The music business is as ruthless as a business can get. Between the diminishing role of publishers, their increasingly tight grip on artists’ earnings, and the fact that some of the most popular platforms pay a pittance for listens, being a struggling artist is more of a rite of passage than a worst-case scenario.
“Unfortunately, some artists seem to be destined to linger in that kind of limbo between having what it takes to make it and actually making it,” says Senior, a musical artist with a thriving career. “It’s frustrating because it takes a lot of sacrifices to get to that point, and not being able to make that final step is devastating — especially for someone who went all-in on their music career.”
With this, Senior starts a list of things musicians need to do to make sure they survive while roaming the dark alleyways of the music industry.
Keep a Day Job
For starters, having a stable source of income can be extremely beneficial for artists who are just finding their footing in the music industry. It’s true that having a regular job, or any kind of job for that matter, will take up some time that could be spent practicing or promoting the music; however, for that, artists get all the benefits of not having the anxiety that comes from not knowing when they’ll be able to afford their next meal.
A side benefit of having a day job is that it allows musicians to step outside their usual social or musical circles. “As artists, it’s very important that we stay outside of our comfort zones and engage people from all walks of life,” explains Senior. “The stories people have to say are incredible, and they can influence musicians tremendously. People are a great source of inspiration.”
Hustle Hard
Because success generally doesn’t come out of nowhere, every musician who plans to do music professionally needs to adopt the right kind of attitude and start working toward making a career. This might mean plenty of things, such as moving to a place where it’s easier to find gigs.
Speaking of gigs, being welcoming of corporate gigs, weddings, DJing, filling in for other musicians, or any other gig that pays is a good attitude to have. The opportunities to make money can be few and far between, so it’s best to nab them quickly when they arise.
Just as it’s important to increase one’s visibility in the physical world, musicians should also keep a strong online presence. This can be a hustle in itself, having a YouTube channel, for example, or developing online courses or holding workshops. If it’s music-related, increases exposure, and brings any kind of money, it’s a hustle, and it’s likely a good thing.Senior’s parting advice for musicians to always be hungry. Not literally, as that’s not necessarily good, of course, but musicians need a kind of hunger to deal with the bad side of the business and to keep plowing on. It might be the hunger for recognition, for the adoration, or even the money, but if it’s fuel, it will do. Ideally, however, musicians should have a healthy goal to keep them striving toward one form of excellence or another.