I'm a programmer who wants to upgrade himself to a musician
How do you guys earn your money?
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kensuguro
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I'd say auditions, auditions, and more auditions. Or since you're in Finland, you can go to bigger hiphop jams, since I've seen may producers when I was in Finland. The guys from Fintelligence, or Bomfunc MCs, and many other bands, are just roaming around so if you have a demo with you, get to know them and give it to them. Maybe it's not quite that simple but it's atleast an option. (these guys might not suite your style of music.. but you get the picture)
Most of the times, the performers/producers are pretty heated up after a performance, so that's always a good time to catch a chat with them. Plus, it simply feels good when someone from the audience really appreciates your performance.
And then there are always small companies that make music for smaller applications, like radio, TV adverts, motor shows, cooporate events, etc. It's boring as heck, but it does pay. Not sure which company does that in Finland tho....
Check up for club events sponsored by radio companies like Radio Energy (was that the name?) or whatever. I remember they were holding events to promote artists, so that means all the big names are there. The radio big names (ask them where you can get a job), record company A&R (ask if there's an audition), and so on.
How to find these big names? Try to find unusually old-looking people with clothes that totally do not match a club. You've got yourself a bigname.
Buy him some beer and he'll be your friend. maybe not.
But whatever it is, get started in putting together a good demo CD, and some sort of profile about your past jobs/experiences. In Japan, atleast, a profile for the music industry is different from a normal resume, so you might want to check what the standards are in Finland.
Then, after you've done a couple of decent jobs in Finland.. maybe a vinyl release or two, then you can head on to Norway or something and do something bigger... I know, it's hard to get OUT of Finland.. but it's been done before by a bunch of weedheads so.. it's definitely worth a try. And relatively speaking, I don't think it's too hard to get a record deal if it's a local label.
Search for small, local labels, and start sending!
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2002-10-18 04:49 ]</font>
Most of the times, the performers/producers are pretty heated up after a performance, so that's always a good time to catch a chat with them. Plus, it simply feels good when someone from the audience really appreciates your performance.
And then there are always small companies that make music for smaller applications, like radio, TV adverts, motor shows, cooporate events, etc. It's boring as heck, but it does pay. Not sure which company does that in Finland tho....
Check up for club events sponsored by radio companies like Radio Energy (was that the name?) or whatever. I remember they were holding events to promote artists, so that means all the big names are there. The radio big names (ask them where you can get a job), record company A&R (ask if there's an audition), and so on.
How to find these big names? Try to find unusually old-looking people with clothes that totally do not match a club. You've got yourself a bigname.
Buy him some beer and he'll be your friend. maybe not.But whatever it is, get started in putting together a good demo CD, and some sort of profile about your past jobs/experiences. In Japan, atleast, a profile for the music industry is different from a normal resume, so you might want to check what the standards are in Finland.
Then, after you've done a couple of decent jobs in Finland.. maybe a vinyl release or two, then you can head on to Norway or something and do something bigger... I know, it's hard to get OUT of Finland.. but it's been done before by a bunch of weedheads so.. it's definitely worth a try. And relatively speaking, I don't think it's too hard to get a record deal if it's a local label.
Search for small, local labels, and start sending!
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2002-10-18 04:49 ]</font>
I make my living as a recording engineer. I use Pulsar/tripleDAT in my studio. This is my full time job. CW products are the heart of my studio and every client that comes through my studio is amazed at the sound quality. I've had clients who were familiar with ProTools and other more expensive options that were very impressed with Pulsar/tripleDAT.
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Nestor
- Posts: 6683
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- Location: Fourth Dimension Paradise, Cloud Nine!
This topic came up several times in different forms, I guess it is the time to really talk about it deeply an fully.
We are many in here willing to know what you want to know Spoimala, it’s a very important topic for those that have been for many years working hard and need to get a living.
Why not to move this one into the Off Topic forum? Isn't it better to talk about it over there?
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nestor on 2002-10-18 15:18 ]</font>
We are many in here willing to know what you want to know Spoimala, it’s a very important topic for those that have been for many years working hard and need to get a living.
Why not to move this one into the Off Topic forum? Isn't it better to talk about it over there?
