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If you're a musician, you're definitely an entrepreneur!

G

Guest61835

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I've come to a realization that musicians are also great and amazing entrepreneurs! Little did I know I'm completely capable of being one. Not only that, but I've always been one. I've just realized and awoken to the fact that I CAN become financially free and do what I love. Not be limited to my dream but my dream can bring me down the right path.

Reasons I'm pursuing musician entrepreneurship:

1: Money and music are abundant. It's basically a necessity for people to listen to music. People will buy whatever you put out there not only if it's bad but ESPECIALLY LEGENDARY.

2: It follows the commandment of time. Once you get your music into the eye of the beholder, people will buy it. People will consume it like candy. Therefore after making just one song , that song is there forever and people see it granted you know how to advertise and get your name (brand) out there.

3: If you want to make millions, sell millions to millions of people. This is one of those ways to start this path of true Financial freedom by all those social media websites and media streaming websites! Heck you don't even have to make your music streamable, just direct them back to your web page if you want to sell it!

4: Music is not only abundant, it's infinite. You can make ANY STYLE YOU WANT or don't want. Heck, people listen to music that doesn't even sound good or have great lyrics nor great instrumentals or even plays real instruments! Capitalize on people's needs!

5: I've been playing guitar for over 10 years. I've play drums for over 5 years. And I've played bass guitar for over 3 years. I am still working on my vocals (which is the hardest for me) but it's still a skill to have basic vocal skills! Why should I waste my most valuable skill? And ive made music with 2 to 3 other bands ,granted they were not POPULAR nor by any means BIG BANDS, I still got to engage in true creativity with many many other people!

This is my new mission and commitment. Not only can I create music but I can create any genre that anyone wants. Heck I even have music out there that I created with just a laptop/laptop mic, guitar amp, and keyboard and still made music with just Audacity. A simple free audio editing software. I'm a big adapter when I have ambition for something I truly want.
I don't have to make music entirely forever as my only source of passive income! It's just a start!

This is my dream. And I'm starting to live it. As of today. Eventually one day, this WILL lead to financial freedom. Gotta plant the seeds otherwise you won't take a chance and may never and will never see your tree bloom and bear the fruits of your hard work that eventually feeds you forever.
 
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Temujin

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Awesome stuff, I'm sharing this with a friend of mine, who is an aspiring artist but hesitant to really start putting out content. He has some great potential and is always working on his craft.
 
G

Guest61835

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Awesome stuff, I'm sharing this with a friend of mine, who is an aspiring artist but hesitant to really start putting out content. He has some great potential and is always working on his craft.
No problem! People don't understand what they can do with music. And people LOVE music these days. It's basically an essential! With commitment and process, you can make these dreams come true. You just have to do the work.
 

minivanman

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Speaking of, I was telling the lil woman just the other day that I am so surprised at her nephew and his wife for being so business-like. He is a professional clarinet player and she is a professional viola player and they have done VERY well in the short time since they graduated. They play for a few different orchestras around the US and they both teach from their home. All while having a baby to take care of. And, my brother-in-law is a professional pianist and voice teacher who has done ok for himself as well. He was teaching at a college but now they moved back to Texas so he is doing his own thing. I'm proud of them all for doing as well as they have because they don't really have a business sense at all, yet they won't listen to a word I say about business.... they think music is different. TONS of money to be made all over the music business from teaching to playing in bars.
 
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srodrigo

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It's great that you can pursue what you love while still make a living and, who knows, maybe go fastlane.

I would just be aware of the overcrowded market. There are tons of bands out there, but people only have a limited amount of time to listen to music, so you need to be among the best to make it really big. I would say, spend time on learning marketing; you can be really good, but there are other really good and relatively unknown bands out there, so you need to stand out in a different way.

I wish you best of luck!

P.S: I'm in the same position, but making video games, which is becoming more and more like being a musician in a small band :), it shares the same problem of overcrowded markets.
 

Limitless4Life

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I was in the same boat - been playing guitar for 10 years and have played in many bands/gigs.

Remember - It’s truly a game where the top 1% takes all since there’s practically no barrier to entry.

And like MJ says, doing it for a living can kill your love. Beware of the wonder twin, “do what you love!”

I would play three 3-hour gigs per day at a (pretty high) hourly rate with my girlfriend at the time who was a great singer. Sounds like the life right?

