How To Start Making Money as a Musician

*My Online Courses*
🎛️ Learn Ableton (including a huge update for LIVE 12!)

💔 *My Debut Album. Super Sexy Heartbreak*

00:00 - My Stand-Up Routine
01:14 - Don't Quit Your Day Job
06:34 - Play As Much As You Can
07:57 - Learn to Sell Yourself
09:27 - Networking (Be A Good Hang)
10:17 - Release Your Music With Distrokid

[MarySpender]

💔 Buy a copy of my debut album *Super. Sexy. Heartbreak.* here:
(The Signed CDs are all sold out now! But I promise the CD is still a special experience!)

🥁 *How I Upload My Music to Streaming Services*
For 7% Off Your First Year of DistroKid (Affiliate Link)

[DavidBennettPiano]

I think some aspiring musicians think doing pub gigs, teaching, doing weddings etc represents “giving up” on the big dreams. But, in fact this type of “musician-for-hire” work can perfectly position you to pursue the big dream! Self-employed musician work allows you the flexibility to pursue your goals. When an opportunity presents itself you don’t want to turn it down because you’ve already used up your annual leave!
And not to mention the other big benefit which is that you get to spend your paid working hours developing your skills as a musicians, rather than grinding away at some job you hate. 😊

[urbangrouse]

Somebody once told me you don't become a musician because you want to, you become a musician because you have to.
BTW Mary, I love - LOVE! - your album... Can't wait for my vinyl copy to arrive!

[SeanFrayne]

Love this advice Mary! ♥ I quit my full-time career and have a casual job (lecturing) which helps with bills, though I am now earning about $100/month from Spotify! 😅 I think songwriting deserves a mention too - I put that at the core of everything I do. I've been amazed by the difference between my most successful song releases and the also-rans. People, follow, comment, add it to their playlists, listen on repeat, make tiktoks, do covers - it's insane and very noticeable when you have a song that connects. I've probably written a couple of hundred songs, released over 30 and had 2 or 3 do really well. SO writing a lot of songs (increase your odds of writing a song with that secret sauce) and getting good at your craft is super important!

[CANNIMAGINE]

I am 69 now but when I was in my 20s, 30, and 40s I supported myself playing music for a living. That was a time when club bands could play the same gig for at least two weeks and if you worked hard finding gigs you could work steadily. I think those days are over now. Most bands in Florida are playing one or two nights then packing up and playing several places weekly. Pay also sucks for musicians and a lot of clubs have jam nights where people play for free. Live music down here draws a bunch of old folks like me and that's about it and bands play early hours and are done by 11PM. Bands can't even sell CDs from the stage for extra money anymore.

[nickfletcher]

What do you call a guitarist without a girlfriend?.... Homeless.

[AtmosphericSoundArt]

Thanks for the interesting video
I've been making music all my life, with a few interruptions. I never made any money from it and never managed to become famous and maybe get a contract. I worked many jobs, never had much money, starved and froze, and even slept on the street for a while. But I never lost my inner creativity to make music. Today I'm 70 years old and can live quite well on the money I get now. You have to have a deep passion to overcome all difficulties and follow your passion. Today I make my music in a very relaxed way. I don't need to follow Trent and do my thing. I make the music for myself, if others like it that's great, if not, it's nothing to worry about

[angelcintadosoundtrack]

Great video Mary, Im 30 now and Im starting my adventure as a composer for video games, is a long and not easy at all way because we are on a very competitive world, but for the person who read this: it doesnt matter the age, keep going, be perseverant, enjoy what you do and share, and let the time do its work. Thanks for your content Mary and congrats for your work! 😁

[MartinBlasick]

Number 4, be a good hang was presented in the best way I’ve ever heard it said. Well done Mary.

[JohnBodoni]

Mary, your "good hang"-iness is why i watch your channel. you are a sincere person and that shines through no matter what you're doing.

[ShineOnBenevolentSun]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard owns all stages of vertical integration for their output; publishing to label to promotion to merch to even owning the press some of their vinyl comes out of. They seem to have done well for themselves, even released an album for free on Creative Commons.

[darrenross]

Hi Mary, i have been playing guitar since i was 15, not telling you how old i am now, lol... i work 45 hours a week doing a mundane job that i feel wasted in but it pays the rent and puts food on the table, i am fortunate to have a little humble set-up at home where i can write, record and mix music, i also like to keep fit, gym 3 times a week, however i was helping someone move a massive jaccuzi and felt something snap in my arm, my bicep bunched up at the top of my arm, oh 12 weeks of no playing, no using, even washing was a chore, i had surgery to have my tendon re-attached to the bone, about 15 weeks off work, you don't want to know how bad statutory sick pay is, just being able to play again was so wonderful for me, getting better and on the repair now. phew! what a drama, have a great day, all the best.

[maxwillrin]

As someone who is about to graduation with a degree and have a full time job, this was incredibly helpful. Exciting to continue to pursue my craft. Thanks for the work you do on this channel!

[randalclarkmusic]

You're the real deal. Love how polished you present yourself and your thoughts. Thanks for the great content, and hoping for your continued success!

[ELEVATETHESKY]

As always, amazing and solid advice. You always seem to release a video at the right time that uplifts my spirits when I need it most. Thank you Mary.

[kevbonett]

In the mid 90s, I gave up a 7 year career in IT to pursue my rock star dreams. I started teaching drums to pay the mortgage, etc, and did that for 10 years. The band almost "made it", but decided to quit after yet another showcase gig in London. Now back in IT. Hmmm. 😢

[BrianTSongs]

How do you make a drummer's car go faster? Take the Dominoes sign off the roof.

[SamaraBraga]

I love how you are so real with all your steps. I feel more secure hearing it all.

[LoftyAssertions]

I started to make great money in music after 10 years of nothing simply because I was socially likeable.

I worked in a supermarket, I became friends with a coworker by being my naturally selfless self, his partner turned out to be an arts therapist and contacted a project writing lullabies for communities and parents which entered our state a year later, my acquaintance wanted me to be involved (he hated that I had to work a low skill day job to survive at the time)

So to me, the absolute best advice I could give is be kind and pleasant to everyone and anyone, not for this result, that wouldn't be genuine.
Just do it for the sake of having good character and reap the enormous benefits when they come.

The struggle is you have no idea what you'll end up doing, I'm making the bulk of my income writing lullabies with parents and producing, mixing and mastering them, doing songwriting lessons in schools (I don't have any teaching qualifications, they just like me as a person) and doing sound design for AR murals...
EVERY single one of them are from being liked socially and talking to people face to face.

[MorfMusic]

All of us full timers have that guitar shop guy happen.

that dude literally saved your life

mine was a busker, yours a chap in a guitar store, they spoke logic and put us on the right path

guardian angels.