Making Money & Music

SPlDEY

This thread is an open conversation to all Strutters hustling in the music game. (IE: This thread is for CREATORS, not just collectors or DJ's.)

Do you have an Entertainment Lawyer? Do you think one is necessary these days?

Do you believe in DIY?

How are you fighting bootleggers and blogs and torrents (and generally whoever else is trying to give your shit away for free)?

Are you on top of your international game?

You still working a day job?

How does your family feel about you making music?

Do you ever have to compromise the style of music you want to make with the type of music you think will be successful?

How long did it take you to make a physical product?

If you had the funds, what would you like to be able to do?

cheers,

- Spidey

Hollafame

SPlDEY said:

If you had the funds, what would you like to be able to do?

cheers,

- Spidey

http://ctothejl.com/2011/05/17/photos-pharrells-yacht-studio/

The_Hook_Up

When I was doing it, I was only able to quit the day job when touring. No money came in if we weren't playing. After a month of downtime, it was time to go back to work. It's tough...we were a 5 piece with a dude who did our lights, films, overhead stuff. Six people who need to eat and sleep. I cannot imagine doing it nowadays with $4 gas. It's a hard hustle. We had 4 records. I think we are still 10 grand in the hole to our label. Don't know anything in regards to online stuff, we folded at the dawn of that shit. Good luck.

StoneHands

SPlDEY said:

This thread is an open conversation to all Strutters hustling in the music game. (IE: This thread is for CREATORS, not just collectors or DJ's.)

Do you have an Entertainment Lawyer? Do you think one is necessary these days?

Do you believe in DIY?

How are you fighting Bootleggers and Blogs and Torrents (and generally whoever else is trying to give your shit away for free)?

Are you on top of your International game?

You still working a Day job?

How does your family feel about you making music?

Do you ever have to compromise the style of music you want to make with the type of music you think will be successful?

How long did it take you to make a Physical product?

If you had the funds, what would you like to be able to do?

cheers,

- Spidey

I work in music licensing (so Im behind the scenes making tunes), so an entertainment lawyer isn't necessary at this point.

DIY - to an extent. There are things, hussling/establishing connections wise, that I wish I did much more, but the time spent is sometimes just not worth it. At this stage, it's easier to work through middlemen (in my case, music libraries).

I had an album as DJ Alibi back in the day and still sometimes google it to see if anyone's hosting it on their blogs. Im always giddy when they do - Im at about 27 fans at this point! So no, never a problem.

I dont work a full-time day job - but have a part time gig at a gym, just to have some extra cash.

Fam is super supportive.

I compromise all the time - thats the nature of this particular industry. Clean and catchy are the rules. But I make music for myself on the side, so I look at it as simply utilizing a skillset, like any other job.

If I had the funds, Id get a goddamm bass amp, instead of running it through my piece of trash marshall mg15. Ugghh..

Brian

HOLLAFAME said:

SPlDEY said:

If you had the funds, what would you like to be able to do?

cheers,

- Spidey

http://ctothejl.com/2011/05/17/photos-pharrells-yacht-studio/

oh fuck yeah

SPlDEY

StoneHands said:

I compromise all the time - thats the nature of this particular industry. Clean and catchy are the rules. But I make music for myself on the side, so I look at it as simply utilizing a skillset, like any other job.

What kind of stuff do you do on the side man?

- spidey

StoneHands

SPlDEY said:

StoneHands said:

I compromise all the time - thats the nature of this particular industry. Clean and catchy are the rules. But I make music for myself on the side, so I look at it as simply utilizing a skillset, like any other job.

What kind of stuff do you do on the side man?

- spidey

Hey Spidey - stuff that I make now, whether strictly rap or for a band i play in or whatever is kinda surfy/psych sounding, aesthetic wise - sort of gritty as well. Lots of guitars, reverbs, thick drums. Which definitely doesn't fly in the licensing game (for the most part)

SPlDEY

The_Hook_Up said:

No money came in if we weren't playing.

The_Hook_Up said:

Don't know anything in regards to online stuff, we folded at the dawn of that shit.

I don't have an album for sale, but I think the online thing helps you promote outside of touring.. Me personally I'm way too lazy to keep up with any of that. Some cats grind it hard though. I'm sure somewhere someones Soundcloud page is helping them pay there bills. Gotta be right?

- spidey

youngEINSTEIN

i've been blessed to make a living in the music biz/ not have a 9-5 ever since 1997. it took about 8 years before that to get the music right. i've never had to compromise on my art. it's a really hard game since downloading took off. i used to depend on album sales for about 25K a year of my income but that's non existant at this point. there have been some really really good years and some okay years. i'm only able to break even now because i'm ultra conservative. i could see it being impossible if i was married with kids. if you're happy to break even and just get by i don't see that being hard.

peace, stein. . .:)

StoneHands

youngEINSTEIN said:

i've been blessed to make a living in the music biz/ not have a 9-5 ever since 1997. it took about 8 years before that to get the music right. i've never had to compromise on my art. it's a really hard game since downloading took off. i used to depend on album sales for about 25K a year of my income but that's non existant at this point. there have been some really really good years and some okay years. i'm only able to break even now because i'm ultra conservative. i could see it being impossible if i was married with kids. if you're happy to break even and just get by i don't see that being hard.

peace, stein. . .:)

Hey Einstein! Would you say most of your money comes from DJing around LA, or touring with UD?

SPlDEY

StoneHands said:

Hey Spidey - stuff that I make now, whether strictly rap or for a band i play in or whatever is kinda surfy/psych sounding, aesthetic wise - sort of gritty as well. Lots of guitars, reverbs, thick drums. Which definitely doesn't fly in the licensing game (for the most part)

I don't know anything about licensing man. Why wouldn't that type of music fly?

- spidey

StoneHands

Well, if it is recorded really well and isn't too busy sonically, then its possible of course. But the vast majority of tracks that I have been able to license out are simple and catchy.. Sometimes libraries ask for specific type of songs, but sometimes they let the producer submit whatever and then choose. Ive noticed left-field stuff, both genre-wise and aesthetic-wise is rarely signed off on...

youngEINSTEIN

StoneHands said:

youngEINSTEIN said:

i've been blessed to make a living in the music biz/ not have a 9-5 ever since 1997. it took about 8 years before that to get the music right. i've never had to compromise on my art. it's a really hard game since downloading took off. i used to depend on album sales for about 25K a year of my income but that's non existant at this point. there have been some really really good years and some okay years. i'm only able to break even now because i'm ultra conservative. i could see it being impossible if i was married with kids. if you're happy to break even and just get by i don't see that being hard.

peace, stein. . .:)

Hey Einstein! Would you say most of your money comes from DJing around LA, or touring with UD?

i make 0$ djing on my own.

peace, stein. . .:)