You All Need To Read This.

[richardmac]

 

Unfortunately it would seem that the musician middleclass you are describing is going the way of the Dodo. Sure it's still possible, but it's a shrinking market for sure. Music itself is no longer monetized, it has a value of zero. Celebrity on the other hand, still has monetary value. Making $50,000 a year working as a musician would almost certainly call for some level of celebrity in order to make that happen at this point.

 

 

Well that's where our viking friend could tell us what's going on. I'm certain there are guys and girls in his neck of the woods who are doing 50k per year as songwriters. So it must be possible?

[3shiftgtr]

No one said it ISN'T who you know. That's just part of going out and doing what needs to be done...Should be obvious you need to network. It's a given and well known around here.

 

Mayer did. In your OP article.

 

"Forget about right time right place – it doesn’t exist! You create your place and you create your time through what you’re doing. It’s not about getting your foot in the door or meeting a person and them giving you an opportunity."

 

That's what dancebass is talking about. And what I mentioned in my post. Mayer is perpetuating a myth that there are no gatekeepers. That no one lent him the money. So what, he earned the money himself, and put a promotion team and network together all by himself? I'd like to see his account statement from his LABEL. Again his exact words regarding the subject is:

 

"Does. Not. Exist."

 

This is what is coached to him in imaging meetings. Anyone who has been in one of those meetings knows. But as I said in my post, I think it is {censored}ty to do it to college students entering your field. He doesn't have to tip his hand, but he doesn't have to be such an asshole about it.

 

And btw, this isn't Mayer hate. I like Continuum: it feels like an old school R&B record, except it is all guitar and kinda minimalist. Cool. And he plays lots of SRV style solos live. Cool mor. But he gets ragged for running his mouth and hosing hotties. Which I guess he should!

[SLScott86]

That was a lot better than I was expecting. To me, steady work isn't a backup plan but a means to continue making music and not flaming out before we reach our peak. But overall I was expecting to make an argument, but in his context I don't think it's really necessary. Good piece.

 

As for no such thing as right place at the right time, I was ready to condemn it, but my interpretation is that it doesn't just happen. You have to put in the work. Which is true.

[flatfinger]

Well that's where our viking friend could tell us what's going on. I'm certain there are guys and girls in his neck of the woods who are doing 50k per year as songwriters. So it must be possible?

 

 

Without the revenue stream that was royalties from physical media ?? Only left with mechanical licensing from possible TV and movie spots and the unreliable checks from PRO's ? ( who are notorious for being biased toward only renumerating mostly the big players and letting the small fish sink) .

 

 

I would love to know if there are reliable statistics on just how many pure songwriters are managing to do $50K a year .... I would also imagine that a significant amount of what used to be in the pie for the songsmith gets squeezed out by managers and artist who insist on charging a line or two for co-write credits !

 

 

( sorry for focusing on what should be the core of the problem being focused on .... where are THE SONGS ????)

[richardmac]

Without the revenue stream that was royalties from physical media ?? Only left with mechanical licensing from possible TV and movie spots and the unreliable checks from PRO's ? ( who are notorious for being biased toward only renumerating mostly the big players and letting the small fish sink) . I would love to know if there are reliable statistics on just how many pure songwriters are managing to do $50K a year .... I would also imagine that a significant amount of what used to be in the pie for the songsmith gets squeezed out by managers and artist who insist on charging a line or two for co-write credits ! ( sorry for focusing on what should be the core of the problem being focused on .... where are THE SONGS ???? )

 

I'm telling you, the patient is stable. 2011 has shown an INCREASE in music sales. I attribute this to the death of Limewire, combined with a few high selling artists (relatively speaking) like Adele. I don't think music sales are going to continue to shrink, I think they're stable. And people are still writing songs for artists and still making money. The market is smaller, sure.

