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Is it possible to become a Fastlane musician?

db7903915

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Hey guys, I seem to have arrived at a fork in the road.

For the past 4 years, I've made it my #1 goal to make a living off music production and DJing. I've spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours in my room making music, and have reached a pretty significant amount of recognition online and locally. I've met a few locally recognized DJs and producers, and they all want to "put me on" because of my fairly young age (18).

I've got a choice to make.

I either go back to what I was doing, and continue producing music and practicing DJing. Get my first gig in a month or two, and continue grinding and talking with booking agents about possibilities of international bookings, or being a tour support for a bigger artist. Continue to make friends and meet other producers, grow my fanbase, and create music.

The other choice is to drop music, keeping it as a side hobby, and begin interviewing influentials entrepreneurs and founders (IceCreamKid's idea). Build a brand around that by providing value through the interviews. Basically the easiest fastlane-esque venture for someone with no real-world entrepreneurial experience (I've only done flipping on craigslist and building websites).

I'm having a lot of anxiety because of these two possibilities. I know that if I keep being worried and do nothing, that it won't matter what I choose, since nothing will happen. Only by choosing one will I be able to create value and build wealth.

The reason I'm anxious is because I've spent years on this, and pretty much everyone knows me as the "producer/dj" person. Even my own parents expect me to become "famous", which is ridiculous because it's basically impossible unless you have a breakthrough management/marketing team. People have called my music all kinds of nice things, but the songs themselves have never made a musician a living. All value is created at the live shows and concerts, and coincidentally that's how you get paid.

I love making music and have been involved musically since I was a little kid. But I also dreamed of building a business as a little kid. This has very little relevance in the real world, but I'm still that little kid.

You can see my music here: https://soundcloud.com/syremusic (This is not for self-promotion, I just want to share as much detail as possible)

What would you do if you were in my position? I'd love to hear your responses. Thank you guys.
 
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theag

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Seems to me like there is a lot of luck of involved (on top of hard work) in getting to a high level in entertainment, so its not the best road if your priority is financial independence.

Are there any top producers/djs that were very methodical/process oriented in how they got to the top and did not have this single breakthrough moment?

"Doing what you love" is in most cases not the right road to take in fastlane terms.
 

Josh

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I would say keep active with your passion but start thinking more laterally and find a way to combine your skill set and industry knowledge with a vehicle to produce value to a large audience.

Can you start an online dj school?
DJing info product/ video courae?
Is there a piece of hardware/software that you could improve/invent?
Could you create your own agency where you produce music for businesses?
Could you combine your DJing with another ability/talent to make you unique? Then build a social following and get endorsements.

These are just off the top of my head. I could probably come up with a dozen more. Start practicing creativity everyday and the endless possibilities will open up to you.

Business is about exploiting your competitive advantage (ie. discovering your unique skill set and value) and finding a way to transmute it into a product/service that brings value to others.
 
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JasonR

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Oh man - this is a very difficult topic to reply to. I'll do my best, but please don't take my words (or anyone else's) as gospel.

First, you're 18. You're very young - and you have a lot of TIME. I will always encourage you to follow your DREAMS, even it if it's not necessarily business or entrepreneurial. If your dream is to be a musician, by all means pursue it. Pursue your dream harder and with a furious dedication. Realize you will fail, a lot (we all do). Pursue it anyway. Don't pursue being a musician if you are just after MONEY. Money may not follow. Happiness just might.

You may decide in a few years that you want to keep pursuing music. You may decide to quit.

Have you considered that even after pursuing your music career for 5 years, you'll only be 23? If you call it "quits" in five years, you can go after anything else you may want.

I don't have much experience or knowledge in the music industry outside of music I listen to. I don't know the formula, if there is one, to "make" it in the music business. I do know it's incredibly difficult to become very successful in the music industry, and that the industry doesn't always reward people with talent and ridiculous work ethic.

But if you do pursue music, pursue it with all your heart and soul. Forget everything else.

