love and making money from it, no matter in what form, is fulfilling. Keep on making music!
you’re super inspiring man. i’ve decided to start taking music a lot more seriously and your channel has been invaluable when it comes to learning the basics from a technical standpoint as well as the mindset needed to follow through.
I create music content for toys and internal toy product presentations. No big billboard picture or screaming crowds for me but it (mostly) pays the bills.
I have at multiple occations been told I am a failure as a musician. My answer: Not at all, I have fun doing it. IMO if you enjoy what you do in music, wether your role is fronting your own hypersuccessful band, or coiling up cables backstage at your local venue, you are a success.
As someone who works in a commercial VFX house, this is so refreshing to hear. While I am not on the music side, the number of people who think that you are only a success if you are well known in the industry and working on a Film or TV Series. One thing that I love about the advertising world is you usually have a lot more creative input to your work, and people are usually looking for a creative partner in a project not just someone to shut up and do what they are told (usually lol).
excellent video as always Andrew! Even small "up-and-coming" youtuber producers like myself see comments like this... My content is quite niche, so I don't see the need to tell the audience that I've been making a living as a session and Broadway bassist in NYC for 12 years and playing for 22. Ultimately, it's human nature to make quick judgements about people...it's how our ancestors survived. keep kicking ass, you're a great inspiration!
"you can make a living from 10k true fans" - Seth Godin. I have 150k monthly listeners, 500k monthly streams. Have you heard of me? Nah. good. don't, I only want true fans. (yes I make a living from music)
Few have heard of Suzanne Ciani but many have heard her work on tv commercials. For example, she did the sound created when a popular cola is poured into a glass.
LOVE the intro to this! Not only the point of that being on a billboard is not a requirement for being successful in music - but you also put sound engineers and mixers on the same level as the musicians on stage. So many people don't realise just how much work goes into the behind the scenes of making those "on the billboards" actually listenable (referring to making what comes out of the speakers reflect what the musician is trying to produce in the setting you are in).
I miss these "talking head" videos, because it feels like we can always trust you to be straightforward and honest, which a lot of content creators don't always seem to purvey. I appreciate you, Andrew, and I know literally MILLIONS of others do, too!
Yep, I have done all of these things and I'm not famous nor am I a youtuber. I'm not filthy rich but I've been doing in for 20 years and I'm still at it.
As someone who originally found you through your website back in the Newgrounds era of the internet, I wanna say thanks. You making silly songs for strangers on the internet inspired me to be a musician!
Since day 1 I knew I wanted to do music for rhythm games. I started out reaching out to smaller rhythm game developers (usually in the mobile gaming space) and eventually I landed something. It was free, but it was fun, and boy did that help me out in the long run. After that, I managed to land another rhythm game gig for a whopping $600 (and if you're in the rhythm game space you would know this is decent pay, _and_ that Cytus II, the game I made the track for, is somewhat of a big name in the space as well). Now it's just what I do. I reach out to rhythm games and ask them if they're looking for music, and pitch them my existing unreleased tracks. I don't succeed all the time, but the times I do, it's always super fulfilling. The good thing about rhythm games is that you're front and center when you're included in one of them. A whole team makes art, and _gameplay_ of your song. It's very rewarding. With all that being said, I also started producing way back in 2015, and i only really landed my first rhythm game gig back in 2019. I haven't had many other (public) gigs like that, but one or two come around sometimes. It's all about building your career up and not being afraid of trying things out. The worst that can happen is a company you wanna work for ignores you, or straight up tells you no.
I totally missed this! What a great video and message. Yes! The indie scene is huge. People have to know that making $100k a year with lots of control might be better than $1m with splits 10 ways and the possibility of tracks never coming out. Go Andrew! ❤️
It seems completely consistent with my experience. I wouldn't say I'm quite to the point of making a living solely off of music. But it's a slow, grinding process, that is more like a marathon. I also am a sound designer and have been getting big names buy my stuff, but I myself am basically a nobody. Just started taking the streaming services seriously about 1.5 years ago, and have about 1,300 monthly listeners on Spotify (not really sure of the others). Based on my current streaming earnings from that, I think I'd be quite happy if I had 100,000 listeners a month 😅 For those who are part of the music making/producer grind, we know that what you say is completely honest and true.
