Music/Sound as a Hobby or a Profession.

[Guest taxman]

hobby... barely

 

i've made two tracks this year. maybe i should put my songs into a few albums, stick them on the net, and call it quits. i don't even listen to music as much as i used to.

 

and instead of design i picked photography... i work with designers though

[pcock]

i want to be a concert pianist, making music is basically me expanding my general music skills, meaning that in the 90% liklihood that i do not cut the cheese as a proffesional pianist, i have many other things i can switch to and make money while having much fun instead.

 

like aiming for the highest rung but ensuring i can grab a lower one on the fall down.

[b born droid]

i'm currently working in post production trying to end up as a dubbing mixer. it just means however that you have to put up with all manner of shit to hopefully end up in that position. still, i've nothing else i'd like to do.

 

the only downside is the hours i currently work mean i don't get much time spare to make beats as much as i'd like.

 

How does your outlet acquire its music? Do you guys just license stuff or do you hire someone/group to produce original material? In house, out of house? I'm trying to get a better understanding of how that side of things work and how people go about getting the music/sounds they want in a variety of industries.

We have a massive booklet full of crappy library based music. We also get sent a stupendous amount of random CD's from publishing companies with generic stuff on. We don't really have a say in what music is used. That is mainly all down to the director/producer who sit down and look through our sound library for a description that matches what they want.

 

If you wanted to be a composer for television/film for example, you'd go through the director and/or producer to get commissioned. Post Production companies will rarely commission anybody from what I can gather.

 

If you just want to produce generic library music you'd go to a publishing company who'll do the work for you.

[Guest welcome to the machine]

Im a full time musician, and it allows me to make an OK living. what I earn now is not anywhere near enough to settle down on (not that I plan to do that anytime soon) but its a very good wage for someone living in a shared house with no real financial ties apart from a car and music insurance.

 

Thing is I make little to none of this off of my own music, apart from what little I get from single/album sales for the few things I have released (which is about £60 a quarter at best!). my income comes from playing bass and teaching what I have learned. I play jazz alot, and I get paid very well for a nights easy work (never less than £100), and on a good week I get three or four of these, thing is, on a bad week I 'll get none. So i teach as well, and although this started out as a subsidiary thing, I have become quite into it, i've been working with alot of 'bad neighborhood' kids, teaching them how to make drum and bass and hip hop etc. and although it could easily be shit, its turned out to be a really rewarding job.

 

thing is, I still go to work like everyone else, but I go dressed as as normally dress, and I spend the whole day talking about how to make heavy drum loops or nasty bases etc and for most of these kids they have always been told they are shit at everything, but some of them are ok, and those that aren't are at least a good laugh, so as far as jobs go its pretty good.

 

I also make intermittent money from producing for people, or running sessions at a mates studio.

 

i also teach privately, but I dont teach beginners so most of the time we are having interesting conversations about playing ideas/mixing concept etc. rather than what note 'c' is etc.

 

so I earn very good money for my age, make most of my wages playing music I LOVE, spend the rest of the time swapping production tips with enthusiastic kids and generally get to cancel work if I need to with no questions asked (as everyone I work with is a musician they are generally very understanding if you say 'oh, ive got a gig next thursday, can you cover?' as long as you dont take the piss!)

 

basically, what I mean is, there is definately a hope for a pro musician these days, you just have to expand your horizons compared to what was expected in the past. I love my work and I get twice as much time off as most peeps!