PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Career in music

Hi I like to sing but I have no band and no friends and my folks(parents)divorced.What can I do?
I wanted to try college but I don't have an income unless faking documents for medical conditions.I do have a medical condition but you're not going to like what you're going to hear.
I don't want to tell you my medical condition but I want to find out if you can become a musician by your talent and voice.I have voice but I have 0 connections in real life.I don't want to end up singing on the street.
Can someone take you in a studio if you have no one in this line of work?

Maybe if you do go busking on the street in the warmer weather next year, and you voice is Great, then maybe someone will hear you and bring you to a studio if you are really that good, and you do have to be THAT Good.

In the meantime do something, to earn some money, get yourself lessons a guitar or whatever instrument you interested in.

Plenty of free lessons on the internet.

Good luck.

You can be recruited from the street?
I really don't know how the real world works and that's the reason I'm asking this dumb question!

The music business is VERY tough these days and getting tougher as AI matures.
Someone once said, "You've got to be in the game to be in the game."
Seems to me that step one in getting "in the game" is to secure a steady income, then network from there.

So that means I should keep my expactations at low?

No it means if you want a career in music you advance in steps. You start by becoming proficient with your instrument, in your case your voice. You learn to sing many different song genres. You join community chorus or a church choir and learn to work with others. You sing in front of people at parties or senior living facilities. You visit clubs and bars that feature live music and ask to set in. You network with other musicians to build up your confidence, gain experience and build up a reputation.

I'd suggest that a career in singing isn't for you. It's a super-competitive field, and you have to really hustle to make things happen. If you were going to be a singer, you'd be networking, joining bands, and looking for every opportunity to sing.

That doesn't sound like where you're at.
Well, forgery isn't a traditional job career.

I'd suggest considering a vocational school and getting a two-year certificate. Look to see if student loans are available. Pick something where there's a high demand for the work.
Talent and voice are just a starting point.

You need to have drive, connections, and the determination, even in the face of insurmountable odds.You'll need to adapt to a field where there are less and less opportunities, less and less pay, and more highly skilled people you'll have to compete against for work.
Studios are happy to take your money, no matter how skilled or unskilled you are. They're there to take your money, not judge you.

Unless you mean will someone let me use their studio for free, in which the case is No.

@dcuny
I don't want to do music to become rich,I want to do music because it is my passion.Unfortunately I don't live in the USA and I live in Romania where most jobs are in IT...
I want to try a guitar instrument and become like the Blaxy Girls. I like rock but I don't know where to find producers,the band had a producer who was also a dentist,Costi Ionita.
Is that how music works in general?You need to have more jobs to cover you financial plans?

No, that is how life works. Music is secondary to surviving. If you love music as you say, you will find a way to kindle the fire, but it may not be how you are expecting it. But don't let that stop you.

Well, you're safe with "I don't want to do music to become rich."

If music is your passion, then that's what you'll end up doing - even if that means playing on the street.

Not everyone can make their passion their job. Sometimes, it's best not to make it your job. There are plenty of opportunities to sing that don't require you to work at it full time. Join a band, sing in a church choir, whatever. If you're good and you make connections, you'll find opportunities and jobs.

Since they were the biggest group in Romania, that's not exactly a modest goal.

The first step might be to learn to play a guitar.

Although he studied to be a dentist, I don't think he ever became one. It seems Ioniţă was busy with other things:

If the producer is the one who makes the group successful, they're the one who gets all the money. Even successful bands don't make that much money after all the expenses.

Yes, that's how it works for most jobs related to the arts (acting, writing, etc.). And there's no guarantee that you'll ever make it big in the business. Most people don't, and even people you probably think of as very successful aren't making that much money.

You are getting good advice!

Get a degree or vocational training and secure a career you enjoy working in that is in high demand so you have job security. Enjoy your music as a side gig. Begin networking with others and see where that takes you. All the while living a comfortable life.

Cinderella stories where a fantastic singer-songwriter is "discovered" and then featured/produced/managed to success are pretty much just fairy tales. Yeah, it could possibly happen but you have about as much chance of winning the lottery.

You go gal!

I live in the United States. I have played in the Tubes in London and France. I have been to Bucharest.
It is a bit easier if you are younger. It is very easy to get to know musicians in Italy who play in the streets. There are a lot of English guys and girls who play with the Italians. There is money to be made. It is difficult to learn your way around but it can be done.

There are kids and older people who are making enough money to support themselves all over Europe busking.