I've been trying to get into exclusive sync licensing for a couple years now. I would make 3-4 tracks every week to build up my catalog, but the hardest part is finding the right "music library" that would accept my submissions. Hope to find the perfect fit one day so I can have a steady relationship and consistent placements
@@emanuelefavero it all depends what kind of music you make and what genre. I just google search different libraries, look at who their clients are and what they need, and if I my music fits that then I send an email to their music supervisor
These videos are so helpful. #inspo. I work on proposals for consulting for land use planning. Works similar where sometimes clients will pay people/companies to submit proposals but usually it is not paid and a risk.
As someone who is an artist but started pivoting to songwriting and production, I 100% bought into the illusion or myth that you needed to be top-charting to be successful in music. But hey if you can put food on the table doing something you love and enjoy, that's success too. I started making money writing custom songs for people and I remember the thrill I got to get paid for making music. Hoping to continue the momentum. Thanks for the inspiration and information always Andrew!
@Andrew Huang, you are dead right. I have been on the receiving end of that myself and you can't afford to let self-doubt creep in. Inappropriate criticism from a fellow UA-cam creator really set me back. I've now learnt that I am actually part of a new transition in music theory that they were obviously not hip to. I have realised that I am more akin to musicians like Venus Theory, and yourself, I just have to get my mojo back.
"I would love to get rid of this idea that you haven't made it in music if you're not a household name. Let's just take the pressure off and recognize that there are so many other valid musical jobs." im getting this tattooed onto my forehead immediately
Thank you so much for talking about this topic! As a composer/producer who has also done a variety of "behind-the-scenes" music work, it was actually refreshing to see the initial community sense of "selling out" transition to "get that bag" over the years as I started to land big deals and placements. Now I work full-time in music for entertainment marketing and I wouldn't be where I am today if I kept listening to those who might've thought my first few projects as "selling out". Also - it gives you a whole new perspective on the role music plays in our society! You start to listen to the music in commercials, the music in movies/TV shows, UA-cam videos, etc. and someone somewhere had to make that music and (hopefully) got paid for it!
I know a guy who made 100k who wrote a 15 sec piece of "music" for a TV show on his iPad in garage band. So keep in mind it's also not about the equipment you own that will help you make $$, lol,
Yes! Sync Licensing is great! I’m still getting paid from some stuff I’ve done 6 years ago. I have tons of music on reality shows such as Kardashians. I’m getting back into it now.
The added irony of the whole, you aren't a real musician unless you famous thing, is that most "household" name musicians usually have massive teams of people behind their music and often don't do that much of the work. (let alone image, social media presence, videos, stage show etc.)
I'm working in the live sound space a lot and there's so much to be said for all the teams of engineers and house/session musicians that follow these big acts around. even for the most twangy, big-name, hyperpopular country musician, there's a guy at front of house and at stage left looking at an Ableton Live session with all the backing tracks and stuff, making sure things trigger on time. it's all out there. and they're all so incredibly strong to be able to sleep on buses and work 18 hour days and doing what they love.
I have no interest in doing music commercially, but I still found this very interesting! Also, I really appreciate your little rant at the beginning, people really need to have a little bit more of a perspective of what it means to be a working artist (and the many shapes it takes).
Please tell me no one believed that you weren't a musician? Multi-instrumentalist, singer, song-writer, producer and content creator is what you are Andrew! Big cretz from Denmark
Great Presentation my friend! There are so many ways to make money in the music industry! Music sync licensing is a great way to use all of the tracks in your catalog. But it is an endurance race, and you have to have a lot of patience! Love hearing your success story!
Basically anything worth doing takes time and practice, there is no way around it. Even if you find one it won’t last long enough for a career and self satisfaction.
Wow! There is a lot of useful information that you provided in this video Andrew. More and more I'm starting to consider making music for music libraries. The information that you provided in this video is very helpful to me. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this video. Much appreciated! 🙏🏽
Andrew my brother, even if you did just UA-cam and nothing but that, people who are saying these sort of stupid stuff forget one big element about the UA-cam musicians/producers, and that is the enormous amount of information that the rest of us are learning from you guys, in the ancient culture of where I come from ( somewhere on the same planet we all are from ) teaching is considered to be a holly occupation...so I would say thank you and please just continue 🙏✌
Considering your monolith of a recording space I dont think any of us had any doubt you were a proper musician 😂
you’d be surprised how often that’s the exact thing people pick on lol “so much gear and not even a real musician”
@@Mac.rodose yeah that's what I thought
@@andrewhuang bro you are literally who i think of when i imagine new age musicians.. I mean space time alone was phenomenal.. Jjst wanted to say that
@@Mac.rodose I would but that would take an absolute monilith of my time honestly
@@andrewhuang oh yeah I can only imagine! Thanks for the tips though. Big fan of what you do!