Eh...

Lugging equipment, playing the same songs, feeling like your fingers are going to fall off, $2 tips, playing for a small/boring audience...

Gets pretty old really fast.

And,

Just because you’re good doesn’t mean people want to listen.

Plus, there’s a whole other realm of ‘good’ out there at the top. But that’s another story...
 

Startup Steve

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Here are some target salaries for people to consider for this industry:
Piano Accompanist Salary $53k
Composer Salary $53k
Singer Salary $49k
Music Therapist Salary $44k
DJ Salary $43k
Musician Salary $41k
Music Producer Salary $40k
Piano Tuner Salary $37k
Live Sound Engineer Salary $37k
Music Business Manager Salary $34k
 
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G

Guest61835

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It's great that you can pursue what you love while still make a living and, who knows, maybe go fastlane.

I would just be aware of the overcrowded market. There are tons of bands out there, but people only have a limited amount of time to listen to music, so you need to be among the best to make it really big. I would say, spend time on learning marketing; you can be really good, but there are other really good and relatively unknown bands out there, so you need to stand out in a different way.

I wish you best of luck!

P.S: I'm in the same position, but making video games, which is becoming more and more like being a musician in a small band :), it shares the same problem of overcrowded markets.
Thanks! I'm aware I have to stand out. I have been writing/planning out my process as such in my journal:

Goal: Passive Income
If I want to be financially free I need to plant the tree.

The How: Create and sell my music.
Not to toot my own horn but I know exactly how to create music. All of it (at least the most popular ones and my favorite).

The What (What will sell my music):
Advertisement is other platforms and websites WILL get my name out there easily.

Which sites and places can I advertise? This is where it branches.

1
Social media: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Ozone, Tumblr.

2
Music streaming sites: Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora Radio, SoundCloud, Google Play music.

3
Video stream sites: YouTube, Daily motion, Vimeo.

4
Personal website: Where I'm centralizing myself.
 

minivanman

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I was in the same boat - been playing guitar for 10 years and have played in many bands/gigs.

Remember - It’s truly a game where the top 1% takes all since there’s practically no barrier to entry.

And like MJ says, doing it for a living can kill your love. Beware of the wonder twin, “do what you love!”

I would play three 3-hour gigs per day at a (pretty high) hourly rate with my girlfriend at the time who was a great singer. Sounds like the life right?

Eh...

Lugging equipment, playing the same songs, feeling like your fingers are going to fall off, $2 tips, playing for a small/boring audience...

Gets pretty old really fast.

And,

Just because you’re good doesn’t mean people want to listen.

Plus, there’s a whole other realm of ‘good’ out there at the top. But that’s another story...

So turn your experience in to another business. Get paid to do their marketing or maybe even make a course to sell about marketing a band.
 

amp0193

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G

Guest61835

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Can we hear some?
Sure thing! I'm moving into my apartment with my fiance next month on December 20th. That should be around the time I get settled and start making music. Right now I only have a laptop, desktop computer, 1 guitar, 1 amp, and 1 pedal. That's it. I only need 5 things now basically but really only 4. An auido interface to plug my instruments (microphone, guitar, midi keyboard) up to and then plug into my desktop. Some recording software. My uncle is a musician too and showed me a program called mixcraft. So I'll use that or another program. Then a midi controller. Then boom! Music. But ya I'll post/share some songs on here once I get those last few things. I should have everything by the end of next month. I'll update you guys once I make a song/album.

It won't be alot of money obviously but it's a starting point. My first attempt to plant my first seed! And then I can expand on my central website or other things and start selling more than just music. This will be my seed training.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
So turn your experience in to another business. Get paid to do their marketing or maybe even make a course to sell about marketing a band.
I am possible going to do something like that as well. I've been out of the loop with specifically musical technology for about a year or two. Now that I have a good job that pays well , I can start the process pretty quickly actually. I could make courses, make a fourm/bloggimg section on the site, and it could grow from a simple music site to something even bigger. I would actually like to help musians everywhere with their needs and such but in a Fastlane way. That has yet to be started but I'm focusing on one idea at a time now. The first one is build that website, make music, and spread it out. Music is my best mental training. Because of the creativity in creating music, I can create so many more things that just music. And I'm excited! One seed at a time.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
Can we hear some?
So here is one of my songs I have created now that I have a few things to make the music. It isn't exactly a song, but it is just made to test the program I am using now. It is just a test song. Not the entire real thing. Just a preview of what I am capable of.
 
