Being a musician for a living

[modey]

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.

 

Yup, my experience has been similar. My last real prog album did fairly well in terms of how many people actually downloaded it, but then I got a bunch of hardware and tried to switch up my style a little and things fell apart.

 

My strategy now is to hide those "distraction" albums from my bandcamp in preparation for making prog again. I've sent a demo track to a few labels, but it's difficult, since

1. the track is 15 minutes long

2. it's probably too 'trad prog' for chiptune, not 'trad prog' enough for prog labels (ie. not much live instrumentation), and not even within the scope of any electronic labels despite being mostly produced within renoise

 

I'm working on starting my own label, but it's dedicated to minimalist/repetitive music, and the new prog stuff I'm working on is the exact opposite of that, haha.

 

Having said that, if no label is interested in putting out a future Pselodux release, I'm considering taking the entire project underground, so I can make things as fucked up/weird/proggy as I want, and maybe having a select mailing list/subscription plan for people who are genuinely interested in listening, rather than trying to push it on people who just want to hear EDM bangerz made on a game boy.

 

The label (and future 0F.digital endeavours) should be fun though, I have a bunch of people in mind to release on it. I'm not expecting to make any money whatsoever though—this is purely an exercise for cross-promotion, giving some people some more exposure when they've been rejected by other labels for not fitting in to their requirements..

 

 

Failing that, I'll probably just try to join some pop rock band or something hahah

[usagi]

Failing that, I'll probably just try to join some pop rock band or something hahah

 

622, the sequel to 311.

[modey]

lol, I doubt I could even find 4 other people into 311 in melbourne, let alone 4 other musicians

[sun drugs]

sorry for the big post but i spent over a year living off music, heres some of my tips after a few drinks.

 

To be doing it, would help a lot to have regular bar gigs djing once or twice a week, 4 hrs = $200, twice a week ($400) + a gig under the artist name in a club 200-500$+ every fortnight and you can hardly live but its realistic. Plus a little part time work, selling drugs or your body and you'll be right.

 

Everything really has been mentioned before but having a good group of mates in your city (and other cities to tour and hang) that are active and involved in music whether it be labels or parties is important. You want to be surrounded by similar artists doing similar things so you can do it together. Having a good relationship with the cities promoters is priceless, helps to run your own gigs or get involved running gigs (you'll find a lot of promoters/artists book other promoters/artists), i guess you need to be of value to the music scene, bring something unique. Make friends with other local artist. I guess you could be a all online kinda guy but i doubt the next burial is reading this, to make a living you need to be doing gigs unless your working in film and tv composing or something.

 

Government grants are a big yes in this age too, look them up and apply for them all if you can. Can get help putting out records, doing tours, all kinds of shit.

 

Make music as much as possible, dont let genres be a boundary, will only give you writers blocks.. For me power in numbers too, i was making around 100 tracks a year for about 5 years before i got off the ground and at that point i was able to put out 5 or so records, a few tapes and CDs just cause i had the music, lots of shit experiments but a fair few good ones in there too.. Set myself up label wise now, pretty much since having a record out i havent had to send out demos ( i was approached for the first records luckily).

In saying this i sent out demos for years and rarely heard shit back but i see now that the reason was simply, the music was shit and also not appropriate for those labels. I got to this point where i gave up and started making the kind of music I wanna make and hear, after this developed enough people started paying attention on soundcloud and it fell into place, i was very lucky but im a firm believer that there are many things you can do to increase your chances of luck (networking).

 

Its fair to say you gotta work your way up from the bottom, having some releases on netlabels is good experience, is probably likely that you will hate a lot of the music you have made in the past, everyone grows and changes, the beauty is you can always make a new project and fuck off your old ones, start fresh with a new set of experiences and lessons learnt.

Goal setting is a good way to do it but really, its important to stay true to yourself and let it happen naturally as a growing artist, if your not following trends/jumping on bandwagons and really develop something that could only come from you, people will listen (unless your a total prick, i see many artists fail because they are stubborn or too cool for their own good, also quit being a anti social gronk, get out of your comfort zone once in a while). Having a decent booking manager who is well connected is priceless too, worth the 10% or whatevr they take, this comes once your need that help to get off the ground i guess.

 

Doing it fulltime is stressful and can get painful, i burnt out and had to take time off. Work is good for me now, time to think about things other then music.

I learnt that if your a shit self absorbed and self interested person surrounded by shit people, records coming out wont change the fact that you feel shit and are unhappy with your life, surround yourself with good people who you like, be nice to people, pretty much just dont be a cunt. Being able to give back to the music world is a real great thing we can do if we want to put in the work, the parts i find rewarding are not the bits i imagined i would funnily.. Trying not to say much negative but the industry is shit and im happy my dreams of wanting to be a fulltime muso have passed so now i can just enjoy my opportunities to release music and play the odd show.

Hard work but its fun, obviously there is a tonne more to it but these seemed to stick out to me, also if you can travel and see the the world through music, its a great way to see it, travelling is the greatest

[Guest]

Great insight and solid advice, sun drugs.