 

But I too would love to see stats on the income for professional songwriters. Still, my point is that it is easier to make money selling songs than to become as big as John Mayer. Easier being a relative term. I think there are thousands of talented songwriters out there and who you know and where you are and how much networking you've done makes a big difference in your level of success, and to be really successful you probably need a crap load of luck.

[Dancebass]

 

I don't think music sales are going to continue to shrink, I think they're stable.

 

 

I'm not sure man. I think I saw a stat somewhere the other day of the number of people that STILL don't use the internet! It's MUCH larger than you would ever expect. For example, I read something that was explaining how Hip Hop music has owned the physical sales market for the last 10 years, but statistics show the average black household is a couple years behind on the use of tech.

 

Little Wayne's in deep sh*t man! That's going to take down a LARGE part of the capital that the system has been squeeking by on.

[flatfinger]

I hear you Richard !

 

It should be about the song , and a really good song should ( in an Ideal world of course!) be able to blaze it's own trail without allot of "shove it down their throats " promotion or networking shenanigans!

I thought this new high tech utopia was an elagitarian state of affairs where the cream always rose to the top!, (but maybe not so much !!) .....

 

However , since the world is replete with fantastic songs that took a decade or more to finally take off , I have to say that Mr. Mayers statement ..

 

 

“ Anybody who tells you to have a fall back plan are people who had a fullback plan, didn’t follow their dreams, and don’t want you to either

 

 

Is at the very least , Bluster combined with braggadocio !

 

( and is in fact , the kind of cliche statement that one expects from a person giving an inspirational speech at a seminar ... the kind of thing that fires up the troops so that they will rush in !!!)

 

Of course , western and, in particular American culture tends to love the romantic notion of " quitters never win and winners never quit " and other such quas -macho philosophies!. There is however no cowardice in having contingency plans in place , and in particular when it's pretty obvious that unlike science or engineering where skill will most certainly be rewarded ; the performing arts are obviously allot more of a crap shoot !!

 

 

Anyone who has bought into the belief that they can overcome all , no matter the odds , and do so in an environment that is indeed not a true meritocracy ,should read Seth Godin's " The Dip"

[kurdy]

How much of his speech was tailored for the audience he was addressing, though? A bunch of college students, presumably in their early 20s, with no spouses, families or mortgages, parents probably paying their tuition. If you’re going to jump into it, full speed ahead with no back-up, that would be the age to do it. It's also probably safe to say, the more obligations you have taking you away from your goal, the less of a chance you'll be successful at it. But if he were addressing an audience of 30 and 40 year olds, that would probably not be the best advice. One imagines he might have to formulate his responses a little differently, like “define your own success” or some BS like that.

 

That's what dancebass is talking about. And what I mentioned in my post. Mayer is perpetuating a myth that there are no gatekeepers. That no one lent him the money. So what, he earned the money himself, and put a promotion team and network together all by himself? I'd like to see his account statement from his LABEL. Again his exact words regarding the subject is: "Does. Not. Exist." This is what is coached to him in imaging meetings. Anyone who has been in one of those meetings knows. But as I said in my post, I think it is {censored}ty to do it to college students entering your field. He doesn't have to tip his hand, but he doesn't have to be such an asshole about it.

 

Well, what I think he was really trying to say to the young-uns was not to pin all your hopes on meeting some music biz wizard that will wave his magic wand and grant you a music career. We all know the Hollywood myth of a kid handing his demo to some big-wig who tells him, “Kid, I’m gonna make you a stah”. Maybe it used to work that way, but that’s pretty much history now. It’s always going to be a little about who you know—that’s true in all areas of life, not just the music biz. But if you’re addressing a room of newbies, sometimes your answers have to be a little more black and white. “Get off your butt and get to work—don’t expect someone to make it happen for you” was probably more the point he was trying to make.

[richardmac]

Good post, kurdy. I think we were overlooking the audience a bit.

[sventvkg]

 

Good post, kurdy. I think we were overlooking the audience a bit.

 

 

Right...Overlooked was the audience that he was speaking to.