Does anyone out there make a living as a musician in 2024?

[pvad]

Hi, I am a musician in Australia.
The ability to make a living as a musician has become much more difficult. Streaming has killed CD sales and provides virtually no money for musicians.
COVID shut down many venues that have not re-opened.
Is it the same elsewhere?
I make very little as a musician, but make just enough as a music teacher.
Do you make a living as a musician? If so, how? Streams? Government grants or support? Live playing? Sychronisation of your music? Patrons? Other?
Cheers, Peter

[harryupbabble]

not me but...

sometimes, i go downtown and still see buskers
there will always be buskers?
if buskers are not making a living as buskers,
then why are they doing that?

[eLawnMust]

Yeah, Music is everywhere for free I have seen people trying to sell albums online for a dollar, no go & now with economies going south nobody has cash to be diving into 'entertainment' most struggling to survive...

Some making YT video channels with enough subscribers & views make some kissing the arse of sponsors personally hate all the ads everywhere it's a disease for sure...

But for some like me never having made a dime in music however been in many bands in 70s-80s all went nowhere... Did jam at MarinaDelRey actual marina where you could plugin there (no haven't lived in CA since late 70s)... Met bassist for John Denver, etc...

Too much music floating about but alot very low quality spread about the over 5,000 genres rather ridiculous>>>

[osiris]

'Of course' - Taylor Swift

[thecontrolcentre]

if buskers are not making a living as buskers,
then why are they doing that?

I used to do it to raise money for charity (Oxfam,etc)

[seafire]

not me but...

sometimes, i go downtown and still see buskers
there will always be buskers?
if buskers are not making a living as buskers,
then why are they doing that?

To top up their income

[zerocrossing]

I do, but not in any way that I had hoped or even imagined when I started out. I did the usual singer-songwriter schtick, hoping that someone would recognize my brilliance (:lol) but few did. Oddly, the few that did were always good musicians and I was always able to put together good bands, but the only time I was able to generate a following was when we hired a lead singer that was a big socialite. We packed the clubs every time we played when she was in the band, but after a year or so we parted ways and it was like turning off a switch. Zero momentum. It was a sobering experience.

After that, I spent a few years stumbling around. Had a little success playing psychedelic rock covers for Cornell frat parties. Our drummer quit after getting offered a spot in a country band. He didn’t like country music but they paid him a salary. That was something completely out of the realm of what we could offer. I went “solo” after that, focusing on very abstract music. That actually made me happier than doing what I’d been doing, but there is zero money in it. The best I could hope for was a free breakfast credit at the ABC Cafe in Ithaca NY (RIP).

I switched to computer graphics. I’d been able to make some money doing graphics for other local bands and musicians, and it seemed a logical step for me if I didn’t want to spend my life in retail or restaurant server jobs. I did well in that field, landing on UI Artist/UX Design in video games as a main focus. There were a few times I did music for videos or motion graphics, but nothing to speak of, until a few years ago. The company I worked for was commissioned to make a VR game and the owner was very keen on having custom SFX and music. I showed him some of my recordings and made a few SFX bits, and just like that, I had a new position. Now I’d say that I’m probably doing music and SFX about 75% of the time and other visual graphic stuff the rest of the time.

[harryupbabble]

did frank not do anything for you?

[harryupbabble]

okay, maybe nicolas cage didn't get any help from his uncle but...
is it even true?

[Dirtgrain]

'Of course' - Taylor Swift

Her KVR user name is Bones, by the way.

[harryupbabble]

oh no
hahaha

[JerGoertz]

'Of course' - Taylor Swift

Her KVR user name is Bones, by the way.

Explains a lot

[cryophonik]

Nope. I made a living as a musician in late 80s-90s and it was good enough to put me through two undergrad and one graduate degree so I wouldn’t have to be a starving artist for the rest of my life.

[vurt]

'Of course' - Taylor Swift

Her KVR user name is Bones, by the way.

that cant be true!
they have both appeared on the same chart, at the same time!!!

[RunBeerRun]

I open for the Taylor Swift and Meshuggah tour, I run the cables.