Ask A Sound Guy

The Sting of the Empty Wallet

Here’s a quick thought on making money with your music:  If you’re small and indie, don’t try to sell like you’re one of the major dinosaurs.

I’m not saying you can’t make money, just don’t expect people to shell out $18.99 for a local band (no matter how rippin’ you are) when they won’t pay $9.99 for some cheaply mass-produced “digital remaster” of great, great albums.

So how should you be thinking about making money?  Well take some time and do something MOST smaller artists don’t bother to do.  Think about your audience.

I know, you’re an artist and you make music for you.  You aren’t buffeted around by the finicky winds of change.  You’re not a fashionable trend-victim. But hey, you’re not making money either.  So let’s give it a try.

Your audience tends to be tech-savvy young people.  That’s just the way music is in this country.  They also know how to and have no qualms about finding, downloading, and sharing music for free.  They WILL however spend money on a t-shirt, on concert tickets, on extras, etc.

It’s just an idea – not a fully thought-out solution, but if you’re looking to really turn “music” into a career then you need consider that you’ve got to work out a budget that makes more sense.  You can’t afford to drop all your savings on the world’s greatest studio and nothing on your marketing, promotion, live shows, and merchandise.

I’m not saying make records cheaply – we all know what that sounds like.  But streamline that process in particular.  If the actual production of music makes you less and less – then you ought to find ways to spend less and less while maintaining as much quality as you can.

It’s just a thought.

And to all the musicians actually out there, try to make a living doing what they can’t live without, good luck and don’t forget to ask for help if you need it.  *Hint Hint* askasoundguy@gmail.com