Here is the honest truth most people won't tell you. Building a business is HARD, really hard. The chances for success are probably higher than becoming a famous/rich musician. The truth is, you will probably have to drop music for a period of time while you're building a business. You will need to pour your heart and soul into a business, and forego the rest. You can't have it all. When your business is successful, and after YEARS of building a business and business systems, you will be able to take a step back from the business and resume your hobbies.

Only you can make the choice. There is on right or wrong answer - there is only a right and wrong for YOU.
 
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Formless

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Honestly my answer would look something like Jason's answer.

I'm really just writing because I checked out your SC page. I was having a shitty morning, listened to your stuff, and now I'm having a great morning :)

Your music is excellent - from both a subjective and objective perspective.
 

JamesSJ

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I have built a couple of businesses in the electronic music world - Josh has the right idea.

I'll be honest with you , it's not easy to get traction with any of things. It took me around 2 years to get two of the businesses really off the ground to a point I could quit my job. There's a lot of people doing similar because electronic music is insanely popular right now (how long for, I do not know - but the bubble will burst on the 'EDM' thing) however there will always be an underground scene you can cater for.

You could use your skills to create products (sample packs, tutorial videos etc) and promote those - very good chance you will gain more recognition from those than your DJing skills would and unless you are very lucky probably way more money in it for you.

There's a tonne of people who are chasing the same dream you are to the point it's nearly pure luck to break through these days - so why not be the guy teaching them/selling them the tools to make it. Eventually if you still choose to, you can use your position to promote your music and DJ skills to the audience you have grown.

All the marketing skills you can learn from this very forum should be enough to push any products you choose to make, but the hard work and grind is purely up to you :)
 
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Leo Hendrix

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I think owning your own Label and or producing for others as well as being paid for live gigs is the way to go as you yourself have mentioned.
You never know when you could up with the next hit song, beat etc and make some good money off royalties.

One artist I follow has a good business model (Nipsey Hussle) not sure if your into Rap, but there are some out there who are cashed up but not that famous e.g Tech N9ne and Nipsey Hussle.

Remaining an independent artist is better for control (Artisically & Financially) but you could get 'put on' to begin with, to get your name and rep out there. Branding is another way to make money off your label, music and spin-off benefits e.g Nipsey.

(Speaking as a music lover and follower, was into music a lot before but haven't been into it so much in recent years. Never been a pro musician but have messed around in bands before but never went full-time or serious.)

I think you could make good money off it if your truly into it, your work should reflect your passion and authenticity and fans will recognize and appreciate it. As for being Fastlane that is up to you and how Biz Savvy you are.
 

Disciple

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Remember that there are now many ways to go about it without going through previously conventional means.

For example, think of what you could do if you knew an instrument.

> Upload instrumentals of popular songs onto YouTube.
> Create your own songs to sell.
> Many YouTube channels are now utilizing Patreon.
> Sell a course on teaching the instrument you play.
> Sell your own merchandise. (Music and clothing / accessories go hand in hand.)
> Send requests to singers to pair up for a song or two. If it goes through, you'll get some access to their fan base.

Put some time into thinking about other alternatives. Consider how the above could apply to you.
 

DaRK9

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Have you ever thought about licensing your music? Cloud rap is trending right now and I could see you producing tracks.

Sounds great! Can't really give advice about the money side of music.
 
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Joshua Navarro

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Wow your music is amazing.
I'd be interested in learning how to make the type of music you do.
Maybe you can do a course and create an online school teaching people how to make their own music?
 
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I think you have talent. But there's millions out there also with talent. My suggestion would be to build yourself a foundation of some sort so that you can support your living expenses on your own. Figure out a way to get yourself shelter, income, food and medical where you can rehearse and be free to continue on your path. Once you have this, you'll have separated yourself from the majority of those who also have talent. And then from there you'll have a home base to network and grow from or change course.

