Table of Contents
Producing music is the best feeling in the world; it’s being a music producer that sucks…
This is mostly a joke, but the sliver of truth that makes it hit so close to home is that there must be SOME reason why most music producers never “make it” in the industry, right? If it were all glitz, glamour, and simplicity, then everyone who claims to be a music producer would be a professional one.
But the harsh reality is that there are a ton of downsides to being a music producer, many of which make incredibly talented and would-be artists abandon their goals of going big (or, worst yet, ever starting at all).
So, instead of listing out the lamest parts of the gig in a meme-style carousel and calling it a day, I wanted to go a little deeper and break down the seven biggest downsides to being a music producer I’ve encountered in my career while also chiming in with solutions that have worked for me and ways to reframe the negatives into positives so that at least it’s all not AS disheartening.
You Don’t Get Paid
The music industry has evolved significantly since the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. During that time, physical record sales were the primary source of revenue, allowing artists to make a solid living. However, this is no longer the case.
Today, streaming revenues are often disappointingly low, especially after record labels and distributors take their cuts. As a result, the music itself generates very little income. One of the challenges of being an aspiring or even a professional music producer is the limited financial compensation, especially during the first decade or more of their career.
This situation varies by genre, but generally, it can take years of hard work in the studio before artists see small paychecks from beat sales, music licensing, and other sources. Achieving full financial support through music alone often requires a considerable amount of time and persistence.
How I’ve Dealt With This
While the music itself often pays very little, especially early on, entrepreneurial and industrious music producers can find auxiliary income streams by leveraging their skills, network, and resources. Although I could elaborate on this topic extensively and have done so in various articles, the most comprehensive resource I’ve created is a recent eBook. This book guides navigating a music career’s early and arguably most challenging stages.
The eBook covers essential topics, including:
- Deciding when to transition to a professional career
- Strategies for leveraging time, resources, and skills to generate income
- Additional practical advice and insights
Transitioning from a talented hobbyist to an entry-level professional is often the toughest part of a music career. I’ll cover this deeper in a dedicated section later on, but this book encapsulates everything I’ve learned from over a decade of studio experience. It’s available for just $4 on Amazon, so check it out.
It’s Convoluted [Almost] By Design
I’ve been producing music and working in the industry for a decade, and in many aspects, I still feel like I’m in the entry phase of my career. While I’m comfortable discussing a wide range of topics, it wasn’t until about a week ago that I truly grasped the complexities of publishing administration and the intricate splits involved. The nuances of various revenue streams and royalty payouts alone can be daunting.
Setting up a publishing administration system took nearly a year of work. It involved registering as a publishing entity with ASCAP, and then with a publishing administrator through BMI. This process was incredibly frustrating due to months of back-and-forth communications and lost emails, particularly on BMI’s part. After all the effort, the payout from our publishing administrator were minimal, amounting to just pennies, despite the significant work put in.
This experience highlighted the often opaque and convoluted nature of the music industry. The complexities and challenges aren’t limited to publishing; they seem prevalent across various aspects of the industry. It’s easy to feel like these complications are almost intentional, creating a daunting landscape for music producers at all levels.
Unfortunately, navigating these challenges never seems to get easier even as the stakes and money on the line gets higher.
How I’ve Dealt With This
The best way I’ve learned to deal with this, and the best advice I can give to other music producers is to be mindful and do your due diligence by learning the industry’s business side. I’ve found it crucial to consume a wide range of advice on all the different aspects of the music industry while working through the initial and early stages of my career. As I mentioned earlier, the early stage of a career can last many years, so there’s plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of this stuff in the background.
During these early stages, the stakes are incredibly low. My royalty and publishing payouts have often been just pennies or a few dollars, so it hasn’t been a big deal if I’ve made mistakes or let things slip through the cracks. However, as I’ve progressed and the checks have gotten bigger, the importance of being knowledgeable has increased. The last thing I want is to miss out on a few hundred or even thousand-dollar checks just because I didn’t do my due diligence in registering for the correct publishing or understanding the basics of the business.
I’m not saying you need to be an expert in every aspect of the music industry—it’s far too convoluted for that. But knowing a little about how the industry moves can help you make informed decisions and ensure you cover all your bases. So, I’ve made it a priority to learn early, while the stakes and payouts are low, so I have a solid grasp of the essentials when it really counts.
I usually think Adam Ivy is a bit of a cornball, but a handful of his videos have gone viral, and the one below is one of them.
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=yT2iYl1CCiY&si=VFxDFUzL1j5ZmjYK[/embed]Nobody Cares
Except for fellow music producers, whether in your community or online spaces, most people don’t really understand what you’re doing when you’re in your bedroom or music studio with the door closed, making music. This disconnect tends to get worse over time. At first, friends and those close to you might humor you and share in your excitement when you talk about your initial beats and the thrill of starting music production. However, as your knowledge grows and your obsession with music production intensifies, the technical aspects become too specialized for most people to follow.
