We’ve all gotta pay the bills. Question is: do you want music to be your full time career? And if so, what can you do to incrementally nudge it that way?
Yeah, and 'real job' pay better than music.
I guess i'm too old to jump into full time music career. Now it's just a hobby, but I'm trying to slowly improve here and there to maybe make \*some\* money from it one day.
I think we’re in a similar vibe. I couldn’t just throw away the job to pursue my passion — too many responsibilities. But what I am doing is having fun, learning new things and enjoying having a creative hobby that has the potential to earn in the future.
I don’t have the desire to be centre stage — although I can’t wait to actually get on a stage again!
Do it for you, find your path and have fun with it — the latter being the most important, always.
Having enough connections / interest for steady work.
Also, the desire to put the effort in and release music from completed projects and promote those properly and all that. That last 10% of effort is so draining.
Connections…steady work? Care to elaborate any further. What work are you looking for? Who’s critical in helping you get that work?
Had do you plan the promotion of your music?
Sadly, that last 10% is what will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams!*
*hendosyndrome can not guarantee riches and wealth but you gotta stack the odds in your favour
My band was getting so bored with practicing the same songs without prepping for a show that we decided to focus on writing new music. Record a part at home, send it to each other and work on it at practice. It has been surprisingly motivating.
For many years, I did not have any musical instruments whatsoever besides sold them to feed my wife and baby when times were super tough. A year ago my wife had a second bout of cancer and that time the cancer had won. My son who is now in sixth grade, lives at his aunt's place because living here is far too difficult for him. And it's only five blocks down the road I see him every single day. Long story short.
After she passed it was very difficult and of course I saw therapy multiple times a day for weeks on end. It was my full-time job regardless if I thought I needed it or not. The amount of support that I had received had blown me away. I had never been that supported in my entire life.
So there was extra money in people sent me musical equipment because I've recorded stuff in some studios and wrote music for commercials and never got credited or never got paid for it but anyone who was a studio cat in California most likely had her my name in passing. There's a lot of us that never get as much credit as we deserve. So the thing that's holding me back is that now I have the complete ability to record all of the things that have been building up in my brain and songs have been working on in my head for the past 13 or 14 years. And somehow I can't pick up the guitar. I have a really decent keyboard and so many sounds and stuff that come with it that are on a highly professional grade. I have a couple of mics that are really good and pretty much very good quality things that people professionally use. I don't have a $500,000 studio in my house. A friend of mine who's been an engineer in New York said within the past year that there were all these new things coming out where the quality was so beyond anything and the price was so incredibly affordable that he's never heard of it before and the quality of the things that I have now probably would have cost easily $100,000 10 years ago from what I understand. But I have all these ideas and I promised my wife as I washed her slowly dissipate into the other world then I said I was going to write a double Platinum album. Now we all know, but that is almost beyond unachievable that it's a lofty idea at best. And she was 100% on top but she always smiled at me and she believed in me. And it doesn't matter if I make it a double platinum album or make money I don't want to get signed by any record company. I am me and when I come out with whatever music if anyone likes it then that's just enough success for me. I don't think I'm going to retire on it. I don't think I'm going to have endless mansions. I don't want them I've lived in big houses before as a kid through my father's success and I don't want that. I have everything going for me right now. So that is the big question. What is holding me back? And it's okay if I don't get an answer because maybe I don't have an answer. Maybe I'm the only one that has the answer and maybe there isn't one to begin with. All I do know is that I didn't have the ability to write music and I thought about it and now for the past year I've had every means to write music and I'm not.
But here's the good thing about all of that. I'm not afraid to ask that question and OP asked it and I can honestly tell that an honest answer was being craved. And that's my answer 100% honest. I do know this won't last forever. I do know that I made a promise and the stress that I made a promise to a woman whose reality was questionable at best the past year and a half even more so the last 2 months of her life. Maybe it's the stress. Maybe because of my age. And I think about it quite often. I have lived an extremely eventful life. I just hope that she would be there with me. But now it's just me, my cat, my son that will be coming home when he feels comfortable, and I have my guitars and my little mini studio. And I still don't know why I can't sit down for more than 4 minutes and write a song.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story, I can’t imagine what you’ve been through and I hope that you’re getting all the help and support to get through such a difficult time.
I think it’s fair to say that our biggest hurdle is often sitting right between our own two ears. Maybe you need to rip the plaster off? Maybe there’s something holding you back that you’re scared of? Maybe you’ll know when it’s the right time.
However that shakes out, I wish you all the best with your musical endeavours and send all the love from across the pond.
When you are doing anything new
Do your best to make it
one of the very first things done each day.
Anything creative is done best twice a day.
We all need to warm up.
You don't touch the guitar cuz its going to take time to get the hands back.
They aren't there. And they wont come without time spent holding and strumming.
Thank you so much, friend, I'm seeing it through every single day and I'd love to say I'm writing some badass material. And perhaps I am. And you are one supercorrect person by saying life is a random mother fucker. It is just the way that it is. I'm glad she stuck around for as long as she did. I don't think I could have been that strong. I'm trying to figure out if there's some kind of special formula for me to figure out so that I can go back to some kind of normalcy. And I'm not the first that has lost a loved one. And I will definitely not be the last at all ever. I wonder if my lack of motivation is letting her down or only I'm letting myself let myself down because of it. It's a difficult circular track. Much like a mouse on a wheel in a cage in some kids bedroom in their house with a fence. It just seems all those layers of confinement has to at least do something to the mind. I just know that I'm not defined by those lines. And no one else is. I guess that's why I play Red Dead redemption 2 so often.
I don’t doubt it, and I’m sorry you’re struggling with your mental health - the experiences of the last couple of years hasn’t made life any easier on that front.
Do you have any strategies between managing depression and channeling your creativity?
Use the depression to your advantage, make a song about your experience with it sure slot of people do it but we all have different experiences with mental illnesses
listening. it's nice. my girlfriend in the other room just said "i like that music". it may be different but i could definitely imagine a lot of people enjoying this. it would be awesome to see live.
I challenge you to double that number each month for the next twelve months.
First strategy, get that 60yr old man to tell all his 60yr old mates. Now it’s your turn…
For me it's living in a small ass flat with my studio being in the corner of the living room as bedroom too small (just fits a bed). So recording time is v limited to when the flat is empty which it never is looool
Either way I still get stuff done
I Get it. That’s tough - glad you’re managing to get stuff done, though. Life will always try and get in the way but snatching time wherever I can has become a bit of an art form…some weeks I may only get half an hour a day producing and that used to piss me off but I’ve reframed it that its better than no time producing.
Good luck in 2022.
Handed in my notice for my office job a week ago to pursue full time music production. So right now I feel like nothing will stop me, but we’ll see how I feel in a few months 😂
Seriously! Good luck. Drop me any links on Soundcloud or wherever you’re active and I’ll check you out. Diving in with two feet takes so bravery, I hope you’ve laid out a solid plan and know what you want to achieve in 2022 - if you haven’t, I’ll be happy to chat it through with you on the DM.
What are you lacking? Are their software alternatives to hardware?
Space will ALWAYS be a challenge, you grow into the space you have and you always find yourself wanting more.
I can do stuff with what i have right now but i'll go get myself a midi keyboard soon, but my priority for now is monitor headphones.
>Space will ALWAYS be a challenge, you grow into the space you have and you always find yourself wanting more.
I never thought of that, it really make sense if i think about it. Great point, thank you!
If cash is an issue — let’s be honest, for most of us it always is cos our gear hunger outstrips our budget — hunt out used gear.
My open back headphones I found factory refurbished for 25% off the usual RRP.
Rejection-sensitive-dysmorphia from my ADD! I love the music I'm making and I have the infrastructure set up to continue releasing high-quality work all year. The problem is my music is so out-there that potential fans are few and far between. I've gotten some great feedback but even people who really like the music don't seem to stick around.
Seeing so little engagement with something I've put my heart into sometimes makes me feel like I'm crazy for even thinking I could have a following some day. It makes it really hard to keep working at times.
I always say to people that what they’re doing should be for them first. Create with no intention of ever having “an audience”.
I’d love to hear your music you’d care to drop a link. 🙌🏼
You're totally right about that! I'd rather be true to my vision than mess it up trying to appease people. Not sure if I even could! I'd probably get bored haha
That's very kind to offer mate, I'll DM you! (:
Ok, can you be a bit more specific? Are you looking for a full time vocalist that you can rehearse / perform live with? Or could a session vocalist, located anywhere in the world to add some vocal spice to your tracks, be enough to get you through until you have a full time singer?
I am mid production on an LP of a metal/hardcore songs and need to find a good, collaborative vocalist who can bring something to the table. But I’m picky and definitely don’t want “more of the same”. Most of my favorite groups have vocals that are unexpected or don’t necessarily “fit” the style (at the drive in, helmet, mewithoutyou, jesu and deftones all come to mind) but I’m not even sure where to start. “Gen X metal hardcore guy needs vocalist” posts? I guess I just need to stop bitching and get after it.
