Is music a full time job? If so, then what do you do?

[Beatport]

I'm always curious to see who is working full time in music production/performance/education/music biz/retail etc - but more importantly, what exactly is it that you do. I find these stories inspiring as there's always people who have found a unique niche in the industry that many of us might have overlooked.

So is it a full time job? And if so, what exactly is it that you do?

I'll start by saying that I work full time in music by juggling a couple of things.

1) music for web ads
2) ringtones
3) programming beats and sounds for local artists
4) anything else that comes my way

[Saxer]

fulltime here...

or better lot of part-time jobs (what i like most, doing often the same kind of music is boring to me)

what i do:
- making music for commercial spots
- arranging and composing for bands and orchestras (score writing)
- producing playbacks for singers (everything from rap over jazz to german karneval)
- playing live (contemporary dance music, jazz, lounge etc)
- writing music for film
- additional tracks for productions (sample orchestra for film music, adding brass etc)
- producing own music in different styles (most fun, less income )

[dancing Ray]

Yep, full time.

1. teach them kids to play the drums (most income, minimum fun)
1a. teach them folks to play Ableton Live
2. play here and there for more or less... (with bands or together with djs)
3. record stuff (single guitar tracks to full albums)
4. produce own music in different styles (most fun, minimum income)

[bodhi71]

Not yet, need a change of profession ,full time hit man.
Need somebody rubbed out?
I'm you're guy.
Oops, I said too much, now I'm gonna have to kill you.

[SubFunk]

not music exclusively, but audio work in general, reaching from recording, editing, mixing, etc. etc.

right now trying to get deeper into the TV / Film sound business... (used to do also bits and pieces in the past, for sony adverts, and the like)

still playing (mostly DJ-ing) but that i only do for fun our days, and i choose wisely the gigs... i always manage that the way that it pays me and my girlfriend a long weekend somewhere nice... i used to make a living from it, but i am the kind of guy that gets swallowed up from the lifestyle... i am a party animal that never used to stop. time to slow at least a tiny bit down, still did during those times some engineer work for mainly corporate events (fantastic and easy money, but ultra boring to death) and some concerts (also loads of PA setups) and studio work, mainly in england and germany.

basically, especially now here in berlin because the market is so fooked in terms of prices doing all sorts, it's very hard to just doing one thing to make a full living.

so loads of bits n' pieces around audio.

own music more or less for fun and joy and to get good payed DJ gigs.

[chapelier fou]

Gigs, gigs, and gigs.

[Tarekith]

Full time here.

Mainly mastering electronic music, some mixdowns, and every once in awhile general audio engineering. I also do some consulting, helping people improve their mixdowns or writing in general. A few times a month I also do one on one Ableton training, sometimes just via email too.

In general though I'm mastering 6-7 hours a day, 6 days a week.

[DaffyDub]

Full time as soundguy/producer for a BIG sports tv network.... Live on tv every god damn day of the week.... 800+ live productions per year!

[moddog]

full-time keyboardist for touring entertainment show.

[3dot...]

wish I could get to that point.. currently I work fulltime from audio (..not music)
the occasional paying gig..
but mostly editing/tracking/PA/teaching...I might be opening a rehearsal space soon..

[Illiac]

teach
perform
record
dj
audio editing

trying to break into sound design and licensing.

[Nephew]

Make my living from DJing, but am trying to spend more time producing now.

[Musiclab]

Full time here.
1. I teach beginner to grade 4-ish guitar, bass, drums and keyboard.
2. Basic composition and production using Garageband.
3. Record simple demo's.
4. I am currently developing a kids show to tour.

[JAMM]

fulltime job in video and audio for television
Sounddesign/music for theatre.



For the fun...remixing/producing/playing live for a hobby (sometimes for money)

[flippo]

I'm Justin Bieber, takes up a fair bit of my time.