As I got more into the details of things like the differences between digital and analog compression, the clever use of the stereo field, and techniques for layering sounds, it became too technical for most people to grasp. I noticed that not only did my friends struggle to understand what I was talking about, but their interest often waned as the discussions got more detailed and niche.
It can feel isolating when it seems like no one truly knows what you’re doing. Even if your friends and inner circle are excited about the music you make, they usually don’t understand the 40, 50, or 60 hours you spent in the studio crafting a song.
How I’ve Dealt With This
The best piece of advice I can give you is to take whatever excitement, interest, and compliments your friends can offer. Soak up all the positive feedback and enjoy the recognition they’re giving you. As you learn more about music production, you often realize just how much there is still to learn to be as good as the artists you look up to. But your friends usually don’t know that. They’re just excited that you’re making music and thrilled about your latest beat. They’re hyping you up and have nothing but good things to say.
Take pride in those moments. Since there isn’t much money in the initial years of producing music, it’s important to appreciate the praise and support from those around you. Consider that a win if your friends are excited and enjoy your new tracks. It certainly was for me, and I encourage you to see it similarly.
Loud Mouths Eat [Fast Food]
The music industry has its fair share of braggarts and big personalities. Often, these individuals experience quick wins in the early stages of their careers. For instance, an outspoken clout chaser might be securing opening gigs for bigger artists at local nightclubs.
This can be particularly discouraging for more introverted producers who consciously focus on honing their craft and achieving a professional production level before sharing their music with the world. Over time, this disparity can feel disheartening. But quick wins don’t always lead to lasting and sustainable careers.
How I’ve Dealt With This
The most crucial piece of advice I can offer throughout this entire article is that your music must speak for itself. It always does. While quick wins like local opener DJ gigs and promoting smaller parties can be fun, exciting, and have value in their own right and in the short term, your music will ultimately be your calling card and resume in the music industry. Being a good producer will pay off significantly in the long run.
Producing music at a professional level is essential, as it is the baseline standard in the industry. The sooner you reach this level, the sooner you can start networking and meeting higher-caliber producers that might actually move the needle in your career. While opening for a touring artist might not always provide the best networking opportunities, sending a killer demo to a respected producer’s inbox can be career-changing.
That’s how I got my start in the industry.
I sent a demo to David Hohme, and after two years of exchanging more demos, he asked me to be the record label manager at Where the Heart Is Records, a role I’ve been in for the past three years. Your music will always be your resume and your entry point into the industry. So, focus on making it as outstanding as possible, and avoid getting too caught up in quick wins like local gigs. While these experiences can be fun and valuable for learning, they can also distract you and stall your career in the early stages (I talk a TON about this in the eBook above *hint hint*).
There’s A Lot On Your Plate
I’ve heard countless times that music producers today need to wear many hats, and while it might sound cliché, it’s undeniably true. Modern music producers have a lot on their plates to build a successful career.
They often find themselves:
- Running social media
- Promoting their music
- Acting as mixing engineers
- Writing songs
- Networking and being social butterflies
It’s a long list, and the responsibilities can be overwhelming. This can lead to burnout, especially since the journey to becoming a successful music producer is a long one.
The constant need to:
- Post new content every day
- Stay on top of emails
- Send out promotional materials
- Build an email list
- Engage with platforms like TikTok (or even figure out what TikTok is)
- Stay ahead of the next social media trend
All of these tasks can be exhausting and overwhelming. Over time, the pressure to keep up with everything can wear you down, leading to burnout and a loss of motivation to do what brought you into the industry in the first place—producing music.
How I’ve Dealt With This
I’ve learned that it’s crucial to remember that each of these tasks—often feeling like cogs in a hamster wheel—are tools to help you achieve whatever success means to you. It’s important to note that not every task is necessary, depending on your specific goals and desires as a music producer.
For example:
- If your primary goal is to sell more beats, focus on creating social media content that attracts potential buyers.
- If you’re aiming to start performing live, consider the type of content that will draw crowds to your shows.
You can systematically develop content strategies and streamline your efforts by identifying your key performance indicators (KPIs) and understanding what you need to accomplish your goals. This process will help you determine which tasks are essential and which are not, allowing you to focus on the activities that truly move the needle for your career.
Knowing exactly what you’re aiming for lets you trim unnecessary efforts and concentrate on the actions that directly contribute to your success.
The Industry Is Fickle
The music industry is highly unpredictable, with trends shifting seemingly overnight. This volatility can be especially stressful as you progress in your career and become more established in a specific sound, niche, or genre. Recently, I was talking with a close producer friend—whose name I’ll keep private—who is one of the biggest names in the melodic house scene, a megastar on a top label. As we drove to the airport, he shared his concerns about the potential shifts in genre popularity. He wondered what would happen if the genre’s popularity suddenly declined, leaving him at the peak of his gigs but with a dwindling audience.
