Is it possible for indie artists to survive making music?

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stringbender05

New member
Im just curious have any of you ever had a decent amount of success selling your music digitally? What is the most you ever made? Or did it flop and your worst nightmare came true? Im a solo artist getting ready for my first release so this kind of scares me a little bit. I am not going to mention names but I have seen some of these youtube guys act like Pewdiepie to get views and strangely enough it works. They are musicians, but they always make a mockery out of their art. I understand that it's all about connecting with your audience or potential fans but I could never make fun of myself to get attention. Something tells me those guys generate more revenue from their comedy skits and stuff than actual music.

My intention is to make a masterpiece out of this album. I wanna hit it out of the park. It's just if nobody has a reason to care and people don't value what I do I don't know what will happen. I am never going back to Wal Mart again though. I worked my ass off on this album. I just hope people enjoy it enough to show a bit of support because I am broke. If nobody wants to buy it, man would that suck. I figure if I am as good as I think I am people will support the cause. Another part of me says people feel entitled to free music and it wouldn't matter to them if I was the next Hendrix. Can't predict the future so I guess we will see what happens.
 
It's possible, sure, just like winning the lottery is possible. But that's just possible. It could happen. Just like you could get eaten by a shark while it's being struck by lightning.

What's much more likely to happen is that you will be just another nobody that sells nothing because music has been devalued. In case you haven't noticed, the universe is filled with musical nothings and nobodies. The ease of recording and the vast expanse of free internet promotion has made everyone think their horrid shit is the next big thing. If you hinge your happiness on the acceptance of others, you are in for a really sad and rough ride. Get over that pitiful line of thinking and make music because you enjoy doing it. If someone likes it, great, if they don't, big fucking deal.

The odds are stacked against you even further because, as you say, you are a "solo artist". You gonna play live as a solo artist? Good luck with that. People tend to like going to see music over buying it and listening. If you want to actually try to scrape a few pennies from your music, you better get a band together and start trying to play live. Even then, don't quit your day job.
 
I was just wanting to hear from the guy who said yeah I sold this many albums and I made this much money. Being a solo artist was something I dove into after I watched all my old band mates give up music to go get day jobs. I quit my day job to do the music thing full time. With that being said I know people who still work 9-5 jobs and play music on the side as a hobby. Nothing is wrong with that, but im hungry for more. I never expected anyone to support my dream since it's my dream and not theirs. I think when you are as great as me you can't really help but shine. Those people playing the lottery who can't afford it are comparable to bedroom producers who aren't really any good but just throw their shit around the internet anyways. You are kind of right though nobody could give a fuck about my album. My only intention is to make it great, and make it something I can be proud of. I wanna be the best. I have to listen to people tell me rock music is dead all the time while Kanye West plays the role of a rock star. I don't like it, and it gives me a little more edge to become a successful artist. Where is the guy who sold albums? Nobody said anything yet so that means the achievement is up for grabs. I will take it if nobody else is willing to try.
 
It's true enough. Not too many people around here, if any, are going to hit you with impressive sales stats.
I'm making a go of it but any money is from royalties rather than sales. Even then, I'm not throwing around a success story by any stretch.

Strive to be the best and believe in yourself 'cos why not, but yeah....Day jobs are the thing to have. ;)
 
Your only realistic chance at selling your own albums is playing live. You play a show and if you don't suck a few people will buy a CD. If your CD doesn't suck maybe they'll come and see you again. You might eventually break even.

If you actually wan to maybe make a meager poverty-level living off of music, you need to play in a cheesy cover band.

That's just the reality of today's musical climate. Single "artist", home recorded solo albums are not what the few people that still buy music wants.
 
Another +1. I know a good few guys who make a basic living doing cover sets.
Apart from the possible networking and live experience, it's not that much different to working in Tesco to support your own music, you know?
 
I'm not saying don't try. Enjoy the process. But keep your expectations reasonable and in check. You're either trolling with all this greatness talk, or really delusional. I hope for your sake you're just trolling to be funny because if you're just delusional you're in for a rude awakening.
 
Cover bands and wedding bands can make a living and some do really well. Austin is a pretty active music city and I know only two guys personally who are making it off of their own music. One guy is the drummer in band whose song I recently heard on the radio. The other is doing blues rock stuff in biker bars. He is getting by and doesn't have a day job, but he's barely making it.