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nestor on 2002-10-18 15:18 ]</font>
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paulrmartin
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Sun May 20, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
I do full-time MIDI programming for different bar acts in the province where I live. But my real bread-and-butter money comes from royalties for TV shows for which I wrote the music.
One thing I can say is that my education helps me a lot for these TV contracts because they always come at the last minute and that leaves me very little time to think about theory and orchestration. Knowing how to read and write music is definitely a plus when working in the very diverse styles I have to get into at any given time.
One thing I can say is that my education helps me a lot for these TV contracts because they always come at the last minute and that leaves me very little time to think about theory and orchestration. Knowing how to read and write music is definitely a plus when working in the very diverse styles I have to get into at any given time.
Are we listening?..
I'm a geek by day and an engineer by night.
I would love to give up the day job and turn professional but I can't yet so I'm stuck being semi-pro. I'm getting there gradually though!
I record bands, work between studios and do live mixing for a local company. It didn't take long for the pulsars to pay for themselves!
Cheers
I would love to give up the day job and turn professional but I can't yet so I'm stuck being semi-pro. I'm getting there gradually though!
I record bands, work between studios and do live mixing for a local company. It didn't take long for the pulsars to pay for themselves!
Cheers
After a couple of years of sweeping floors and making coffee for snotty "artistes" at a prominent local studio, I finally got my big break and was trained in the art of sound engineering. I later went on to work freelance at various studios until I realised I wanted more money, so I went back to school, studied computing and got a job in the IT industry.
I soon got sick of working for other people (and I still had the music bug) so I started a multimedia business. The audio portion of my business involves writing and recording jingles and themes for TV and corporate video (yes Ken, it is boring but it makes dough!).
Since I got my CW gear in April this year I've been inspired to really push the audio side of my business, even though web development still brings in a lot more money at present. Fortunately the CW gear never goes to waste, even when I just need to make a unique sound effect for a website or video presentation. It paid for itself within a couple of months.
Next year I plan to release a "virtual album" but that's not for money - just a passion thing.
I soon got sick of working for other people (and I still had the music bug) so I started a multimedia business. The audio portion of my business involves writing and recording jingles and themes for TV and corporate video (yes Ken, it is boring but it makes dough!).
Since I got my CW gear in April this year I've been inspired to really push the audio side of my business, even though web development still brings in a lot more money at present. Fortunately the CW gear never goes to waste, even when I just need to make a unique sound effect for a website or video presentation. It paid for itself within a couple of months.
Next year I plan to release a "virtual album" but that's not for money - just a passion thing.
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kensuguro
- Posts: 4434
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2001 4:00 pm
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Oh yeah, and people who are looking to make it big... I just met with an A&R (of a small company), and he was telling me some very interesting changes in the music industry.
Well, we all know it that because of the whole file sharing thing, the CD industry is taking a plummet. They won't admit it in public numbers, but the numbers are actually more devastating. This problem comes in two parts. One is that people don't want to pay for their music. The other is that whatever it is that the customers want, is not on mainstream CD anymore. (like old songs)
And we're seeing (in Japan) some sudden rise in the number of Indies, or independent labels, who work on a much smaller scale compared to the big guys.. but because of this, they have much more musical freedom. What's happening? The whole Napster thing caused users to realize that mainstreams offered only such a small area of music = people want more diversity now. It's a time of chaos. People want diversity.. they're not really clear as to what is "good". Maybe people are finally realising that they were just consuming music... just like water, air.. or whatever. So they're like, "might as well be just about anything". They have a wider scope of musical understanding now, and are much tougher to convince using media adverts. The people who buy the most CDs in Japan now, are elementary kids and middle school kids. Those who are more vulnerable to imposed images.
And now the record labels' have a headache. With such an unfocused market, they don't know what to sell anymore. You'd think, because the sales are declining, that record companies wouldn't take any new names right? The situation in Japan is that they're doing the opposite. They're taking this time to experiment. They're taking youngsters, new names, release singles that before, would have been labeled as "non-mainstream". As strange as it seems, they seem to be totally out of el cheezo music to sell.
Partially because they've been selling crap for the past 20 years, theyr'e senses are pretty numb.. So they're taking this time to shape up. It's a good movement I think.