It isn't the 15 seconds, or the 10 hours you put in to pull the whole thing together. It's the 20 years it took you to get there what they are paying for.
E x a c t l y.
Yes. Indeed.
Yup. Wasn't that Picasso who famously is known for saying that to a woman who was unimpressed with how quickly he did an expensive painting for her?
Pablo Picasso
@@kpopbutlofi exactly... I was about to say this is what he told me when I asked him for a napkin drawing at a restaurant in Spain...
1:04 "There are far more people you've never heard of who are successful in music than there are rockstars" is a great quote
Its common sense. Also producers and engineers typically make much more than artists do..
20k for 15 second. Well done man, you deserve it. Thanks for sharing. It's the reaching out that a lot of creatives get stalled at. Some guru once said ( I wish I could remember who?), the music business is 20% talent and 80% business. I think we all forget that.
if you know how business works the music industry can't screw you over . Also can make that 20k direct instead of trough 3rd party
I think this title is a bit confusing. It’s not 20k for 15 second beat, it’s 20k for something you are good at and you’ve built through years of hard work. It’s like a reward if you prefer. But still great
@@ClementBaudoin Similar to the cartoonist Sergio Aragones. He charges quite a bit for a commission, and can crank one out in seconds to minutes. When asked, "I paid you all that, for such a small amount of your time!?", he replies along the lines of, "No, you paid me for all the time I spent building my skills to the point that I could create that piece so quickly for you."
@@CatFish107 This quote is (also) said to be from Pablo Picasso ;) anyway, it's really true
I think painter Pablo Picasso say that
This is so valuable! Well done!
They say infinity wars was the most ambitious cross over event in history...I say it'd be a Make Something + Andrew Huang colab.
Some may even say invaluable.
Twitter has been a huge tool for me to reach out to people to get work. Also I find silent vfx clips and ask the artist if I can repost them with sound design. This resulted in a sound design job for a game.
The idea of a “real musician” is so interesting… I’m a classically and informally trained musician so I work with lots of types of musicians. When I work with someone who doesn’t have formal classical training, they’re like “wow! You’re a REAL musician, you know stuff about music theory and can read music!” and when I work with someone who only has classical training they’re like “wow! You’re a REAL musician, you can play with your ear and don’t have to read music!” 😂😂 so yeah… we’re all “real” musicians
Kurt Cobain, if you rate him on his technical skills - was not a great musician. If you rate him on his songwriting, it's another story. All routes are feasible
There’s some pretty dumb logic going on.
Written music didn’t always exist either. Does that mean people before written music weren’t musicians? Maybe they were cooks?
This is a bit odd. I thought ear training was part of a formal music training. At least every school of music I've been to included ear training more so than the informal teaches you could pay privately. Isn't the entire point of music theory to explain what we hear and allow us to communicate it in written form?
I do get what you mean. But I don't understand how these folks that made these statements got to them.
No truer comment has ever been posted
Now I really want to hear "weird funny" songs Andrew posted in 2004? 😊
Ahaaah! Me too?
Andrew Huang used to run a website called "songstowearpantsto".
I especially remember randomly encountering a song called "Fishcat" which you can still find on UA-cam. I won't link it directly because Andrew did not upload it himself. That song is from around 2004 iirc.
I think he still has Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing On Rainbows uploaded from that era.
@@duVillage I discovered him back in high school during the SongsToWearPantsTo days (2007-2010). I still have a ton of his funny music from back then.
ua-cam.com/video/-XLgpReEkLc/v-deo.html this one is a gem from Past Andrew!
Love this - I did commercial work years ago under a producer I worked for and now I'm finally getting back into it on my own and it's so dang exciting.
Stuff like this is always something I feel like I understand most of the time, that being the "you don't need to be a household name to be a successful musician" comment, but regardless it's still always good to hear again every now and then. It helps recenter yourself into your own world and into what you yourself can do. I struggle a lot with comparing my music to others' work, but things like this help me refocus and remember what good I can still do, and how I can still impact the world. So... thanks, this came at a good time for me.