They know how to play the guitar or piano generally and a few other instruments. They are as much entertainers as musicians.

There are a few people like myself who would love to have a vocalist who knows how to sing.
I am pretty sure I am not the only one. I assume you live in or near Bucharest. Romania is not the best area in Eastern Europe to play on the street.

Until you learn to play some instrument well enough to accompany your voice you will have to team up with someone who plays.

Playing in the street in Europe is actually a good way to become a professional musician in Europe.
People will listen to you and if you are any good it will lead to other jobs.

There are many things you don't need, like a car. It is winter so more clothes are needed. If I were you I would try to get a job where you live this winter and save up some money, buy a cheap playable acoustic guitar, and play it till your fingers bled this winter. There are more tourists in the summer and it is a hell of a lot easier to deal with the weather conditions in the summer.

Try to figure out something that sets you apart from the rest of the musicians. I am from Texas, so I can do that Texas cowboy accent, which serves me well in England, for example. I speak several languages well enough to make small talk. I speak Arabic which gives me an in with the North Africans. Those guys are supporting their kids with the money they make playing, so they have little interest in sharing any with you, but if you speak Arabic, you can sometimes get in.

Look, it is getting more difficult by the year to survive playing music and it is only something you should consider if you are willing to work very hard and smart and be willing to put up with a good bit of crap and disappointments. There are plenty of people out there on the street willing to take advantage of you in many different ways. I have seen drugs and alcohol kill several of my musician friends over the years.

You may struggle from time to time to make enough to survive. That is why the definition of a guitar player who has lost his girlfriend/boyfriend is considered homeless...lol

Have fun and be good, and if you can't be good, be careful...lol

Cheers,

Billy

EDIT: Go listen to Subterranean Homesick Blues, it is pretty close to what real life is...lol In fact, you should learn a few of Bob Dylan's songs if you play on the street.

Here is some good info on what to do if you want to make money busking. I expect to make at least 100 euros for every evening I work on the street. Big bucks? No, but you can live in a hostel, eat well, and have a lot of fun. One other thing, a good teacher is a really good thing, but there is everything you need to learn for free on the net.

9 Essential Busking Tips in Europe
If you like to show off, if you value freedom and spontaneity, street performance may provide the ideal short-term employment abroad. Set your own hours, work wherever you want, and meet a lot of interesting people along the way. In most of Europe you can finance your travel by making a scene in public. Here are nine tips to put in your hat.

Dare to be different. Guitarists strumming out pop songs sometimes outnumber the pigeons, as my friend and I discovered one evening in Florence. When I broke a guitar string, we were forced to sing acapella. So we dropped U2 and harmonized old spirituals instead. We got more cash in the next 20 minutes than we had earned in the previous two hours. Unique stunts, exceptional costumes and props, or a rare musical instrument will almost always bring good results. How can you make your act different from all — or even just most — of the others? People will pay for something new and unusual.

Timing is everything. In popular, centralized areas where the crowds gather you’ll always have competition. So where to go? Better to ask when. I prefer places where the throngs are temporary, such as lines to get into a cinema or museum. I provide entertainment while they wait and have a captive audience where everybody’s relaxed and in a good mood. An occasional performance for the locals in their neighborhood park goes over well. But keep in mind that frequent repeats may cause resentment.

Think like a professional entertainer. You’re live at the Acropolis, even if it’s just the sidewalk outside, so keep high standards for yourself. Develop a 5- to 10-minute act that attracts attention, draws people in, and rewards them for staying. Rehearse it to perfection. Wear a first-rate costume in excellent condition, or at least the best clothes you can get. Use your props, voice, etc. to gather a crowd and convince them this is a real show. Most Europeans value artistic talent. Your professionalism will inspire them to give you money out of admiration, not pity.

Break the "fourth wall." Overcome the invisible barrier between you and your audience. Talk to them, make fun of them, try to interact. Respond dramatically to what they do. At least acknowledge them when they give you money. Be personable.

Keep on rolling. Passersby might dump bills in your hat the first time, but not after they see you every day. It’s helpful to vary your act from time to time but even more important to change locations frequently. This becomes crucial if you’re working in the off-season and can’t rely on a steady stream of fresh tourists to finance you.

Rules of the trade. Make sure your audience knows you’re looking for cash. Keep your money receptacle visible, and put something in it (bills, not coins) to reinforce the idea.

