7 Common Myths About the Life of a Professional Musician
Often when people think of professional musicians they tend to think of the cliches such as pop stars playing arenas and winning Grammys, or orchestral musicians playing classical music. But the fact is, there are hundreds of thousands of working professional musicians worldwide who are in the proverbial music trenches playing all sorts of gigs, for all sorts of audiences, making all sorts of music.
We are going to explore what it looks like to be a professional musician and debunk some of the myths surrounding the profession. Read on to learn about the people who make the music you hear on your Spotify playlists, your favorite television shows, movies, video games, and more.
1. It Is A Glamorous Life
It’s not surprising most people believe professional musicians lead a glamorous life. Especially because a select few superstars do. But for thousands of everyday working musicians, most days are filled with rehearsing and perpetually looking for new work.
Some professional musicians hold staffed jobs, such as composers for television shows, full-time orchestra performers, or music teachers in schools. But most professional musicians are independent contractors who go from one gig to the next with very little job security.
On the flip side, the reason they decide to become professionals is because it brings joy to their lives. Whether it’s writing or recording original music in the studio, or performing live to an appreciative audience, there is nothing quite like the feeling of creating a piece of self-expression that is uniquely your own.
2. You Only Work A Few Hours A Day
As a professional musician, you may work as little as a few hours a day, but more likely, you’ll often work very long hours. Take for example the life of touring musicians. When on tour they usually start their day early morning, preparing to travel to their next show location. This may also include a six-hour drive to the venue, setting up equipment, then performing a two-hour show. That show may be to a sold-out house or a disgruntled kitchen staff, but either way, due to contractual obligations, a full set is always performed. Then there is the after-show breakdown of equipment, the talking to fans, the driving to the nearest hotel at two or three am, and then repeating the entire process the next day.
Because touring is typically a costly endeavor, most tours average between a week or two and several months, as this is the best way for a tour and for the musicians to manage costs and make money. That said, these hours can be spent with other bandmates learning new music, sharing life experiences, and most importantly, connecting with new and existing fans, all while seeing and experiencing new cities across the globe.
3. You Make Lots Of Money
This is an interesting myth in that sometimes it’s not a myth at all. Yes, there is a lot of money to be made as a professional musician. But for the everyday working musician, their revenue does not come from royalties from streams on platforms such as Spotify. Unless a song is played millions of times over, there is little regular income to be made from a song being streamed.
Other avenues where professional musicians can make money include, studio session work, production, and live touring. However, if you were to take the example above of the touring musician who is playing a show a night for two weeks straight, the math looks something like this:
A touring musician may make anywhere from $100 a show to $500+ a show. But if you factor in a 12-hour work day, that rate averages between $9 to $42 an hour.
In the case of other jobs, including music producer, you may earn anywhere from $1500 and up to produce a song for an artist. Again though, the hours put into production may be upwards of 40+ hours on a single song.
In the case of studio musicians, they may make $150-$1000 a song depending on their reputation and the budget of the project. But often this rate varies from gig to gig, as there are very few union jobs for professional musicians. However, much of a professional musician’s career is based on their relationships, and so with every gig comes the opportunity to make new relationships which can lead to career advancement.
4. You Have To Win Awards To Be Considered Successful
Success is a tricky word in that it can mean a lot of different things to different people.
And while awards can give many a sense of validation, they have very little to do with what it looks like to be a successful professional musician. If you look at the most famous music awards show globally, The Grammys, you may notice that only a handful of musicians win these awards annually. What you don’t see, is that only about twelve thousand members make up NARAS, which is the voting body of the Grammys. Therefore, any award given is only from a microscopic representation of listeners.
However, the vast majority of working professionals in the music business recognize that success is not defined by what awards are won, but rather, by the type of music they create, the quality of life they live, and by making music that resonates with them and their listeners.
5. You Can’t Have A Family
Just like with any career, work/life balance as a professional musician is important. And while the hours may at times not revolve around the traditional 9-to-5 workday, professional musicians absolutely can have a family and a career. This myth is especially perpetuated when it pertains to women, as gender biases seem to be more prevalent in the entertainment industry than in some other more traditional occupations. However, creating a family and a successful professional music career can co-exist in profound and powerful ways.
6. You Have To Be Able To Read Music
While being able to read and write music can be very helpful for things like scoring music and communicating a musical idea, it isn’t the only road to becoming good at your craft. Many successful professional musicians don’t read music but can communicate their ideas through other means including playing the instrument, singing the notes, or using alternative language.
That said, there are certain habits to become a successful musician. These include maintaining a schedule for practicing, working on the business side, collaborating with others, and surrounding yourself with musicians who inspire and motivate you. Whether the goal is to become a great guitarist, a sought-after music producer, or a touring singer, it’s always a good idea to learn as much as you can about the art form.
7. You Don’t Need To Know About The Music Business
This might be as equally important as learning the instrument itself. The music industry has changed immensely over the past few decades. How musicians monetize, record, distribute, and promote their music has drastically improved. Fifty years ago record companies had a stronghold on the funnel for the creation and distribution of virtually all music. Whereas today, independent musicians can, with the help of the right business acumen, create and market their talents and their music globally without the help of a major label.
Further, knowing what is involved in royalty payment, publishing, and song ownership is vitally important to any musician looking to license their work for use in high-paying television shows, commercials, video games, and more.
Get Curious
While there are a lot of myths surrounding the lives of professional musicians, there are also a lot of exciting truths. Often it can be an exhaustive endeavor with countless hours of work. But it is truly a one-of-a-kind personal reward to create music that inspires, uplifts, and motivates people in their lives. The job options in the music industry are numerous and widely varied. In addition, choosing this career path can turn into an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding life experience. So if you’re interested in becoming a professional musician, get curious, explore your options in music education, listen to as much music as you can, and let the inspiration take hold!
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