3 Reasons You're Not Making Money with Your Music

The Big 3.

The first time I told my cousin that I wanted to make a living working full time in the music industry he told me, "just don't quit your day job!" 

At the time I was an engineer, with a steady high paying job. But I was miserable and I wanted out.

I knew I had this gift for making music, but I didn't know what or how to use it to make money. So began my journey toward doing what I loved...

I hear this same sentiment a lot from other artists, asking "is there any way I can make a living with my music?"

Over the years I've come to understand that it's usually a culmination of one or more of these three reasons.

Here's how I would break it down:1. You're in the wrong circles

It seems almost silly to say, but "who you know" makes all the difference in the world. 

And it's not just about getting to know that famous record producer that happens to be sitting in the audience at one of your shows. It's actually more about the people we hang with.

Our tribe.

If we think we're going to find success in this business by working alone in our little home studio, needing no-one else's help... uh, we're dead wrong. 

Our tribe/circle is what keeps us motivated, introduces us to new opportunity, keeps us abreast of new trends and sounds, offloads some of the work in production or recording, etc. 

Our tribe is invaluable.

2. You don't have all the information

What we're attempting to do is straight up crazy. We're trying to write music, produce and record, understand publishing, create balanced song split sheets and legal contracts, build a fan-base, master social media, find sync placement opportunities, get written up in music blogs, create new music for the next release, play out at gigs, build merchandise, etc.

I got stressed just typing that out!

All of this requires so much knowledge and many different skill sets. How do you know what you should be prioritizing?

Where are the real opportunities for making real money in any of this? 

3. You lack the confidence

It's no wonder we do. It's daunting to try and build success in this business when you first start. 

And many of us come from painful life experiences that we channel when we are writing music. Some of those painful experiences were traumatizing and have ripple effects in our lives. Least of all is a low self esteem. 

Let's get real for a second. Most artists are a little bit tortured in some way. That's often what makes their work so beautiful and touching.

But that pain can also hold us back if we aren't careful.

You Feel Me?

I bet if you thought for a second you'd probably agree that what's holding you back from making money is one or more of these three reasons.

And NOT because you lack talent or drive!

Pretty fascinating, right?

🥁

xxx --- Zion