This article isn’t about famous musicians; they’re hard workers, and anyone who thinks everything comes easy to them is sorely mistaken.
I described some aspects of working in a band in my book, which you can read after the current events.
For now, we need to talk about how local bands make money.
How much can new musicians earn offline?
Let’s be honest, it’s certainly not millions, or even hundreds of thousands. Let the media tell you what they want. You need to understand what your salary is made up of. Just imagine, let’s say you’re an unknown singer who learned to sing, either on your own or with a teacher. No one knows you. Not only might you be extremely reluctant to let them onto the stage of even a modest club for a free, limited-time performance, but in some cases, you’ll have to pay extra. Even if there’s an entrance fee, there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything.
Should I start a band or go solo?
A quick aside.
Understand, even if you’re performing solo, you’re still, one way or another, supported by people. These people perform various functions: preparation, lighting, sound, image, lyrics, etc.
They are your “band.” I call ALL people in this case a musical collective (the people who create the musical image).
Take a sound engineer, for example. Isn’t he your band?! What about high-quality tracks, setting up the sound in the room, finding a unique sound, and a whole bunch of other work that goes unnoticed by the average person?
So, from my perspective, the question isn’t entirely appropriate. But still.
Right now, it’s unlikely that starting a band or performing solo will work. Right now, you need to do a lot of preparation if you’re serious about dedicating yourself to music (even better, your own music). Decide for yourself whether you’ll be a vocalist or an instrumentalist, a songwriter or a composer, whether you’ll be “inside” the band or “outside.” To begin with, focus on just one area of expertise. Develop the skills you’ll need for that role. Find others who specialize in just one area. Distribute responsibilities. Then, decide for yourself whether to form a band or perform as a soloist.
How much do those who constantly improve their skills and teach earn?
Don’t expect to find a precise answer in numbers. It’s very individual. Just think for yourself: if you can strum the guitar, how many others do you think can do the same?
But if you’ve mastered the basics of solo performance, at least to a decent level of riffing, and even better, are a good improviser, then the number of people who can do the same drops sharply. Significantly, not by tens, but by hundreds, maybe even thousands.
So, judge for yourself: can you earn a decent living if you gradually improve and learn new skills every day?
How much money does this musical lifestyle generate?
There’s no need, at the very beginning, to think about how much I can earn doing something I don’t yet know how to do. It’s like asking how much I WOULD earn if I could play every note perfectly, with the same dynamics, timbre, and amplitude. Honestly, a lot. Perhaps even millions of dollars, since musicians capable of such things are very few (there are only dozens in the world). Naturally, there’s a huge demand for them.
Let’s calculate (I love this): how much do you want to earn for your performances and what will it take?
Let’s say you’re not overly ambitious and, on average, want to earn about 5-6 tens for ONE performance (about 3-4 minutes), for a concert number (usually consisting of several theatrical songs, lasting from 8 to 15 minutes), or for a solo concert.
It’s very easy to calculate your earning potential in any field, not just music.
Imagine you’re the only person who can play “smoke on the water” on a single string.
Okay, it’s hard to do, but still. Can you imagine it?!
Now, you can confidently put a minimum of $1,000,000 next to your skill. That is, just to hear or see you strumming a famous melody on a string, you’ll be paid that much.
But after a while of total dominance over everyone else, you notice that people, having watched you do it, have learned and started doing it too.
And now, in your village, there are 100 such people.
Cool, competition has emerged, but now your “lemon” will have to be divided among 100 people and you’ll have to settle for $10,000, or if there are 1,000 of them, then $1,000. And so, gradually, you’ll descend from a Rolls-Royce and a penthouse to a bicycle and a dorm, unless you learn something else.
I think you get the idea.
Have productive learning, everyone! And with it, the earnings will come!
