Does anyone here make money with the music they make?

I read some statistic yesterday saying that 1% of the world's musicians/artists makes 77% of the money.

  On 3/23/2014 at 10:57 PM, coolandfrank said:

I'm asking because I'm curious. Also because I need money because my chosen career path ain't one of those money bin ones. I'm less interested in album / song sales because we all know that model is long gone. So what about licensing and the like? I don't think there are lot of video games pumpin' IDM out there, so has anyone found success using software to make iphone app electronic pop pieces? Now, you might say, "Friend, you simply lack the talent necessary for selling your creations," and that may be true. But I'm not trying to topple Warp here, just trying to make a little extra scratch with my hobby.

just curious... what is your career?

I made fifty bucks one time from improvising electronic music for dancers at a fundraiser. It almost covered the cab fare.

The bassist in my current band used to play in a touring Celtic band that made over $100,000 a year, which amounts to a pretty decent living between five people. And their alcohol was always free. Now he's in a band that makes no money ever.

  On 4/5/2014 at 7:48 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

The bassist in my current band used to play in a touring Celtic band that made over $100,000 a year, which amounts to a pretty decent living between five people. And their alcohol was always free. Now he's in a band that makes no money ever.

Whoa, what happened to the Celtic band?

  On 4/5/2014 at 8:44 AM, Goiter Sanchez said:

 

  On 4/5/2014 at 7:48 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

The bassist in my current band used to play in a touring Celtic band that made over $100,000 a year, which amounts to a pretty decent living between five people. And their alcohol was always free. Now he's in a band that makes no money ever.

Whoa, what happened to the Celtic band?

 

lol

lol indeed.

I suspect the band's still going, but I've actually never asked. He was with them for the better part of a decade and still drinks as though the alcohol's free.

Back in 2012 I sold 3 tracks for $450 to an art exhibit/show/gallery/film IDUNNO - ( I really didn't have much care for it as the artist didn't interest me and never went as it would've cost 450 just to get there to see the exhibit or work he was doing) My aunt works for Bill Viola in Long Beach, CA. She would do yoga in her office to a 45 minute loops and ambient trax CD I made for her. I guess he really liked a few he overheard one day and wanted them for some installation or video work he was doing. I thought the tracks were pretty dumb, echoing reverberated piano stuff and two ambient drone type songs to a 4/4 sine thump&compression that I split from being one really long and really boring track.

I have been contacted recently as he paid me for the right to use the track in the exhibit, but didn't include video/recording copyright on request of my aunt. He is supposedly putting together a new DVD or streaming video thing so I may start getting small royalty checks, but I guess I have to see what the offer is, I'm cheap.

made 14 whole euros so far with my last album. best 14 euros I ever made. I haven't figured out how to work at this stuff without feeling like I'm panhandling on facebook. would like to see if I can make some money doing gigs. I've made a little in the past, but those gigs are far in between.

I've been making music pretty regularly since I was 15 (for 17+ years), and in US or Canadian dollars, I've made negative thousands.

So you know... it pays the negative bills.

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:23 PM, peace 7 said:

I've been making music pretty regularly since I was 15 (for 17+ years), and in US or Canadian dollars, I've made negative thousands.

 

So you know... it pays the negative bills.

Are you still working in visual arts, peace?

  On 4/4/2014 at 4:46 AM, logakght said:

 

  On 3/23/2014 at 10:57 PM, coolandfrank said:

I'm asking because I'm curious. Also because I need money because my chosen career path ain't one of those money bin ones. I'm less interested in album / song sales because we all know that model is long gone. So what about licensing and the like? I don't think there are lot of video games pumpin' IDM out there, so has anyone found success using software to make iphone app electronic pop pieces? Now, you might say, "Friend, you simply lack the talent necessary for selling your creations," and that may be true. But I'm not trying to topple Warp here, just trying to make a little extra scratch with my hobby.

 

just curious... what is your career?

 

I'm an academic research scientist. i have a phd but for various (probably uninteresting) reasons it doesn't really pay a living wage for a family in nyc.

Mmm as I see this topic, I wanted to say I just got 50€ some days ago for my latest album 'quadrat'. Someone from Norway paid that amount and I'm still confused O_o It's the only time someone has paid for any of my albums.

Pretty sure 50 euros is like one Norwegian glasnerk. Exchange rate win.

Congrats though, very cool (= I should add that the gig I played was awesome and totally worth it.

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:32 PM, paranerd said:

 

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:23 PM, peace 7 said:

I've been making music pretty regularly since I was 15 (for 17+ years), and in US or Canadian dollars, I've made negative thousands.