[sheatheman]

i will echo a part of that also:

 

last year i started getting a lot of attention and i found that eventually it did me harm.

 

i organized shows, and while a couple were great, often i would be there in the middle of the thing i organized and think "is this really what i want?"

 

the first show i organized was by far the best. everyone there, even a couple of very seasoned DJs who have put stuff out on LIES agreed that the vibes of that night were that rare thing you only see a few times.

 

but so many other things i took part in bummed me out hugely. i think it's probably 50/50 at best. also, i'm not into the party life too much. i'm a pretty private person mostly, and you're basically in the flesh trade when you are playing live, especially if you are doing it with a following, especially if you are good.

 

in the end, what i care most about is making stuff that is true, and that redefines what "living off" of music means. it has a value that doesn't exist in the same realm as money.

[marf]

i didnt sleep last night i was so upset. ive been learning some aphex melodies on the piano and they are so simple yet so effective. im so worried after all this investment in music i suck at the one thing that matters to me. making a nice melody.

[xox]

i fakn hate this planet!

 

 

edit: nice ezz though

[Audioblysk]

I just don't mention to people I produce electronic music. Nor do I ever tell people I used to go to lots of raves, festivals and gatherings in the early to lateish 2000's. I just don't want to chance that they could enjoy the shite above this post. That music is absolute horrid wankery and the whole of it just feels so fake.

 

Quit fucking telling me to put my hands up, start playing some tunes for longer than 30 seconds before the next build-up wankfest to dump into the next hollow ass dunker drop.

 

Those dudes easily made $25K+ for that spectacle...

[sun drugs]

i will echo a part of that also:

 

last year i started getting a lot of attention and i found that eventually it did me harm.

 

i organized shows, and while a couple were great, often i would be there in the middle of the thing i organized and think "is this really what i want?"

 

the first show i organized was by far the best. everyone there, even a couple of very seasoned DJs who have put stuff out on LIES agreed that the vibes of that night were that rare thing you only see a few times.

 

but so many other things i took part in bummed me out hugely. i think it's probably 50/50 at best. also, i'm not into the party life too much. i'm a pretty private person mostly, and you're basically in the flesh trade when you are playing live, especially if you are doing it with a following, especially if you are good.

 

in the end, what i care most about is making stuff that is true, and that redefines what "living off" of music means. it has a value that doesn't exist in the same realm as money.

I can relate to this a lot! I think its just an industry that didnt click with me, maybe you have to be a certain type of person, or absolute production freak to make it but the more i got involved the less i wanted to be. Still i enjoy free travel and accommodation from time to time, always nice to get out of my city.

At times it just feels so narcissistic, pop music straight up is pure narcissism but the feeling of being seen as a real narcissist is something i hate the thought of

[modey]

Yeah, I organised some shows at a friend's bar last year; they were supposed to be monthly but then it fell apart. The first one was amazing, with a couple of fairly big name performers, and the place was packed. Second one was alright, not quite as many people but still went pretty well. By the third show, it was mid-winter, raining, cold, and hardly anyone turned up. Even I was dreading going along and setting up. I started thinking about a fourth show, but the bar owner and I came to a mutual decision to shut it down until the summer.. but never picked it up again. It wasn't nearly popular enough (or in a big enough venue) to make me any money, but the performers got paid.

 

The sad truth, at least in this city, is if I don't want to pander to any particular crew (ie. adapt my style a little) in order to just get to play, I have to organise shows myself. I'm so bad at organising shows. I dunno if it gets better, but I can't plan to play a set while I'm trying to promote a gig. I need a manager or something.

 

Anyway, sorry that's a bit of a tangent from the idea of this thread, heh.

[sun drugs]

Pretty sure any crew that will have you on board will book you because you have your own take on whatever sound it is your making (chiptune right?)

I dont know if thats the right mentality to be approaching it with, you gotta put yourself out there, honestly even after having records out, almost half the gigs i play are pretty crap in terms of numbers through the door, im often playing to 10-15 people, i clear dancefloors so often too.

 

Melbourne has an extremely great music scene from what i gather, its getting worldwide attention across most genres and there is parties for pretty much every man and his dog and their refined niche taste. This is just what friends have told me btw, Im sure if you dig deep enough you'll find some people who are doing similar things.

When i think of crews i know and am a part of, none of us play the same records or make very similar music, we all have our own twist on techno. At the end of the day people might like someones music more over yours but thats just nature, you cant like everything.

At least you've been doing it though, persistence is key but as you say, it doesnt get any easier once the winter comes around. Its hard though, at first all my mates would come to my shows which was wicked but slowly they tail off as its no longer new for them / theyre growing out of hitting clubs every week, getting people into gigs is the hard part, thats where having people to do it with helps a huge amount

[modey]

Yeah, I mostly play in the chip scene because that's the closest thing to my music.. but I think I'm not quite chip enough for the chip scene (despite making techno in nanoloop—it just doesn't sound very trad chippy/doesn't incorporate enough elements of recent micro-genres or something?) and too chip for other electronic scenes—I remember trying to get a gig with a crew called "uncomfortable beats" and they told me my music wasn't dark enough.