There also some cases where most people never heard who they are but have heard there music so many times. S3RL can be an example or renard/Kitsune^2/
Jackal Queenston aka Emma essex. This you prob heard many time. Kitsune^2 - Rainbow Tylenol
Me too. I’m just getting started because I’ve been afraid to put my music out there just because I don’t fully understand the industry and I’ve been wary of making it a career. But I was literally just thinking that it’s not that great being a songwriter only because you just supply the idea and may never be known for it. Also if you don’t have many connections and are not great at singing or producing it’s super difficult to get your work out there. But it was definitely encouraging to be reminded that success is not defined by popularity
I don’t see this as him flexing but as genuinely motivating upcoming people who love music and want to make it a source of living, like myself and many others who are not currently making a sustainable income from music.
What a breath of fresh air......just to hear someone be so transparent and break all this down. People get so weird about money and getting paid, so it's like pulling teeth just to figure out what to charge for your work sometimes. Thanks for making this one!
What even IS a "REAL MUSICIAN"?! Some of the most incredible and proficient musicians I've ever met have never made a bunch of money playing music. Like seriously, best guitarist I know is a jazz God and also makes music with modular synths and he's never made the money back he's even spent on equipment (although to be fair modular synths can get pretty expensive but my point stands). The dude also rips on the drums and a bunch of other instruments, and I'm the friend most of my friends view as a "real musician" because I was in a band that toured but this dude is far more of a "real musician" than I am.
Music isn't really about the fame imo, but it is every artist's dream to get noticed and be able to thrive off of music as an income.
The situation we are in right now as distributing artists is that there is like 50,000 songs uploaded to spotify each day. Most of them have no marketing.
Part 2:
Back when you had to go through a major distributer to get your music heard, it was a little bit more about being good and pitching your music well then it was about hitting the right spot on the media algorithms.
Fame is luck most of the time, and you don't need it to be a "real" musician.
I think this is mostly due to the fact that most musicians entertain suspicion towards developping actual business skills -more so in France where making money and music are antithetical. I mean let's face it, making and producing music has never been this accessible, low price points have litterally brought the means of production to the masses. I'm regularly apalled by awefully talented people who won't even touch marketing with a five foot pole.
That's sad. People nowadays think, that you could be considered as a musician only if you earn money for that. I've been making electronic dance music for 3 years and still haven't earned even a dollar for that. But I consider myself as a musician, maybe not professional but I am indeed musician.
What these people really mean is a pro, somebody who pays their bills by making/playing music.
thank you for emphasizing that there are many valid musical jobs. It’s a healthier mindset for the community. As you know, we are already our own worst critics,, so the last thing we need is someone telling us that our success isn’t valid unless we fit into whatever mold they consider as “valid”. Thank you for sharing this and thank you for being an overall positive influence on the community.
Been a fan since Songs To Wear Pants To, from the before times. You even created a track in an attempt at collaboration when I sent you all the Texas Instruments Speak&Spell samples and circuit bent glitch sounds I made. It was scary how fast you were. It’s nice to watch your success, and see you share your knowledge. Best wishes.
God damn. I just now made the connection that Andrew is/was Songs to Wear Pants to. The internet is a small world.
the online music community has a tendency to turn on itself and produce more infighting than music. I'm glad your channel is hear to dispel that and just be a place of learning for all musicians :)
I listen to whatever industry gems you offer up for one reason; The sheer extent of impact you’ve made on my music personally. You’ve gained a massive amount of my respect and gratitude for being the single creator that makes me want to create the most. I’ve gotten on Live more times after your vids than the freakin puppet, and he’s great! You’re one of the greats dude. Keep it up…. PLZ!!!
Means a lot, thank you!!
I needed to hear this 10-12 years ago when I decided music wasn't a career option because you're made to believe if you're not world famous, then you haven't had a successful career....
But I'm 28, just started my uni course doing Music Production and sound engineering and this video inspires me more than you know!
I've always loved your videos, man! 🙌
Also just turned 28 and thinking of going back to school for music production. Wish you best of luck 🙏🏽
@@davidalmontejr Thank you! Same to you 😄 I had my doubts but 3 months later I can say I 100% made the right choice! Finally doing something I love 😁
is studying college for music production or composing essential?Can't I learn it by courses,private lessons or other stuff? I'd be happy if you answered.