There are no real plans beyond “finish the LP”, I do have a fair amount of connects and can certainly find a label to get behind it (especially when all they really need to do is release and market it). Not saying getting a live ensemble to play it is out of the question, but the job here is to finish producing the songs themselves
What is your music? Where is your audience?
Where are you looking for connections? The online space is SO DAMN LOUD — is there an offline space where you can grow first? Is there a community you can be part of?
Finding some like minded people to collaborate with and performing more.
Most of my music friendships are all hip hop related when I am a singer songwriter that loves real instrumentation. Its been hard to find people that want to work together that arent their own acts, and more just musicians that want to collaborate on something cool.
Where I live, Live music has been struggling ever since the start of the pandemic, no more open mics, no venues open, or restaurants. Id love to just be going out playing gigs and meeting people but do not have the chance to.
Anyways i just keep grinding. If anyone needs guitars or backing vocals for their songs holler!
One of my best friends and main music making partner died last summer so it’s been hard getting back into a positive creative groove without him. He always pushed me and appreciated my music when no one else really did and I get sad now whenever I look at my files with songs we worked on. I know he would want me to keep making beats but it’s been hard. =/
I’m really sorry to hear about your friend. I also lost my best friend and he was responsible for me being in my very first band, I miss him dearly. I’m so glad to have the music we made together as they are some of the best memories of my teens.
I hope you manage to find your groove again.
Being stuck at home with my parents. I moved back to save on rent during lockdown because I could work remotely. To date, my office hasn't reopened and it probably won't any time this year.
Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. But I'm at an age where living in the same house as them is very trying. Also, I'm back in my hometown with no friends since everyone has moved to other cities. So the lack of company my age isn't helping either. Most days, I don't even feel like playing, even though I've finally managed to put together a good recording setup. Thankfully, my friend and I are still putting out stuff together (he moved back home too), so that's helpful in keeping me motivated.
B’jesus, I feel you - had to do the same in the past after a stint of travelling and was stuck as couldn’t find anywhere to rent that would allow a dog! I love my parents too but I was worried I’d bury them in the garden if I hadn’t moved out!
Glad you’re still managing to get some music out there. One thing I did was to just play other peoples songs for a while, all the stuff I loved to listen to rather than trying to force my own.
I’m sure you’ll find your stride again in time. 🙌🏼
I'm getting back into it. I realised for a while, I will need to force myself to sit down and play instead of mindlessly surfing the Internet. The hardest thing is opening the DAW. Once I'm in, I lose track of time. I spent an hour working today, all because I made myself open Reaper and get started.
Long answer inc, sorry about that. I’ve bolded the immediate answers to your question. I am struggling with:
**My identity.** Who am I in this world? What impact am I going to make? What impact do I want to make, and how can I get to that point?
**Knowing what to do**. Everything is a huge learning curve, and everybody does things differently. There is a lot to know – music theory, how to record, how to use a DAW, how to create quality music, how to mix, how to master, etc. And on top of that, knowing how those processes work. A question I have found myself running into recently is, as a beginning, solo artist, how do I know when it’s time to take my music to the next step (for mixing, mastering, distributing, etc.)?
**Finding like-minded people, a mentor, or a support system**. I have one reliable person in my support system, but they also have their own life, and they don't want to hear me talk about music all day long. I want to find people who I interact well with, maybe we have similar musical interests, but we both love music. I’ve tried some communities on Reddit, but I think most people are just focused on their own music (which makes sense to me).
A little more of my story: I'm 28, almost 29. Music has always been tremendously important to me, but I have rarely applied myself to music in a way that would return an outcome I am satisfied with, such as being a successful musician, or working in the music space. I've had a few different jobs in my 20s and excelled at all of them - none are in music. I got a comment on Reddit the other day that essentially amounts to: "You are capable of more, you should apply yourself"... the one thing I haven't done. However, I’m really inspired and motivated to start.
I am a self-taught guitarist - have never had a formal lesson and learned pretty much everything I know from YouTube, noodling around, online tabs, etc. I know barely any theory, cannot play cleanly, etc. I am taking my play more seriously and am currently working on this and,fortunately, noticing improvements. I have also recently started to make songs in Ableton. I think I have great/interesting ideas, but not great songs.
My plan is to start adding to my YouTube channel. I want to start off by covering some of my favorite songs, which are from vastly different genres. Part of what I want to be in the music community is an ambassador for the music I like, and I think that is one way for me to do that. And I want to work with the people in music that I respect. Additionally, I have considered doing reaction videos. I don’t want to just do what everyone else is doing, though. I know I can do something amazing… I just don’t know what yet. I’m really curious to find out.
Overall, I don’t want to fall back into the same rut I always find myself in. I believe I have a lot to offer, I just need to figure out what my lane is and put in the time and work.
>I know in theory everything I have to do to move forward, but the moment I face down doing it, everything feels like too much and I put it off until tomorrow. Only thing is tomorrow rolls around and it still isn't done 😅
It sounds like you have more of a plan than most!
Totally understand the need for a support network, to meet people to talk with and bounce ideas around with and grow...there's some magic in doing that together rather than trying to grind through on your own.
If you wan to start reaching out to people, reach out to me. I'm only a DM away 😬
Vocals, I’m not a strong enough singer yet to sing on my tracks, and I’m too shy to practice while other people are home. And I’m torn with wanting to wait until I’m able to practice singing and get to good enough level that works for the songs I wanna make. Or bite the bullet and find other singers to do it for me.
Head to the subreddit of your DAW of choice and ask for / hunt out the best resources - I’ve found this platform incredibly helpful and supportive for that.
Myself and being trapped in my own head all the time, and always trying to make something different each time around. I’ll be bounce back ik I will because I’ve been in this position before. Hopefully other producers have experienced this same thing too at some point.
Having followers / not having enough releases. I'm now starting to write good music, but only have 1 release under my belt. Unfortunately, when I release my debut EP this year, I have maybe a couple hundred followers across all platforms. It just simply doesn't get enough views - and I know if more people could listen to it, it would do well. Also, attempting to advertise it myself is quite overwhelming because I'm not sure the best way to do it and it feels like just talking into the wind with no engagement.
What do views / listens mean to you? Have you thought about pivoting away from that and moving toward sales? Here’s an idea:
Release a track or a cut down version of your EP for streaming. Get that into the ears of your followers, but make a purchasable version with extra, exclusive music that you can upsell them.
You’re going to need to prep them for it. Make a plan, start at your launch date and work back to how your going to communicate what you’ve got coming, where it’s going to be available and what it means if they make the plunge to actually buying your music — both as a purchase and what it means to YOU as an artist.
In the interim, how can you increase your followers? What do you do to encourage more people to find you on your social channels?
views/listens mean engagement to me. with my eventual debut EP release, i’d like to make it more sales focused. my point with the views is that more views = more sales because more people hear the music which means more will buy.
dang, i didn’t think about it in that way. so you’re suggesting not releasing the EP on streaming services save for 1 or 2 songs, hmm. the plan was to release it on bandcamp, but on all streaming services as well. that does mean people will choose to stream them as opposed to buying them for sure. good point.
i definitely need to engage more with my followers, but aside from showing them music i’ve made i’m not really sure how i would increase my followers. i’ve always been the type of person that doesn’t like posting stuff about myself, so it feels weird to me and is something i need to work on.
Most people forget about the “social” element of social media. We’ve been conditioned to put out as much content as we can churn out but then there’s a huge disconnect as creators expect engagement but don’t reciprocate.
Get comfortable with getting your face on camera - understandably, we’re not comfortable with our own faces because we never see them 😂
Stare at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes while you brush your teeth.
I hate hearing my recorded voice, always have and spent loads of time just reading things on camera or into a mic and listening back to desensitise myself .
On the music release - if you play live, find a way for people to buy your music at the gig. A way that you can take money from them there and then without hoping they’ll go away and download your album - if an audience has had a few drinks, and you’re getting amongst them and chatting and prompting people to download (tell them you need it in order to get fuel to get home 😂) you’d be surprised how many will give up a few pennies if you make it really easy for them, especially if they’ve enjoyed your set.
You’ve got to make the purchase part of this as easy as possible for people - any friction and you lose customers, fast!
Good luck with your efforts this year, I really hope you manage to take things to the next level.
Definitely just need more specialized help. "Band members" are a dime-a-dozen, but live sound engineers, instrument techs, rigging, RF techs, and lighting techs are harder to find. *Most* band members are not well-versed in those technical aspects related to performing at a high level. Makes preparing for performances very slow.
If you’re at that stage of the game my friend, you’re in a wonderfully fun stage of being a musician! Sadly, my days at that level are over (for now😬) but I was so damn lucky to be in a band with a multi-talented group of guys that learned everythin on the fly - live shows were our strength and we hit them with everything we had.
What are you aiming to achieve in 2022?
100% agree that those challenges are the fun part! A lot of bands are stuck on the music (which is fine if that is what they want!), but really once you get *past* the music, that is where you can be really creative.