So people who are looking to do something big? Now's a good time.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2002-10-19 08:34 ]</font>
Well, we all know it that because of the whole file sharing thing, the CD industry is taking a plummet. They won't admit it in public numbers, but the numbers are actually more devastating. This problem comes in two parts. One is that people don't want to pay for their music. The other is that whatever it is that the customers want, is not on mainstream CD anymore. (like old songs)
And we're seeing (in Japan) some sudden rise in the number of Indies, or independent labels, who work on a much smaller scale compared to the big guys.. but because of this, they have much more musical freedom. What's happening? The whole Napster thing caused users to realize that mainstreams offered only such a small area of music = people want more diversity now. It's a time of chaos. People want diversity.. they're not really clear as to what is "good". Maybe people are finally realising that they were just consuming music... just like water, air.. or whatever. So they're like, "might as well be just about anything". They have a wider scope of musical understanding now, and are much tougher to convince using media adverts. The people who buy the most CDs in Japan now, are elementary kids and middle school kids. Those who are more vulnerable to imposed images.
And now the record labels' have a headache. With such an unfocused market, they don't know what to sell anymore. You'd think, because the sales are declining, that record companies wouldn't take any new names right? The situation in Japan is that they're doing the opposite. They're taking this time to experiment. They're taking youngsters, new names, release singles that before, would have been labeled as "non-mainstream". As strange as it seems, they seem to be totally out of el cheezo music to sell.
Partially because they've been selling crap for the past 20 years, theyr'e senses are pretty numb.. So they're taking this time to shape up. It's a good movement I think.
So people who are looking to do something big? Now's a good time.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2002-10-19 08:34 ]</font>
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Nestor
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I do eventually some jingles, music for special events, music for web sites, multimedia, etc., and very little for TV. In the near future I would like to go deeper into multimedia cos I like it. But my main income from music comes from my own music CDs. I produce them myself and sell them myself too, but of course, this is always quite small, particularly if you think about Fusion music and other non-commercial styles. I have published one of my works in Quebec Canada with Ganesha Productions about 3 years ago and it was my best commercial go cos it came with a book I wrote myself. Then the last two years were much better than this present 2002, this is due to the place I’m living in…
Let’s explain a bit… In Chile to copy CDs is something extremely natural and there are thousands of illegal sellers in the streets selling cloned CDs of most famous artists at 15% of the real price. Police cross them all the time but nobody says anything cos they know it’s better that way, otherwise this poor people would be doing something worst! You can find copied CDs of all the commercial hits of the moment in the street presented with its box and with all it’s labels scanned and photocopied by a colour photocopier.
In Argentina we arrived to the amazing 50% of copied CDs, in other words: 50% of the market is just black market! This is enormous, cos Argentina it’s a very big country! In such conditions it’s very difficult to sell your CDs, cos they will be copied instantly and you’ll find your own CDs in the street, particularly difficult if you think you are not well known and that your music is not what most people is asking for…
Let’s explain a bit… In Chile to copy CDs is something extremely natural and there are thousands of illegal sellers in the streets selling cloned CDs of most famous artists at 15% of the real price. Police cross them all the time but nobody says anything cos they know it’s better that way, otherwise this poor people would be doing something worst! You can find copied CDs of all the commercial hits of the moment in the street presented with its box and with all it’s labels scanned and photocopied by a colour photocopier.
In Argentina we arrived to the amazing 50% of copied CDs, in other words: 50% of the market is just black market! This is enormous, cos Argentina it’s a very big country! In such conditions it’s very difficult to sell your CDs, cos they will be copied instantly and you’ll find your own CDs in the street, particularly difficult if you think you are not well known and that your music is not what most people is asking for…
can i partecipate?!
i'm a PhD student, and i don't make any money from my music... i spent a lot of money (some thousand of euro...) just for having fun!
i've got some hearing problems (i am a bit deaf, like Beethoven - but i'm not a genius like him!) and so i see no "future" (intended as "selling something" or "producing something very professional") in my hobby.
regardless, i spent a lot of time in playing and compoising, and this for me is enough!
i'm a PhD student, and i don't make any money from my music... i spent a lot of money (some thousand of euro...) just for having fun!
i've got some hearing problems (i am a bit deaf, like Beethoven - but i'm not a genius like him!) and so i see no "future" (intended as "selling something" or "producing something very professional") in my hobby.
regardless, i spent a lot of time in playing and compoising, and this for me is enough!