@@jennakhai I think it depends on what you're looking for and your commitments etc. For me, I liked having a few different tutors that I could see in person to help one to one with any issues I had, I was also taught subjects I didn't think of studying like sound design, foley etc so expending my skills which is a plus! Also making new friends on the course with the same interest as me.
My ability in mixing and mastering, sound design and composing/theory has increased so much more than I thought! I would definitely recommend studying, but also look into private if that fits your lifestyle! Hope this helps 😊
@@munichray Thank you so much!
It's so hard to conceive of Andrew doing this for almost 20 years when they barely look 25 on a bad day. Is being good at music the secret to eternal youth?
Its being asian bro 🤣
they?
@@haidar6280 pronouns
@@haidar6280 It's a word used to refer to a person that doesnt specify gender. I Dont think andrew cares about pronouns, but 'they' is the most inclusive one by far
@@TimTam69420 uhh, when you lump he, she and gender non-binary (identifying as they/them) in the same boat, it's pretty offensive. It's equivalent to lumping all non-caucasian people into "brown people."
I've been transitioning into being a full time producer and it's been scary, but this video has helped me a lot and had made me feel super valid. Thank you!
What kind of music do you produce?
wow. that can almost pay 1/100 of your synths!!
You are such a genuinely beautiful human being just being human, I think it’s awesome that you share this insider view point with the world. You must inspire so many Andrew, just keep going no matter what. Peace ✌️
Is it weird that I as a complete stranger still feel proud of someone such as yourself. Maybe it's because you are relatable, and thus I can potentially see myself in your shoes to some extent. Anyway. glad you shared this information. Keep doing what you do, and may success keep coming your way.
Thanks for the message and all the best with your music making!
I’m a commercial director and photographer in Toronto and this approach and attitude totally applies across other creative industries! Super interesting to hear how you got started, thanks!
Thanks Andrew. This video came out at the same time I just released a new tune. I always feel a sense of overwhelming failure the weeks after a tune drops and no one takes the time to listen. I have make music for others and they love it. I guess just have to keep grinding :) thanks for the "inspo"
How do people think you are not a real musician? You are the most real musician I know!
This is such solid advice. I’m fortunate enough to make my living in music. I’m not famous by any stretch but if you can get to a point where you can actively support yourself doing what you love, that’s success in my eyes.
You deserve your face on a billboard, man. You've put out more rad music than any random handful of artists in my collection.
Man, This video is such a perfect timing for me. I'm still figuring out how to earn money from making music and then comes Andrew with this video.
This is why I love Andrew Huang
I am glad he also said it. If you are still figuring out how to earn from music this probably may help you:
1) make relevant content like there is no tomorrow (like Andrew does on his UA-cam channel): you increase your exposure and your authority. This means more streams, more merch sells, more courses/lessons. Better translation: bigger numbers (streams, followers, people at gigs...)
2) improve your connections: be where other professional are. This means webinar, physical meetings or online groups, conferences... make connection and offer help. It doesn't bring you numbers as point n.1 but you get paid jobs (after offering free/cheap ones).
Best is if you can do both options. Hope this help and wish you tons of money and fun :)
I really opened this at 12 seconds since upload
I had skipped this video because the title didn’t catch my interest, but I am so happy the video I watched just prior to this one led to this one playing. It is so interesting to hear the details of how this segment of the music industry works. And as usual, the content is well constructed and paced. I wish all my college music business professors were as clear, engaging, and to the point as you, Andrew Huang.
Thanks for the encouraging and informative video! I recently scored my first major video game but have been struggling to find my way into the world of scoring ads. This video game me a few ideas to pursue!
This is great. I took Andrew's course on music production and now write and produce my own music, mostly just for myself as a hobby. I like to gift songs to my family and friends for birthdays or whenever. Not everyone is even looking to make money from making music, and I like the idea that we shouldn't feel like we need to monetize every thing we have even a little skill at. Nor should we have to have a certain level of skill do something that we enjoy. Once you get to where you want to make money on something, you have to move focus to how to sell yourself and your stuff, which is time away from doing the thing we love.
Now, on the flip side, would I love to quit my day job and make money from music? Yeah... I would, and maybe I'll make efforts toward that in the future, but I do think it's perfectly acceptable to just keep hobbies and hobbies, and enjoying them to the fullest. Measure success by those factors, instead of fame or fortune.
