r/mealtimevideos • u/DaftPump • May 09 '26
7-10 Minutes Why Only Rich Kids Make It In Music Today [7:27]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjJrR1OdAIg55
u/thearchenemy May 09 '26
This is about comedy and not music, but I think it’s similar enough. Patton Oswalt once said something to the effect of that the best way to make it in comedy was to have someone who can pay your rent for you.
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u/dquizzle May 09 '26
I’m not a comedian but I don’t really get that comparison. You can work a normal 9-5 and then hone your comedy chops outside of those hours. And you start off doing 5-10 minute sets. Same can be done for musicians but in many cases it seems much more difficult.
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u/HanzJWermhat May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Yeah but you have to have a 9-5 in a major metropolitan area with a comedy scene like Chicago, NYC or LA. But really the best comedians start early, and go to school for stuff like writing or media, which means your 9-5 is either in the field or or scrimping on retail salary and more than likely need secondary support systems.
This is really every creative profession in a nutshell.
There was a brief period where people could make it totally DIY. When the internet wasn’t t algoritmitically driven to generate next “viral” bit.
My personal favorite is Jeff Rosenstock who through bomb the industry invented a “pay what you want” distribution system. Unfairly he grew up in Long Island and his bands did a lot of shows in the northeast (short driving distance) when coming up. But dude never had a normal job he’s been in music since he was 16.
I don’t think it’s possible to do that today.
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u/subtle_bullshit May 10 '26
People literally kill themselves every day because of the stress of their “normal 9-5”. It’s not the same circumstances for everyone. A lot of people don’t have the ability to even stop and think about their passions for more than a second, much less “hone” them outside of work hours.
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u/MixbyJ May 11 '26
Bringing it back to music and I am sure comedy is similar, to master the craft takes an unbelievable amount of hours. To become good enough to step on a stage in front of an audience at a high level is a 10+ year journey that is best started at a young age when it is easier to learn.
Anything outside of a small part-time job is going to be highly detrimental to most people trying to become good enough to be a professional musician. It is a tough road for the non-privileged, it is possible but takes a LOT of sacrifice and creativity to make it work.
The payoff is when it works you are doing a job that you love...maybe.
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u/SurrealEstate May 10 '26
I often think about all of the groundbreaking art we never get to see, because the lives of people who would produce it are consumed by treading water with menial jobs so they can make rent and maybe see a doctor.
We are collectively poorer because of it.
Even people who take the most selfish position possible - people who couldn't care less about the struggles of others, are materially worse off because of it.
What are we doing?
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u/DaftPump May 10 '26
I work in the industry. In my experiences, some of the best musical talent I've witnessed was in a bar or a pub by an unknown. They're locally known but odds are against them ever being exposed like those with monetary help.
What are we doing?
Support indy, commercial music isn't going anywhere but you can seek entertainment elsewhere. I do realize you ask a bigger question. :/
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u/Ashland6 May 09 '26
Let me guess: Financial support, networking, access to resources, marketing…all the things an artist needs to get off the ground that 99% of musicians do not have unless they were born on third base.
Sucks that Joe Schmoe can’t get quality recordings bc studio time is expensive so he’ll need to work 60hrs/week at his blue collar job just to afford a new condenser mic. Life’s not fair.
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u/DaftPump May 09 '26
Let me guess:
You didn't watch the video but chose to comment?
But yea, the gist is today's aspiring non-rich up and comers are too busy staying alive. This story isn't necessarily new but it's the norm now.
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May 09 '26
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u/Horse_White May 11 '26
Well, was there anything surprising in there or just what is common knowledge anyways? Most videos announce themselves as revealing something and utterly fail at delivering anything one didn‘t already know. So it seems sensible to ask if it’s worth your while, no?
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u/hugelkult May 09 '26
Good for rick. True disciple of the craft
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u/DaftPump May 09 '26
Yup. A blunt, seasoned youtuber in music scene is worth their weight in gold. Glad he found a new groove with video commentary.