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paulrmartin
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- Joined: Sun May 20, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
Nestor, I looked up Ganesha Productions and did not find it. I live in Quebec and would be very interested in at least seeing that book.On 2002-10-19 20:32, Nestor wrote:
I have published one of my works in Quebec Canada with Ganesha Productions about 3 years ago and it was my best commercial go cos it came with a book I wrote myself.
Are we listening?..
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Nestor
- Posts: 6683
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2001 4:00 pm
- Location: Fourth Dimension Paradise, Cloud Nine!
Hi Paul:
The book is in Spanish and the CD songs are in Spanish too, anyway, here you can get them if you are interested:
Ganesha Publishers Inc., P.O Box 484, Youville Station, Montreal (Qc), Canada, H2p 2w1.
Title: "Tú que estás muerto, Vuelve a la vida". ISBN 2-8914-5053-1
You can right at this address for it too:
courriel@editions-ganesha.qc.ca
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nestor on 2002-10-21 18:15 ]</font>
The book is in Spanish and the CD songs are in Spanish too, anyway, here you can get them if you are interested:
Ganesha Publishers Inc., P.O Box 484, Youville Station, Montreal (Qc), Canada, H2p 2w1.
Title: "Tú que estás muerto, Vuelve a la vida". ISBN 2-8914-5053-1
You can right at this address for it too:
courriel@editions-ganesha.qc.ca
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nestor on 2002-10-21 18:15 ]</font>
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siberiansun
- Posts: 437
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2002 4:00 pm
- Location: Sweden
to pay the rent and to throw expensive gifts at my girlfriend... I'm teaching at a, for lack of better expression, rock n' roll school.. it's a complement to the regular music school wich focus mostly on classical music and jazz.
i teach brand new bands, age 12-18, how to play t o g e t h e r. most of the new beginners never even touched an instrument so i teach them the basics of every instrument in a rock combo and how and why they work together.
NOTE i DO NOT try to sell my students my own personal taste in music and i DO NOT try to influence them in any way when it comes to writing their own songs.
i'm also lucky enough to have made a few connections in the radio/tv-industry, making jingles, commercials and so on.
paulrmartin, i really envy your ability to read and write down music.
since i don't have a clue about the world of notes my tv/radio projects always tend to take a while, composing, listening, comparing to the images, a few changes here, comparing again.....zzzzzzz
PEACE Y'ALL!
i teach brand new bands, age 12-18, how to play t o g e t h e r. most of the new beginners never even touched an instrument so i teach them the basics of every instrument in a rock combo and how and why they work together.
NOTE i DO NOT try to sell my students my own personal taste in music and i DO NOT try to influence them in any way when it comes to writing their own songs.
i'm also lucky enough to have made a few connections in the radio/tv-industry, making jingles, commercials and so on.
paulrmartin, i really envy your ability to read and write down music.
since i don't have a clue about the world of notes my tv/radio projects always tend to take a while, composing, listening, comparing to the images, a few changes here, comparing again.....zzzzzzz
PEACE Y'ALL!
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King of Snake
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I'm a student so currently "making money" is not really a possibility for me
I barely scrape together enough to pay for school and have a bit of fun as well, and just enough for some music gear. I study Audiovisual design, which focuses mostly on video, but also graphic design and designing for multimedia/internet. I like designing stuff, (although I don't think I all that good at it) but I really hope to at least get some records released at some time. Of course my dream is to be able to do this for a living, but that may never happen. Nevertheless I'll do all I can to achieve that goal.
I barely scrape together enough to pay for school and have a bit of fun as well, and just enough for some music gear. I study Audiovisual design, which focuses mostly on video, but also graphic design and designing for multimedia/internet. I like designing stuff, (although I don't think I all that good at it) but I really hope to at least get some records released at some time. Of course my dream is to be able to do this for a living, but that may never happen. Nevertheless I'll do all I can to achieve that goal.
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John Cooper
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