This week’s “Take the Stage” covers a pretty personal question for those entering the music business—are you you in it for the love or the money? We raised the question to our artist community and got back some fairly insightful responses. Take a look and see what OurStage artists had to say about the topic:
Ren van den Berg
We would all like to be able to say we’re in it for the love—currency is a great motivator—if it’s money, food or small woodland animals.
Let’s face it, if you’re truly in it for the love you wouldn’t be reading this at the moment. You wouldn’t be scouring the Internet, poking and prodding the industry to get heard. You’d play a few gigs in your area to have a giggle. You’d make an EP, slap a hard copy between two bits of paper, then slip your CD sandwich in a plastic wallet and give it to a few buddies at work. If that is all you want to do, hat off to you. Go to college get a good job and keep it as a hobby.
On the other extreme, if money is your only motivator, go to college and get a real job. Ironically the music industry is the last place you’ll get the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle
So let’s be honest with ourselves, we want a career in the music industry to make money, inspire people and most of all because we f***ing love doing our thing. Why else would we invest in studio time, publishing and do everything we can to create a sweet product to sell. If you do these things and still think you’re only in it for the love, stop lying to yourself. You’ve made an investment you’d like to see returned.
- Ren van den Berg, Project Zer08
Adero Neely
I love to sing and will probably always love to sing. But it is a business for me. My father has sacrificed allot for me. I’ve been groomed like a major artist. I travel to concerts in limos and airplanes. I have met some of the top music industry professionals and have met with at least 16 labels. None of this came free. From producers, songwriters, voice coaches, dance coaches, choreographers and engineers to studio time and so on, there is a cost. My business is in the red until I blow up, build a huge fan base hold sellout concerts and move into a point that my investor sees a return on his investment. These are the underlying facts which form the foundation of my belief system. I am not being groomed to make money “for the love of money,” but rather, to get paid for performing a service that makes other people happy. This is good business and I plan to develop great business skills to help those who are less fortunate than I.
I believe 99.99% of all artist believe as I do. Artist make music for the love of it and not for the money. This includes reasons such as the love of creation, joy of giving and other personal reasons. I’m not saying most artist wouldn’t love to get paid for their art, but artist receiving royalties for their music only strengthens the artist belief that others have either connected with the artist on some level or given some joy to the listener.
Brian Stripling
So, I moved from Ft Worth, TX to Boston, MA in 1999 to start a band with some friends. Within a year we had written enough material for a record that we recorded and released in Jan 2001, and things started gaining momentum for us. We got to play live on College radio and a residency at a very popular club in Allston, Ma, and more and more gigs. Then Sept 11, 2001 came and went and left us in a daze. I played bass and made a lot of friends at the Berklee School of music, and spent a lot of time there working on projects with student, it was great. By 2004, I was homeless , and living in my car then my car got booted and towed. I’m still gigging to this day.
iwouldd say for thee Loveee beacause ilovee peoplee that enjoy my music..and helping me get better in the gamee since im so young..i dont really caree about the moneyy..to me my fans would ccomee 1st..ilove them like family…
Always take the stage for the love, but make sure you or someone you trust makes you some money lol. Making music is tough to make a living and there is a lot more time and money going out than coming in. The first half of your career ay be just getting yourself out there…and the second half may be people not responding well, so do it for the love, but try and make some money.
the guys of Caliber have always done it for the love of music, we started writing & recording music young and I’m sure we’ll die the same way but like most everyone will tell you, the music industry is just that..an industry. So while the passion & love of music is a great reason to get into the industry, making money will keep you in this industry.
Keep rockin folks.
Music is ME. Money will come with the talent. I focus more on my craft and getting better with it rather then the money aspects. Money will come and go. I take the stage for the LOVE to flow.
I love to rap its sumthin I’ve been doing since I was 9 I will never stop but it does come to a price paying for my own sudio paying for beats I would to make muzik for a living but in order to live u have to make money. In order to make music u have to spend money. So weather or not ur doing it for the love somewhere along the line u need to make money
I love to Emcee/Rap, i do shows here and there, some artist can ryhme but can’t stay on subject like I can r many other artist, Music is a Art , what you say can put a image in a persons mind depending on how touchy or how crafty it is, some use metaphors to help paint that picture, performig my song’s i don’t just stand i move around and actually try to give the crowed the energy i’m feeling and it works, bur the honesty about tha answer is “parents say do something you love, make sure you do a career you wouldn’t mind wakeing up to no matter the downs long as you get Up” Music rather its Rap/Hip-Hop/R&B/Zydeco/Blues/Rock… Help Sets your mood. What would you do what out music? ….I know i wouldn’t be happy a i am with it……..
I played for years mostly for the love.
When I was playing gigs a lot, it was for love and money, and it was lovely when I started to play for money. It’s lovely when the band is tight, you’re improvising freely and the audience adores you. Money is sweet icing then. When the hot girls think you’re totally cool because you play in a band, it’s all about the love baby. I played lots of open mic’s for no money to get some of that. (Don’t let that get out). When you have a bad night, there is no love, and it’s a good thing when there is some money. When I’m trying to poor some love into an original composition, I hope it turns into music that could make money. That is the loveliest. I never parted with money for a song I didn’t love. Seems as though they are inextricably linked. Like so many others, I have spent more on playing than I have made, and I still love music.
Well, we definetly do music because we love it since we were kids, if you really think about it, it feels good to be earning money for doing something you love. Even if other artist out there wasn’t making the money that they are now, we would still be making music because is what we love and were born to do.
Early in my career, I was super frustrated that people wanted me to be x y and z. One day I realized I can do z this way and give them this much x without compromising y. It is not a sin to make money doing what you love. In fact, it is the truest gratification you can receive. No one is too good for success.