While in my personal version of a just world all artists would make a livable salary and I think this is what you mean, however if what I’m hearing from music industry friends is accurate, there are far more artists now making a modest but still livable income off music than there was in the late and very early 20th century.
Apparently almost no music artists could earn a living previously — the only musician who could were union symphony employees, studio musicians, and the very very few who cracked into the charts.
I suspect what we’re seeing in articles such as this are people who believe they should be traveling the world partying in castles with supermodels, and sadly I think for a small to mid popular group, this is just as unrealistic now as it has ever been.
My dad talks about him and his friend’s bands in their teens, 20s, and 30s and how playing their music actually cost them money when equipment, practice space, and traveling expenses were considered. Back then most would have killed to have a small middle class income to play music. Now it seems there are many tiny bands who between streaming, the audience they can generate online, and aggressive touring, they can make a modest living which unfortunately and fortunately, in our current iteration of capitalism is a win of some kind.
Do they control for economy? Is the definition of “fill time musician” the same?
I imagine full time musicians would be impacted by a faltering economy at least somewhat more than most careers and probably one of the last careers to bounce back.
Not doubting you as everything I mentioned was based on second hand information with no science other than “as a person in the industry, X seems to be true.”
As I said, I would love to see a world where even mediocre artists can make a livable wage.
Apparently almost no music artists could earn a living previously — the only musician who could were union symphony employees, studio musicians, and the very very few who cracked into the charts.
I suspect what we’re seeing in articles such as this are people who believe they should be traveling the world partying in castles with supermodels, and sadly I think for a small to mid popular group, this is just as unrealistic now as it has ever been.
My dad talks about him and his friend’s bands in their teens, 20s, and 30s and how playing their music actually cost them money when equipment, practice space, and traveling expenses were considered. Back then most would have killed to have a small middle class income to play music. Now it seems there are many tiny bands who between streaming, the audience they can generate online, and aggressive touring, they can make a modest living which unfortunately and fortunately, in our current iteration of capitalism is a win of some kind.