I want to quit.

[Stromkraft]

I think the fundamental problem with monetization of music if that there’s far too many musicians and not even remotely enough potential revenue for everyone.

While this may be true to some extent it's still an assumption based on insufficient data IMHO. Yes, the old model doesn't work for many artists. That doesn't mean there can't be new models and that they don't already exist.

Nothing is automatic though and it never was. If you keep staring at where you want to be in the past you can't see where you can go into the future. If you're a music producer, musician and band member and can't see this you need to let go of the wishful thinking and open yourself to seeing what there is instead of only looking for what isn't.

Step one could be to accept things are the way they are now. You can't change others, including consumers of music. You can change yourself. This will inevitably be painful and likely scary. You still need to go trough with this. Maybe there's community or individuals that can go trough this together and share the burdens. I don't know. But I do know that staring at the past and wishing some details were different leads to nowhere.

[beats me]

10 years ago if you got 20,000 song listens in a week you’d probably be in magazines, blogs, and playing mid to large size venues.

Now if you get 20,000 song listens in a week you’ll probably be forgotten within a couple months if you just rest on the satisfaction of that one track.

[Machinesworking]

Or better yet, forget trolling and spelling errors and treat each other with a bit of respect in these discussion like we ask all forums users to.

of course, sarcasm is lost on the internet, but if you want to correct me for sarcastically teasing someone who was being rude be my guest... makes a lot of no sense.

[H20nly]

this topic was moved to The Lounge in advance.

[NoSonic822]

10 years ago if you got 20,000 song listens in a week you’d probably be in magazines, blogs, and playing mid to large size venues.

Now if you get 20,000 song listens in a week you’ll probably be forgotten within a couple months if you just rest on the satisfaction of that one track.

its not about racking up listeners, it's about doing something that fulfills you as an artist, and doing something that has some real value to an audience, your music might have some value, but listeners dont pay you for that value, they pay their interntt provider.

[BoddAH]

I think there’s a fundamental misconception about what art in general and especially music is and how you can get money out of it.

Fundamentally, making music is a craft like any other. And as with any other craft there’s only two ways to make money:

Either you get somebody to pay you to do it, that’s what’s called being commissioned as an artist. Basically patronage. In the case of electronic music that would likely be doing a paid gig or playing in a club, scoring an advert, etc.

Or you simply create something and try to sell it after the fact. It’s great if this works but for a variety of reasons you can’t force anybody to buy your music or expect them to pay you if they can listen for it for free or if they have a gazillion free alternatives when you insist that they pay up. It’s basic economics. Supply and demand. Music isn’t a tangible asset with an intrinsic value, that’s what makes it so beautiful but yeah, if it’s money you want that sucks.

As an electronic music producer putting his work on the web, you’re basically busking. You’re a glorified street performer hoping that some people may like your music enough to give you money.

[Stromkraft]

Or you simply create something and try to sell it after the fact. It’s great if this works but for a variety of reasons you can’t force anybody to buy your music or expect them to pay you if they can listen for it for free or if they have a gazillion free alternatives when you insist that they pay up. It’s basic economics. Supply and demand. Music isn’t a tangible asset with an intrinsic value, that’s what makes it so beautiful but yeah, if it’s money you want that sucks.

As an electronic music producer putting his work on the web, you’re basically busking. You’re a glorified street performer hoping that some people may like your music enough to give you money.

This is all true bit is not the only way to make money from music. As I said stop staring back to the past and start looking at the future. Ask the question; if people won't pay much for the actual music itself what will they pay for? Follow that.