Opportunities to get record deals come in many shapes and sizes and your story reminds of the way it used to be in the 90s, and I can use Kid Rock as an example. For years he was on the scene here in metro-detroit as an independent label rapper and had a name that was known among several musicians and was able to get his stuff played on local radio and such, but I think it was like 8-10 years between his independent label stuff up until Atlantic records really started focusing on Detroit talent and Kid Rock was one of several locals who had Sony Atlantic contacting them. He hammered away at this for years with an above average amount of traction but it took that one little magical time here when for some reason, label scouts were swarming. To be honest, I don't think kid rock even had a band put together at the time. But what he did have was a recording studio, The White Room. And a TON of contacts built up over the years along with business knowledge.

Last thing I think I remember about this is with the money he was given to record, he used to buy his own cd's which in-turn caused the record company to put more money into him because they saw he was selling. For some reason that always stuck out with me about the guys business sense and his ability to hack the system.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose!
 

JustKris

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What problems have you noticed in the DJ world? Is there a really annoying pain point that you (or your friends) would pay to solve?

You know that niche, so why not figure out a scalable solution?

Example: I did a couple rap songs this year and leased a beat from a music producer, completely online. That guy is killing it.
 
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Disciple

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Last thing I think I remember about this is with the money he was given to record, he used to buy his own cd's which in-turn caused the record company to put more money into him because they saw he was selling. For some reason that always stuck out with me about the guys business sense and his ability to hack the system.
That's a fascinating bit you got there.
 

Ninjakid

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You need to open your mind. You say you only have two options when you could have thousands of possible options if you were aware of it.

In answer to your title question, yes it is possible to be a Fastlane musician; meaning you would own label and music, promote it yourself, and all the revenue would go through your business, which then pays employees, taxes, travel expenses, etc. etc. An example would be Jay-Z, who while most people think of him as a legendary rapper, he's just as much a businessman. He doesn't rely on a record label to sign him. He owns his own record label and signs other artists. He's Fastlane. Other artists may be very rich, but they're like employees to Interscope, or Virgin, or another.

Your proposal of getting gigs as a DJ will definitely earn you quite a bit of money and probably be fun for you, but keep in mind your money is still tied to your time. Unless you're actually licensing or selling records, it will be just like a job you make for yourself.

Music to me is an art, not a business. I would rather create wealth for myself first, and then be able to appreciate my passion for music, rather than risk jeopardizing my passion for art by turning it into a money system, but that's why I'm not a professional musician.

I'm a martial artist, and I have as much passion for martial arts as I have for technology and business, but I would never try to make a living off martial arts. Some things are best left to exist outside the realm of finance.

So in answer to your question, if I was in your position, I would focus on creating a functioning business that could eventually make money without my input, while still making music, and maybe doing some gigs as a hobby. THEN when I had a sustainable passive income stream, I would devote all my time to making music, or whatever else it was that I felt like doing.
 
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Tony I

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For the past 4 years, I've made it my #1 goal to make a living off music production and DJing. I've spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours in my room making music, and have reached a pretty significant amount of recognition online and locally. I've met a few locally recognized DJs and producers, and they all want to "put me on" because of my fairly young age (18).

I would continue with the music and see where it goes. You've got over 100K views on your songs, which means that the market likes what you produce. You're not starting from zero.

you've put 4 years in of mastering your craft. While it would maybe also work to put it to the side and work on a fastlane venture, it takes time to learn those skills as well. And there's not guarantee you succeed, either. If you truly want to do music, I'd focus on it for a few more years. If you fail, who cares? You're young, you have tons of time.

you just got to find a way to monetize. Have you heard of Ryan leslie & his renegades venture? He has a awesome model of how he generates revenue from his music. He mentions that even artists with very small fan bases can make a living off music, if done right. Look up his YT interviews, there's some gold.

article: http://pando.com/2014/11/20/with-th...t-the-record-label-for-the-new-music-economy/
 
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jason91

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Hey guys, I seem to have arrived at a fork in the road.

For the past 4 years, I've made it my #1 goal to make a living off music production and DJing. I've spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours in my room making music, and have reached a pretty significant amount of recognition online and locally. I've met a few locally recognized DJs and producers, and they all want to "put me on" because of my fairly young age (18).