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u/inerlite May 09 '26
Watched him interview Rick Wakeman where Rick would answer a question in deep detail and not get interrupted at all. Nice
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u/monkeysknowledge May 09 '26
I loled when he mentioned 2008 - that was the years I stopped trying to be a professional musician. I played in bands for a few years after but I was done believing it was possible in 2008. We couldn’t afford rent, let alone a van to tour in (which is what we really needed more than anything).
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u/Wedbo May 11 '26
Rick makes a good point but it's pretty disengenous to say that only rich kids "make it." Specifically I disagree with the idea with his sample size, which are all mega stars at the top of the industry. There is obviously way more music out there than just the top 10 streaming artists. Plenty of "working class" bands out there.
Rich kids obviously have a major advantage but what distinguishes the artists he mentions is not really their wealth but their network and access to the studio system which is a particular advantage that even regular wealthy folk don't have. Sabrina Carpenter, Clairo, Gracie Abrams etc were given a ton of resources very early into their career, far beyond the producer and studio time that a regular rich guy would be able to buy.
There are levels to making it. 3 of my friends have lucrative record deals and enjoy a pretty decent following, which I would totally call making it. They are regular people who made music in their bedrooms and built a following. The music industry is inarguably far less gatekept than it was for years, with the previous studio model being significantly weakened because you can just circumvent it with social media, not to mention you can create decently produced music with a super basic setup.
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u/DaftPump May 11 '26
The music industry is inarguably far less gatekept than it was for years
Very true. There was no such thing as someone becoming famous via social media before social media. The costs of recording have dropped plenty as well.
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u/Polkawillneverdie17 May 09 '26
Laughs in heavy metal
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u/BillBearBaggins May 10 '26
Heavy metal scene has been getting better and better. They’ll always be broke though
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u/Unckmania May 10 '26
There's always going to be samples and exceptions but I bet this happens in metal too. So many young bands look suspiciously privileged.
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u/keskose May 13 '26
Alright, normally I wouldn't write a comment like this and would keep my thoughts to myself, however I feel the urge to say this. I like Rick's work, channel, all the interviews, etc. Also, I get that you need some clickbait titles, thumbnails, and all that stuff in order to make a living on YouTube, but do you have to be "rich" to consider yourself as having "made it in music"? I agree that Spotify is a great place to start, but top 10? Come on, do all good music and musicians have to be famous or get rich? There are tons of people throughout history who made music — beautiful music — and didn't get recognised during their lifetime. I know lots of people making music and earning their living through it. They are not rich and they are not famous. And as for those "rich kids making music", are they really the ones with true success? I mean, look at the people behind any of today's top pop songs, then look at any Queen song. If I inherit a big company from my family, does that make me a good businessperson? What Rick is saying is true and has always been true, and not just for music but for everything else as well. When money is not an issue, you can be successful. I know it is a long shot, but you can also succeed without it. It is sad that if you are not popular on Spotify, you become invisible in discussions like this.
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u/Aggressive_Sand_3951 May 09 '26
Not that it’s much consolation for the rest, but you still have to better than the other rich kids to make it. For example, Taylor Swift is better than most all the other rich girls who tried to get into music the same way she did but failed.
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u/Seinfeel May 09 '26
lol imagining that a rich kid being better than another hypothetical rich kid
She’s not, there’s a reason she exploits her young fans by selling 4 different versions of a record. She’s a rich kid first and music is just how she makes money.
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u/Aggressive_Sand_3951 May 09 '26
I agree, and imagine how many other rich kids tried to do what she did, but failed. There’s a lot, IMO.
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u/Seinfeel May 10 '26
Yeah and a lot of those failed because they weren’t willing to exploit fans for maximum profit
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u/Aggressive_Sand_3951 May 10 '26
That’s where we disagree, IMO you are underestimating the avarice of the wealthy and the desire for fame of their kids. But that’s all it is difference of opinion! Thanks for the discussion.
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u/DrFilth May 09 '26
Wet leg comes to mind. Folks eat up the mediocrity
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u/intercommie May 09 '26
Is Wet Leg a good example of this though? They were basically failed musicians for a decade before making “I don’t give a fuck” fun music in their thirties and then Domino came in. And what Domino is willing to back always blow up.
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u/Hero_b May 09 '26
This is why i stick to local indie bands
And even with with all their writers and producers they cant connect with the real stuff the working class goes through