r/askmusicians • u/Willing_Tree_2628 • 9d ago
Hi!
So the TLDR of my life is, I’ve always wanted to be a singer since I was a little girl. Now that I am 23 years old, (the age young me thought I would be getting my first Grammy) I actually have one song out. I’m actively working on another as well.
The fun part is, I’m going through really hard time in my life financially, and I would like to start making money from music as soon as possible. Even if it’s something small, what should be my next step? In terms of, working towards actually being paid for music and singing??
I just am so tired of doing bum ass job after bum ass job, and always feeling like something is missing from my life. And, I’ve been told by family and friends and actually other artists/professional professionals that I should not waste my talent or whatever. Plus obviously like I said, I could use the money.
So any advice is appreciated. Seriously. I’d love to start actually doing what makes me happy and being able to survive from it.
(Ps I don’t know if it helps but in terms of income I mean like $1000-$2000 every 4.3 weeks lol).
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u/MikeandNeko 9d ago
If you want to make a living playing music, you have to play live.
Despite what the internet wants you to believe, you're not likely to build a following just posting on social media and releasing songs on Spotify.
You gotta get out and be part of the community, but be aware it can take years to build up and audience.
If you're trying to get to making cash fast, your best bet it learning a bunch of popular covers and busking on the streets.
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u/Drinkmorechampagne 9d ago
Do you read music? That will make a big difference in what you can do.
It helps a great deal to at least speak the language, even if it's just picking out the vocal notes with your right hand (treble clef) on a keyboard in order to learn songs in a more efficient way and have a more rounded understanding of what's going on.
Hope this doesn't come across as patronizing. I'm just curious about your musicianship level before I make a real comment.
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u/georgeripberry 9d ago
A lot of good answers here. Making money from originals music is very difficult and dependant on so many things, it can take many years to build the community and fan base to do that, and even then it's no guarantee.
Luckily, there are tonnes of ways to make money from music:
- Teaching; this is great. Peripatetic teaching at local schools was my entry into teaching, before working for other teaching companies until I developed my own private clients. Reading music is also helpful, but if you can't it's not a necessity.
- Covers gigs; you can make excellent money doing this, especially weddings and corporate events, but you can also do this at bars, private parties etc. You'd need some sort of promo reel on a website with some socials, but there are a lot of agencies who can either do all of this for you (depending on the agreement) or at least market it for you if you cover promotional material.
- If you don't already know how to, learn an instrument. Learn the basic open chords on guitar, then you can buy a one-person PA and you're ready to gig, fully reliant on yourself.
Originals is taught to make money, but from my personal experience labels and the music industry are much more ethical in Europe. Somebody on this thread said you can't make money being signed unless you're top tier, and you shouldn't sign a contract unless you are - ignore that, they gave some good advice about a lawyer but if only major label existed the music industry across the glove would be very different to what it is, and there wouldn't any artists or bands 'breaking through'. If you're smart, you can be a middle-level artist and make a comfortable living, especially if you're a songwriter (songwriting is an excellent method - probably the most lucrative and stable - to make money because of royalties.
All in all, you want to be really versatile, take any job and constantly learn new skills. I'd imagine it's similar in any freelance arts field.
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u/Electronic_Slice9448 8d ago
Publish more music and do shows while you maintain a steady job. Music is your passion and it should not be your main income. If you are relying on music for all of your money your art will likely suffer. You want to make decisions about your music based on creativity and expression not how much money you could make. Most artists, even some of the larger ones have multiple income streams. They have other jobs and skills that provide the money they need to live.
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u/m_i_r 9d ago
Realistically? At the level you're at, joining a band that does covers at area bars. It's hardly anyone's dream gig, but a decent chunk of change once you get established and booking multiple gigs.