I'm depressed Sup Forums, I really want to pursue a career in music but I don't know if it's even a possible thing. I've always been told I'm good at music and all of my friends tell me to pursue it but I'm always told that it's not a practical career path and that I'll never make a living off of it and that nobody will hear it. I've lived in a shitty small town all my life and I can't even get a band together. I'm going to try to self produce an album but I'm afraid I'm going to put my heart and soul into the thing and I'll upload it to Bandcamp or whatever and nobody will hear it. I'm in university now for journalism and I'm not even sure if it's what I want anymore, all I ever want to do is to do music.
What do I do Sup Forums nobody else will help me.
Ayden Jenkins
Are you going to be like everyone and give up on your music dreams, for no reason and never even try.
Carter Allen
Does the whole idea make you "uncomfortable"?
Cameron Diaz
The truth is, if you are both talented and hardworking, you will be able to make just enough money to get by (which should be your only financial goal as a musician). If you're not that good (or especially not that hardworking), it's probably best to keep it as a hobby
Zachary Torres
Do not put your heart and soul on Bandcamp.
Matthew Martin
if you want to make a career out of making original music its not realistic. it is possible but extremely unlikely
Owen Jackson
Why not try it can only make you happier being able to express yourself
Carson Ward
I'm a working musician and I've never met anybody who was good and wasn't able to make a living out of it. Yes, many of them are underappreciated and are getting less money than they deserve, but they are all able to do it. You just can't be lazy about any aspects of it. There's more to it than just the music, it's a business you have to run
Brandon Rogers
>I'm afraid I'm going to put my heart and soul into the thing and I'll upload it to Bandcamp
make demo send it to record company ????? profit
Anthony Miller
No, a successful music careers are only for rich people and casting couch victims.
John Davis
You can pursue music seriously without imagining you'll make a living off of it.
Asher Peterson
>I'm a working musician and I've never met anybody who was good and wasn't able to make a living out of it. If you mean playing covers in a bar band or being a pianist at a restaurant, sure. Making money off of original music, especially when it doesn't necessarily align with popular tastes, requires a great deal of luck as well.
>There's more to it than just the music, it's a business you have to run And that's where sane people realize they'd be much better off staying in college and getting a real job.
Christopher Wright
Get really good, then hide it away from the undeserving world
Parker Barnes
You gotta move somewhere with a music scene, be good looking, and have the ability to write simple but catchy songs. It's not impossible it's just that 99% of people arent at least passibly cute/young and their band is trash
Luke Collins
>then hide it away from the undeserving world no need for that lol
Liam Myers
I was referring to original music, it's all doable if you are putting the effort in >And that's where sane people realize they'd be much better off staying in college and getting a real job It's all about the passion to create music. All of the extra hours one would have to work are nothing in comparison to (the hopefully amazing feeling of) being able to create and perform your own music for a living. If the passion isn't there to do everything it takes, then obviously don't expect to make a living
Landon Allen
There's something about getting people to like your own music, it isn't necessary. It's beautiful by itself.
Ian Wright
If you think you're good enough then why not. Don't expect to be live comfortably until you get steady gigs and a steady income from it.
If you're satisfied with living in low-moderate conditions then go for it.
I'm planning on doing the same. I'd be totally happy as long as I get to play with great musicians everyday, even if its only enough to live a simple life. I'd be a hermit anyways so why not.
The most talented writers, instrumentalists, geniuses (pic related), didn't lead amazing personal lives but it was all worth it because they left something behind for the rest of us.
Angel Mitchell
Not everyone can become a successful musician just because they want to. You need to work for it. If you want to be successful as a musician then you need to build a name and reputation for yourself to prove your worth. Ways of doing this can include:
- collaborating with lots of other small musicians (either IRL or online), thus gathering lots of contacts, honing your skills, and proving that you are a worthwhile asset
- do something innovative or different, that way you're pretty much guaranteed attention (for example, look at Jacob Collier; started making youtube videos, showed off his skills, demonstrated that he had staying power and wasn't just a one-trick-pony or fluke, now he's winning Grammys and collaborating with Herbire Hancock)
You have to grab people's attention, show your worth, show that you're serious about music, show that you have ideas that deserve to be spread. If not, why should you deserve to have success over other musicians? You should be putting as much work into marketing yourself as you are into the music making.