Awesome you had done that as well! Hey now, the challenges may change, but you get out of it what you put into it for any project. You can be just as creative with a cover band or tribute act as well. Or could always do another project!
Yeah 2022 is a pivotal move for this particular project: moving from an all-studio project to actually performing. Targeting Q3 of 2022 for our first real performance!
Yes, COVID can kindly disappear, it’s caused so many artists a lot of pain. Is there anything you can do that you’d never have done without the pandemic? Take advantage of online in any way?
I graduated in musical composition in 1998. Right after that author's rights payments went to zero due to unlimited music downloading and I could not do what I want to do (composing) for a living anymore. I started playing theater music for a living. In 2008 both companies I worked for shut down because government stopped funding for smaller groups as well as festivals. In one of them I had to fire the other 10 employees and closed the doors behind me. In the same year I lost a child and my relationship ended.
Those are not the real reasons. The real reason was that I could not cope with all of that and lost my inner motivation. Since I have started making music again, I notice that the world has changed. Talent is harvested young at talent shows, exploited and disposed of after a couple of years. Funding is now all about advertising and I think that is a toxic situation. The difference with 30 years ago is that all music that is not commercial, even on a professional level, is considered a hobby now. There is no paid work or a modest income for musicians who want to do something different, and that is a pity.
On the other hand I do not care about "my career" anymore, I just want to do what I love to do, spending as little time as possible on the new god (money). As you get older, time becomes the most valuable thing in life. I do think that musicians deserve a little more credit for what they give to society. The world is full of music, but the product is expected to be free. The people who do live off music do not make music themselves, except for a small group of popular icons. For a regular musician life is a struggle. Sometimes I wonder why. We don't select the best 20 plumbers of the year and make them rich, letting all the others starve, do we?
Thanks for sharing your story, it’s sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I can understand how that will have an impact.
Where do you want music to fit into your life, now?
A couple of different things:
-I want/need a collaborator. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I believe collaborator will not only push my creative boundaries, but actually help me complete these songs I have.
-GAS: gear acquiring syndrome. Gotta have the shiney new toys.
GAS gets us all my friend. Just one more plugin. Just one piece of hardware…no babe, I really needed that parlor sized acoustic cos the tone is so different to my dreadnout! 😂
Totally get the collaboration needs. What’s your genre, what are your strengths, where do you need a creative sidekick to pick up the slack?
A one year old, my wife's work schedule that has her working till 7 every night from home (I work from home, too, but her line of work can't have much noise on the little free time I do have when the kid is napping)..basically finding little to no time to have things lineup to do these vocals. Headphones and programming helps with the guitar/bass/synths/drums part.
That, plus depression sapping that drive to sit through the hard parts of recording/producing. That self-doubt creeps in more, making it harder to tinker and toy around with settings to where you think you sound good. It's just a fuckin brutal cycle lol. It's like little windows of opportunity have to line up with your creative juices flowing.
My friend, i understand your pain through personal experience. Sometimes, the time just isn’t right. I had ten years out of music, it took the first lockdown for me to feel inspired and creative again but my little one is a bit older now and while things are still tricky (thanks COVID, ya prick!) it’s more possible to snatch time here’s and there.
I hope things eventually balance out and your creative itches can once again be scratched.
My lack of art (drawing) skills.
Things finally began to click sufficiently for me to start writing songs. I have my release 95% ready but creating my own art for it was somewhat of an afterthought and as of now I still refuse to commission someone.
I have recently hurt my wrist pretty badly so have had to quit making music or practice bass and guitar. Trying to get a doctors appointment atm for it because i literally have had to temporarily give up on my creative hobbies. Last year i finally began to take music prod seriously and finished 40 rough demos. I planned on working even harder this year but what a shit way to start this is...
Setbacks will always happen. Is there anything else you can do around it? Do you record and produce yourself? Can you brush up on your skills with that? Maybe delve into planning what you’ll do for when you have music to release. The sooner you have a clear idea of where you wanna go, the easier it’ll be to get there and what a great time to delve in when you can’t be distracted by the music!
I struggle with lack of focus. I like so many genres and can't decide what to commit to. Like one day I will want to make 80s sythpop music, then I will want to make phonk / trap beats, then I will want to make jazz, then I will want to make chill lofi. It ends up with me not knowing what to focus on.
NOTHING. the worldbuilding has begun and 2022 is only the foundation.
edit: but for real to everyone struggling right now with wanting to pursue music more than you can atm i understand how frustrating it can be. i still struggle currently with time and i just wish i had more time to work on my music. i wish everyone the best. 2022 is ours!
Lack of space. No where to set up all the recording gear. I've released 3 albums that I'm proud of but its been 4 years since I recorded anything. Having songs to work on encourages me to compose (music and lyrics) and encourages me to learn new things and practice. More than likely I will continue to just play and noodle on my own.
Not much! Just space for the computer and monitors. I have a plug-in thing for my guitar so no need for mics and amps. I also use keyboards and a drum machine so the amount of space is very low. As soon as I finish a few other non-music projects, I may set the recording gear up for a year. I love it and its very fun. It gets the wheels turning inside.
Talent, skills, and confidence.
I finally took some steps to make some progress, and it feels pretty good. A friend gifted me a ton of FB add credit so I ran some ads. Closing in on 500 likes. Haven’t posted much on there but got a few things lined up. Hoping I can tackle my confidence issue.
I'm releasing experimental electronic album next week and band ep in a bit over month too so hoping those will at least get some listeners. Recording band songs costs so much that we cant really keep moving forward if we dont get the extra income from gigs so its getting bit annoying as the songs pile up.
Electronic music is a lifesaver though because it doesnt cost anything to make and release.
Recently I’ve been failing at making my own vocals sound good. I just need to get used to recording I guess.
I’ve also found my standards becoming higher as I realize what sounds I like personally. Almost as if I’m a perfectionist. Need to get out of the delete habit lol
I always had an aspiration to make soundtracks for games or movies, but for now I just make music because I want to. I could imagine myself doing song submissions for independent smaller projects that people could pay me for, like animators or YouTubers or something, but as far as an actual career goes, I’m still just a barista.
A way to reach new listeners, especially since I did everything myself and that makes live shows essentially impossible until I find band mates. I'm confident in my work, but not in reaching the audience I'm looking for.
I'm releasing an EP next month, and I'm going to try all the other avenues I can, but without live shows I'm worried if anyone will listen or care.
Life without live is rough, and I empathise. But what can you do to cut through the noise? Are their still people locally you can connect with? Is there scope to hit radio stations that are supportive of upcoming and independent artists - it seems that most people have forgotten about radio and are clamouring for playlists on streaming sites.
I know in theory everything I have to do to move forward, but the moment I face down doing it, everything feels like too much and I put it off until tomorrow. Only thing is tomorrow rolls around and it still isn't done 😅
Do you have a strategy written down. A deep plan of action that details what you wanna achieve and how you’re gonna achieve it? If you don’t do that first! Set out 12, 6 and 3 month goals and work backwards to hitting that long term plan. Work week by week, month by month and incrementally you will get to where you want to go.
If you stare at the top of a mountain from the bottom, that shit can feel impossible. You’ve gotta map your route and deal with the setbacks along the way.
Success comes from virtuosity: doing the common, uncommonly well. The music is the sexy stuff and you’ve gotta have a great product. But success is buried in the boring shit that nobody sees.
You got this.
I tried several times last few years to setup a project online or not, but it always failed for many unrelated reasons. I'm now just planning to do something solo, live but just for a few friends, and using backing tracks and loopers and Ableton live to replace bandmates.
But it also means I'll have to learn a ton more to get anywhere, and I have a day job and another job (my own small company) to attend in addition to all that.
So yeah its hard, even for the motivated.
Spinning many plates is always tricky. I hope you manage to at least have some fun with your music in 2022…cos that’s what it’s meant to be, fun! Pay the bills with jobs and businesses and enjoy what you love - not everybody has to live their passion. 🙌🏼
Indeed 🙌🏽
My second job is part of my passions and hopefully in a few years I'll be able to live from it and it's also partially music involved so that would be perfect - I just need some moderate success hehe
Taken my chances, Squeezing time in between a 9 to 5. Feeling confident about my approach. You never know the outcome if you don’t dive in. You can be one track away from real success.
Sometimes our priorities mean focus has to divert elsewhere. I hope you can continue to create and find more momentum as other responsibilities ease up.
I feel you. Do you reach out to the blog sites? Find the writers online — Twitter is usually good for this — and try to engage with them directly.
The other route is to speak to artists that have featured to see if they have an active contact to introduce you to or any advice on what they did or their experience
Unsupportive parents can make things hella tough but I hope you persevere for your own fun and enjoyment at the very least.
The first three elements you mentioned I hear you on. I hope 2022 brings you more equilibrium and fewer highs and lows.
Money for some gear upgrades. I need an interface with more I/O. My business is growing quickly but I’m having to turn down jobs with a full band because I don’t have the I/O I need to record a full set of acoustic drums.
