Monetization of Your Talent

By KC Armstrong

Let’s discuss monetization of your talent.

That’s right – how to make money, while at the same time satisfying your life-long addiction to creating music.

The first important question you should ask yourself is “can I rationally expect to earn a living wage from my musical/singing abilities?”

Sure you’ve dreamt of performing in front of thousands of screaming fans, or hearing yourself on the radio, or walking down a red carpet; but what are the actual odds of this happening?

We’ve all seen movies about the bands of the 1960s or '70s and have romanticised about being in their shoes, but the advent of Napster in the mid 1980s changed the music-business landscape once and for all (please repeat after me “that door is firmly shut and there’s no going back”).

So, is it hopeless?

Practically, but here are a couple of things to consider:

Taking a day job.

YUCK!!!! (But, it may be the only way to get to where you want to go)

I have quite a few friends who service their music addiction (and let’s not kid ourselves – that’s exactly what it is) by working the old 9 to 5 and playing only on nights and weekends.

Two immediate upsides to this choice are:

1) People who moonlight can be more discerning about the gigs they accept.

2) These folks will have plenty of extra cash available for the latest gear (they always have the latest gear).

Most importantly, these are inevitably the ones of us who have a fighting chance of living a normal life, with a well-fed spouse and children.

One downside, though, is the perpetual bags under their eyes from lack of sleep.

Gigging.

YIKES!!!! What a tough field to break into these days.

Firstly you must have great chops, (practice, practice, practice) and it helps to be well-versed in more than one genre.

Here you might also benefit from a long, hard, naval-gazing look at your personal set of social skills.

No, I’m not talking about Social Media skills, (although that helps) I am referring to your abilities to be diplomatic, and to stockpile paying contacts.

I have a couple of friends who still make their living from gigging.

They have things in common: both are single and can pick up and travel to other countries at short notice, if the work demands.

Both friends have more than one iron in the fire IE. they play for multiple bands but must constantly juggle gigs while trying to keep all their contacts happy.

Both also have their own homes paid for (which is practically essential).

Streaming/ Radio Play Too big a topic for now but I will cover that at some point.

In summation, my goal is not to discourage you, but to warn you that there are Herculean obstacles in your path.

With an honest assessment of the terrain, though, it is conceivable that you can navigate these and earn a decent living by playing music …more on that another day.

Website: kcarmstrong444.com