I totally agree. Sometimes if you try too hard to monetize what you love, you kill your joy in it. Art needs some freedom to breath. Guys like Andrew have learned to walk the line in between deadlines and personal expression, which is cool, but I kind of prefer my non-music day job to handle deadlines and pressure and just make music for my own enjoyment or those around me. The payoff to me is that amazing feeling when you finally finish some project you've poured everything into and are satisfied. Nothing beats that feeling.
You have something that a lot of people doing similar stuff do not have. TALENT. I see music makers who have no talent who make money. So I guess I agree that you don't have to be the Rolling Stones to make a living in music. But musical talent is obviously a huge plus, along with being reasonably articulate. I used to stop watching stuff as soon as I realized how bad the person was at expressing themselves. Then I started giving them a chance and would offer advice, that usually got a reply like "if you don't like it, watch someone else". So having a huge ego might work against you unless you have tons of natural ability. It's hard to be successful in the music industry. You could do very well just teaching people how. You have all that it takes to teach and guide. I like what you do because you are talented and NOT full of yourself. Keep going forever.
Pro Tip: Negative UA-cam comments are mostly meaningless. All comments help the algorithm. To feel anything from the text of anonymous strangers is unhealthy and irrational. Even my own comments (this very one) are just a pointless discharge of weird dopamine reaction to a false sense of communication that is not actually happening. We are the product being harvested as the data is collected and sold. Cool video.
It's mind boggling how genuinely inspiring you are! I have been following you since the days of PFUDOR and that one OldSpice auto tune remix you made, and I remember thinking "Y'know, I could do that one day."
Years later, I've taken your course twice now, and it was thanks to that I mustered up the confidence to start doing commissions myself. I still recommend your music theory and tip videos to my friends when they ask about composition, haha. You, and hundreds of other artists out there are a constant reminder for us just starting that while success isn't guaranteed, it's never out of reach. Keep on rockin' Andrew!
Thank you. People still want to troll down that rabbit hole. I usually write a bunch of songs, and they go out to the public, but I also do a lot of writing for local businesses that need music or people that need tracks. I stay busy. Not my full-time, but after so many years in this business (50+), I love what I do. Being a superstar is fine if that is what you want, but doing what you love and making money from it, no matter in what form, is fulfilling. Keep on making music!
you’re super inspiring man. i’ve decided to start taking music a lot more seriously and your channel has been invaluable when it comes to learning the basics from a technical standpoint as well as the mindset needed to follow through.
I create music content for toys and internal toy product presentations. No big billboard picture or screaming crowds for me but it (mostly) pays the bills.
I need to know where that sweatshirt is from
Brilliant video. Brilliantly said. Thank you for saying it.
Your approach is always genuine and honest. The community needs to hear this. Thank you
Whats the most known/reliable site to start a portfolio and upload songs for opportunities like these?
I have at multiple occations been told I am a failure as a musician. My answer: Not at all, I have fun doing it. IMO if you enjoy what you do in music, wether your role is fronting your own hypersuccessful band, or coiling up cables backstage at your local venue, you are a success.
As someone who works in a commercial VFX house, this is so refreshing to hear. While I am not on the music side, the number of people who think that you are only a success if you are well known in the industry and working on a Film or TV Series. One thing that I love about the advertising world is you usually have a lot more creative input to your work, and people are usually looking for a creative partner in a project not just someone to shut up and do what they are told (usually lol).
Do what you love for a living, and you'll never "work" a day in your life.
Hello, I would like to know more in depth how to get started putting my music into music libraries. How do o get started with all of this?
That's nothing. I made $15 for a 20,000 second beat.
excellent video as always Andrew! Even small "up-and-coming" youtuber producers like myself see comments like this... My content is quite niche, so I don't see the need to tell the audience that I've been making a living as a session and Broadway bassist in NYC for 12 years and playing for 22.
Ultimately, it's human nature to make quick judgements about people...it's how our ancestors survived. keep kicking ass, you're a great inspiration!
"you can make a living from 10k true fans" - Seth Godin.
I have 150k monthly listeners, 500k monthly streams. Have you heard of me? Nah. good. don't, I only want true fans. (yes I make a living from music)
Few have heard of Suzanne Ciani but many have heard her work on tv commercials. For example, she did the sound created when a popular cola is poured into a glass.
LOVE the intro to this! Not only the point of that being on a billboard is not a requirement for being successful in music - but you also put sound engineers and mixers on the same level as the musicians on stage. So many people don't realise just how much work goes into the behind the scenes of making those "on the billboards" actually listenable (referring to making what comes out of the speakers reflect what the musician is trying to produce in the setting you are in).