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Attachments

  • Software Metal Test Song.mp3
    4.8 MB · Views: 69
G

Guest61835

Guest
Can we hear some?
My work in the music industry is still progressing. I am doing the work. Reading the books. Researching the known and unknown, and actually applying myself and executing the work through process.
 
G

Guest61362

Guest
Hey man, I used to have this music thing as a hobby.
- You got to use that compressor/limiter so they actually listen
- EQ out low-lows and bring out some guitars at 2300hz plus EQ down them muds at about 200hz - depends on genre of course
- These days a lot of kit (speakers, earphones) amp the bass up, depends on audience and genre
- Open up that stereo field
- Use some reverb (not on mids & lows tho) - and not on the whole mixdown of course because of the bass and kick
- Imagine your performer (lead rock singer) at the middle of the stereo
 
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Attachments

  • Software Metal Test Song - MIX.mp3
    7 MB · Views: 7

Longinus

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Don't want to piss on your parade but... F*ck it, I'll piss on your parade.

Trying to make money from music is one of the worst FL plans in the world.

Let's CENTS this bitch:
Control: you have very little. You will always be dependent on promotors, record labels, radio stations, etc. Unless you control everything yourself, from which you won't get far if you don't have contacts.
Entry: so you can play some instruments. Cool, but so can a zillion other people. It's not that difficult to record your own music these days. Entry is low. Some musicians even make music on their computer. Everybody wants to be a rockstar, even with your skills you're one in hundreds of millions.
Need: who needs your music? Does it solve something? Do you cure cancer with your music? No, it's just music. Nobody is desperately waiting for your music.
Time: You will spend hours and hours not only exercising, but also trying to write music. You will spend hours and hours on songs nobody will take time to listen. Seriously, there's so many musicians that want people to listen to their songs and nobody cares. There's like a 0.0001% chance you will get a small income with your music after spending hundreds or thousands of hours into it. And I'm talking about a small income, let alone a fortune.
Scale: Merchandise and concerts are the biggest streams income of music industry these days. Yes, you won't make much of Spotify or selling re... hahaha... selling records these days, omg. But yes, you can scale a bit by selling tshirts.

Also if it's a passion now, be assured you will hate it in a very short time. It's universal. Do you really think Lars Ulrich's passion is playing drums by now? Bands like those are forced to play because it's a money machine on its own. There's zero passion involved by now. Want examples? Check "Some kind of monster", those guys want to bash each other's skulls after playing and touring together for +20 years. Want to see what "passion" if the success won't come? Check This is Anvil.

I've spent too much time and money on chasing a naive dream as a musician. I wished somebody said this to me 10 years ago. Do yourself a favor, keep your passion for music a passion. Work on a real CENTS income instead and play music when you have free time to play.

You'll thank me later.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
Don't want to piss on your parade but... f*ck it, I'll piss on your parade.

Trying to make money from music is one of the worst FL plans in the world.

Let's CENTS this bitch:
Control: you have very little. You will always be dependent on promotors, record labels, radio stations, etc. Unless you control everything yourself, from which you won't get far if you don't have contacts.
Entry: so you can play some instruments. Cool, but so can a zillion other people. It's not that difficult to record your own music these days. Entry is low. Some musicians even make music on their computer. Everybody wants to be a rockstar, even with your skills you're one in hundreds of millions.
Need: who needs your music? Does it solve something? Do you cure cancer with your music? No, it's just music. Nobody is desperately waiting for your music.
Time: You will spend hours and hours not only exercising, but also trying to write music. You will spend hours and hours on songs nobody will take time to listen. Seriously, there's so many musicians that want people to listen to their songs and nobody cares. There's like a 0.0001% chance you will get a small income with your music after spending hundreds or thousands of hours into it. And I'm talking about a small income, let alone a fortune.
Scale: Merchandise and concerts are the biggest streams income of music industry these days. Yes, you won't make much of Spotify or selling re... hahaha... selling records these days, omg. But yes, you can scale a bit by selling tshirts.