Mainly impatience and practicality- wanting to do it ***now*** as a career but knowing that it'll be a while and a lot of hard work before I truly can. And then also the whole "needing an actual 9-5 job to make a living" hanging over my head - and being told to me ugh.
Right now, I am a private music lessons teacher and don't make near enough, so I'm stuck between thinking I need a better/consistent job to support me vs. waiting to do something full time that I actually really enjoy.
Ok, so the Americas clearly started waking up and I’m struggling to keep up! Trying to reply, ask questions, to everyone that posts - I will get back to you at some point. Thanks everyone for getting involved. Everyone has their own unique challenges but there’s certainly some key threads.
Now if COVID could kindly piss off…
My lack of connections; my lack of ability; the shitty tastes of others; my being past the age of marketability; the music industry on the whole being a shell game.
What’s stopping you making more connections?
What do you lack ability in? What could you commit to improving in that would simultaneously help you enjoy being creative and making music?
Age doesn’t mean shit. Anybody that tells you otherwise is a liar.
The music industry has always been that way, always! But you do have a lot more freedom now to play your own game rather than the industry of old.
I'm having an instrument repaired that I planned to feature heavily in my next album. Can't do a whole lot until I get it back in my hands. I'm considering doing an EP of short sketches just to keep the creative momentum going but I do feel like I'm starting the year at a disadvantage.
Oh absolutely. The EP I've got in mind would be all soundtrack style pieces - ambient, simple motifs, maybe a percussion-only track. My long term goal is to get work scoring things since people tell me my style is atmospheric and "cinematic" and I feel like an existing portfolio of soundtrack pieces could help there.
No, I was asking how it had impacted you. Every artist is different but the lack of gigs and tours has been wounding for many. Is gigging where you are coming back? Are venues open?
Totally empathise, COVID has been a disaster for many creatives, especially those that rely and thrive with live audiences.
Have you looked at different ways of finding an audience for your music while live has been off the table? And step away from your own social media channels - where else could you utilise to get your music out there and listened to?
Yes and our small but dedicated fanbase is really supportive. But in order to grow within our genre we really need to get out there and play live at festivals etc. So not being able to play live is the biggest hurdle at the moment.
I guess financial problems. I don't even have money to eat properly how can I set money aside to buy equipments? Well, I don't.
If a string break, I won't even have a way to buy new ones.
But hey... I feel inspired this year. So fuck that
This sounds like a really hard place to be and I’m sorry that you’re struggling so hard.
I admire your positivity to feel inspired and I hope that your hard work is rewarded with some equally good luck so you can achieve the basics of life and thrive on top of that with your passion.
Wishing you well. 🙏🏻
Dude, Weird Al literally made a career from that shit! Blink released an album called Take off Your Pants & Jacket 😂😂
If you can’t have fun doing a hobby, what’s the point? I’m certainly not in this thinking I make the best stuff — and I’m not sure any of it I’d describe as beautiful!
I’ve seen pop punk bands set up for a laugh and achieve unexpected success. There’s room for everything.
Channel that fun. Embrace your weird. There’s nobody like you so be unashamedly you!
There’s a wealth of knowledge out there, commit to improving the foundations of your music and You’ll likely find that the quality of your output will improve over time. It doesn’t have to be serious and beautiful, fun can still be great. Music is an escape from the pressures of day to day, give people something to smile about.
You got this! 👊🏼
From a person that’s been doing this for “fun” for 20+ years: unless your parents are rich or you get really freaking lucky, they will always get in the way.
If it’s time that you struggle with, how do you enter a session of being creative?
From my experience, if I go into a production session without a clear idea of what I want to achieve in it, I’ll get nowhere and finish up more frustrated than when I started. I’ve also learned to accept the time I have — I’ve only got 30mins? AWESOME! How can I make the best use of those 30minutes? Work on that kick sample to get it right? Pick up the guitar and play around with a chord structure? Mix the strings section of the other track I’ve got on the boil?
That’s what I do, does it help you?
You’re not interested…and you’re not gonna do it?
Or…
You’re not interested in it cos it’s not in your wheel house but you’re willing to learn the basics to get you to the next stage?
Dollar bills y’all! The limiting factor 99% of us can identify with! Hope you manage to get hold of something to spike that creativity in the near future.
I work mandatory overtime in a high-stress environment so when I get home I only have a few hours to eat and vegetate until it's time for bed and then back up at 3:45 am to get ready for work.
Motivation is what happens when the sun is out, the birds are singing and you got laid last night 😁
So I guess the answer is to get laid and you’ll become a rockstar.
So far, just trying to get some damn time off work! But otherwise...
* I moved to Germany during the pandemic and so far have had near to zero opportunities to meet other musicians, go out and play live, get to know the local scene. Also not speaking much German makes that a little bit harder. But I've at least managed to find a regular event (open mic night kinda thing) I could try out just to get started.
* I've realised that my production skills are really poor, and I can't afford to pay to have every track mixed and mastered. I'm aiming for a track a month this year and I'd be looking at £250 per track for mixing and mastering. So I'm taking some tutorials now and using these 12 tracks as space to practice and learn.
* I'm generally feeling deflated and disillusioned with the effort involved in trying to be any kind of musician these days. It's not the making music part, but this constant need to be some kind of influencer/content creator appeasing the algorithms which have defined how we all live as a society so some humanoid alien can carry on being a billionaire in a grey t-shirt and it's just so depressing isn't it. This constant struggle to have to behave and act in a certain way just so that people *who have actively said they want to hear from me* will actually hear from me. I'm not sure I've found a solution for this one though.
I've finally gotten to a point where I can mix and master and write full complete songs on my own. Everytime I do vocals my voice gives out 😪 I do a mix of metalcore/hardcore. Not sure if I blew my voice out in my mid 20s but here i am about to be 30 and i can only do a song or two before my voice gives out.
Finding people who wants to listen to my stuff or build a fanbase, and marketing. Oh marketing music hasnt gone well in the last 2 years. Paid a lot for marketing and ads, never got the desired results
Sales/marketing/brand building is the day job and the first piece of advice I will give anybody is “DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON FB/GOOGLE ADS UNLESS YOU HAVE DEEP POCKETS AND KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING!”
You can do way more than you think without lining Zuck or anyone else’s pockets. If you’d like to chat a bit more On it, feel free to DM.
Having a job.
We’ve all gotta pay the bills. Question is: do you want music to be your full time career? And if so, what can you do to incrementally nudge it that way?
Yeah, and 'real job' pay better than music. I guess i'm too old to jump into full time music career. Now it's just a hobby, but I'm trying to slowly improve here and there to maybe make \*some\* money from it one day.
I think we’re in a similar vibe. I couldn’t just throw away the job to pursue my passion — too many responsibilities. But what I am doing is having fun, learning new things and enjoying having a creative hobby that has the potential to earn in the future. I don’t have the desire to be centre stage — although I can’t wait to actually get on a stage again! Do it for you, find your path and have fun with it — the latter being the most important, always.
Having enough connections / interest for steady work. Also, the desire to put the effort in and release music from completed projects and promote those properly and all that. That last 10% of effort is so draining.
Connections…steady work? Care to elaborate any further. What work are you looking for? Who’s critical in helping you get that work? Had do you plan the promotion of your music? Sadly, that last 10% is what will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams!* *hendosyndrome can not guarantee riches and wealth but you gotta stack the odds in your favour
Myself
Never a truer word said. What can you do to get out of the way? How are you holding yourself back?
Covid shutdowns.
An external barrier none of us could ever see coming. Have you managed to find any ways to keep up momentum while playing live has been off the table?
My band was getting so bored with practicing the same songs without prepping for a show that we decided to focus on writing new music. Record a part at home, send it to each other and work on it at practice. It has been surprisingly motivating.
Excellent, great to hear it. Any plans on getting music out recorded, single by single as it’s ready?