Watch for thieves. If someone contributes a large bill, put it in your pocket so nobody can walk away with it.

Arm yourself with all kinds of papers and documents to ward off police. Almost anything is better than nothing. Use a student ID card, letters from organizations you belong to, etc. A passport from an English-speaking country almost always smoothes the way. The local address or phone number of a friend gives you legitimacy, and even a card or brochure from a hotel or youth hostel suggests you’re not homeless. Bus, train, and plane tickets imply that you’ll be leaving soon, and police may be happy to let you move on.

Payment in kindness. Be open to receive offerings other than money. I’ve been pampered by an endless stream of pizza, coffee, gelato, free rides, and even job offers. Busking in out-of-the-way places can lead to interesting conversations that sometimes end in invitations. Be flexible. Not only will your talents keep your belly full, they’ll take you where tourists rarely get to go.

I can tell you that playing in the streets of Europe is a lot more fun than playing in a band in the United States.

Here is one of the ways I dress to get notised.
\\
Billy

I became a musician because of talent.

I've made a living as a musician since I was a young adult, from my talent, plus a lot of hard work, and constantly reacting to the changes in the music biz.

How?

First, you must work to be proficient on your instrument. Practice, practice, and then practice some more.

You must be versatile, and be able to play whatever style of music is in demand. And you must do it better or have another edge against your competition.

Learning more than one instrument is a plus. Learning to sing properly, sing well AND playing another musical instrument well is recommended.

Be versatile: My main instrument is voice and sax, also, by extension, wind synthesizer. I can double on drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards. Being able to double has landed gigs for me that another competing sax player didn't get.

Be versatile: Learn to express yourself authentically in different genres. I've played in rock, country, jazz, folk, blue, symphonic, easy listening, disco, and salsa bands. When opportunity knocks, be prepared.

Be versatile: I've been in a duo since 1985 http://www.s-cats.com - and we play music from the 1920s to the 2020s. With over 600 songs, mostly chosen by our audiences, other than during the COVID lockdown, we've never been out of work. Being a musical chameleon helps you stay booked. The gig wants dance music? We can do it. Dinner music? We can do it. Background music? Rock music? Disco music? Country music? We can do it. And so on.

If you want to become a professional musician, your occupation will dominate your life. If you aren't ready for that, pursue it as a sideline. You will practice a lot, constantly learn new songs, analyze the market and adjust your skills, develop enough business skills to keep yourself booked, and be prepared for the ups and downs of the business.

Don't expect to become filthy rich, 99% of us don't get there, but plenty of us are living a happy life. I almost 'made it' once, but the record company wanted to exploit us instead of pay us, so negotiations failed. But there is always a chance, so don't give up hope, either.

I had a day-job for 5 years, while gigging on the weekends. After a band breakup, I wanted to try out what being normal was, and for me, normal was overrated. My day-gig was a field engineer for a manufacturer of Cable TV electronic equipment. It paid well, but wasn't for me.

If I stayed at that job, I would have made a lot more money than I've made as a musician. On the other hand, I'm much happier being a musician. Even if I drive an older car, and don't have a lot of luxury items, I'm living a better life. I live simply, but I have zero debt, the house is paid off, and I take vacations.

I make my living doing what I would do for free if I didn't need money. Instead of saying, "I have to go to work today," I say, "Oh boy! I GET to go to work today!!!"

It's not a career for everyone, and with DJs, people singing to karaoke tracks, sports bars, and other diminishing opportunities, it's more difficult today than it was in the past. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it will take work, dedication, and some business smarts.


Insights and incites by Notes ♫

I'm a boy not a girl! I'm also adult,I'm 25!

Hey Wolly

What city do you live in?

Billy

From Buzau but I moved to Constanta! Buzau was my childhood place!

What guitar would you recommend for me? Clasic,Acoustic? I'm a beginner and I don't know which one to pick!

I would go look at what these guys have and the prices. Tell the guy you want a cheap, playable acoustic guitar with a pickup. The guitar is a very personal thing, and you need to look around and try to find one that fits your hand. No guitar will feel comfortable to a beginner at first, and you will buy several over your lifetime. Have them put some light strings on the guitar. They will not sound as loud but be much easier to deal with as a beginner.

