How Hard Is It To Be A Professional Musician?
When I first picked up the guitar at age 12, something sparked up in me that I have never felt before — a sense of fearless dedication, and commitment that, no matter what happened, I WOULD make my life out of being an artist.
After graduating from Berklee College of Music and making it on my own out here in the “real world”, I’m proud to say that I have sustained myself as a teaching artist for the better part of a decade. I’ve hit that six-figure mark multiple years in a row, and now own my own home—which is a dream that many artists never get to realize, so I am extremely grateful.
I’ve learned a lot in that time, and I’m here to share with you that not only is it possible to make a living as an artist, it’s possible for you to have a better income than most salaried careers.
For most of us, when we imagine a career in the arts, we consider ourselves as being the person on center stage, writing and performing our music, meeting fans, and blowing up on social media.
But the truth is that there are thousands of valuable positions in the music industry that don’t always stand in the spotlight. Teachers, coaches, producers, tour managers, lights, merch, front of house, set design… the list of other careers in the music industry goes on and on.
The reality of this industry is that typically, the artist is the lowest paid person at the show. Although we all have a love and passion for making music, it’s important to keep an open mindset about where you can take your skills to earn money and add value to the industry, or at the very least be open to living in a very very low income situation for most of your career.
As a performing musician, just SOME of the expenses and challenges you’ll face will be:
Living situation — you’ll need somewhere so cheap that you can afford to still pay while you’re traveling.
Transportation — purchase a vehicle that can fit yourself, your equipment, your band, and maybe your bed
Upkeep on transportation — you’ll be traveling a lot, so gas, tires, oil changes will add up
Food — not all venues will feed you and you need more than one meal a day.
Instruments — upkeep and purchasing of your instrument and your equipment
Recording and Production costs — You’ll need recorded music and merch. You can do this on your own to cut cost, but you’ll still need some equipment. You’ll need to get music and merchandise printed to sell at your shows.
Photos and video — I always like to hire a pro photographer for album photos. They just do a much better job than I could. But for the most part of your career, you’ll be doing this on your own, so you need a good phone camera and a phone plan.
Savings — You need to have some money set aside for emergencies or opportunities. Wouldn’t you hate to not be able to afford that plane ticket if you do get a call for a once in a lifetime gig?
Now that you know the challenges you’re up against, let’s get some money flowing in.
Here’s some of the areas that a musician can make money:
Performances and Appearances
Merchandise Sales
Royalties (from streaming services like Spotify, etc).
Giving Lessons and Workshops
Licensing and Sync Deals
Content Creation
Endorsements and Sponsorships
Affiliate Marketing
Tips and Donations
Corporate Gigs
Session Work
Writing
My tip would be to think about which one of these areas besides performances that you’re already seeing the most money come in, and start building out that income stream.
Why do you not want to rely solely on performance?
Well, the honest truth is… the people who make the most money performing are:
Wedding bands and cover bands.
Sure, you might make a decent payout, but you’ll possibly spend every weekend of your life in a van with a trailer arguing over boxed lunches behind the stage of some stranger’s fifth wedding.
To sum things up, making a living as a professional musician is extremely hard.
As someone who has made it through to the other side, I can assure you that it IS worth trying for.
You’re the only one who gets to create your vision of your life, and there are SO many ways to make it out here.
Get a great team on your side. Keep learning and taking music lessons, watch your expenses closely, stay away from drugs, listen to advice, and don’t let yourself get desperate and it will all fall into place for you.