Does anyone work in the music industry? Does it operate in a free market?

[PaulConventionWV]

I'm interested in getting into music by starting a band or something. I have a fair confidence in my ability to produce good music, so I was wondering if the music industry actually operated in a free market; that is, will someone who has talent actually succeed?

Also, I was wondering how easy it is to get started in the business if you have good musical skills. Is it hard to get off the ground, or will a talented person be able to get a start pretty easily? I think I could make good music, and was looking at it as a way to make money if I don't get a good job out of college.

I know a lot of the music on the radio today isn't that good, but a lot of it is good. However, it seems like government doesn't really have an interest in regulating that, so the industry would be able to function free of regulations and the best would rise to the top. Is this true?

[CaptainAmerica]

NEVER sign yourself into a contract with a major record label unless you know that you will become a puppet on a string and your music will be theirs completely and chopped up and re-produced how they see fit. Best thing you can do is start your own record label ,produce and record and sell it under your own business label title and never tie yourself down as a musician. Sell your music online, and purchase services that will manufacture your final product.You can create cd inserts at KINKOS /fedex and sell it at shows. Create a blog/website to promote yourself free of charge of owning a website. Use soundcloud for free to upload demos for sale. The best thing you can do in music is to engage the audience directly with your music,who you are and your product.That is free market.

[Becker]

I'm interested in getting into music by starting a band or something.


like the 20,000 people who did on myspace when I was in high school?



I have a fair confidence in my ability to produce good music, so I was wondering if the music industry actually operated in a free market; that is, will someone who has talent actually succeed?


Yes and no. Music industry is not uniform, you have major labels and then small labels, then you have self promoted, self producted...etc. But for the most part, no, its not about quality or talent, its about superficial marketing and branding. Good music is appreciated, but hyped music is paid for.

If you want to be loved and respected, you only need a few myspace fans. But if you want to make money, you may need some help from marketers, liars, people who only think about money. This may mean you'll get a lean cut of what they make, but overall a lot more than you'll ever make without them.



Also, I was wondering how easy it is to get started in the business if you have good musical skills. Is it hard to get off the ground, or will a talented person be able to get a start pretty easily? I think I could make good music, and was looking at it as a way to make money if I don't get a good job out of college.


Depends on what you mean by "make", do you have instruments? recording apparatus? Can you put your demo and videos on youtube soon enough?
No, NOBODY makes music on their own as an alternative to getting a job, the few rare cases are exceptions, if you were them, you wouldn't be asking this question here.



I know a lot of the music on the radio today isn't that good, but a lot of it is good. However, it seems like government doesn't really have an interest in regulating that, so the industry would be able to function free of regulations and the best would rise to the top. Is this true?

the industry uses their own mechanism called the RIAA for copyright enforcement, and then pays radio stations to push their repeated music. this is not an effort on the government, just the people who have an interest in making the most money (would you not if you were them?)

[pcosmar]

Does it operate in a free market?

Only when you have a tip jar in front of you.

The "industry" is a controlled market.

[Rothbardian Girl]

Nothing operates in a free market. Certainly not anything that isn't "underground", anyway.

[ClayTrainor]

Ip laws are anti free market, but theres nothing stopping you from doing your own thing in a manner that is consistent with free market principles. It's never been easier for an unknown artist to become known, than it is now, thanks to the Internet. Generating revenue with your art will likely take a lot of effort and some entrepreneurial risks, but if you've got talent and deliver content people enjoy, you are likely end up successful in one way or another.

I make a large part of my living marketing information products, so Feel free to pm me if you're looking for some creative marketing ideas to help get your message/sound/art to masses of people. :)

[parocks]

I'm interested in getting into music by starting a band or something. I have a fair confidence in my ability to produce good music, so I was wondering if the music industry actually operated in a free market; that is, will someone who has talent actually succeed?

Also, I was wondering how easy it is to get started in the business if you have good musical skills. Is it hard to get off the ground, or will a talented person be able to get a start pretty easily? I think I could make good music, and was looking at it as a way to make money if I don't get a good job out of college.

I know a lot of the music on the radio today isn't that good, but a lot of it is good. However, it seems like government doesn't really have an interest in regulating that, so the industry would be able to function free of regulations and the best would rise to the top. Is this true?

Do not look at it as a way to make money if you don't get a good job out of college.

The supply of unheard of bands is great, the demand for unheard of bands is slim.

If you have a lot of friends, they'll come to your shows. It's a way for your friends to give you 5 bucks a piece. That's the reality for most bands.

Being in a band will make it easier for you to get laid, and occasionally people will kiss your ass. You will likely lose money. You have a lot of expenses, and you don't make that much a show.

If you're skilled at kissing ass, it will make your life a little easier.

You haven't indicated that you are particularly skilled, only that you think you could recreate the shit that's on the radio.

Of course, if you can write a song about Ron Paul, you're ready to go right now.

[Working Poor]

I like the thought of you striking out on your own. Get a good marketing team together and go for it. Especially if you are young don't let he opportunity slip away. I don't want you to get old and feel bad cause you did not give it a go.

[ZanZibar]

If you are a professional musician you can make a living, but it isn't easy. You probably won't be a rock star, those are less and less these days because of the way the music industry is defused.


The music industry is now very similar to Netflix. People can seek out very obscure niche genres and acts that otherwise wouldn't have been known.

This is due to a few things:

- more abundant storage space
- fast Internet connections
- compression technology (MP3s)
- increase in memory and processor speed allowing most music to be recorded and mixed digitally inside the box.