Address: Bulevardul Tomis 72-74, Constanța 900657, Romania
Hours:
Closed ⋅ Opens 10 AM Mon
Phone: +40 724 054 701

Good luck,

Billy

Hey,

Constanta is a beatuful place. I have not been there, but I assume there may be many tourist places near Old Town or the beach areas. There is the Muzeul de Istorie Națională și Arheologie near Old Town. If it is very busy, it could be a good place to play. I would start looking at these types of areas and see what goes on. You very well may meet some musicians there to talk to and perhaps sing with.
Where you really learn to play and sing is in public, on stage. The stage could be on a street corner or the biggest venue around. If you want this lifestyle, just do. Whatever it takes.

Cheers,

Billy

Would it be rude and selfish If I contact Costi Ioniță and ask him to be my producer?

Do you have something good to produce??

I sing melodies from the lyrics of american,british songs.
I Don't have yet my own song!

No one can tell you how to make it in the music business. Every single person who has made it did it by creating their own pathway. No two pathways are ever the same. Your journey isn't my journey. You can't get to where you want to go by following me or anyone else.

Being in the right place at the right time and being prepared for the occasion is the best advice I can offer.

If you sing but don't play a musical instrument, I'd suggest learning to play one. Being in one of the music centers puts you closer to the action but is no guarantee of success. There's a lot of really talented people in Nashville and LA playing for pocket change on the street hoping someone is going to recognize their talent and magically put them on a stage. Sadly, that is rarely ever the case.

Go make your own path and be ready when opportunity presents itself, because it doesn't linger and rarely comes back.

Choose your parents wisely. Being a nepo baby is the surest way to become a star.

I made the mistake of being sired by hard-working but heavies in the music industry parents. The result is, I'm a career musician, happy with it, but will never make Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen money.

OK - seriously.

You can make a living as a career musician. But, 99% of us will never become rich and famous. That doesn't me we can't live a happy life doing what we want to do though.

Hone your craft until you are better than most of your competitors, become a chameleon and learn to express yourself authentically in many different genres, learn marketing skills, research your local market and choose where to focus your main efforts and more.

I know a girl who sings to karaoke tracks. She is a good singer, has a nice PA set for small rooms, and gigs quite a lot. She targeted the country market and plays small venues and does pretty well. I know a guy in a wedding band who makes a good living putting up with bridezillas. I know another who refuses to play anything but "art music" and has a day job and gigs occasionally.

I'm a career musician who almost made the big time. Opened concerts for the stars of the day, and was courted by a record company who wanted to exploit us. When that failed, I went back to nightclubs, private parties, restaurants, retirement developments, hotels, or whoever needed a band. I am not living a life of luxury, but I'm making a living doing what I would do for free, the mortgage is paid off, and I'm not in debt. To me, a modest living doing what I love is better than a wage-slave job with a retirement package. But that's me, I'm in the minority.

There is more than one right way to do this, you need to find out what is right for you - what suits your talents - how hard you want to work at it - what to focus on - what your competition is - and so on.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Folks should not overlook a career in music using BIAB to fulfill supplying tracks to customers. Supplying tracks is quite a robust industry and BIAB is well-suited and equipped to be a workhorse for an entrepreneur trying to make it in the music industry.

There are three situations BIAB works extremely well for the home recording enthusiast customer.

1. Making tracks for an instrument an artist can't play.
2. Tracks for an instrument the artist can play but BIAB can play the instrument more commercially or competently.
3. Tracks for an instrument the artist can play competently but it's inconvenient to do so in some circumstances.

BIAB can perform for a person trying to make music a career in all three of the above situations by filling any of the three circumstances the client has encountered. The person trying to make a career in supplying tracks for customers need only to be competent in arranging and programming using the BIAB product. The person need not be a proficient musician, read notation, play multiple instruments or know how to chart tracks. BIAB fulfills those tasks.

With that in mind, I asked the following question to Chatgpt for general information about:


Charlie Asked: How much would I need to gross to earn a net of $3,000 per month?


ChatGPT said:
To determine how much you need to gross in order to take home $3,000 per month net, we need to consider your effective tax rate—which depends on your location, income bracket, and any deductions or withholdings (like federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare taxes in the U.S.).

Here’s a general approach:

Step-by-step Estimate (U.S. Based):
Let’s assume an effective tax rate of about 25%, which is a common average for middle-income earners in the U.S.

✅ You would need to gross approximately $4,000/month (or $48,000/year) to net $3,000/month with a 25% effective tax rate.
Want a More Accurate Estimate?



Charlie Asked:
are there online studios that provide commercial tracks home recording enthusiasts can purchase for their original songs?