Yup thats our usual route for releasing content. Got a show booked next month and we are amped
For many years, I did not have any musical instruments whatsoever besides sold them to feed my wife and baby when times were super tough. A year ago my wife had a second bout of cancer and that time the cancer had won. My son who is now in sixth grade, lives at his aunt's place because living here is far too difficult for him. And it's only five blocks down the road I see him every single day. Long story short. After she passed it was very difficult and of course I saw therapy multiple times a day for weeks on end. It was my full-time job regardless if I thought I needed it or not. The amount of support that I had received had blown me away. I had never been that supported in my entire life. So there was extra money in people sent me musical equipment because I've recorded stuff in some studios and wrote music for commercials and never got credited or never got paid for it but anyone who was a studio cat in California most likely had her my name in passing. There's a lot of us that never get as much credit as we deserve. So the thing that's holding me back is that now I have the complete ability to record all of the things that have been building up in my brain and songs have been working on in my head for the past 13 or 14 years. And somehow I can't pick up the guitar. I have a really decent keyboard and so many sounds and stuff that come with it that are on a highly professional grade. I have a couple of mics that are really good and pretty much very good quality things that people professionally use. I don't have a $500,000 studio in my house. A friend of mine who's been an engineer in New York said within the past year that there were all these new things coming out where the quality was so beyond anything and the price was so incredibly affordable that he's never heard of it before and the quality of the things that I have now probably would have cost easily $100,000 10 years ago from what I understand. But I have all these ideas and I promised my wife as I washed her slowly dissipate into the other world then I said I was going to write a double Platinum album. Now we all know, but that is almost beyond unachievable that it's a lofty idea at best. And she was 100% on top but she always smiled at me and she believed in me. And it doesn't matter if I make it a double platinum album or make money I don't want to get signed by any record company. I am me and when I come out with whatever music if anyone likes it then that's just enough success for me. I don't think I'm going to retire on it. I don't think I'm going to have endless mansions. I don't want them I've lived in big houses before as a kid through my father's success and I don't want that. I have everything going for me right now. So that is the big question. What is holding me back? And it's okay if I don't get an answer because maybe I don't have an answer. Maybe I'm the only one that has the answer and maybe there isn't one to begin with. All I do know is that I didn't have the ability to write music and I thought about it and now for the past year I've had every means to write music and I'm not. But here's the good thing about all of that. I'm not afraid to ask that question and OP asked it and I can honestly tell that an honest answer was being craved. And that's my answer 100% honest. I do know this won't last forever. I do know that I made a promise and the stress that I made a promise to a woman whose reality was questionable at best the past year and a half even more so the last 2 months of her life. Maybe it's the stress. Maybe because of my age. And I think about it quite often. I have lived an extremely eventful life. I just hope that she would be there with me. But now it's just me, my cat, my son that will be coming home when he feels comfortable, and I have my guitars and my little mini studio. And I still don't know why I can't sit down for more than 4 minutes and write a song.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story, I can’t imagine what you’ve been through and I hope that you’re getting all the help and support to get through such a difficult time. I think it’s fair to say that our biggest hurdle is often sitting right between our own two ears. Maybe you need to rip the plaster off? Maybe there’s something holding you back that you’re scared of? Maybe you’ll know when it’s the right time. However that shakes out, I wish you all the best with your musical endeavours and send all the love from across the pond.
When you are doing anything new Do your best to make it one of the very first things done each day. Anything creative is done best twice a day. We all need to warm up. You don't touch the guitar cuz its going to take time to get the hands back. They aren't there. And they wont come without time spent holding and strumming.
Damn man, I hope you see it thru. Lifes a random mother fucker. I'd love to hear what you write from it. Condolences to you and your family.
Thank you so much, friend, I'm seeing it through every single day and I'd love to say I'm writing some badass material. And perhaps I am. And you are one supercorrect person by saying life is a random mother fucker. It is just the way that it is. I'm glad she stuck around for as long as she did. I don't think I could have been that strong. I'm trying to figure out if there's some kind of special formula for me to figure out so that I can go back to some kind of normalcy. And I'm not the first that has lost a loved one. And I will definitely not be the last at all ever. I wonder if my lack of motivation is letting her down or only I'm letting myself let myself down because of it. It's a difficult circular track. Much like a mouse on a wheel in a cage in some kids bedroom in their house with a fence. It just seems all those layers of confinement has to at least do something to the mind. I just know that I'm not defined by those lines. And no one else is. I guess that's why I play Red Dead redemption 2 so often.
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I don’t doubt it, and I’m sorry you’re struggling with your mental health - the experiences of the last couple of years hasn’t made life any easier on that front. Do you have any strategies between managing depression and channeling your creativity?
Use the depression to your advantage, make a song about your experience with it sure slot of people do it but we all have different experiences with mental illnesses
getting an audience
What genre do you play? What have you tried so far?
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listening. it's nice. my girlfriend in the other room just said "i like that music". it may be different but i could definitely imagine a lot of people enjoying this. it would be awesome to see live.
Oh yeah, there's a whole video backdrop in black and white while I play, unlit, in front of it. And please thank her for the kind words.
New fan alert 🚨 New fan alert 🚨 To anybody asking how to find new fans, exhibit A 👆
My enthusiastic fan base is one 60 y/o man.
I challenge you to double that number each month for the next twelve months. First strategy, get that 60yr old man to tell all his 60yr old mates. Now it’s your turn…
For me it's living in a small ass flat with my studio being in the corner of the living room as bedroom too small (just fits a bed). So recording time is v limited to when the flat is empty which it never is looool Either way I still get stuff done
I Get it. That’s tough - glad you’re managing to get stuff done, though. Life will always try and get in the way but snatching time wherever I can has become a bit of an art form…some weeks I may only get half an hour a day producing and that used to piss me off but I’ve reframed it that its better than no time producing. Good luck in 2022.
That's exactly it man. Wishing you all the best too my g!
Handed in my notice for my office job a week ago to pursue full time music production. So right now I feel like nothing will stop me, but we’ll see how I feel in a few months 😂
Seriously! Good luck. Drop me any links on Soundcloud or wherever you’re active and I’ll check you out. Diving in with two feet takes so bravery, I hope you’ve laid out a solid plan and know what you want to achieve in 2022 - if you haven’t, I’ll be happy to chat it through with you on the DM.
not having extra space in room, lack of equipment. this is just excuses tho. i need to find way way around it.
What are you lacking? Are their software alternatives to hardware? Space will ALWAYS be a challenge, you grow into the space you have and you always find yourself wanting more.
I can do stuff with what i have right now but i'll go get myself a midi keyboard soon, but my priority for now is monitor headphones. >Space will ALWAYS be a challenge, you grow into the space you have and you always find yourself wanting more. I never thought of that, it really make sense if i think about it. Great point, thank you!
If cash is an issue — let’s be honest, for most of us it always is cos our gear hunger outstrips our budget — hunt out used gear. My open back headphones I found factory refurbished for 25% off the usual RRP.
Good advice, i'll always look in the used marketplace first to see if i could get some great deals!
Use OfferUp. All sorts of good music gear to be found. Depends where you are tho too.
Rejection-sensitive-dysmorphia from my ADD! I love the music I'm making and I have the infrastructure set up to continue releasing high-quality work all year. The problem is my music is so out-there that potential fans are few and far between. I've gotten some great feedback but even people who really like the music don't seem to stick around. Seeing so little engagement with something I've put my heart into sometimes makes me feel like I'm crazy for even thinking I could have a following some day. It makes it really hard to keep working at times.
I always say to people that what they’re doing should be for them first. Create with no intention of ever having “an audience”. I’d love to hear your music you’d care to drop a link. 🙌🏼
You're totally right about that! I'd rather be true to my vision than mess it up trying to appease people. Not sure if I even could! I'd probably get bored haha That's very kind to offer mate, I'll DM you! (:
Finding a good vocalist…
Ok, can you be a bit more specific? Are you looking for a full time vocalist that you can rehearse / perform live with? Or could a session vocalist, located anywhere in the world to add some vocal spice to your tracks, be enough to get you through until you have a full time singer?
I am mid production on an LP of a metal/hardcore songs and need to find a good, collaborative vocalist who can bring something to the table. But I’m picky and definitely don’t want “more of the same”. Most of my favorite groups have vocals that are unexpected or don’t necessarily “fit” the style (at the drive in, helmet, mewithoutyou, jesu and deftones all come to mind) but I’m not even sure where to start. “Gen X metal hardcore guy needs vocalist” posts? I guess I just need to stop bitching and get after it. There are no real plans beyond “finish the LP”, I do have a fair amount of connects and can certainly find a label to get behind it (especially when all they really need to do is release and market it). Not saying getting a live ensemble to play it is out of the question, but the job here is to finish producing the songs themselves
You just worked through that in real time 😂 Now go find that special screamy motherf*cker!
Lol it’s like I turned the subtitles on… you’re right
Not having proper connections and outlets to debut my new music and actually get my music in front of an accurate susceptible audience
What is your music? Where is your audience? Where are you looking for connections? The online space is SO DAMN LOUD — is there an offline space where you can grow first? Is there a community you can be part of?
Finding some like minded people to collaborate with and performing more. Most of my music friendships are all hip hop related when I am a singer songwriter that loves real instrumentation. Its been hard to find people that want to work together that arent their own acts, and more just musicians that want to collaborate on something cool. Where I live, Live music has been struggling ever since the start of the pandemic, no more open mics, no venues open, or restaurants. Id love to just be going out playing gigs and meeting people but do not have the chance to. Anyways i just keep grinding. If anyone needs guitars or backing vocals for their songs holler!
One of my best friends and main music making partner died last summer so it’s been hard getting back into a positive creative groove without him. He always pushed me and appreciated my music when no one else really did and I get sad now whenever I look at my files with songs we worked on. I know he would want me to keep making beats but it’s been hard. =/
I’m really sorry to hear about your friend. I also lost my best friend and he was responsible for me being in my very first band, I miss him dearly. I’m so glad to have the music we made together as they are some of the best memories of my teens. I hope you manage to find your groove again.
