Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

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funkyguitar
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Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by funkyguitar » Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:53 pm

I imagine for some in this forum Taxi submissions account for a certain percentage of your annual income and am wondering how that fits in with overall earnings. I'm looking at ways to increase my earnings and am wondering what you have personally done to take matters by the horns and earn money with your music career. Who here is earning around the median household income of $68,703 (in 2019 according to the United States Census Bureau)? Would love to hear from others who have wisdom to share.

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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by cosmicdolphin » Sun Dec 27, 2020 3:01 am

funkyguitar wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:53 pm
I'm looking at ways to increase my earnings and am wondering what you have personally done to take matters by the horns and earn money with your music career.
Gauging it from your previous posts you're pretty new to all this. I'll offer you a reality check based on my own experience.

This is a slow business and building up a catalogue takes a number of years. Now I'm no "Taxi Superstar " but I don't suck either. I'm approaching my 5th year now, and I've yet to make anything more than what I would call pocket money even though I've done better than many and have a few hundred tracks in Libraries with around 50 placements.

I've pretty much written it off as a 2nd income, I'd be at least 50k better off by now had I spent the time working a 2nd job at minimum wage. These days I'm aiming for the long term play of what it'll generate in 20yrs when I retire. I enjoy it so I'll carry on. To be honest I've spent more than everything I've earned on studio upgrades, new monitors, better midi controller, faster Pc etc.

However there are more fun ways to make music , and easier ways to earn money. If you need more money NOW then don't rely on music licensing if you're new to it.

Mark

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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by Kolstad » Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:16 am

I see social media now is saturated with proposals to make more money with music. Most of these things are done by people who cannot sustain an income without it. 99% online bullshit.

Very few people can sustain a decent living from music only now. In actual percentages, it would probably be less than 1% of everyone who tries world wide. If I could make just 1/10th of that median income on recordings, I'd be thrilled!

Your best bet is to have fun, and expect nothing. At least that way, you are not mislead and can avoid resentment.
Last edited by Kolstad on Wed Jan 27, 2021 1:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by funkyguitar » Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:26 pm

This is a slow business and building up a catalogue takes a number of years. Now I'm no "Taxi Superstar " but I don't suck either. I'm approaching my 5th year now, and I've yet to make anything more than what I would call pocket money even though I've done better than many and have a few hundred tracks in Libraries with around 50 placements.

I've pretty much written it off as a 2nd income, I'd be at least 50k better off by now had I spent the time working a 2nd job at minimum wage. These days I'm aiming for the long term play of what it'll generate in 20yrs when I retire. I enjoy it so I'll carry on. To be honest I've spent more than everything I've earned on studio upgrades, new monitors, better midi controller, faster Pc etc.

Mark
[/quote]

I hear you. I wasn't referring specifically to income from Taxi submissions, rather what people here are doing to earn a living with music. Sounds like you're less concerned with what you can earn with Taxi now and more concerned with what you can earn in the future.

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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by charlie2 » Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:34 am

The system is geared against the composer/artist. It's a damn shame considering that music/arts and entertainment is the 2nd largest industry in our nation. People around the world love america bc of its arts and entertainment.
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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by DesireInspires » Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:36 pm

You all should co-write with other songwriters. It has helped to boost my earnings by a good deal. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to become a pro at one genre. But adding parts and pieces to others’ tracks for an even split does help to build up the catalog quicker and to learn new sounds and techniques.

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Re: Suggestions For Taking Control Of Your Music Career

Post by AudiniAudio » Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:49 pm

The industry only needs a couple of go-to guys. Unless they start shooting themselves in the foot, the door is not really open unless you work your tail off and have a very long tail.

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