I've got a choice to make.

I either go back to what I was doing, and continue producing music and practicing DJing. Get my first gig in a month or two, and continue grinding and talking with booking agents about possibilities of international bookings, or being a tour support for a bigger artist. Continue to make friends and meet other producers, grow my fanbase, and create music.

The other choice is to drop music, keeping it as a side hobby, and begin interviewing influentials entrepreneurs and founders (IceCreamKid's idea). Build a brand around that by providing value through the interviews. Basically the easiest fastlane-esque venture for someone with no real-world entrepreneurial experience (I've only done flipping on craigslist and building websites).

I'm having a lot of anxiety because of these two possibilities. I know that if I keep being worried and do nothing, that it won't matter what I choose, since nothing will happen. Only by choosing one will I be able to create value and build wealth.

The reason I'm anxious is because I've spent years on this, and pretty much everyone knows me as the "producer/dj" person. Even my own parents expect me to become "famous", which is ridiculous because it's basically impossible unless you have a breakthrough management/marketing team. People have called my music all kinds of nice things, but the songs themselves have never made a musician a living. All value is created at the live shows and concerts, and coincidentally that's how you get paid.

I love making music and have been involved musically since I was a little kid. But I also dreamed of building a business as a little kid. This has very little relevance in the real world, but I'm still that little kid.

You can see my music here: https://soundcloud.com/syremusic (This is not for self-promotion, I just want to share as much detail as possible)

What would you do if you were in my position? I'd love to hear your responses. Thank you guys.
As far as I can tell, you're having great traction in the music / DJ world.
I've Dj'd for a year before and it was interesting. I sucked. I stopped because it just didn't fit what I'm good at. Although I landed an opener at a Manhattan nightclub becuase I knew another DJ. I didn't pursue it any further because it just wasn't for me.

What is for you? Don't be so inspired by the entrepreneur next door that you drop what you are great at - what you add to society simply because they did. For me, launching a company is exciting and fits me. Does that fit you?

There's many musicians who've gotten wealthy through music. Perhaps there is a huge element of luck - and perhaps the more key locations you perform at, the luckier you'll be.

Take Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, and many others. They've taken their musical recognition and made fastlanes relative to their brand. Music is an industry. Why can't you be a musician and innovate the industry? I dislike Tidal. Why don't you come up with something better? Lol, but on a serious note - I don't think it's for anyone here on the forums to make your decision - or anyone other than you to make that decision. Just remember the actions and decisions of today will stay with you in your later years.

What do YOU really want to do?
 

jason91

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Hey guys, I seem to have arrived at a fork in the road.

For the past 4 years, I've made it my #1 goal to make a living off music production and DJing. I've spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours in my room making music, and have reached a pretty significant amount of recognition online and locally. I've met a few locally recognized DJs and producers, and they all want to "put me on" because of my fairly young age (18).

I've got a choice to make.

I either go back to what I was doing, and continue producing music and practicing DJing. Get my first gig in a month or two, and continue grinding and talking with booking agents about possibilities of international bookings, or being a tour support for a bigger artist. Continue to make friends and meet other producers, grow my fanbase, and create music.

The other choice is to drop music, keeping it as a side hobby, and begin interviewing influentials entrepreneurs and founders (IceCreamKid's idea). Build a brand around that by providing value through the interviews. Basically the easiest fastlane-esque venture for someone with no real-world entrepreneurial experience (I've only done flipping on craigslist and building websites).

I'm having a lot of anxiety because of these two possibilities. I know that if I keep being worried and do nothing, that it won't matter what I choose, since nothing will happen. Only by choosing one will I be able to create value and build wealth.

The reason I'm anxious is because I've spent years on this, and pretty much everyone knows me as the "producer/dj" person. Even my own parents expect me to become "famous", which is ridiculous because it's basically impossible unless you have a breakthrough management/marketing team. People have called my music all kinds of nice things, but the songs themselves have never made a musician a living. All value is created at the live shows and concerts, and coincidentally that's how you get paid.