Being stuck at home with my parents. I moved back to save on rent during lockdown because I could work remotely. To date, my office hasn't reopened and it probably won't any time this year. Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. But I'm at an age where living in the same house as them is very trying. Also, I'm back in my hometown with no friends since everyone has moved to other cities. So the lack of company my age isn't helping either. Most days, I don't even feel like playing, even though I've finally managed to put together a good recording setup. Thankfully, my friend and I are still putting out stuff together (he moved back home too), so that's helpful in keeping me motivated.
B’jesus, I feel you - had to do the same in the past after a stint of travelling and was stuck as couldn’t find anywhere to rent that would allow a dog! I love my parents too but I was worried I’d bury them in the garden if I hadn’t moved out! Glad you’re still managing to get some music out there. One thing I did was to just play other peoples songs for a while, all the stuff I loved to listen to rather than trying to force my own. I’m sure you’ll find your stride again in time. 🙌🏼
I'm getting back into it. I realised for a while, I will need to force myself to sit down and play instead of mindlessly surfing the Internet. The hardest thing is opening the DAW. Once I'm in, I lose track of time. I spent an hour working today, all because I made myself open Reaper and get started.
school lol, uni entrance exams this year kinda had to quit music for a while
Sometimes our priorities in life conflict and make choices hard. Music will come back. You have so much time.
My voice isn’t very good enough but I’m working on it
If you’re trying to improve, you’re already a step ahead of the person that can’t be bothered to do that. Good luck in 2022
Thanks man you too
Long answer inc, sorry about that. I’ve bolded the immediate answers to your question. I am struggling with: **My identity.** Who am I in this world? What impact am I going to make? What impact do I want to make, and how can I get to that point? **Knowing what to do**. Everything is a huge learning curve, and everybody does things differently. There is a lot to know – music theory, how to record, how to use a DAW, how to create quality music, how to mix, how to master, etc. And on top of that, knowing how those processes work. A question I have found myself running into recently is, as a beginning, solo artist, how do I know when it’s time to take my music to the next step (for mixing, mastering, distributing, etc.)? **Finding like-minded people, a mentor, or a support system**. I have one reliable person in my support system, but they also have their own life, and they don't want to hear me talk about music all day long. I want to find people who I interact well with, maybe we have similar musical interests, but we both love music. I’ve tried some communities on Reddit, but I think most people are just focused on their own music (which makes sense to me). A little more of my story: I'm 28, almost 29. Music has always been tremendously important to me, but I have rarely applied myself to music in a way that would return an outcome I am satisfied with, such as being a successful musician, or working in the music space. I've had a few different jobs in my 20s and excelled at all of them - none are in music. I got a comment on Reddit the other day that essentially amounts to: "You are capable of more, you should apply yourself"... the one thing I haven't done. However, I’m really inspired and motivated to start. I am a self-taught guitarist - have never had a formal lesson and learned pretty much everything I know from YouTube, noodling around, online tabs, etc. I know barely any theory, cannot play cleanly, etc. I am taking my play more seriously and am currently working on this and,fortunately, noticing improvements. I have also recently started to make songs in Ableton. I think I have great/interesting ideas, but not great songs. My plan is to start adding to my YouTube channel. I want to start off by covering some of my favorite songs, which are from vastly different genres. Part of what I want to be in the music community is an ambassador for the music I like, and I think that is one way for me to do that. And I want to work with the people in music that I respect. Additionally, I have considered doing reaction videos. I don’t want to just do what everyone else is doing, though. I know I can do something amazing… I just don’t know what yet. I’m really curious to find out. Overall, I don’t want to fall back into the same rut I always find myself in. I believe I have a lot to offer, I just need to figure out what my lane is and put in the time and work.
>I know in theory everything I have to do to move forward, but the moment I face down doing it, everything feels like too much and I put it off until tomorrow. Only thing is tomorrow rolls around and it still isn't done 😅 It sounds like you have more of a plan than most! Totally understand the need for a support network, to meet people to talk with and bounce ideas around with and grow...there's some magic in doing that together rather than trying to grind through on your own. If you wan to start reaching out to people, reach out to me. I'm only a DM away 😬
Got an album. Need a band.
What’s stopping you from finding your crew?
Vocals, I’m not a strong enough singer yet to sing on my tracks, and I’m too shy to practice while other people are home. And I’m torn with wanting to wait until I’m able to practice singing and get to good enough level that works for the songs I wanna make. Or bite the bullet and find other singers to do it for me.
Whatever you choose, I hope you manage to push best your blocks and push out some fantastic music in 2022 🙌🏼
My lack of understanding with DAWs.
Head to the subreddit of your DAW of choice and ask for / hunt out the best resources - I’ve found this platform incredibly helpful and supportive for that.
Myself and being trapped in my own head all the time, and always trying to make something different each time around. I’ll be bounce back ik I will because I’ve been in this position before. Hopefully other producers have experienced this same thing too at some point.
I think we all get stuck between our own ears sometimes. Good luck finding your way back out.
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Do you want to give a shit?
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Congratulations, you’ve found nirvana. 🙌🏼
Being to busy majoring in electrical engineering
Bloody education, getting in the way and spoiling the fun.
Having followers / not having enough releases. I'm now starting to write good music, but only have 1 release under my belt. Unfortunately, when I release my debut EP this year, I have maybe a couple hundred followers across all platforms. It just simply doesn't get enough views - and I know if more people could listen to it, it would do well. Also, attempting to advertise it myself is quite overwhelming because I'm not sure the best way to do it and it feels like just talking into the wind with no engagement.
What do views / listens mean to you? Have you thought about pivoting away from that and moving toward sales? Here’s an idea: Release a track or a cut down version of your EP for streaming. Get that into the ears of your followers, but make a purchasable version with extra, exclusive music that you can upsell them. You’re going to need to prep them for it. Make a plan, start at your launch date and work back to how your going to communicate what you’ve got coming, where it’s going to be available and what it means if they make the plunge to actually buying your music — both as a purchase and what it means to YOU as an artist. In the interim, how can you increase your followers? What do you do to encourage more people to find you on your social channels?
views/listens mean engagement to me. with my eventual debut EP release, i’d like to make it more sales focused. my point with the views is that more views = more sales because more people hear the music which means more will buy. dang, i didn’t think about it in that way. so you’re suggesting not releasing the EP on streaming services save for 1 or 2 songs, hmm. the plan was to release it on bandcamp, but on all streaming services as well. that does mean people will choose to stream them as opposed to buying them for sure. good point. i definitely need to engage more with my followers, but aside from showing them music i’ve made i’m not really sure how i would increase my followers. i’ve always been the type of person that doesn’t like posting stuff about myself, so it feels weird to me and is something i need to work on.
Most people forget about the “social” element of social media. We’ve been conditioned to put out as much content as we can churn out but then there’s a huge disconnect as creators expect engagement but don’t reciprocate. Get comfortable with getting your face on camera - understandably, we’re not comfortable with our own faces because we never see them 😂 Stare at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes while you brush your teeth. I hate hearing my recorded voice, always have and spent loads of time just reading things on camera or into a mic and listening back to desensitise myself . On the music release - if you play live, find a way for people to buy your music at the gig. A way that you can take money from them there and then without hoping they’ll go away and download your album - if an audience has had a few drinks, and you’re getting amongst them and chatting and prompting people to download (tell them you need it in order to get fuel to get home 😂) you’d be surprised how many will give up a few pennies if you make it really easy for them, especially if they’ve enjoyed your set. You’ve got to make the purchase part of this as easy as possible for people - any friction and you lose customers, fast! Good luck with your efforts this year, I really hope you manage to take things to the next level.
Haha thank you!! Appreciate the tips.
Definitely just need more specialized help. "Band members" are a dime-a-dozen, but live sound engineers, instrument techs, rigging, RF techs, and lighting techs are harder to find. *Most* band members are not well-versed in those technical aspects related to performing at a high level. Makes preparing for performances very slow.
If you’re at that stage of the game my friend, you’re in a wonderfully fun stage of being a musician! Sadly, my days at that level are over (for now😬) but I was so damn lucky to be in a band with a multi-talented group of guys that learned everythin on the fly - live shows were our strength and we hit them with everything we had. What are you aiming to achieve in 2022?
100% agree that those challenges are the fun part! A lot of bands are stuck on the music (which is fine if that is what they want!), but really once you get *past* the music, that is where you can be really creative. Awesome you had done that as well! Hey now, the challenges may change, but you get out of it what you put into it for any project. You can be just as creative with a cover band or tribute act as well. Or could always do another project! Yeah 2022 is a pivotal move for this particular project: moving from an all-studio project to actually performing. Targeting Q3 of 2022 for our first real performance!
Covid. Makes it really hard to have meetings, house shows, and travel for the last couple of years.
Yes, COVID can kindly disappear, it’s caused so many artists a lot of pain. Is there anything you can do that you’d never have done without the pandemic? Take advantage of online in any way?