The first few minutes... Amen. Do you have any tips for libraries to check out submitting to?
I miss these "talking head" videos, because it feels like we can always trust you to be straightforward and honest, which a lot of content creators don't always seem to purvey. I appreciate you, Andrew, and I know literally MILLIONS of others do, too!
He is a good sole.
Thanks for this. I learned and had my soul filled with more hope.
"aRe YoU a ReAl MuSiCiAn???" ... lol did they even listen to Andrews Music?
Gotta say, having Andrew crowd surfing is well deserved.
Yep, I have done all of these things and I'm not famous nor am I a youtuber. I'm not filthy rich but I've been doing in for 20 years and I'm still at it.
Live sound engineer here, we often dont get mentioned - so thank you for that Andrew! :)
As someone who originally found you through your website back in the Newgrounds era of the internet, I wanna say thanks. You making silly songs for strangers on the internet inspired me to be a musician!
did he say 18 years? i thought he was in his 20s 🤯 wuuut
Any legal insight? Do you need/have a lawyer for your music? Are commercial contracts/agreements straight forward?
Great question, I want to know, too!
I’ve always wanted to make music for commercials or video games
Thank you, I needed this. esp. the last 30 secs!
Dude, this is so generous, thank you!
bro WHERE IS THE HOODIE FROM PLEASE
Since day 1 I knew I wanted to do music for rhythm games. I started out reaching out to smaller rhythm game developers (usually in the mobile gaming space) and eventually I landed something. It was free, but it was fun, and boy did that help me out in the long run. After that, I managed to land another rhythm game gig for a whopping $600 (and if you're in the rhythm game space you would know this is decent pay, _and_ that Cytus II, the game I made the track for, is somewhat of a big name in the space as well). Now it's just what I do. I reach out to rhythm games and ask them if they're looking for music, and pitch them my existing unreleased tracks. I don't succeed all the time, but the times I do, it's always super fulfilling. The good thing about rhythm games is that you're front and center when you're included in one of them. A whole team makes art, and _gameplay_ of your song. It's very rewarding.
With all that being said, I also started producing way back in 2015, and i only really landed my first rhythm game gig back in 2019. I haven't had many other (public) gigs like that, but one or two come around sometimes. It's all about building your career up and not being afraid of trying things out. The worst that can happen is a company you wanna work for ignores you, or straight up tells you no.
Huge gem drop Andrew!!! Thanks for taking time out to break things down! 🙏🏽👍🏽
I love how descriptive, and direct/straight to the point this video is. It really gave me motivation!! Thank you!!
I would kill for a sync license video from you. The current info available for sync is usually paywalled or just plain bad.
This was so insightful and I stand with you on everything you said, I’m just at the start of my journey with music now!!
I totally missed this! What a great video and message. Yes! The indie scene is huge. People have to know that making $100k a year with lots of control might be better than $1m with splits 10 ways and the possibility of tracks never coming out. Go Andrew! ❤️
Where'd you get that hoodie tho?
It seems completely consistent with my experience. I wouldn't say I'm quite to the point of making a living solely off of music. But it's a slow, grinding process, that is more like a marathon.
I also am a sound designer and have been getting big names buy my stuff, but I myself am basically a nobody.
Just started taking the streaming services seriously about 1.5 years ago, and have about 1,300 monthly listeners on Spotify (not really sure of the others). Based on my current streaming earnings from that, I think I'd be quite happy if I had 100,000 listeners a month 😅
For those who are part of the music making/producer grind, we know that what you say is completely honest and true.
Come clean, Andrew: how many times have you done the uke-and-glockenspiel thing
Omg it was all the rage in like 2010 and yes I went there
...one day a year your in a band (lol)
Great to remember the options available!
I've been trying to get into exclusive sync licensing for a couple years now. I would make 3-4 tracks every week to build up my catalog, but the hardest part is finding the right "music library" that would accept my submissions. Hope to find the perfect fit one day so I can have a steady relationship and consistent placements
Can I hear some of them?
Do you know any music library where I can submit my work?
@@emanuelefavero it all depends what kind of music you make and what genre. I just google search different libraries, look at who their clients are and what they need, and if I my music fits that then I send an email to their music supervisor
AMEN BROTHER!! Not all successful people in the music industry are Super Star Artists.
Preach it man!
