Gone are the days of bands being fronted large advances to sign a record deal and then buying a luxury car with it. The idea of rock stars is dead, and musicians are as blue collar as any plumber or construction worker.
Today, major indie rock bands have album budgets of $10k or less. Because album sales are so low, it would be foolish to spend much more on making an album.
There are very few slots on a label's roster and if a band can't make that cut, then they have no choice but to front the money themselves from their own pockets. If you don't have the money yourself, you can take to sites like Kick-Starter or other 'crowd-funding' websites and ask for fans to donate money to make your record or fund your tour. The incentive for fans to contribute big money is merchandise, concert tickets, and even private concerts. Instead of large sums like $50-100k awarded to make a record you can take three years on, now you have to plead for every dime to make a record that costs a tenth of the price which you have to deliver by the end of the year.
After the record is finished, bands don't snub their noses at indie blogs with no budget anymore. All press is gold now. Artists get paraded from interview to interview, radio show to in-store performance, just to sell 5,000 copies of their record. You play your heart in an unplugged performance to a camcorder for a site that has nearly zero following to gain 3 more fans. Nothing comes easy any more.
If you as an artist are lucky enough to play a late night talk show or 'Good Morning America' that might account to another few hundred copies sold...if you're lucky.
You may have heard that touring is the 'life blood' of the new music industry, but for many artists it's a cost not a profit. You save money to go on tour. Even signed bands barely break $3,000 per night on the road. A fact that keeps many of them on the road for 3-4 years at a time, taking small 'pit stops' to make a new record to tour behind.
Artists are forced to play the same state sometimes three times in support of a single record. It used to be uncommon that you'd see a band in your city twice in a year, now you can wait till they come back. This also results in smaller attendances, because...well...there's no rush.
But it's not all bad.
Yeah, you have to learn to work social media as effectively as a hammer and your online etiquette is the directly decides if you eat or not that week, but that same power allows you to release whatever you want. If you want to put out a coloring book from your current record...if you can fund it...you can do it! Even if you're signed to an established record label, if the fans demand it they're not gonna say no. You can release as many projects as you'd like as the fans demand, in fact, over-exposure is a good problem to have in the new model of the industry.
Thanks to sites like Periscope bands can have the eyes of their fans on them all day, every day. And some do...because...whatever it takes to make it these days!
The 'Wild West' is brutal and exciting. It forces out those who don't fully love it, because working at a coffee shop or being a clerk at a grocery store for many would make you more money. But those who love it...you're now surrounded by passionate/driven people.
Here's the good news! It's not impossible and you very well could make a living with your music. But you're gonna need to be smart and business savvy. Keep checking in for more posts on tips and strategies to help you make it in the new music industry.
Till next time...
be kind+make good music.
