this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2024
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As a musician who has been following this closely for a while, it keeps getting worse and worse. Musicians of my status have less and less opportunities to make a living off of our art in a world that is becoming increasingly easier to produce and distribute in. I’ve done this a long time and have had moderate success in the past. It’s to the point now though that the ways I THOUGHT musicians made money was never available to me, and the way we DID make money when I started almost doesn’t exist anymore either.
I am curious, how do musicians make money? I’m under the impression that income from streaming is so low on a per-play basis that you’re not making anything unless you’re a super famous band. I am not seeing as many smaller venue shows being advertised which is where I assumed most income would come from (playing live). So if it’s not from streaming and live playing, what is left? I am going to see if I can find some live shows this weekend since I read this post but it seems odd that despite living in a city, there aren’t a ton of shows going on.
Live shows, physical album sales, and merch. And even then, a lot or smaller artists barely break even with live performances, so they rely on merch sales. That’s why I make it a point to attend shows and buy merch when my favorite bands are in town.
I won’t pretend to have a solution or even an idea of a solution but it seems pretty dystopian when someone creating music has to rely upon selling tshirts to come close to making a living. It should be the music they are making money on directly since people are paying for it. I can’t buy a CD anymore and wouldn’t be able to play it if I did. I don’t own a record player for those releasing vinyl. Maybe the solution is like a Patreon approach, I don’t know. I do feel like it is becoming a neglected art form which can only be focused on by the already rich and famous.