I love making music and have been involved musically since I was a little kid. But I also dreamed of building a business as a little kid. This has very little relevance in the real world, but I'm still that little kid.

You can see my music here: https://soundcloud.com/syremusic (This is not for self-promotion, I just want to share as much detail as possible)

What would you do if you were in my position? I'd love to hear your responses. Thank you guys.
Dude. I just saw your SoundCloud - my last post would have been totally different if I'd known. You have over 100k hits on your songs. What are you waiting for!?

The market has spoken. Music is a great decision for you. Your passion CAN be a great life decision IF you are filling market desires (which you clearly are). Don't worry so much about making a living at your point.

You have a good skillset and more views than people get in many years. You can always make a living when you have 100k views. Just show it to the venue you're going to DJ at.

Move forward full speed. Don't hesitate. At this point in your life - 18 - shoot forward into music, shoot forward, not walk. Make sure you deal with trustworthy people and have people to confide in. The world of business can be cutthroat - you want to make sure you're getting the best deals and opportunities.

You can be the next male version of Taylor Swift. Do what you love to do - when the market is giving good feedback.
You can study the specific events or series of events that led to Justin bieber, Taylor swift's fame. They may give you valuable insight.

You don't want to look back 5 years from now and think - what if I kept going with music? The world is saying your musics awesome! Give me more. Why not give them more? Why not take it to a level you've only dreamed about?

At your age you're very open to influence. You want to know what's the right thing to do. Nobody can really give you that answer. We all have different situations in our life. You create your life. Keep making things people love and you'll have many doors open to you
 

Disciple

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Dude. I just saw your SoundCloud - my last post would have been totally different if I'd known. You have over 100k hits on your songs. What are you waiting for!?
Views are great and all, but let's not forget the number of followers, which is just over 10,400. That alone is a pretty big milestone.

Taking those over to YouTube and grabbing more followers could bring up the numbers.
 
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masterneme

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I think so.

You can perform live using Youtube Live or Twitch and develop a brand easily with today's technology.

And you only need Open Broadcaster Software and an OK Internet connection.

You record your sessions, upload them to Youtube and share them.

And if you buy a domain with your name you can centralize everything, you can link it to a Blogger or Wordpress blog for free.

I can help if you want.
 

ClaytonAlbright

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You could always pursue the DJ route and if it doesn't pan out use your INSIDERS knowledge to identify a need, pain point, or gap in the market that needs servicing, or a way to do it better.

For example your stuck making a decision by trying to make it big through doing tons of work as a musician currently or going another route. My guess is there's lots of others in the this same position. There's an opportunity right there, if you can figure out how to monetize your own work and all the others that are in the same position and provide that service for them. Sure there's always youtube but can you think of a better way? While "doing what you love" isn't a guarantee at all for success the advantage it can provide is since you know the market so well once you go into an entrepreneur mindset you can identify opportunities within that market. And if the DJ'ing does pan out then your still golden.

A lot of times ideas come up in unexpected circumstances. Take MJ for example, that one random encounter of someone asking him if he knew of a Limo driver (in NY?) gave him an idea and spotted an opportunity. Don't dig for gold, sell the shovels.
 

MikeC

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Ugh, if I listen to one more successful entrepreneur interview I think I'm going to blow up. Music is a multi-billion dollar industry. It's huge. A lot of artists have billion dollar empires, which they own very little of because they waited to get "discovered" and signed horrible contracts.

I think you overestimate the savviness of these "marketing teams" and "managers". I'd be surprised if any of them have read a significant book on marketing.

IMO the music industry is absolutely primed for the fastlane. Everyone's doing the same exact shit. 99.9999% of musicians are scared to death of sales and marketing and will sell their soul for someone else to do a poor job at it for them. Learn basic business fundamentals and apply them to your music and you will easily stand head and shoulders above your competition.

