The Harsh Truth of Being A Music Artist in 2024

Being an artist in the music industry is tougher than ever. While the dawn of streaming and social media has created a new world of opportunities, it's becoming increasingly difficult to succeed as an artist due to what is expected of you.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenge, so join me as I break down the path to a successful music career.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments 👇

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Let's work together on your music.

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👇 ABOUT ME:
Hey! I’m Damian Keyes and I've worked with musicians every day of my life for the past 20 years. The internet is de ply untrusting understandably and here is my background so you can have the full picture.

When I was 18, I was signed to a major label and at 23 I co-founded a Music University in Europe called BIMM (valued at $300M). I’m also a bass player, I’ve played for a number of artists including Eric Clapton, Alanis Morrisette and Billy Cobham. I initially retired at 30, but realised that life gets boring if you’re not building!

I have always been in-between the music industry and education which is how I ended up building my YouTube channel - I’ve been teaching artists how to release music long before it was a ‘niche’! I now educate artists around the world with my Academy, YouTube channel and Social Agency.

It’s great to meet you and looking forward to working together on your music!

[DamianKeyes]

Do me a favour and hit the 'Like' button. Means a lot to me!

[Mr._MatchIt]

It took me two weeks to watch this video. I’m currently hiding away in bed; refusing to do anything for almost 2 months. Thank you for making this video.

[Turtlpwr]

9:43 all of the stuff you’re saying are why it’s been so hard for me to even get started again after an 8 year hiatus

[AdamBrucass]

What i’ve struggled with recently is the way the industry has moved so far from the things that inspired me to pursue music in the first place. I wanted what a lot of people wanted, to sell out stadiums and become a household name, and in the time it took me to understand and work out what needed to happen and what i needed to do to achieve that, old avenues of making contacts and getting in with the right people have dissolved into social media becoming the be all and end all, and then social media becoming an oversaturated mess designed to stop anyone from using it effectively, every single artist that has achieved what i wanted to achieve either started before social media became useless, or had another another way in like wealthy well connected parents or a stroke of luck on the voice or americas got talent

The biggest record label in the world removed all lf its music from what was meant to be the biggest and best resource in the world for getting music heard, and no one even noticed, the way music is consumed now has left me wondering if the things i wanted to achieve are even really possible anymore

[eyeglassesstringmusic]

You hit the nail on the head Damian- the artist now wears so many different hats it can feel overwhelming. I’ve found it really helpful to automate and do in bulk as much as possible in my routine: flooded by emails you haven’t responded to? Have them fill out a google form for gig inquiries and reply with an email template, or even chatgpt. Need microcontent? Bring a tripod whenever you go on a trip or somewhere interesting and shoot your song. Promoting music? If you have the funds, set up facebook ads that do the heavy lifting while you’re doing other tasks.
It will be interesting to see how much AI will free up artists to do what they love- music.

[officialWWM]

The problem is, trying to cut through the noise is almost impossible. It still comes down to budget. If you have the money to promote, you will likely get a return in that investment. If not, your only option is the social media marketing route. That’s a lot of work with zero guarantee of the result. It’s a mine field out there…
On the upside, I made $4.75 from my Spotify streaming last month 😂😂

[heinrichsmit]

I do like this style and enjoyed it. It's nice to listen to and it feels like there's less pressure to concentrate, it feels more like a conversation.

[AtrikJay]

Hearing you talk about everything we do suddenly makes me feel better about myself and how kick ass my skillsets are despite not being able to cut through the noise

[TonyonFireHouston]

I'm getting ready to release music for the first time in 7 years and this guy is describing exactly why I'm feeling overwhelmed.

[CINEMARTYR]

Yep, I do all those things you listed and more (writer, producer, videographer, psychologist 😆, accountant, tour booker etc.) and it's completely overwhelming. One of the things that keeps me going is the idea that I'll quit when I'm 40 if this doesn't become at least a little monetarily sustainable - now I'm not even sure if I actually would quit but the thought helps me sleep at night, and that's kinda sad. But you raised some great points here and it's good to know we are not alone. Really great vid thanks Damo <3

[MelsoM_Music]

You said it all ! Although I'm convinced my music is good and can please a certain amount of people, I'm discouraged by all the stuff we, as independant artist, have to do by ourself nowadays.. 😓

[HEYSERGYO]

THANKs for this video!!!! Great stuff, and loved the un-scripted style, feels really honest, and potent, thanks 🙏🏼

[mytoOSRS]

Switched from music to voiceover and I'm never looking back! Same skill set, same passion, but more money, less competition and a chance to make a career out of it! I became much happier too. If you're struggling mentally with music, there are other options

[paristheprince]

This is probably the best video from u! Thanks king 💙

[Cresce_Music]

You and Nic D are the greatest in the space. To me, you guys are the ones actually speaking to the musicians brain in a way that artists understand. Because of that the advice is really impactful, it comes from a real place of understanding. Keep doing great work, much love Damian.

[CoreyLennox]

It felt really cathartic to hear someone else voice all the stresses and time demands we face as artists every day. But you also highlighted some of the positive steps we can take too. So genuinely, thank you so much for this video.

Do you have any lessons on what specific content to make in more detail? I’ve been binge watching your most recent videos but I haven’t found a video going over that yet!

[instrumental_mind_official]

Thank YOU Damian.
So many things you are saying are exactly how I feel as an artist.
This is why I appreciate your tipps and advice every time. You know the game and you are great in explaining it. 🙌

[adbmusicify]

Anyone else feel this way? I'm thinking lately exactly why after just turning 40 I finally feel like I am ready to "start" my career...I know I'm not alone in this...have literally spent over two decades devoted to being a guitarist, a songwriter, a producer, playing tons of small shows learning how to perform and the last few years on how to mix and master so I can do it all and release completely independent etc, video work, blah blah on and on ---and it's finally starting to harmonize in a cohesive flow---hopefully at least lol!
As always thank you for your videos!

[TheSlingmustard]

Thanks Damian! I enjoyed the 'off the cuff' style of this video and think you should make more of them. It came across as authentic and informative.. You made a lot of excellent points about the good, bad, and ugly aspects of being an artist in 2024. In a perfect world, I would be Bob Dylan writing songs and touring the world while Albert Grossman handled everything else. The reality is, we have to be our own managers, videographers, editors, producers...and even then, there are no guarantees. On the flip side, there are more opportunities now than ever before. From what I'm hearing, the most effective way to become a successful artist is to start with specific measurable results, then unfold backwards to the present, with every action put into existence in the calendar. I just joined DKMBA, so I'm still adjusting to this new way of being. But I'm excited to see where this journey takes me.

[AdrianHogstrom]

This impacted me in such a beautiful way, thank you so much for this style of video, you are really a gift to all musicians and artists. ❤