These videos are so helpful. #inspo. I work on proposals for consulting for land use planning. Works similar where sometimes clients will pay people/companies to submit proposals but usually it is not paid and a risk.
As someone who is an artist but started pivoting to songwriting and production, I 100% bought into the illusion or myth that you needed to be top-charting to be successful in music. But hey if you can put food on the table doing something you love and enjoy, that's success too. I started making money writing custom songs for people and I remember the thrill I got to get paid for making music. Hoping to continue the momentum. Thanks for the inspiration and information always Andrew!
@Andrew Huang, you are dead right. I have been on the receiving end of that myself and you can't afford to let self-doubt creep in. Inappropriate criticism from a fellow UA-cam creator really set me back. I've now learnt that I am actually part of a new transition in music theory that they were obviously not hip to. I have realised that I am more akin to musicians like Venus Theory, and yourself, I just have to get my mojo back.
"I would love to get rid of this idea that you haven't made it in music if you're not a household name. Let's just take the pressure off and recognize that there are so many other valid musical jobs."
im getting this tattooed onto my forehead immediately
Thank you so much for talking about this topic! As a composer/producer who has also done a variety of "behind-the-scenes" music work, it was actually refreshing to see the initial community sense of "selling out" transition to "get that bag" over the years as I started to land big deals and placements. Now I work full-time in music for entertainment marketing and I wouldn't be where I am today if I kept listening to those who might've thought my first few projects as "selling out".
Also - it gives you a whole new perspective on the role music plays in our society! You start to listen to the music in commercials, the music in movies/TV shows, UA-cam videos, etc. and someone somewhere had to make that music and (hopefully) got paid for it!
I know a guy who made 100k who wrote a 15 sec piece of "music" for a TV show on his iPad in garage band. So keep in mind it's also not about the equipment you own that will help you make $$, lol,
1:00 truer words have never been spoken
Yes! Sync Licensing is great! I’m still getting paid from some stuff I’ve done 6 years ago. I have tons of music on reality shows such as Kardashians. I’m getting back into it now.
The added irony of the whole, you aren't a real musician unless you famous thing, is that most "household" name musicians usually have massive teams of people behind their music and often don't do that much of the work. (let alone image, social media presence, videos, stage show etc.)
This is exactly what I needed. This is what I want to go school for. Thank you Andrew.
I'm working in the live sound space a lot and there's so much to be said for all the teams of engineers and house/session musicians that follow these big acts around. even for the most twangy, big-name, hyperpopular country musician, there's a guy at front of house and at stage left looking at an Ableton Live session with all the backing tracks and stuff, making sure things trigger on time. it's all out there. and they're all so incredibly strong to be able to sleep on buses and work 18 hour days and doing what they love.
I have no interest in doing music commercially, but I still found this very interesting! Also, I really appreciate your little rant at the beginning, people really need to have a little bit more of a perspective of what it means to be a working artist (and the many shapes it takes).
11:25 It's pretty weird to hear Andrew describe his past website/brand without once mentioning its name. Almost like he's avoiding saying so?
Please tell me no one believed that you weren't a musician?
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, song-writer, producer and content creator is what you are Andrew! Big cretz from Denmark
Also, it doesn’t matter if someone is making a living from music.
As long as I’m having fun, that’s the main thing for me.
where did you get that jacket
In a buyout deal, do you retain the rights to the scrapped tracks?
So potentially not a loss if you can re-use as noncommissioned work.
Now I'm curious as to how much of your music I have heard without realizing it...
Great Presentation my friend! There are so many ways to make money in the music industry! Music sync licensing is a great way to use all of the tracks in your catalog. But it is an endurance race, and you have to have a lot of patience! Love hearing your success story!
Basically anything worth doing takes time and practice, there is no way around it. Even if you find one it won’t last long enough for a career and self satisfaction.
Wow! There is a lot of useful information that you provided in this video Andrew. More and more I'm starting to consider making music for music libraries. The information that you provided in this video is very helpful to me. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this video. Much appreciated! 🙏🏽
Andrew my brother, even if you did just UA-cam and nothing but that, people who are saying these sort of stupid stuff forget one big element about the UA-cam musicians/producers, and that is the enormous amount of information that the rest of us are learning from you guys, in the ancient culture of where I come from ( somewhere on the same planet we all are from ) teaching is considered to be a holly occupation...so I would say thank you and please just continue 🙏✌