When I was in a band in high school, we played "shows" at local venues. We had to sell tickets for the venue to play there. We also had these little cheap download cards we'd sell to make like $3 a piece profit on. Every time we played a show, we had to sell tickets to a brand new group of people, it was a nightmare.

Looking back, if we had just offered those download cards for free in return for a phone number, we could've easily built a following that would come to every show. And that is one of the most absurdly basic marketing tactics that exist. How many shows have I been to where I've been offered something for free in return for an email or phone number? Literally none. And again, this is such an insanely basic marketing strategy. Go deeper and there's no one even close to THINKING about the possibilities.

Study people like Jay Abraham, Dan S. Kennedy and Joe Polish. Hell if all you did was read Jay Abraham's "Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got", you'd have everything you needed to make your music as big as you could possibly ever want it.

You don't need to be a one in a million talent to make it in the music industry. Your music is easily above average and a lot of people already like it. I can guarantee there are at least 1,000,000 more people in this world who would love it as is. Learn sales and marketing, then get it in front of them.
 

Nightshift

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Hey dmiytrib!

First off, thanks for posting the SC link. I really enjoyed all the tracks you had uploaded.

On the matter of what course you should take, I believe JasonR and the rest have already provided plenty of great insight. You are obviously talented and have polished that talent with countless hours of HARD WORK. I believe that the most important take away here is that you have the dedication to improve your craft. Of course you never stop improving, but from what you have shown us I can definitely say that you will be successful in whatever endeavor you try as long as you apply the same work ethic and passion.

In my humble opinion, I believe you should take the opportunity presented to you and run with it.

Play awesome gigs.
Meet new people everyday.
Travel the world.
Grow your brand, as you yourself grow.

Whatever you decide to do though, just remember that success is ultimately a matter of reaching and succeeding YOUR goals. Don't allow another person's idea of success to influence your decisions.
 

Get Right

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Wow, your music is solid! If I had that kind of talent, I would ride it out until I proved there was absolutely no way I could make money at it.
 
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M&A

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I know 11 people who are trying to make it as music industry:

4 are in a band and do gigs around London, they have an online presence. They might do a gig and sell 10 albums if they are lucky so 100$ gross between 4 people. Probably losing money.

1 sings/guitar made it on to a TV show where the contestant wins a record deal, came in 4th. = Still putting youtube videos hoping hell be the next Justin Bieber.

5 do gigs in my city don't get paid whatsoever, have no real future/talent/value.

1 produced an album, 2 hit songs that went on top 20 on billboard one of which sold over 2.2 million. He emigrated to LA with an O-Visa (for exceptionally talented people in music/sports/entertainment) and he his living well now better than any 20 something I know.

His soundcloud has under 400 views, youtube has 100 subs (So don't think that has anything got to do with success).

HE MADE IT BY NETWORKING GETTING ARTISTS TO TAKE A CHANCE ON HIM AND MAKING HIT MUSIC, WHICH LED TO DEALS WITH VARIOUS ARTIST AND ULTIMATELY A MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY.

HE NOW GETS PAID WHEN HIS SONGS ARE ON THE RADIO AND IS SIGNED BY SONY.

This guy took massive action emigrated his quiet country to move to LA and make his dream a reality. He's been in the studio with Tyga and on Chris Browns video set.

I suggest you go out into the world and get your music to the right ears, don't be like the 10 people who are spinning their wheels not getting anywhere.

Study the art of making a "hit", listen to the songs that sold 1,000,000+ the past year mostly pop/rnb/rap songs. Get in touch with any singers who will talk to you and work with them, email them your beats. Someone will take a chance on you. This life aint no dress rehearsal get on it :smoking::smoking::smoking:

- Music/Movie Lover
 

Shdreams

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I'm no expert in what is and isn't fastlane. But if the masses are downloading, watching, purchasing your music. It's fastlane material in My Books. ANd I'm pretty sure MJ touched on that in His Book to. ;)
 

masterneme

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I know 11 people who are trying to make it as music industry:

4 are in a band and do gigs around London, they have an online presence. They might do a gig and sell 10 albums if they are lucky so 100$ gross between 4 people. Probably losing money.

