Is it possible for indie artists to survive making music?

My equivalent of this thread is more like "Is it possible for indie artist to avoid becoming a homeless drug addict?"
 
GG Allin ran a daycare when not on tour.

"In this room" is an amazing song.

GG wrote some beautiful melodies that get overlooked because of all the shitting. "Tough fucking shit" comes to mind, too.
 
You'd make more money recording other foolish artists hoping for fame in your meager home studio. But wait, you'd still have to pay rent and keep the electricity on. I guess keeping you day job is a must! Maybe getting another part time job to help with the bills too. :D

In all seriousness, we live in an age where we have communication access to the whole world. You could have fans in Russia or Bulgaria, or South Africa. But will they BUY your music?? Probably not. With enough hard work networking and marketing it is "possible" to build up an international fan base....but you'd most likely not have the $ or networking workforce to reach enough people (paying customers) to ever make it viable.

While we have unlimited access to the world, there are possibly hundreds of thousands just like you competing for the same thing.

By all means believe in yourself and your music, but don't for one second think that it or you is special and will rise to the top based on it's artistic merits. Sorry, but creating a "masterpiece" just ain't gonna cut it.

There is a reason why there is all this mainstream, mediocre music flooding the airwaves. Manpower, a marketing team, and MONEY. Transitioning from a Wallmart employee to a solo artist, you have none of the above.

Do your music because you love it, and try to reach as many people as you can with it.
 
You can built the sturdiest, most elegant abacus in the world but no one's gonna buy it.
Why? Because no one fucking buys abacuses anymore, silly!

But why not do something that *YOU* think is cool, and embrace the fact that no one will care as license to indulge your wildest fancy?
 
If you tour and shit on the stage you mind suddenly find more people interested in your music, though.
 
GG w the Jabbers was pretty straight before his divorce.. He built his persona slowly and carefully.

Any random schmoe tries that, they just go to jail and get written off as a scumbag.
 
This question comes up pretty regularly on Talkbass(dot)com, a forum with a larger number of professional musicians than most. Ask there. You'll hear much of the same, but with some additional perspectives as well.

If your goal is to eke out a living doing music, it might be just possible, provided. Provided your skills on your instrument (or preferably, several instruments) are at a professional level. Provided you are good at networking and live in a place where gigs and studio work are happening. Provided you are willing to play whatever, whenever, on short notice. Provided you can hold down multiple working bands, sub, give lessons, do studio work, paid recording work on the internet (which means you have, or can access the space and tools). Provided you have patience, persistence, and a huge work ethic. And provided you are lucky. Even then, you're probably looking at a hardscrabble existence without a pot to piss in, without health insurance, retirement income to look forward to... Some do a little better than that, most worse. Even in the best case scenario, it helps to have a sideline.

If your goal is to "make it" in the conventional sense doing original music, I don't know what to tell you. It is like winning the lottery. If nobody ever did it, people would stop trying. But those who do are literally one in a million. I have a sister who did the originals thing. It was a familiar story. Records that got enough attention to keep you hoping, without ever leading to a breakthrough. Tours with five people in a minivan, sleeping on couches, trying to make gas money to the next gig. And in the end, when that lifestyle finally spits you out, you are well into your 30s or 40s without a career. It's not the end of the world. She survives. I respect her integrity and what she did musically. I am also glad I focused on a career and kept music a creative outlet and a hobby.

Good luck. I hope you are as good as you say.
 
This question comes up pretty regularly on Talkbass(dot)com, a forum with a larger number of professional musicians than most. Ask there. You'll hear much of the same, but with some additional perspectives as well.

If your goal is to eke out a living doing music, it might be just possible, provided. Provided your skills on your instrument (or preferably, several instruments) are at a professional level. Provided you are good at networking and live in a place where gigs and studio work are happening. Provided you are willing to play whatever, whenever, on short notice. Provided you can hold down multiple working bands, sub, give lessons, do studio work, paid recording work on the internet (which means you have, or can access the space and tools). Provided you have patience, persistence, and a huge work ethic. And provided you are lucky. Even then, you're probably looking at a hardscrabble existence without a pot to piss in, without health insurance, retirement income to look forward to... Some do a little better than that, most worse. Even in the best case scenario, it helps to have a sideline.

