As a musician who has been following this closely for a while, it keeps getting worse and worse. Musicians of my status have less and less opportunities to make a living off of our art in a world that is becoming increasingly easier to produce and distribute in. I’ve done this a long time and have had moderate success in the past. It’s to the point now though that the ways I THOUGHT musicians made money was never available to me, and the way we DID make money when I started almost doesn’t exist anymore either.
I am curious, how do musicians make money? I’m under the impression that income from streaming is so low on a per-play basis that you’re not making anything unless you’re a super famous band. I am not seeing as many smaller venue shows being advertised which is where I assumed most income would come from (playing live). So if it’s not from streaming and live playing, what is left? I am going to see if I can find some live shows this weekend since I read this post but it seems odd that despite living in a city, there aren’t a ton of shows going on.
I imagine merch sales are not insignificant, maybe? I see some artists selling special items on occasion like vinyl presses. Do musicians on tiktok with lots of views make money? I’m not sure how that works but it seems popular
Live shows, physical album sales, and merch. And even then, a lot or smaller artists barely break even with live performances, so they rely on merch sales. That’s why I make it a point to attend shows and buy merch when my favorite bands are in town.
I won’t pretend to have a solution or even an idea of a solution but it seems pretty dystopian when someone creating music has to rely upon selling tshirts to come close to making a living. It should be the music they are making money on directly since people are paying for it. I can’t buy a CD anymore and wouldn’t be able to play it if I did. I don’t own a record player for those releasing vinyl. Maybe the solution is like a Patreon approach, I don’t know. I do feel like it is becoming a neglected art form which can only be focused on by the already rich and famous.
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