ChatGPT replied:
Yes, there are several online studios and services that provide commercial-quality backing tracks (also called instrumental tracks or multitracks) for home recording enthusiasts to use with their original songs—either to add vocals or create their own arrangements. These services can range from licensing instrumentals to full custom production. Here are some of the top options:

🎧 1. SoundBetter (by Spotify)
What it is: A marketplace where you can hire professional producers, musicians, and engineers to create or provide tracks.

Best for: Custom commercial tracks or collaborations.

URL: soundbetter.com

🎼 2. BeatStars
What it is: A platform where producers sell beats and instrumentals, often with various licensing options (lease vs. exclusive).

Best for: Hip-hop, pop, R&B, and trap artists.

URL: beatstars.com

🎹 3. AIRGIGS
What it is: Hire session musicians, producers, or composers to create tracks or contribute to your song.

Best for: Fully produced tracks tailored to your song idea.

URL: airgigs.com

🎤 4. Karaoke Version – Custom Backing Tracks
What it is: Lets you buy multitrack instrumental versions of popular songs, but also offers a tool to customize each instrument.

Best for: Cover songs or experimenting with arrangements.

URL: karaoke-version.com

🎛 5. Fiverr (Music & Audio Section)
What it is: Freelance marketplace where you can find producers to create or provide original instrumentals.

Best for: Budget-friendly custom tracks across genres.

URL: fiverr.com

I've also attached a YouTube video of five local Nashville musicians that for part-time income, provide backing tracks to home recording enthusiasts.

***
Tracking Day 2017

A summary of the video is this group of five gets together once a month and usually records 10-12 songs (five tracks total) for customers and charging $100 per session player. Each song normally takes 10-15 minutes of recording time. The owner of the studio, who also charts the songs, receives an extra $50. That's a total of $550 per song when the video was published in 2017.

The video demonstrates that with using BIAB, a person can duplicate all of the services and quality these session players provide. BIAB can chart, supply five tracks of essentially any instrument and a WAV copy of each track provided to the customer. It's a matter of replacing live session musicians with BIAB tracks recorded by live session musicians playing real instruments.

The market is there. The demand is there. Good marketing and the skill and expertise to program and arrange songs in BIAB that provide advanced, complex arrangements created using BIAB as an audio generating tool is the key. Using $100 as the base charge per track, 40 tracks per month generates an income providing $3,000 net income. That's 8 songs per month.

BIAB is capable of creating first generation tracks where the algorithm is programmed to anticipate silence, instrument changes, intro's, outro's fade-in, fade-out, doubling, and solo's. BIAB can create melodies, have effects added, volume automation, can analyze audio for tempo mapping and chord detection. BIAB can print lead sheets, notation, and tab.

The bottom line is that for a person seeking a career in music, BIAB has the tools, techniques and features that someone can use BIAB to create quality backing tracks just like the musicians in the video and the producers, musicians and arrangers do on the above web-sites.

So If I insist on a producer to add me in a band would that be exploating?
I know what that word means but that's what Ruxandra Iliescu from the Blaxy Girls did with Costi Ioniță.
I found a Facebook group for people that need members and it's in Romania but it's not rock based!
They are searching for vocal solists!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/659555767522228/

I have thousands of BiaB tracks for sale here, for pennies per track.

https://www.nortonmusic.com/contents.html#fake

Most of them have optional music books available, so you can open the book, load the track, and play/sing along.

Note: They are MIDI tracks, but the BiaB 'robot' should suggest a Real Track. It's the only way to satisfy both MIDI and RT customers, because if I suggested a RT, BiaB would not recommend a MIDI.

In either case, you can change the style to whatever you want.

Why don't you post a recording of your voice somewhere so that people here can hear your voice, even without backing tracks, Youtube comes to mind, then people here can hear what you have to offer and give an honest opinion on what you have to offer as a full time potential career musician.

So far its what I tend to call it "Armchair talk" post your voice and let us know what its like.

@musiclover
Why don't you post a recording of your voice somewhere so that people here can hear your voice, even without backing tracks, Youtube comes to mind, then people here can hear what you have to offer and give an honest opinion on what you have to offer as a full time potential career musician.

. [/quote]

https://soundcloud.com/viorel-panturu/recording_188-mp3cut-net

Is this a bad idea that I placed my real name here?
If so sorry for that!

Had a listen Wolly and while I am no x factor judge I would suggest as others here have, that maybe you learn to play an instrument as well.