I probably made about $100 over the years selling my crap. But I do zero marketing.
 
stringbender05 said:
I was just wanting to hear from the guy who said yeah I sold this many albums and I made this much money. Being a solo artist was something I dove into after I watched all my old band mates give up music to go get day jobs. I quit my day job to do the music thing full time. With that being said I know people who still work 9-5 jobs and play music on the side as a hobby. Nothing is wrong with that, but im hungry for more. I never expected anyone to support my dream since it's my dream and not theirs. I think when you are as great as me you can't really help but shine. Those people playing the lottery who can't afford it are comparable to bedroom producers who aren't really any good but just throw their shit around the internet anyways. You are kind of right though nobody could give a fuck about my album. My only intention is to make it great, and make it something I can be proud of. I wanna be the best. I have to listen to people tell me rock music is dead all the time while Kanye West plays the role of a rock star. I don't like it, and it gives me a little more edge to become a successful artist. Where is the guy who sold albums? Nobody said anything yet so that means the achievement is up for grabs. I will take it if nobody else is willing to try.
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My boiler-plate response for this is always to ask you how much money you have spent on the original music of other Bandcamp/Soundcloud-level amateur music in the past year? Has it been enough to sustain anyone's career? If not, you might want to consider that most people will be similarly motivated to financially support others' home recorded music. Of course I can't stop you from thinking you're the shining exception to this universal rule, so you may just have to go ahead, put something out there, and see for yourself. Best of luck.
 
Greg_L said:
Your only realistic chance at selling your own albums is playing live.
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Yep, this has ALWAYS been the case, and it's even more the case now. Soundcloud? Reverbnation? You might get a few clicks and a "fan" or two or twenty. There are millions of people on those sites and no way to stand out or move people. You can move them with a live show. And that's the only way to go.

As far as success, my band sold some records years ago and made it as far as college radio. That wasn't very hard to do...just play a bunch of colleges and network with the local journalists (have someone in your band with good social skills for this job). They love obscure bands and will want to interview you, etc. If you think you're going to sit in your house and people will come discover you you're being a dreamer and fooling yourself.

The Beatles toured for months (maybe years) in Hamburg before getting discovered. It took that long touring for the fucking Beatles who were out doing it every night, sometimes 8hr sets, so imagine what a homerecorder is up against.

Writing an album is fun. I suggest doing it for that reason. The fact you're calling your own material a "masterpiece" is pretty messed up, btw. Massive ego there and possible delusions of grandeur, which will never go over well when you're out networking.
 
4tracker said:
Soundcloud? Reverbnation? You might get a few clicks .
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And those sites are only inhabited by other bands/musicians trying to get a few clicks. Regular people don't tune in to soundcloud or reverbnation to listen to music. Those sites are musicians playing to other musicians, and everyone knows musician's don't support each other.
 
Greg_L said:
And those sites are only inhabited by other bands/musicians trying to get a few clicks. Regular people don't tune in to soundcloud or reverbnation to listen to music. Those sites are musicians playing to other musicians, and everyone knows musician's don't support each other.
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Agreed.

I think most of us here use them to share mixes for suggestions. But if someone is on there looking to make it big, 99.9% of them are screwed. I'm sure a few do well on there, but they're probably out touring.
 
4tracker said:
Agreed.

I think most of us here use them to share mixes for suggestions. But if someone is on there looking to make it big, 99.9% of them are screwed. I'm sure a few do well on there, but they're probably out touring.
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Touring bands don't do well either. Sure, U2 and Bruce Springsteen make millions on tour, but joe garage band that takes a few weeks off work to hit the road in a van to live the dream of playing to empty clubs where no one knows you or cares...joe garage band reverbnation superstar hemorrhages money to do their stupid little tour..
 
I am a solo artist and Ive sold dozen(s) of albums making me a hundredannaire. Ive since retired and now live the highlife in rural Pennsylvania.

Follow your dream, work hard, and one day you could reach the sky, like me.
 
Greg_L said:
Touring bands don't do well either. Sure, U2 and Bruce Springsteen make millions on tour, but joe garage band that takes a few weeks off work to hit the road in a van to live the dream of playing to empty clubs where no one knows you or cares...joe garage band reverbnation superstar hemorrhages money to do their stupid little tour..
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I'm not saying touring bands do well, but that the [very few] bands on soundcloud who are popular and seemingly "making it" via that site are probably out touring their asses off, not just relying on soundcloud.
 
4tracker said:
I'm not saying touring bands do well, but that the [very few] bands on soundcloud who are popular and seemingly "making it" via that site are probably out touring their asses off, not just relying on soundcloud.
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It's such a necessary evil. If you're determined to "make it" you have to tour, but that means years of hard struggling. Sure, maybe being broke and living on people's floors is part of the fun for some people. Then when the fun is over, you go back to working at guitar center and impress the locals with your stories of the road. That's what really happens with those bands.
 
kcearl said:
I am a solo artist and Ive sold dozen(s) of albums making me a hundredannaire. Ive since retired and now live the highlife in rural Pennsylvania.

Follow your dream, work hard, and one day you could reach the sky, like me.
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Inspirational stuff, KC. :D Incidentally, what's the sky like?
 
These are misconceptions you never have to deal with if your music heroes have always themselves had day jobs, or been broke, crazy, infirmed, etc.
 
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