 

I'd love to get into the techno scene here but it seems a bit exclusive; I've tried a few times but I can't seem to get any ongoing gigs.. maybe my stuff just isn't interesting enough!

[Perezvon]

I remember trying to get a gig with a crew called "uncomfortable beats" and they told me my music wasn't dark enough.

lol

[koolkeyZ865]

I've never seen anything so depressing

 

Does anyone actually like this?

[Goiter Sanchez]

i fakn hate this planet!

 

 

edit: nice ezz though

When America procures culture from elsewhere the 'extraneous details' tend to get trimmed away leaving only the most easily metabolised, instant grat elements at the fore. That's how we end up with deep-fried makizushi, electronic music that favours a torrent of insubstantial 'drops' over composition, and Las Vegas.

[Guest]

 

nice pyramid stage, Illuminati must be proud.

 

Ot; googling up on the ww fella's I read in their wiki one of the w's is Willem van Hanegem jr, son of legendary, Cruyff contemporary Dutch football player Willem van Hanegem;

 

[Silent Member]

 

i fakn hate this planet!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-nAyODfgGE&nohtml5=False

 

edit: nice ezz though

When America procures culture from elsewhere the 'extraneous details' tend to get trimmed away leaving only the most easily metabolised, instant grat elements at the fore. That's how we end up with deep-fried makizushi, electronic music that favours a torrent of insubstantial 'drops' over composition, and Las Vegas.

I think it's pretty unfair to pin this on the US when we all know it was ze Germans. This shit sounds like Scooter, I actually thought it was them for a little while. Europeans have been ruining electronic music perfectly well all along, i.e. by the likes of 2 Unlimited.

[xox]

 

 

i fakn hate this planet!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-nAyODfgGE&nohtml5=False

 

edit: nice ezz though

When America procures culture from elsewhere the 'extraneous details' tend to get trimmed away leaving only the most easily metabolised, instant grat elements at the fore. That's how we end up with deep-fried makizushi, electronic music that favours a torrent of insubstantial 'drops' over composition, and Las Vegas.

I think it's pretty unfair to pin this on the US when we all know it was ze Germans. This shit sounds like Scooter, I actually thought it was them for a little while. Europeans have been ruining electronic music perfectly well all along, i.e. by the likes of 2 Unlimited.

In europe only english electricians listen to 2unlimited! #

[Silent Member]

lol, I'm not saying they're relevant anymore. They're just an example of shit being shit all along. Anyway, this is a terrible tangent.

[sergeantk]

so wait, all I needed to do was add a drop all along?!?!?!?!

[Guest]

so wait, all I needed to do was add a drop all along?!?!?!?!

 

Today, yes. Before that was it was a snare rush.

[ambermonk]

After reading this thread, I'm glad to have a full time job to fall back on. If you can't rely on making music as a source of income, at least you have total freedom to make whatever you want, whenever you want. I prefer it that way anyway.

[Guest WNS000]

Excellent thread, guys.

 

I am going to be honest. I enjoy making my music without compromises. I have big ambitions with my music - but only skill-wise.

 

I just want to please my ego with truly quality music and pat myself on my back every time I get to the next level in whatever I wanted to achieve at a given moment. It is also nice to hear from someone else that I am good at something (they say). Music basically gives me a reason to live. I need to create otherwise I am dying. I have no interest in doing gigs (I am a studio guy and consider gigs to be pretty pointless in electronic music imo, unless an artist is really capable of strong jams and impro / I am also not really into crowds and parties) and I luckily have a solid job.

 

My goal is to finish my musical visions and share it with at least one person apart from my girlfriend. I am glad there are no money involved in my music. I will gladly continue doing it for free.

 

But I do take my musical effort seriously as if I was to make a career. It is a love and an obsession. I need it. It is like a drug. Music is bad for my health. Which leads me to this quote:

 

 

Doing it fulltime is stressful and can get painful, i burnt out and had to take time off.

 

I managed to burn out many times when making music even just for fun. When inspiration strikes I simply cannot stop. I basically behave as if I was a gaming addict. Just a quick food, toilet and music. I have just decided to go sleep after a 23 hours long non-stop session of music making. I am going to be in a pretty bad shape in the morning. Good night.

[Audioblysk]

Lately I've been doing a full-hardware setup and loving it. Everyone I have over tells me I need to start giving the tunes out, but it just hasn't crossed my mind.

 

I have a phobia of giving away music, not because I don't think it's good or think it'll get ridiculed. It's mostly just a lack of effort to go in a package it all up/DAW it up and/or run it to multi-track recorder. It's more fun when I switch on all my machines, sync up all my sequencers and start slamming buttons, twiddling knobs and lining things up. It's never the same twice and I kinda like that more than documenting it, sharing it and moving along..

 

anyone else feel the same way.