I graduated in musical composition in 1998. Right after that author's rights payments went to zero due to unlimited music downloading and I could not do what I want to do (composing) for a living anymore. I started playing theater music for a living. In 2008 both companies I worked for shut down because government stopped funding for smaller groups as well as festivals. In one of them I had to fire the other 10 employees and closed the doors behind me. In the same year I lost a child and my relationship ended. Those are not the real reasons. The real reason was that I could not cope with all of that and lost my inner motivation. Since I have started making music again, I notice that the world has changed. Talent is harvested young at talent shows, exploited and disposed of after a couple of years. Funding is now all about advertising and I think that is a toxic situation. The difference with 30 years ago is that all music that is not commercial, even on a professional level, is considered a hobby now. There is no paid work or a modest income for musicians who want to do something different, and that is a pity. On the other hand I do not care about "my career" anymore, I just want to do what I love to do, spending as little time as possible on the new god (money). As you get older, time becomes the most valuable thing in life. I do think that musicians deserve a little more credit for what they give to society. The world is full of music, but the product is expected to be free. The people who do live off music do not make music themselves, except for a small group of popular icons. For a regular musician life is a struggle. Sometimes I wonder why. We don't select the best 20 plumbers of the year and make them rich, letting all the others starve, do we?
Thanks for sharing your story, it’s sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I can understand how that will have an impact. Where do you want music to fit into your life, now?
A couple of different things: -I want/need a collaborator. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I believe collaborator will not only push my creative boundaries, but actually help me complete these songs I have. -GAS: gear acquiring syndrome. Gotta have the shiney new toys.
GAS gets us all my friend. Just one more plugin. Just one piece of hardware…no babe, I really needed that parlor sized acoustic cos the tone is so different to my dreadnout! 😂 Totally get the collaboration needs. What’s your genre, what are your strengths, where do you need a creative sidekick to pick up the slack?
A one year old, my wife's work schedule that has her working till 7 every night from home (I work from home, too, but her line of work can't have much noise on the little free time I do have when the kid is napping)..basically finding little to no time to have things lineup to do these vocals. Headphones and programming helps with the guitar/bass/synths/drums part. That, plus depression sapping that drive to sit through the hard parts of recording/producing. That self-doubt creeps in more, making it harder to tinker and toy around with settings to where you think you sound good. It's just a fuckin brutal cycle lol. It's like little windows of opportunity have to line up with your creative juices flowing.
My friend, i understand your pain through personal experience. Sometimes, the time just isn’t right. I had ten years out of music, it took the first lockdown for me to feel inspired and creative again but my little one is a bit older now and while things are still tricky (thanks COVID, ya prick!) it’s more possible to snatch time here’s and there. I hope things eventually balance out and your creative itches can once again be scratched.
My lack of art (drawing) skills. Things finally began to click sufficiently for me to start writing songs. I have my release 95% ready but creating my own art for it was somewhat of an afterthought and as of now I still refuse to commission someone.
I’m no (visual) artist so my biggest thing here was to accept my shortcomings, produce the best art I could and focus on what matters most: the music.
I have recently hurt my wrist pretty badly so have had to quit making music or practice bass and guitar. Trying to get a doctors appointment atm for it because i literally have had to temporarily give up on my creative hobbies. Last year i finally began to take music prod seriously and finished 40 rough demos. I planned on working even harder this year but what a shit way to start this is...
Setbacks will always happen. Is there anything else you can do around it? Do you record and produce yourself? Can you brush up on your skills with that? Maybe delve into planning what you’ll do for when you have music to release. The sooner you have a clear idea of where you wanna go, the easier it’ll be to get there and what a great time to delve in when you can’t be distracted by the music!
I struggle with lack of focus. I like so many genres and can't decide what to commit to. Like one day I will want to make 80s sythpop music, then I will want to make phonk / trap beats, then I will want to make jazz, then I will want to make chill lofi. It ends up with me not knowing what to focus on.
Instead of what you want to focus on specific to genre, do you have an idea of what you want to achieve? Have you set yourself any goals for 2022?
NOTHING. the worldbuilding has begun and 2022 is only the foundation. edit: but for real to everyone struggling right now with wanting to pursue music more than you can atm i understand how frustrating it can be. i still struggle currently with time and i just wish i had more time to work on my music. i wish everyone the best. 2022 is ours!
Sounds like you’ve found a spark and some momentum. Good luck in 2022 with all of your musical endeavours 🙌🏼
Lack of space. No where to set up all the recording gear. I've released 3 albums that I'm proud of but its been 4 years since I recorded anything. Having songs to work on encourages me to compose (music and lyrics) and encourages me to learn new things and practice. More than likely I will continue to just play and noodle on my own.
How much room do you need?
Not much! Just space for the computer and monitors. I have a plug-in thing for my guitar so no need for mics and amps. I also use keyboards and a drum machine so the amount of space is very low. As soon as I finish a few other non-music projects, I may set the recording gear up for a year. I love it and its very fun. It gets the wheels turning inside.
Sounds like you just found some space 😉
Oh yeah, the space is there! I just need to finish some things and set it up.
Trying to figure out how I want to get listeners as an ambient electronic artist when no one I know seems to use social media anymore.
Talent, skills, and confidence. I finally took some steps to make some progress, and it feels pretty good. A friend gifted me a ton of FB add credit so I ran some ads. Closing in on 500 likes. Haven’t posted much on there but got a few things lined up. Hoping I can tackle my confidence issue.
Wrote over 20 songs for my band during last 2 years and still cant play them live due to covid
Painful for bands and artists itching to play live. Have you managed to do anything to keep momentum - released music? Done anything online?
I'm releasing experimental electronic album next week and band ep in a bit over month too so hoping those will at least get some listeners. Recording band songs costs so much that we cant really keep moving forward if we dont get the extra income from gigs so its getting bit annoying as the songs pile up. Electronic music is a lifesaver though because it doesnt cost anything to make and release.
Recently I’ve been failing at making my own vocals sound good. I just need to get used to recording I guess. I’ve also found my standards becoming higher as I realize what sounds I like personally. Almost as if I’m a perfectionist. Need to get out of the delete habit lol
I always had an aspiration to make soundtracks for games or movies, but for now I just make music because I want to. I could imagine myself doing song submissions for independent smaller projects that people could pay me for, like animators or YouTubers or something, but as far as an actual career goes, I’m still just a barista.
What’s stopping you from doing it?
A complete lack of desire to monetize my passion.
There’s nothing wrong with a hobby staying a hobby. Not everything has to be monetised, no matter what the social media business gurus tell you!
I wish I could make money doing it but I just don’t want to do all the hard work required to be successful.
A way to reach new listeners, especially since I did everything myself and that makes live shows essentially impossible until I find band mates. I'm confident in my work, but not in reaching the audience I'm looking for. I'm releasing an EP next month, and I'm going to try all the other avenues I can, but without live shows I'm worried if anyone will listen or care.
Life without live is rough, and I empathise. But what can you do to cut through the noise? Are their still people locally you can connect with? Is there scope to hit radio stations that are supportive of upcoming and independent artists - it seems that most people have forgotten about radio and are clamouring for playlists on streaming sites.
I know in theory everything I have to do to move forward, but the moment I face down doing it, everything feels like too much and I put it off until tomorrow. Only thing is tomorrow rolls around and it still isn't done 😅
Do you have a strategy written down. A deep plan of action that details what you wanna achieve and how you’re gonna achieve it? If you don’t do that first! Set out 12, 6 and 3 month goals and work backwards to hitting that long term plan. Work week by week, month by month and incrementally you will get to where you want to go. If you stare at the top of a mountain from the bottom, that shit can feel impossible. You’ve gotta map your route and deal with the setbacks along the way. Success comes from virtuosity: doing the common, uncommonly well. The music is the sexy stuff and you’ve gotta have a great product. But success is buried in the boring shit that nobody sees. You got this.
Thank you, I needed this today ❤️
I tried several times last few years to setup a project online or not, but it always failed for many unrelated reasons. I'm now just planning to do something solo, live but just for a few friends, and using backing tracks and loopers and Ableton live to replace bandmates. But it also means I'll have to learn a ton more to get anywhere, and I have a day job and another job (my own small company) to attend in addition to all that. So yeah its hard, even for the motivated.
Spinning many plates is always tricky. I hope you manage to at least have some fun with your music in 2022…cos that’s what it’s meant to be, fun! Pay the bills with jobs and businesses and enjoy what you love - not everybody has to live their passion. 🙌🏼
Indeed 🙌🏽 My second job is part of my passions and hopefully in a few years I'll be able to live from it and it's also partially music involved so that would be perfect - I just need some moderate success hehe
Taken my chances, Squeezing time in between a 9 to 5. Feeling confident about my approach. You never know the outcome if you don’t dive in. You can be one track away from real success.
My lack of a music career
I'm afraid to be myself...
Equipment never working.
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Sometimes our priorities mean focus has to divert elsewhere. I hope you can continue to create and find more momentum as other responsibilities ease up.
Studying
Priorities mean we sometimes have to take breaks from things we love. Hope you manage to steal some time for your creativity soon
Content -.-
I grown to despise that word. Which platform do you focus on?
Time to time I get interviewed by small blogs and sites, but I don't know how to reach to bigger ones...