If your goal is to "make it" in the conventional sense doing original music, I don't know what to tell you. It is like winning the lottery. If nobody ever did it, people would stop trying. But those who do are literally one in a million. I have a sister who did the originals thing. It was a familiar story. Records that got enough attention to keep you hoping, without ever leading to a breakthrough. Tours with five people in a minivan, sleeping on couches, trying to make gas money to the next gig. And in the end, when that lifestyle finally spits you out, you are well into your 30s or 40s without a career. It's not the end of the world. She survives. I respect her integrity and what she did musically. I am also glad I focused on a career and kept music a creative outlet and a hobby.

Good luck. I hope you are as good as you say.

I'd say that's very accurate.
 
This question comes up pretty regularly on Talkbass(dot)com, a forum with a larger number of professional musicians than most. Ask there. You'll hear much of the same, but with some additional perspectives as well.

If your goal is to eke out a living doing music, it might be just possible, provided. Provided your skills on your instrument (or preferably, several instruments) are at a professional level. Provided you are good at networking and live in a place where gigs and studio work are happening. Provided you are willing to play whatever, whenever, on short notice. Provided you can hold down multiple working bands, sub, give lessons, do studio work, paid recording work on the internet (which means you have, or can access the space and tools). Provided you have patience, persistence, and a huge work ethic. And provided you are lucky. Even then, you're probably looking at a hardscrabble existence without a pot to piss in, without health insurance, retirement income to look forward to... Some do a little better than that, most worse. Even in the best case scenario, it helps to have a sideline.

If your goal is to "make it" in the conventional sense doing original music, I don't know what to tell you. It is like winning the lottery. If nobody ever did it, people would stop trying. But those who do are literally one in a million. I have a sister who did the originals thing. It was a familiar story. Records that got enough attention to keep you hoping, without ever leading to a breakthrough. Tours with five people in a minivan, sleeping on couches, trying to make gas money to the next gig. And in the end, when that lifestyle finally spits you out, you are well into your 30s or 40s without a career. It's not the end of the world. She survives. I respect her integrity and what she did musically. I am also glad I focused on a career and kept music a creative outlet and a hobby.

Good luck. I hope you are as good as you say.

Rikki and the Flash in a nutshell. :D
 
You guys brought me back down to reality. So thank you. I need to be more realistic about my goals. I am an absolute legend and my gift to the world is my music. Don't ask me how the sky is up there. Ask me what it is like in space because I am on a level that you have never seen before. The cure to edm music is me. My guitar tone lights up a Chinese restaurant. Money will rain from the heavens when the world hears how great I am. In these tough times this new generation of failed musicians need a hero they can look up to. This is going to be my time to really shine now guys. Why set out to only make one thousand dollars when I can make a million? The next Hendrix has officially arrived. Im the self proclaimed savior of rock and roll.
 
... I am also glad I focused on a career and kept music a creative outlet and a hobby.

^^^ +1

Even at one-in-a-million, those seem like unreasonable odds. The reality is worse than that if measuring success merely by ability to live (feed, shelter oneself). The industry is flooded, unless you're a phenom or have a sexy something marketing assholes can sell, you aint going anywhere without being the luckiest SOB on the planet. We're all free to try and dream, so long as we keep our feet on the ground.

Better musicians than anyone to ever join this board have failed music careers.
 
I know dozens of signed bands, Grammy nominees, and other well-known artists that have day jobs when they aren't on tour. One of them, who has been on the cover of several magazines, is considering trying to get his old job back at the DMV.

Trying to make a living as a known commodity, backed by record company support and a world wide fan base is a crap shoot. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for your ultra-serious solo project.
 
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