So the gate keepers of the Industry have somewhat become irrelevant. For very few dollars someone can record and distribute their work around the world. If you want to become very successful then you have to have some good marketing dollars behind you, but getting your stuff out there is easy. Getting it in front of people still requires money.

Your best bet to making a living is to learn as much as you can, including how to produce, how to market, how to record, and how to perform live. Most people in the Industry do all of the above and if they are good at it AND well networked they can usually make enough money to survive.

[AGRP]

Ever see Hustle and Flow? ;)

[jrskblx125]

Labels= poverty for most musicians. I play at the bar every weekend for extra cash. we dont even put a tip jar out and people still hand us money. we make a deal with the bar owner and we are talented enough to bring a crowd and make people enjoy themselves. the guy i play with writes amazing music, but he has no interest in becoming a label owned rockstar. we went to high school with the guitarrist for boys like girls. they had a platinum album. hes back home with us making music and working at a halloween shop. the lifestyle is fun but epically NOT worth selling your soul. the company LiveNation runs EVERYTHING. we went to see NOFX the other night in boston and they LEGALLY had to play shitty reggae nonsense at a punk rock show. the venue has no say in the matter. its like GE buying out the small companies. same idea. either way check out our music !!! http://www.facebook.com/shirtsandskinsMA?ref=ts#!/shirtsandskinsMA or search "supereffinmario" on youtube to check out our acoustic covers we play at the bar.

the best way to make money in music is to play for cash at popular bars. we work at 3 bars around town and dont ask for much money so we can keep going back.

[jrskblx125]

PS i said ron paul 2012 like 15 times last night! i think people were too drunk to react.

[Becker]

Ever see Hustle and Flow? ;)

yeah, I also saw 8 mile, both fictions with lame names.

Jimmy Rabbit and DJay

[parocks]

Labels= poverty for most musicians. I play at the bar every weekend for extra cash. we dont even put a tip jar out and people still hand us money. we make a deal with the bar owner and we are talented enough to bring a crowd and make people enjoy themselves. the guy i play with writes amazing music, but he has no interest in becoming a label owned rockstar. we went to high school with the guitarrist for boys like girls. they had a platinum album. hes back home with us making music and working at a halloween shop. the lifestyle is fun but epically NOT worth selling your soul. the company LiveNation runs EVERYTHING. we went to see NOFX the other night in boston and they LEGALLY had to play shitty reggae nonsense at a punk rock show. the venue has no say in the matter. its like GE buying out the small companies. same idea. either way check out our music !!! http://www.facebook.com/shirtsandskinsMA?ref=ts#!/shirtsandskinsMA or search "supereffinmario" on youtube to check out our acoustic covers we play at the bar.

the best way to make money in music is to play for cash at popular bars. we work at 3 bars around town and dont ask for much money so we can keep going back.

Live Nation doesn't run everything. Is Middle East now a Live Nation venue? It may be, but I don't think so. Also, what's the details of that shitty reggae nonsense? That sounds interesting.

There are a lot of venues between the size of the places you play and Live Nation venues.

If you want to make money, be a songwriter for top 40 acts. Much money, little work. But that's not an easy job to get. Many albums these days are written quickly by a large number of people in the same building.

[jrskblx125]

middle east is still private. bank of america pavillion is run by livenation. house of blues is livenation. i have a show at middle east this month and its us selling the tickets not livenation.

[enoch150]

Courtney Love explanation of how a band can generate $11 million in sales for a record company and be better off financially working at a 7-11. http://entertainment.salon.com/2000/06/14/love_7/

[PaulConventionWV]

Does it operate in a free market?

Only when you have a tip jar in front of you.

The "industry" is a controlled market.

But I thought the whole point of a free market was that those who were willing to do what's necessary to make money would succeed? In this case, you seem to think the market is controlled simply because major record labels out-compete everyone else in the market. Is that really controlled?

[jrskblx125]

the major record labels out compete because its a slanted playing field. they own everything lol.

[Becker]

But I thought the whole point of a free market was that those who were willing to do what's necessary to make money would succeed? In this case, you seem to think the market is controlled simply because major record labels out-compete everyone else in the market. Is that really controlled?

that view is not welcome here.

people on this forum want you to believe that a "free market" means everybody is equal and if anybody wins, he must've cheated or paid the government off to hurt his competitors. they cannot imagine competition losing or a natural, voluntary monopoly based on quality or demand.

[PaulConventionWV]

that view is not welcome here.

people on this forum want you to believe that a "free market" means everybody is equal and if anybody wins, he must've cheated or paid the government off to hurt his competitors. they cannot imagine competition losing or a natural, voluntary monopoly based on quality or demand.

I'm not so sure about it, but I don't think that's quite that popular of a view here.

[PaulConventionWV]

Courtney Love explanation of how a band can generate $11 million in sales for a record company and be better off financially working at a 7-11. http://entertainment.salon.com/2000/06/14/love_7/

So, after reading that article, it seems that a 1970s statute passed by Congress eliminated the free market in music by defining it as "works for hire." I'm not quite sure how that works or what it means, but apparently it has made it so that making a living in music is hard to do. Okay, that makes sense.

Can anyone who plays at bars tell me how much you can make with a show at a fairly popular bar and a tip jar out in front? It seems like it wouldn't be very good, but at the same time, how hard could it be? If you have your own instruments and just play music, I guess that means extra money, but is it really a substantial help to you?