I took a few minutes to comment on a thread about the music business in 2009 last week. The thread was going very youthful in the sense it was pretty much stating that music was for the young and the older folks were trying to include young at heart. Many were trying to say the business is so much better for the musician in 2009 than ever before with opportunities at an all time high for self promotion.

I would agree with that one part, but sadly disagree with the BETTER part. I am including my response to the thread since I think it might proof for some interesting possible comments. Tell me what you think from your time in the music business. Is it getting better for musicians or harder and maybe worse to generate any real income?

My POST___________________________________________________________________

We live in a world that continues to change. Not all change is good, but any change can be adapted to. I am one of those old guys that has tried to be a part of the change and ride the crest with the web as a tool. I have dozens of sites and all the socials running very successfully.

I can tell the young guys that I work harder today than ever before with every option I can find. I can also tell the young guys that this is there world, until they have a family and bills to deal with. Life gets more complicated and expensive, and there will come a day that many of you will be working a day job to pay the rent because you can not make a living in this business. I am out 7 nights a week and see 1/3 of the income I did 15 years ago from gigs and product sales.

I would agree with an earlier poster that you can set yourself up very easy and look like a musician very easy in 2009. You can not make a living in 2009 unless you have a very low expectation and definition of that term.

To ignore those with history and experience is to be headed for failure. To base ones business on a model that is out dated is also heading for failure.
But the voice of the old guy, working in an ever changing paradigm would say that all the change has not been for the good of the artist. We have reentered a world that does not support the art or the artist.

True artists will always be artists, creating that art regardless of the consumer trends. But an old guy saying that this kind of sucks is simply an observation from a musician that used to make a really good living and now is surviving with little to show for more effort and better products than ever before. When I tell young guys about the good ole days they are surprised. Many don’t know that you could make a living years ago - 6 figures - from music. I guess ignorance is bliss.

And there is that other thing - talent that has been cultivated for more years than a 20 something has been alive. That will always have value! It just pays a lot less now since music became free.

I am thankful I am a musician! I just hope people value ability one day soon, like the ole days.

 

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