Many bands have a lead singer who fronts the band, that singer will usually have a great voice, and while other band members may sing too, their voices are passable nothing out of the ordinary.

Many people are like that can sing but voices are nothing out of the ordinary, I myself like to sing but no great voice either.

There are many ways to have a career in music eg DJ-ing, I suppose even being a roadie for a band, making enough money though to solely live and depend on it is another thing.

If you asked me what you should do, and its all up to you, I would say get a regular job to earn money to help pay your way, but at the same time, maybe learn an instrument, most people can, doesn't take any God given Talent, mainly practice, and enjoy your music to the fullest as a sideline.

Good luck Wolly.

More than voice, singing effectively needs control, and expression. If it were all voice, people like Dr. John, Stevie Nicks, John Lennon and so many others wouldn't have 'made it'.

I'm a multi instrumentalist who had to learn to sing. As bands downsized to make a living, I found myself in a duo http://www.s-cats.com with a very good singer. But she couldn't sing all the songs all night, and what if she got sick? I figured I'd learn to sing.

I started singing the easier songs, and worked up to more difficult ones. Since my duo partner is a far better singer than I'll ever be, she sings the hardest songs. But I play sax, flute, wind synth, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard synth, and make our own backing tracks. We both have different strong suits that complement each other.

Learning to sing for me, expression wasn't a problem, because I am a very expressive sax player, and it's similar. Breath support was OK because it's the same as a wind instrument. (Breathe with your diaphragm not your chest, keep your throat relaxed, and tighten the muscles of your abdomen as if you were expecting someone to punch you there, and so on).

The hardest part was control, to sing on pitch, off pitch intentionally for expressive devices, and so much more. It took a lot of singing to strengthen those muscles to the point where I could get them to do what I want. Without the control, the expression was not possible.

I know a few people around here who make a living singing to karaoke tracks. They sing in smaller venues, private parties, and so on, and seem to be able to support themselves. That's a possibility for you.

Whatever you choose, you need to sing a lot, every day, start slow, so you don't injure yourself, but end up singing for hours per day. Take at least enough lessons to learn breath control and how to breathe properly. If you don't, you can get nodules on your vocal cords and end up with a raspy voice like Ms. Nicks.

Practice, practice, practice. Sing along with recordings of successful singers. Notice the subtle things they do and mimic them. A few examples are phrasing; singing some notes ahead or behind the beat. Pitch deviations, including singing a note a bit flat and pulling it up to pitch, controlling speed and intensity of vibrato, changing the shape of your oral cavity to color the notes differently, and so on.

You also need to see what works in your area. Is country big? Classic rock? Anything else? Check out your competition, and see what they are doing. Watch the audience and see what is working and what isn't working so well. Learn from their successes and mistakes. How are they dressed and presenting themselves? Again, what works for your area and chosen genre.

I am a career musician. It's not easy, although I'm on stage only 3 or 4 hours per gig, I put in well over 40 hours per week working. It's my passion, so it doesn't seem like work. But it takes practice, constantly learning new songs, pushing my limits so I can sing more difficult songs, hitting the streets to promote myself and find new gigs.

Singing is one of the easiest things to do. It takes no work or skill at all. Singing well enough and singing for a living is a very difficult thing to do. It takes countless hours of practice, plenty of time to put in and good off-stage skills, too.

I probably put in 70 hours a week doing what I do, but because it's my passion, it doesn't seem like work, it's just involvement in my trade. I've had two 40 hours per week jobs in my life, and for me, I'd much rather do this. Of course, that's just me.

If you want to make a career doing music and nothing but music, dedicate yourself to it, put in the time. If you have the inborn talent and develop all the skills necessary to do it, you can make a living doing music and nothing but music.

And as others mentioned, it would help to learn a musical instrument, too.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

@musiclover
So that means I have a talent on music based on my MP3 file?

Yes we all have talent some more than others, Please take on board learning to play an instrument, then you can play along with people who have better or lesser voices than everyone else.

A few things I've learned about playing music for a living.

* There will always be people that play better than you, and others who play worse.

* Some people are great technicians, some artists, and it's best to be both. So practice your technical skills and develop your artistic sense

* Use what you've got. I read an interview with Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. He said early on he realized he would never play as fast as Clapton and so many others, so he worked on playing melodically. IMO, it was a good decision, because I like his playing.

Playing music is not one skill. There are many different skills and we put them together. Work on them all, and use what you are the best at.