Also if it's a passion now, be assured you will hate it in a very short time. It's universal. Do you really think Lars Ulrich's passion is playing drums by now? Bands like those are forced to play because it's a money machine on its own. There's zero passion involved by now. Want examples? Check "Some kind of monster", those guys want to bash each other's skulls after playing and touring together for +20 years. Want to see what "passion" if the success won't come? Check This is Anvil.

I've spent too much time and money on chasing a naive dream as a musician. I wished somebody said this to me 10 years ago. Do yourself a favor, keep your passion for music a passion. Work on a real CENTS income instead and play music when you have free time to play.

You'll thank me later.
I'm aware it doesn't make money to sell music anywhere near a acceptable income. Music industry is pretty much an impossible area. Almost. I'm sure there is a success margin in there for FL BUT it's very very very difficult to find that. Completely aware of that. I'm just creating music as my hobby/passion for training purposes for myself. I'm using problem solving skills and observing what makes vaule and where/what to sell. Once I grasp what is controllable maybe not just in the music industry but something else relating to it just in general, then I will focus on that controllable variable. Once more, music I adore! But I DO NOT , repeat,DO NOT want to make it my primary focus for FL. It is solely for myself. The process. The critical thinking. The brain storming. The observation. The analysis. The results. All of it is to train myself in each aspect of things used to FL:

Marketing.
Advertisement.
Problem solving.
Communicating value to customer.
Selling. (Anything having to do with value and what sells and how to sell).
Passive Income generation.
More understanding of what need is needing my focus on.

I believe it be better to start with something I'm currently knowledgeable on than just throw away my 8+ years of musician experience entirely. That alone is what any millionaire would call a wasted opportunity most definitely.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
So currently I'm getting somewhere with the process.
So I made myself a list to guide me and still learning.
I've made a list of problems in the music industry just in general for musicians:

•Musicians have issues getting paid by distribution companies, streaming services and etc.

•Musicians have issues with money buying software and hardware and services to sell/distribute their music.

•Musicians have issues staying motivated to make more music.

•Some musicians don't even know how to sell their music period.

•Musicians are unaware they can do WAY more than just make music and sell it.

So here is where I'm starting. Problem solve other people's issues. Here's my list for making solutions to problems for artists:

•Find problems in the music industry.
•Address the cause to the problem.
•Research what will solve that problem.
•Create a product that sells based on the Cents philosophy.
•Apply the solution and sell it.
•Done? (Nope!)
•Listen to feedback and make your product better.

This is what I've got going for me currently. It's a start.
 
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G

GuestUser4aMPs1

Guest
If you want a surefire way to remain a commodity and commence the death spiral of self hatred, then this would be it.

It's certainly not impossible to become a success, but realize that success as a musician is an all-or-nothing endeavor. The odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you.

Marketing.
Advertisement.
Problem solving.
Communicating value to customer.
Selling. (Anything having to do with value and what sells and how to sell).
Passive Income generation.
More understanding of what need is needing my focus on.

Coming from a musician who previously wanted to make it career, I'd do anything but attempt to get practice acquiring these skills with your music project.

Pick a game with better odds (a real business) so you'll have a better chance of success, a tighter feedback loop, and some cash to reinvest with. You'll soon learn that making money is more addicting than writing music IMO.

If you need any help, reach out.
Good Luck.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
If you want a surefire way to remain a commodity and commence the death spiral of self hatred, then this would be it.

It's certainly not impossible to become a success, but realize that success as a musician is an all-or-nothing endeavor. The odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you.



Coming from a musician who previously wanted to make it career, I'd do anything but attempt to get practice acquiring these skills with your music project.

Pick a game with better odds (a real business) so you'll have a better chance of success, a tighter feedback loop, and some cash to reinvest with. You'll soon learn that making money is more addicting than writing music IMO.

If you need any help, reach out.
Good Luck.
So you're basically telling me that my 10+ years of experience in music creation and arts is basically useless? I'm not a buisness man, I'm not rich, I'm not anyone special like anyone. I just want to provide for me and my fiance. And my huge experience in the music industry would severely be the biggest waste if I jus toss it away just because a lot of people say "no it won't work." I'm appliying the principles of M.J. to what I'm aware of because currently it's going to take me at least 6 months to a year before I find another way to move forward into another FL buisness. Sorry but not sorry. I'll die happily failing for the purpose I've created for myself and my fiance. I appreciate your wisdom, but I'd appreciate more of what would be better relating to my current knowledge and work. If it's self hatred awaiting me in the future from this goal I've set, then currently I'll bathe in that self hatred happily. So unless you have another industry or buisness that I can utilize to create value in, please do enlighten me.
 