This fear is well-founded, as so much of a producer’s draw and revenue comes from people paying to see them perform live or purchase their music, which might be in vogue only for a brief period. The rapid changes in what’s popular can be a significant source of stress and sleepless nights. The industry’s harsh reality highlights the uncertainty and constant pressure that music producers face in maintaining relevance and success in today’s fast-paced music landscape.
How I’ve Dealt With This
An important lesson I’ve learned and internalized over the years is that anything you don’t directly control in the music industry can be unreliable, like a castle built on sand. If your reputation heavily relies on the success of a specific label or sound, you risk a hard fall if trends change and that label or sound is no longer popular.
Instead, it’s wise to have a variety of options available. This approach can differ for everyone, but it might include:
- Producing a wide range of genres
- Being signed by multiple labels, providing alternative platforms and networks if one sound falls out of favor
- Building relationships with various industry professionals, label managers, and artists, allowing for flexibility and new directions
At the same time, continually pushing your sound forward is crucial. Keeping your music relevant, fresh, and exciting, while staying true to yourself, is a challenging but essential goal. This evolution is something I strive for every night in the studio, even if it is an elusive standard of growth that I know we producers all chase.
Having multiple irons in the fire helps diversify your income and reduces reliance on any single factor. This strategy can cushion the impact if trends and industry tastes shift suddenly, making it easier to navigate changes without a severe loss of footing.
You Won’t Know Until You Get There
There’s a general assumption within the music production community that people make beats, house music, or EDM to become the next megastar. This expectation is a bit odd when you think about it. For instance, parents don’t typically put their kids into guitar lessons with the sole aim of them becoming the next John Mayer, and if they don’t achieve that, it’s not considered a failure. Yet, in music production, there’s this belief that reaching superstar status is the end goal.
The problem is that many aspiring producers don’t understand what the realities of reaching that level entail. They see artists like Skrillex or Hernan Cattaneo, who seem to be living the dream, playing hundreds of gigs a year, and think it must be amazing. However, they often don’t realize the realities of that lifestyle, which include:
- Irregular sleep schedules
- The stress and chaos of navigating the music industry
- The need to be highly personable, as careers often depend on relationships with promoters, labels, and others
- Constantly changing time zones, sometimes multiple times in a day
- The never ending search for amazing music
- The pressure to constantly release top-level music
This “rock star” lifestyle isn’t suitable for everyone. Many producers aspire to this lifestyle without realizing it might not be for them. Often, they don’t recognize this until they’ve already invested significant time and effort.
This realization hit me hard after returning from my first tour a year ago. It was a short two-week run, but the sleep deprivation, being away from my family, missing the comfort of my studio, and the late nights took a toll. I’m now glad to have a more studio-focused career, but that’s just my personal experience.
How I’ve Dealt With This
It’s incredibly important to combat the narrow focus on reaching megastardom in the music industry. Being mindful of where you are in your career as a music producer and continuously redefining what success means is crucial. This doesn’t mean you should settle for less than what you’re capable of achieving, but it’s essential to recognize that many producers are so fixated on becoming the next Metro Boomin, Skrillex, or Four Tet that they overlook countless other opportunities.
These opportunities could be right before them, but they might miss them because they’re chasing a specific level of fame. Being honest with yourself about what success means for you personally in music is vital. The definition of success varies for everyone, and it’s an enlightening question to ask those who have been in the industry for over a decade. Their answers often reveal diverse perspectives on what it means to succeed.
That’s one of the most exciting aspects of the music industry, but far too few producers ask themselves that question. Staying mindful and reassessing your goals can open up a broader range of possibilities, ensuring that you don’t miss out on valuable opportunities that align with your personal vision of success.
Wrapping It All Up
By this point in the article, I hope you’ve gained a clearer and deeper understanding of some of the downsides of being a music producer. The music industry often highlights the glamorous aspects, with many producers focusing on the excitement of sharing their work and glamourizing the hustle they assume they need to reach their goals. This can sometimes overshadow the more challenging realities.
I wanted to shed light on these challenges, not to be overly negative, but to provide a balanced perspective. If there were no enjoyment or valuable lessons in this journey, I wouldn’t have spent the past decade or more chasing this dragon. There are many exciting and fulfilling aspects, so it’s essential to discuss the downsides and the critical lessons I’ve learned to counteract them.
These lessons include:
- Being mindful of what success means to you: Regularly reassess your goals and stay true to your definition of success.
- Continuously learning: Stay informed and adaptable to avoid being caught off guard by industry changes.
- Pushing yourself to create fresh, exciting music: This keeps your work engaging not only for yourself but also for potential fans.
- Navigating the people-driven nature of the industry: Understand the importance of relationships and networking.
I hope you’ve found value in these insights and reflections. I’ll continue sharing more articles, exploring both the highs and lows of the music production journey. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more.
The post The 7 Biggest Downsides To Being A Music Producer (…And What I Think You Should Do About It) appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.