Building a music career is one of the most difficult things in the world. So difficult, in fact, that many musicians give up on their passion because it’s simply getting them nowhere!
After all, the music game is a hard one to get into – and an even harder one to try and make money off of.
But knowledge is power here. If you want to make music professionally, there are a few things you’ll want to wrap your head around before you get started. Check out a few of these truths below.
Everyone Has a Chance to Be ‘Discovered’
That sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it? If everyone has the chance to be discovered, that means you’ve got a chance to be discovered! And yes, that is technically true.
But it also means there are a lot of musicians out there looking for their big break too. You’ve got quite a bit of competition to try and deal with, all of whom are competing to catch the attention of the next clive davis.
It’s why you need something that helps you stand out from the crowd. Make sure you’re being as authentic with your music as possible, and you’re not afraid to experiment with your sound. It could mean the difference between getting a call from a producer and going home empty handed.
It Takes a Long Time to Make Any Real Money
Music can make you rich and famous, and it has for many people. But in the modern era, it’s harder than ever to make any real money off of your art.
Music is something you’re likely to see low returns on for a long time yet, even when you’re established online and get a good few hundred monthly streams. Streaming platforms don’t tend to pay new artists substantially, but the more platforms you’re on, the higher your income is likely to be.
And even when you have local gigs booked over the next couple of months, your take-home pay might not be more than $200 overall. The musical grind is difficult for this reason alone!
What You Like Won’t Always Appeal
What you like about music and making music, the audience you’re playing to might not enjoy in the same way. You might not even start building an audience until you find exactly the right sound to catch their attention, and that sound might be entirely out of your comfort zone.
It’s why refining your musical skills, and learning the necessities of music production, is crucial for long term music career success. The more of an insight you have into sonic perception, the better your output will be.
The music game isn’t a friendly place to be. However, if you love music and you want your work to be heard, you’re in for the long haul here. Make sure you understand the points above before you really get stuck in. They’ll help prevent you from building expectations that will just fall through.