Matthew White
What's your age range OP? Which side of 20 are you on? I think it's important that you try to figure out why your friends tell you you're good. I'm certain that you're good, but what do you think your strengths are? Do you feel like you can assess your talents honestly, like a critic you'll never know might? It's okay if you can't but that'll help.
An important point to make is that there's no way you'll wake up one day to being able to support yourself. You'll have to work non-music work for a while. You have to aim for living somewhere with both culture to nurture your art and low cost of living so /you/ can survive on a shitty job. But my advice would be to finish college if you're already along with it. You might not ever use your journalism degree, but just HAVING a college degree will open the door to a lot of "good" shitty jobs that will make this easier. A college degree can still give you a better chance at not having to be on your feet or talking to customers all day long.
Along those same lines, your line about pouring your heart and soul into making a debut album to put online. Don't do that. What I mean is, don't sweat it so fucking much because you're right, no one probably will hear it. Make a shit ton of music, play fast and loose with your albums. Don't think it has to be the ultimate emotional and hard work document, in continuity with your future work or whatever. Just make a shit ton of music. You'll learn a lot about EVERY part of the process, which is what you want. Just make a shit ton of music bud. Be prolific in your practice.
Joseph Taylor
>it's all doable if you are putting the effort in depends on the kind of music you're making
>It's all about the passion to create music. travelling to gigs, promoting shit, etc. still sucks and has nothing to do with music or "passion"
Ryder Miller
>depends on the kind of music you're making Sure, in extreme circumstances, but there is still a market for all kinds of music >travelling to gigs, promoting shit, etc. still sucks and has nothing to do with music or "passion" Just speaking from myself, but I would prefer to have to deal with all of that stuff than to not be able to do music as often as I am now. That is fully driven by a passion for music
Jason Hughes
>You should be putting as much work into marketing yourself as you are into the music making. This is what sucks about it; ultimately it's mostly just egomaniacs that can stomach that kind of shit. The genius who just prefers to compose and record music will generally be ignored forever.
Ian Reyes
I'm a fat just turned 18 year old kid, guess I'm fucked.
Mason Roberts
then hit the gym dude
do anything you can to improve your chances. its not as hard to lose wait as you think
i lost 40 pounds in one summer at age 16
Camden James
Follow up: Tbh this idea, young man with indie dreams, instant indie fame has been with me ever since I read hipsterrunoff as a teenager, so I've thought about this a bit even if I've moved onto other interests. Here are some actual success stories I've seen over the years:
Cloud nothings dude - Was in uni for saxophone or some shit, just made a shit of music and put it on online, got good at the entire process. Eventually one of his fake bands got press
Wild nothing dude: Was in uni for something, had a band that no one's ever heard of, learned about recording, made a bunch of his own songs, in the process meets another musician who knows a guy who knows a guy who owns a record label. Made a bunch more songs. Achieved critical mass
Kurt vile - Made a shit ton of music, worked shitty jobs while making a shit ton of music. didn't release his first notable album until he was 28
Benjamin Smith
>Just speaking from myself, but I would prefer to have to deal with all of that stuff than to not be able to do music as often as I am now. That is fully driven by a passion for music Most of the people I met who were "making it" spent most of their time driving and crashing on couches. I have more time for music than they do.
Christian Gomez
I'm in a similar boat, OP. The way I see it is to not depend on your music talent to carry you through life, but to do it more-so as a hobby if you have the time, and then publish the results. I haven't gotten around to recording anything yet myself, and I would of course love to play for a living, but even if I release an album that only let's say 30 people listen to, I'd be happy just knowing my music is out there given how slim the odds in making a career of it are
Cameron Hill
Dont create music, create a brand.
Carson Brooks
Is it worth starting a music career if I’ll it be accused of sexual assault later on and have my career ruined?
Jordan Ramirez
is radio a career
Joseph Martin
You aren't gonna do shit if you don't try. Follow your dreams, if it doesn't work out then you'll find something else.