Making $$$ off Your Music ?

A poll to see the odds of living off your sweat and blood in music.....  just a reality check of how difficult and hard it is to live off doing what you love to do - but not impossible!! This is a good place and time to mention attitudes that helped you keep going to breakthrough....

I can't vote on things in the present tense.  I used to make my living as a session player and doing "heavy" traveling gigs.  My present day endeavors pay nicely, but it's "fun" money.  I do make money recording, but also do alot of recording for trade, which is how I got my Avalon preamp.  (I've even recorded a guy in exchange for his golf clubs!)  Additionally, I still do quite a bit of sound reinforcement work.  (especially during Super Bowl month here in Houston).  I also get asked to play guitar on occasional recordings.  Both "The Boss" (wife) and I have primary jobs that pay a hell of alot more than I ever made through music.  I've got a 12 year old that is starting to play bass and drums and I'm soon to turn over all my amps, guitars and P.A. equipment to him.

 

[money]

The poll seems to be seperate from the question.  The question is "are you making money", and the poll is "making a living".

These are two seperate things.

Well, an entry like "dumping money into a black hole" would be appropriate for some of us....

Making money off of our own music?

Bwahahahahahahaha!

"dumping money into a black hole"

Yeah Right!!!
I just thought a reason for this poll would be to show how even with the music business in the worst possible shape ever, we are all still going strong learning our craft - and not giving up. Right now airlines are giving song downloads with bonus miles!!! Someone has to do the music....  A whole new market is opening with music for video games.... Computers can't do everything...... well not yet!! One door closes, another door opens, and it's hell in the hallway. The music biz is in the hallway right now.  Artists are finding ways to sell music on their own websites and/or with indie labels... they will always need good producers who make the magic happen!!

When your job pays just enough to pay the bills with nothing left over, you can only hope and keep on trying.
That's where I am.
Onword and upwords to the future...

In Frank Zappa's autobiography, he talks about how he quit music briefly after witnessing Duke Ellington (if I recall correctly, but it was definitely a Jazz Great) begging his tour manager for cash. Discouraging stuff.

-J.

http://payloadz.com

Here's an example of someone who is using that site to good effect.  Ignore the religious context and look at the site layout.

http://www.stevearcher.com/store.asp
http://www.stevearcher.com/music-pics.asp

[fun]

Is this poll deliberately excluding hobbyists (i.e. people who are doing audio just for the fun of it, and not trying to make money from it)?  I'm not complaing, after all the OP did refer to making a living and so maybe the poll is purely about that.  It's just that none of the choices in this poll as it stands are relevant to me.