JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Earning a Living with Music

Tom,

There must be countless musicians making a living from music, since music involves many aspects.

There's full time cover bands in clubs and bars and for private parties, as well as for house or ship band work for casino and cruise ships, etc.

There's many music teachers of all kinds of instruments that might also perform, and might also sell CD's or downloads of their instructional videos, and/or for any original or cover song product.

Then there's the many studio musicians, which I am one, along with the added job of studio engineer that many also have, (NY's" Substudio", thanks to Mike Caro)! Can't forget the studio owners and all their engineers. Many of them. How about the Demo houses, who hire writers of music and lyrics for those seeking their services? Nashville alone must have plenty of them, which employs people working in "music". How about the Mastering Houses? One doesn't have to write their own music to be making a living from music. Discmakers! An indirect, but, relative means of "making a living from music"!

There's composers that get hired to do project work of all kinds. From local musicals to Broadway, *where Mike Caro and I are hopefully going to hear our music efforts presented. There must be many of us doing the same things, getting paid by the producer of any given musical, then having possible agreements for future performance royalties from units or downloads sold. The list goes on and on, as far as what "earning a living with music" involves.

I didn't even bring up singer/songwriters. I know many who are full time doing just that. They perform all around, and sell merchandise at their gigs. (T-shirts, mugs, hats, CD's). They get paid by those two efforts. How about the agents that book them? They are making a living from music!

There must be a complete list of what I am trying to point out. Along with demographics to show percentages. Whatever the numbers are, just going by my initial thoughts, there's a LOT of people making a living in music! Just the "ways and means" will be all over the map! But, "music" would be the reason.

Johnny D