 

So you know... it pays the negative bills.

Are you still working in visual arts, peace?

Jah, mang. Haven't had much time for personal work, but I have done quite a bit of graphic work in the past couple years. Gooootta get back to personal drawing and painting, because this high-level low-level shit for clients is an insult to my lazer, muthafuck. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU'

  On 4/5/2014 at 11:03 PM, Audioblysk said:

Back in 2012 I sold 3 tracks for $450 to an art exhibit/show/gallery/film IDUNNO - ( I really didn't have much care for it as the artist didn't interest me and never went as it would've cost 450 just to get there to see the exhibit or work he was doing)

Couldn't you get a free ticket as well? That's the kind of nice freebie that doesn't cost the client too much. When I provided a few tracks to a documentary about Warren Ellis, I got two tickets to see the UK premiere of it, which was a real blast. It never hurts to ask, anyway.

I've made a little bit - won a couple of things in competitions (Apogee Duet, some software etc) and been paid plenty of times, albeit small amounts for DJ gigs which I maybe got because I play a lot of my own tunes.

I was actually discussing this with a couple of muso mates the other day and the real money earner was a guy who does the weddings/birthday mobile DJ thing - he has couple of weekly pub residencies and does weddings etc on the weekend and does pretty well off it - its his main job!! Lol, he earns more per week than most 'club/dance' music dj's will ever earn!!!! I also know another guy who plays the accordion in a 'barn dance' band - there is a lot of them in the band but still make around £2k each a year just playing at weekends etc.

Shit business......

lol

When I was 14 or 15 I made money by selling beats to young rappers... It was something like 30 euros per beat and I sold around 20 of these babies. So I guess I made some easy money back then, which I spent on weed and parties. Good times.

Right now my biggest income from music comes from doing soundtracks. I attended a film school and was lucky enough that my schoolmates recognised my music-making skills - I've made music for 5 films so far. There are months in between but still, three of these project paid 570 euros bruto each which is absolutely great. You can make money with the music you make, but I guess the safest path is to work with clients.

Of course I wish I could get money with just my hobby music. But this is something rare and it depends too much on luck, so keep digging in all other directions first.

I make money every time someone unfollows me on Soundcloud. So I'm pretty rich.

  On 4/9/2014 at 9:56 AM, peace 7 said:

 

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:32 PM, paranerd said:

 

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:23 PM, peace 7 said:

I've been making music pretty regularly since I was 15 (for 17+ years), and in US or Canadian dollars, I've made negative thousands.

 

So you know... it pays the negative bills.

Are you still working in visual arts, peace?

Jah, mang. Haven't had much time for personal work, but I have done quite a bit of graphic work in the past couple years. Gooootta get back to personal drawing and painting, because this high-level low-level shit for clients is an insult to my lazer, muthafuck. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU'

 

Cool! BTW, Biz Markie turned 50 years old yesterday! I can't and will never think of Biz Markie without thinking of your ultra awesome painting of him. :)

  On 4/9/2014 at 3:38 PM, paranerd said:

 

  On 4/9/2014 at 9:56 AM, peace 7 said:

 

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:32 PM, paranerd said:

 

  On 4/8/2014 at 3:23 PM, peace 7 said:

I've been making music pretty regularly since I was 15 (for 17+ years), and in US or Canadian dollars, I've made negative thousands.

 

So you know... it pays the negative bills.

Are you still working in visual arts, peace?

Jah, mang. Haven't had much time for personal work, but I have done quite a bit of graphic work in the past couple years. Gooootta get back to personal drawing and painting, because this high-level low-level shit for clients is an insult to my lazer, muthafuck. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU'

 

 

Cool! BTW, Biz Markie turned 50 years old yesterday! I can't and will never think of Biz Markie without thinking of your ultra awesome painting of him. :)

 

Ha! Thanks, man. I'm like, half proud that my painting comes up when doing Google Image search for ze Biz. Dayum son, I gotta, you know... get back on that painting wagon or whatever.

I make some money djing shitty club music at the local bars from time to time...

I was in charge of the audio department on a film (read: i followed the actors around with a zoom h2 & months later offered up some high frequency noise trax for the ost. they weren't used).

it paid entirely in marijuana & cheeseburgers. I didn't buy groceries that summer & I was detached from my corporeal form for ~70% of the time

I've made probably close to $100 on my own music so far. It was proud until I comprehended that I can make that much in two days at a minimum wage job. (and it takes way more than that to make songs, put an album together, etc)

Indeed, the act of receiving money for something you made is much more of a payment than the money itself. That said, I usually celebrate the sale of a release buying some fine brews (and gasoline)