G

GuestUser4aMPs1

Guest
So you're basically telling me that my 10+ years of experience in music creation and arts is basically useless?

Quote me where I said it was a waste. The only thing I've said is that the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you to succeed in making music alone.

Good news though! Ten years of experience is a long time, and I'm sure you have plenty of experiences to draw from and issues you can solve within the industry.

I've been involved in music for about the same amount of time too. But at some point realized I wanted to play a game with better odds of success (and a bigger payoff) than my path of just writing music.

That's what my current business turned into; jumping on an opportunity in an industry I'd come in contact with that is very similar to what you and I know of.

And guess what?
Now I have the time to write music as I please, and still be able to pay the bills.

Here's just one example of that same thing happening from the guitar world:
Home

The guy is now a multi-millionaire because he drew from his experience as a guitar teacher, saw an opportunity, and acted on it. What makes you think that I don't believe you can do the same, with your experience?

I guess what I'm trying to say is on one hand, think a lot bigger. Why try to start a band when you can build the guitars that are supplied to all the bands? There's a few band tour management softwares out there that really suck, why not make something better that becomes the standard for the whole industry? The opportunities are out there.

On the other, there's a good number of musicians on the forum who decided they'd be much happier by building a business and writing / performing music in their own leisure. That's the path I took and am immensely happier because of it. You don't have to give up music. Build the business that gives you the freedom to do music.
 
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D

Deleted50669

Guest
Others have mentioned it above, but I will throw my hat in the ring also. Really ask why you are selecting music as a means to entrepreneurship. Yes, this is your CURRENT area of expertise. But, if you read either of MJ's books, you'd understand that just because you have extreme skill in an area doesn't mean you will effectively monetize it at scale. Of course, you CAN do this, but if your end goal is to cash out, why not find a serious pain many people have and focus on solving that? Then you can retain music as your life's passion and keep it separate from the business.
 

amp0193

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So currently I'm getting somewhere with the process.
So I made myself a list to guide me and still learning.
I've made a list of problems in the music industry just in general for musicians:

•Musicians have issues getting paid by distribution companies, streaming services and etc.

•Musicians have issues with money buying software and hardware and services to sell/distribute their music.

•Musicians have issues staying motivated to make more music.

•Some musicians don't even know how to sell their music period.

•Musicians are unaware they can do WAY more than just make music and sell it.

So here is where I'm starting. Problem solve other people's issues. Here's my list for making solutions to problems for artists:

•Find problems in the music industry.
•Address the cause to the problem.
•Research what will solve that problem.
•Create a product that sells based on the Cents philosophy.
•Apply the solution and sell it.
•Done? (Nope!)
•Listen to feedback and make your product better.

This is what I've got going for me currently. It's a start.

I think you're on the right track with this post.
 
G

Guest61835

Guest
why not make something better that becomes the standard for the whole industry? The opportunities are out there.

So I haven't in depth done the next step of the problem solving which is "Research what will solve the problem."

I understand that will be difficult to do but I'm putting effort into the problem solving equation. There is a solution towards some of those problems. I've picked a few of those problems I could work with which would be Musician Motivation issues and musicians don't know how to create the correct steps towards getting their music out there and having Control of it. Still problem solving. I'd rather try to see it through and fail than move into another "field" and attempt there when I didn't finish this first commitment I've made.

Of course, you CAN do this, but if your end goal is to cash out, why not find a serious pain many people have and focus on solving that?
Above this quote is the answer to that question.

I think you're on the right track with this post.
Thank you! Appreciate the feedback. Also same goes towards everyone else. I am primarily frustrated because I work a 9-5 job is all. That's why I'm committed to apply M.J.'s teachings in his books. If I fail then I fail. How else can I learn? I believe that starting here to problem solve others issues is definitely a better start than doing it for myself. I'm doing this for others. Attempting to Create a productocracy after I research more solutions for artists having problems.
 
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