Making Money From Making Music

I play in a really awful pop covers band who somehow manage to get at least a gig a week, usually private functions, army bases and social clubs. It pays between £100-£200 per gig which isn't bad at all for a poor arse like me. The other advantage of doing this is that it stops me going out and spending £100 at the weekends and I get to see quite a lot of the country, not to mention the free booze. The main downside is that most of the time we're playing to a room full of lairy squaddies (get yer fakkin tits out!) or in the case of the social clubs, coffin dodgers.

Have also played classical guitar in resteraunts which I'd imagine would pay better if I didn't live in the middle of nowhere and had access to resteraunts with more money.

In my experience doing gigs with bands doing original stuff doesn't really pay unless you're willing to tour for quite a while earning just enough to pay for petrol and booze. Selling CDs and merch can be quite hit n miss depending how well you've chosen your gigs.

Right, talking to myself a bit too much here. Some of the things I'm curious about:

Library Music - I've heard stories from a few people who get their stuff played on smaller (usually european) tv stations who can't afford to licence popular music and so licence cheaper imitations. Anyone got any experience of this? Did you work through an agency? How does it work?

Do you actually earn any money from making music?

omg this is depressing.

dude seems like a bit of an idiot

for real

I love how the commentors lay straight into him. He sounds like someone who was in a band not because he wanted to make music, but because he wanted to be rich and famous. Fuck people like that.

dude's band is boring as 10 fucks

I love how the commentors lay straight into him. He sounds like someone who was in a band not because he wanted to make music, but because he wanted to be rich and famous. Fuck people like that.

KISS was 100% candid about this as their sole ambition.

the folx at the Future of Music Coalition just launched a survey called Money From Music, pasting the info below

"It's an anonymous national survey that asks musicians and composers about all the
different ways they make money. We are looking for participation by
musicians and composers from all genres - classical, jazz, nashville, indie
rock, urban, world, artists who get radio airplay, touring artists,
recording artists, film composers, background singers, sidemen etc.

We are trying to reach any working musician you know. Can you help us
spread the word?

More information at www.futureofmusic.org/ars - including a resource center
with press releases, sample blog posts, PSAs, web banners, posters, and
social media tools."

FMC is a really interesting org that does good work, go help 'em out, survey can be done in 10, 20 or 30 minutes

top tip: make friends with girls in accounts at the majors. Will totally pay off. More invoices lost than not if you don't.