Are you making a decent living?

JohnKenn
Or are we only a bunch of hobby dudes, showing up at some brain dead job 10 hours a day wishing we could be in the studio.
 

This sounds exactly like me. Working a job I can't stand to feed a family of 5, all the while wishing I was earning a living doing something I have passion for, creating music.

Brief answer...No...not making a decent living.  I live on $180 a month
Pension, and, if I'm lucky, 2 gigs a month at $100 bucks a crack for 10 hours of work
each time...so, yes, I'm a brain dead hobbyist...
And I wouldn't change it...

I've got 3 or 4 friends making a living off music.  Only one can afford to own a home (in Toronto home costs are between Chicago and NYC rates).
They're all happy, love their lifestyles, and are FAR too busy to join these forums.
 
I'm not one of them.  I have a day job that funds my music and sailing passions.  My last album, distributed with no publicity, took 18 months to earn back the money I spent having it mixed and mastered.  You don't need to be a banker to know how that works out...
 

Never made anything more than beer money / expenses out of gigs back in the day and release sales only ever paid for the studio time/costs, but that's ok - I had a blast for a while and it never really cost me anything. Can't complain about that. I'm not sure I would want it to be my job that I depended on "to live" because once it becomes a job..............well, it has become a job. In an ideal world I would not need to work anywhere at all and then spend as much time as I wanted to playing wannabe producer with no expectation of reward and if I happened to make a bit along the way, then all well and good.
 
I'm nearly there. Except for the still having to work somewhere else bit.

Interesting topic....Number one, every day I open my eyes and am lucky to be alive....Is a good day. Two, you choose your life or life chooses for you, and mine has been a lil' bit o' both. As far as music career, probably not gonna happen (with all due respect to those that do though, and more power to ya!).  I just remember as a kid hearing Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, the Beatles and being blown away (still am)...Thinking it was like magic---pure magic, how 1,2,3 or more people could come together and create beautiful stuff. And not just "rock" anything that moves me, classical, electronic, jazz....whatever. I would (over the years) cobble together guitars, amps, pedals, Tascam stuff, etc. So it stayed around even if I did not have the time for it all the time. But I must say now truly is an amazing time to be alive as far as music creating goes---All I need is a decent computer, interface, guitar (or whatever instrument of choice) and SOFTWARE! (and yeah, technical know how, and um, talent (haha) had to add that).  All that being said, I really think I have too much software though. Might of went overboard on that. But the journey has been fun. So, no not making money off Music but that's not why I'm in this, but if I ever did I think it would be like hitting the lottery on some levels.

OK, now we can get down to brass tax.

Paulo hit a core predicament...
 
By design, our creativity has to diminish as we age, big downhill skid starting when we get to puberty and can reproduce. If this were not the case, we would not be here as a species. This progressive skill to go brain dead is hard wired into the survival process.
 
Nothing better however to accelerate genetic design and creative deterioration than by turning a process of creative freedom and happiness into a job. The hobby guy may not be making money as the focus, but is probably getting more joy out of the expression that someone who is successful and depending on the music business model to provide a roof and food.
 
John
 
 

bapu
What is this "making money from making music" you speak of?

It's an old indigenous saying about Hamlet cigars.

Beginning my senior year in high school I actually started making money from music.  I was able to put myself through grad school and snag a Ph.D. with income from both scholarships and music.  As a teenager I thought I could be a professional musician (I mean the Beatles did it), but didn't think seriously about it after I got a few years of college under my belt.  I mostly play for myself these days by choice.

*Teaser!*
 
I'm about to launch something on Tuesday that will ignite my personal business again and could make me a VERY decent living!  More to follow... 

There are companies pitching exclusive deals for $250 a song.  Can't make a living off that!  It used to be much higher, but with the ubiquity of songsters the price went down (unless you're already established).  The only thing in the music business that really works is live shows.

Making a descent living...yes.  I do alright.  In the music industry....no.  
 
Hey, I did make $50 in the music industry last week though.  That might pay for a new set of Bass strings.  

Humans - the only species that has to work to live on this planet.