nicklimegrove Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 There's a guy we all know, whose music I've been admiring above pretty much everything else during the past 2, 3 years. He says »bandcamp is pretty much my only source of income«. He's put out seven EPs via bandcamp over the past 6 months, at roughly 2$ each. Each EP was bought by about 50 people on average, thats a total of 350 units. There might be something severely wrong with my math here, but even if it was off by an entire order of magnitude, my conclusion would remain the same: as much as I'd love to have eight hours per day for making music (rather than: per week) -- there's nothing even remotely attractive about such a scenario that would make me give up my 9-to-3-job, which (as much as I loathe it from time to time) has proven to be a pretty comfortable basis for making the music I make, the way I make it. I'd never want to give up that independence, i.e. to mingle money and creativity, to have to rely on the music to generate enough attention and, consequently, $$$, to enable me to go on making it. Making music at the pace, the quality, in the style that only I dictate -- that's a privilege I've been enjoying way too much to come even close to considering trading it in for anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QQQ Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 lol I'd fucking kill for a 6 hour work day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheatheman Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 the death of the age of the job and the advent of the age of the artist does not mean living off of your art it means transcending the value systems imposed upon art and realizing that art is a value unto itself we are entering the post-post-war era, where the individual reclaims some the skills that were outsourced/specialized by the industrial revolution income/wealth inequality is not a problem that needs solving, it is the climax of a system that must be abolished. we must ascribe no value to monetary wealth. we must reclaim our firsthand connection to the resources that currency represents there is value in skill skill = survival become valuable in your skills so that you can help people survive make art so that your enduring survival has meaning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptowen Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 it means transcending the value systems imposed upon art and realizing that art is a value unto itselfboom imo being a musician just means putting your awareness into making music by that definition, a person is going to be all sorts of different things throughout their life. so i guess making a "career" of it means putting as least as much energy into your music as you do into your cashmoney job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheatheman Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 :) also, why on earth would you ONLY want to do music? you have to go out into the fields, the numerous fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyramidpanes Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 self employment ruling the nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perezvon Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 :) also, why on earth would you ONLY want to do music? you have to go out into the fields, the numerous fields Right. Making music without something to get inspiration from like your experience at work or anything you usually do on a daily basis sounds pretty tedious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braintree Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 You can also take the Charles Ives approach. Get filthy rich doing something you don't really like and then release all of your music many years afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xox Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 :) also, why on earth would you ONLY want to do music? you have to go out into the fields, the numerous fields Right. Making music without something to get inspiration from like your experience at work or anything you usually do on a daily basis sounds pretty tedious. heh poor pooooor afx and autechre, doing music all day long, for more than 20 yrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perezvon Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, Jesus man... That's not really the same level. I was speaking for myself anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Fforet Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 As I've grown acclimated to the rather dreary 9-to-5 world, I have been thinking about this a lot lately... Hey serge antk, I would say just do it and don't care what others say. Don't forget to to make a small financial buffer before, because buffer underuns are coming for sure, haha I really hate to say the following words, but you live only once (sorry for that ;), so at least try it, if that urge comes from the deepest place of your heart. When thinking of that topic Mr. Leyland Kirby comes always to my mind. Dunno if you know him (V/VM, The Caretaker, etc) but obviously he followed his dream since 1996 with a strong will and seems to be always broke but happy :) So beware the broken-dog + stop thinking + start thinking about what you want + make music + do sth. for the fucks sake + think about what values in life are important for you + stop thinking again + go on living to reach them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xox Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, Jesus man... That's not really the same level. I was speaking for myself anyway. Level of what? Exceptions? How'bout almost any pro musician? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perezvon Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Yes afx and ae are just like any pro musician today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entorwellian Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 If i had the skill and motor coordination I would probably pick painting over music making if I had to make a career out of my art. Paintings appreciate in value. sergeantk: take up painting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergeantk Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 you make beautiful music serge, but it's not type of music you could live off, or you barely could. imo First off, i appreciate the kind words. Secondly, I am painfully aware of this. Some of my eggs are in a different basket, though: I am in a more traditional band with some musically proficient colleagues, and it is definitely way more accessible. If I were to make it from music, it would be from this sort of endeavor (or scoring) Do you mean being a musician and living off of Bandcamp cash or making music for movies, games etc? Any which way. If i had the skill and motor coordination I would probably pick painting over music making if I had to make a career out of my art. Paintings appreciate in value. sergeantk: take up painting I have recently done this actually. It's very relaxing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheatheman Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Art isn't made in a vacuum, etc. Some of best art is made in between. The idea that art some how frees you from the normal work of living is rather naive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergeantk Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Art isn't made in a vacuum, etc. Some of best art is made in between. The idea that art some how frees you from the normal work of living is rather naive. I don't totally disagree. However, I think it is more relevant to say that the idea of 9-to-5 work being the end-all, be-all of existence is at least as naive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheatheman Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 i have never worked a 9-5 so I'm not sure what you mean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usagi Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Collab with an indie female vocalist who sings vowel sounds in a breathy, idiosyncratic style. Manipulate some samples of her during the chorus so it sounds like a freestyling downsyndrome cyborg. Add Trap beats. = $ Pretty much.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purlieu Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Anyway, that was a tangent, but it's probably a large reason why I can't make money off my music, or get any widespread attention, because I'm just so fkn contrary all the time. Yeah, my first proper album sold into three figures on almost no promotion, could very easily have built on that but decided to take some time off and come back with something totally different. Since then, every one of my records has sounded quite different to the previous, which is something that you can get away with once you have an established audience, but on a smaller level it just alienates most audiences you attempt to build. In my experience, reach out to other artists. Do collaborations, remixes, stuff on compilations, get to know artists who run labels. If you have some funds up front, start up a label and try and get the best artists you know of involved. I know a couple of tape labels in niche genres which act as day jobs for their owners, and that all comes from networking with the right people. Be a name, not just a musician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 seriously, are any of you guys musicians who make a living off their music? just wondering where this golden advice is coming from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheatheman Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 No The way you realistically make a living with music is playing soft rock covers three nights a week, plus a dozen other side gigs And you do contracting/landscaping work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xox Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entorwellian Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 No The way you realistically make a living with music is playing soft rock covers three nights a week, plus a dozen other side gigs And you do contracting/landscaping work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergeantk Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 No The way you realistically make a living with music is playing soft rock covers three nights a week, plus a dozen other side gigs And you do contracting/landscaping work better than nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.