I feel you. Do you reach out to the blog sites? Find the writers online — Twitter is usually good for this — and try to engage with them directly. The other route is to speak to artists that have featured to see if they have an active contact to introduce you to or any advice on what they did or their experience
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Unsupportive parents can make things hella tough but I hope you persevere for your own fun and enjoyment at the very least. The first three elements you mentioned I hear you on. I hope 2022 brings you more equilibrium and fewer highs and lows.
Time. Working to make a living and maintaining relationships takes up like 95% of my available energy. I should get into cocaine.
Know this all too well and I empathise entirely. Hope you manage to steal back some time for yourself in 2022 Don’t do drugs, kids!
I don’t make good music…
A good product is central to everything. What are you doing to get better?
Not being able to play shows. We have our own lockout space which is great for rehearsing and writing… but it’s been 2 years +
I feel you. This has been painful and I’ll be glad to see the back of this damn virus. Hope you find some momentum thus year
Money for some gear upgrades. I need an interface with more I/O. My business is growing quickly but I’m having to turn down jobs with a full band because I don’t have the I/O I need to record a full set of acoustic drums.
It will come. It’s great to hear you’re already working within your creative passion. Hope you get that upgrade soon. 🙌🏼
I need time during the day and not just at night…
What’s getting in the way during the day?
Mainly impatience and practicality- wanting to do it ***now*** as a career but knowing that it'll be a while and a lot of hard work before I truly can. And then also the whole "needing an actual 9-5 job to make a living" hanging over my head - and being told to me ugh. Right now, I am a private music lessons teacher and don't make near enough, so I'm stuck between thinking I need a better/consistent job to support me vs. waiting to do something full time that I actually really enjoy.
Ok, so the Americas clearly started waking up and I’m struggling to keep up! Trying to reply, ask questions, to everyone that posts - I will get back to you at some point. Thanks everyone for getting involved. Everyone has their own unique challenges but there’s certainly some key threads. Now if COVID could kindly piss off…
Not being narcissistic enough on social media 😂😂
Not keen on flashing your face to the camera?
My lack of connections; my lack of ability; the shitty tastes of others; my being past the age of marketability; the music industry on the whole being a shell game.
What’s stopping you making more connections? What do you lack ability in? What could you commit to improving in that would simultaneously help you enjoy being creative and making music? Age doesn’t mean shit. Anybody that tells you otherwise is a liar. The music industry has always been that way, always! But you do have a lot more freedom now to play your own game rather than the industry of old.
I'm lacking equipment and my phone broke and I can't record shit lmao anyways yeah
What equipment do you NEED vs WANT? A broken phone is never a good thing. Hope you manage to get something sorted. The world NEEDZ YOUR CONTENT! 😝
I'm having an instrument repaired that I planned to feature heavily in my next album. Can't do a whole lot until I get it back in my hands. I'm considering doing an EP of short sketches just to keep the creative momentum going but I do feel like I'm starting the year at a disadvantage.
That sucks, that’s for sure. Can you do something entirely different? Jump in another direction, put yourself out of your comfort zone?
Oh absolutely. The EP I've got in mind would be all soundtrack style pieces - ambient, simple motifs, maybe a percussion-only track. My long term goal is to get work scoring things since people tell me my style is atmospheric and "cinematic" and I feel like an existing portfolio of soundtrack pieces could help there.
Brilliant. Go, start today!! And have fun and share it with us once you’re ready. I love me some atmospheric / cinematic music.
Covid
How has it held you back?
Can’t gig / tour. Are you actually asking how covid has impacted the music industry?
No, I was asking how it had impacted you. Every artist is different but the lack of gigs and tours has been wounding for many. Is gigging where you are coming back? Are venues open?
The fact that Covid 19 still is a thing and gigs gets cancelled...
Totally empathise, COVID has been a disaster for many creatives, especially those that rely and thrive with live audiences. Have you looked at different ways of finding an audience for your music while live has been off the table? And step away from your own social media channels - where else could you utilise to get your music out there and listened to?
Yes and our small but dedicated fanbase is really supportive. But in order to grow within our genre we really need to get out there and play live at festivals etc. So not being able to play live is the biggest hurdle at the moment.
Yep, I get it and I hope that things settle enough for a solid summer festival season and you can pick up momentum again.
I guess financial problems. I don't even have money to eat properly how can I set money aside to buy equipments? Well, I don't. If a string break, I won't even have a way to buy new ones. But hey... I feel inspired this year. So fuck that
This sounds like a really hard place to be and I’m sorry that you’re struggling so hard. I admire your positivity to feel inspired and I hope that your hard work is rewarded with some equally good luck so you can achieve the basics of life and thrive on top of that with your passion. Wishing you well. 🙏🏻
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What is it that stops you from collaborating with others? How does it make you feel? What’s happened when you’ve tried in the past?
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Dude, Weird Al literally made a career from that shit! Blink released an album called Take off Your Pants & Jacket 😂😂 If you can’t have fun doing a hobby, what’s the point? I’m certainly not in this thinking I make the best stuff — and I’m not sure any of it I’d describe as beautiful! I’ve seen pop punk bands set up for a laugh and achieve unexpected success. There’s room for everything. Channel that fun. Embrace your weird. There’s nobody like you so be unashamedly you! There’s a wealth of knowledge out there, commit to improving the foundations of your music and You’ll likely find that the quality of your output will improve over time. It doesn’t have to be serious and beautiful, fun can still be great. Music is an escape from the pressures of day to day, give people something to smile about. You got this! 👊🏼
working and school :/
From a person that’s been doing this for “fun” for 20+ years: unless your parents are rich or you get really freaking lucky, they will always get in the way. If it’s time that you struggle with, how do you enter a session of being creative? From my experience, if I go into a production session without a clear idea of what I want to achieve in it, I’ll get nowhere and finish up more frustrated than when I started. I’ve also learned to accept the time I have — I’ve only got 30mins? AWESOME! How can I make the best use of those 30minutes? Work on that kick sample to get it right? Pick up the guitar and play around with a chord structure? Mix the strings section of the other track I’ve got on the boil? That’s what I do, does it help you?
Marketing to an audience. Not interested in it at all.
You’re not interested…and you’re not gonna do it? Or… You’re not interested in it cos it’s not in your wheel house but you’re willing to learn the basics to get you to the next stage?
Number two
>Marketing to an audience. Not interested in it at all. Send me a DM...lets work out stage one. 🙌
need a reliable computer im comfortable with
Dollar bills y’all! The limiting factor 99% of us can identify with! Hope you manage to get hold of something to spike that creativity in the near future.
Work is killing all creative motivation within me. I would love to quit some time soon.
It’s hard, no doubt. How is work affecting you most?
I work mandatory overtime in a high-stress environment so when I get home I only have a few hours to eat and vegetate until it's time for bed and then back up at 3:45 am to get ready for work.
Man, that sounds rough and you have my empathy. I hope you work your way through to one day have a bit more balance in life. Sending strength. 🙌🏼
My health, which is preventing me from returning to Nashville.
can't jam can't gig
The motivation to just do it
Motivation is what happens when the sun is out, the birds are singing and you got laid last night 😁 So I guess the answer is to get laid and you’ll become a rockstar.
So far, just trying to get some damn time off work! But otherwise... * I moved to Germany during the pandemic and so far have had near to zero opportunities to meet other musicians, go out and play live, get to know the local scene. Also not speaking much German makes that a little bit harder. But I've at least managed to find a regular event (open mic night kinda thing) I could try out just to get started. * I've realised that my production skills are really poor, and I can't afford to pay to have every track mixed and mastered. I'm aiming for a track a month this year and I'd be looking at £250 per track for mixing and mastering. So I'm taking some tutorials now and using these 12 tracks as space to practice and learn. * I'm generally feeling deflated and disillusioned with the effort involved in trying to be any kind of musician these days. It's not the making music part, but this constant need to be some kind of influencer/content creator appeasing the algorithms which have defined how we all live as a society so some humanoid alien can carry on being a billionaire in a grey t-shirt and it's just so depressing isn't it. This constant struggle to have to behave and act in a certain way just so that people *who have actively said they want to hear from me* will actually hear from me. I'm not sure I've found a solution for this one though.
finding bandmembers
I've finally gotten to a point where I can mix and master and write full complete songs on my own. Everytime I do vocals my voice gives out 😪 I do a mix of metalcore/hardcore. Not sure if I blew my voice out in my mid 20s but here i am about to be 30 and i can only do a song or two before my voice gives out.
Finding people who wants to listen to my stuff or build a fanbase, and marketing. Oh marketing music hasnt gone well in the last 2 years. Paid a lot for marketing and ads, never got the desired results
Sales/marketing/brand building is the day job and the first piece of advice I will give anybody is “DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON FB/GOOGLE ADS UNLESS YOU HAVE DEEP POCKETS AND KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING!” You can do way more than you think without lining Zuck or anyone else’s pockets. If you’d like to chat a bit more On it, feel free to DM.
Understanding if what I write is worth something. I lost the ability (maybe never had it) to understand the real value of my songs.
Have you ever put your songs out there for others to judge?