How To Make A Living As A Full Time Musician
When you first pick up your instrument, many young musicians instantly dream of a life as a musician. It’s a magical experience that only gets deeper and more fulfilling as you continue on your journey to become a master of your craft.
I’ve been training, learning, and performing for 15 years and I finally feel like I am hitting my stride and finally accomplished my first $100,000 year. For a full time musician, this is a huge feat and well above the average income for most in the field.
While I feel like I have had a lot of luck on my side, I can definitely say that there are some things that I have done that have brought me to this place. I hope this gives you something to think about as you go on your way.
Remember to keep an open mind about WHAT you do as a musician. There are hundreds of career options for musicians in the music industry that don’t involve performing.
Keep your expenses as low as possible.
Get room mates or live somewhere cheap. Shop second hand or go without. Make a solid budget that details how much you need to live and what you can give up. Try to give up excessive costs (car payments, extravagant entertainment, etc.) that will keep you from pursuing music.
Teach music lessons as a day job.
I’m a bit biased but I believe every musician should be able to teach music lessons. Not only does it keep you behind your instrument every day you are not performing, but it also forces you to think deeply about music every day. It’s rewarding to share the craft with young and enthusiastic learners. Plus, your students will be more than understanding about your gig and tour schedule — they will actually be supportive of it.
Prioritize practice.
If you work with a band or solo, you need to practice. If you write your own songs, you need to write and compose. Plan time to do this at least once a week, even if it means giving up a bar gig or two. Your sets need to be tight to make a splash in this world, and it’s hard to tighten up 3 hour bar sets.
Always be learning.
Take lessons from other musicians. Strive to play with musicians who you can learn from but also be willing to teach those who may learn from you. Go to concerts and performances. Be inspired by recordings, albums, and performances.
Let your talent and your character promote itself.
There’s a whole bag of tricks out there online about how to promote yourself into a music career, and yes, these things are great to know, but they do absolutely nothing if you haven’t built the foundation of strong talent and good character.
Respect everyone’s roles.
Don’t waste other people’s time. Understand what the venue manager does, what the sound engineer does, what the lighting engineer does. Be respectful of people as they are working to help you have a successful career. All of these people want you to succeed as well because they need strong artists in their venues to make them money. A high tide rises all ships.
Be patient.
You’ve heard this a million times, but it’s really true. It takes years to build the kind of relationships you need to feel secure as a professional musician. Do everything you can every day and enjoy the process. Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t done it all by your 20s. Your job is to make the best music you can and enjoy your friendships.
No one can do anything for you.
This is a harsh reality. It’s 100% up to you to decide if you’re going to be successful. No one can help you if you don’t help yourself. Do some yoga, go for a walk, take care of yourself, and then get to work on what you want. Stop waiting for others.
Take every opportunity that makes sense.
Not everything that seems like an opportunity really is one. When you first start, it’s a tough choice between taking everything that comes to get experience vs. being thoughtful about which opportunities you take to build your career. I think you need to be honest with yourself about where you are right now, what you need to work on, and where you are headed in order to decide. Have a vision about what you’re trying to accomplish and make sure every opportunity you take is a step toward that.
Don’t be jealous of other musicians.
If you’re jealous of other musicians, that means you are not putting in the hard work needed to really make this happen. Once you’ve actually walked the path, you’ll find your jealousy evaporate as you realize how much effort, time, planning, soul searching, and commitment it really takes. So stop the negative thoughts now and pick up your instrument.
Decide what you are working on.
In every performance, every practice, every lesson, decide what you are working on. You can only fix one thing at a time, so don’t get upset if you fall short in other areas. Here’s some things to choose to focus on. Try to only pick one for each practice session as an individual or as a band:
Today I will stand still in practice and deliver straight into the microphone.
Today I will focus on breathing into my diaphragm.
Today I will focus on getting my gear set up without stressing.
Today I will focus on letting go of my bandmates’ mistakes.
Today I will focus on making notes during our practice session.
Today we will focus on making strong transitions between songs.
Today we will focus on being comfortable talking to the crowd.
Today we will focus on not getting stressed out before the show.
Today we will focus on packing our gear up quickly after we perform.
I hope this gives you something to think about as you continue on your journey. Pursuing a career as a musician is very difficult, so get used to the real success happening in the process of getting there and enjoy the ride!