1 sings/guitar made it on to a TV show where the contestant wins a record deal, came in 4th. = Still putting youtube videos hoping hell be the next Justin Bieber.

5 do gigs in my city don't get paid whatsoever, have no real future/talent/value.

1 produced an album, 2 hit songs that went on top 20 on billboard one of which sold over 2.2 million. He emigrated to LA with an O-Visa (for exceptionally talented people in music/sports/entertainment) and he his living well now better than any 20 something I know.

His soundcloud has under 400 views, youtube has 100 subs (So don't think that has anything got to do with success).

HE MADE IT BY NETWORKING GETTING ARTISTS TO TAKE A CHANCE ON HIM AND MAKING HIT MUSIC, WHICH LED TO DEALS WITH VARIOUS ARTIST AND ULTIMATELY A MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY.

HE NOW GETS PAID WHEN HIS SONGS ARE ON THE RADIO AND IS SIGNED BY SONY.

This guy took massive action emigrated his quiet country to move to LA and make his dream a reality. He's been in the studio with Tyga and on Chris Browns video set.

I suggest you go out into the world and get your music to the right ears, don't be like the 10 people who are spinning their wheels not getting anywhere.

Study the art of making a "hit", listen to the songs that sold 1,000,000+ the past year mostly pop/rnb/rap songs. Get in touch with any singers who will talk to you and work with them, email them your beats. Someone will take a chance on you. This life aint no dress rehearsal get on it :smoking::smoking::smoking:

- Music/Movie Lover

I think this isn't the problem with him, he already said that he met recognized people and he is already taking action.

He's paralyzed by analysis.

My guess is that he's undecided between two options because no one ever told him that, in fact, he can do whatever he wants, he can bake the cake and eat it too.

He could right now leverage his work continuing making music at his own pace without burning out, doing some live performances, making recordings, building a brand around his persona AND synergize that with the business side interviewing entrepeneurs and founders as he wanted.

If he's into sound/music production he could create a podcast interviewing people and cross-promoting his stuff.

Dicotomy is the way poor people think, they limit themselves with self imposed mutually exclusive options.

Just take look at this channel, is still in Beta, he could be an early adopter, have his own live show and dominate that subsection, there is no competence right now.

The Glitch Mob registered there, that for me is a signal that something is going on.

What if he gets a gig somewhere? he could broadcast it live and become the star of the frontpage, get partnership with Twitch and make recurring money with subscriptions.

This is 2015, you don't need a publisher, with today's technology you can become one.

Why do I say this?

Armin van Buuren, best DJ in the world for years, did exactly that: regular live performances, selling CD albums, live broadcasting with di.fm (his show A State Of Trance) and his own company Armada Music (which has a Youtube channel with almost 1.9 million subscribers, almost 1.3 billion visualizations and promotes different artists), now he's a music mega-mogul.

So, is it possible to become a Fastlane musician?

I think so, I just named one of them.
 
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db7903915

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Thank you so much guys. The response is overwhelmingly supportive. Today is my birthday, and following up to it, this thread has been the best present I could have wished for.

I've compiled a folder of all your tips and encouragements, and look at them daily. I have a refreshed sense of opportunity in my music and in my life. I've made a few decisions that I have been procrastinating on for a while, and now I'm working on them.

This community is so incredible, and even though there's only a small number of musicians here, you were all able to understand my situation and offer helpful guidance. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I must now get to work.

Update thread will follow shortly.
 

Kreedos Phoenix

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Man, I am really digging this music. I was freestyling over some of these beats!!! I just followed you on SC.

At 18 I would keep going and keep doing my best to get better and better each day.

To get some more followers and enhance your brand, I'd recommend spinning live sets on Meerkat or Periscope. It all comes down to your execution.

You have the fan base for it though and I'm sure they will follow you there...especially on Periscope where it appears to be a younger demographic.

A word from experience, be careful who you let "Put you on". Snakes all in the music industry...

Peace
 

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