KVR Audio

soundaddik · Post by **soundaddik** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:56 am

what do most KVR members aiming for? just a hobby or something more? I am deffinitly aiming for somthing more. What is the official average income figure for producers like us? Any future in this? Any members commit full time? I figure the ones that made it dont chit chat or ask for help in this site anymore

soundaddik · Post by **soundaddik** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 11:44 am

Umm...so anyone cashing in? dont disappoint me that this site is just a hobby

Ja.x · Post by **Ja.x** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 11:47 am

I secretly aim more than make it just a hobby. But I must be realistic: the unexpensive technology that allows me to make this music is out there available for everyone, including for the many talented people here in KVR. On the other side we can't fight the huge advertisement campaigns on rubish made by the big corporations. So what's left? To go on my way making my music, showing it to everyone I can, and maybe it will be appreciated... still in my life time, who knows?

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 11:56 am

I never expected it to be more than a hobby and I have no desire to do it full-time as it would necessarily involve too much compromise. We may do a world tour next year, which could easily be the high-point of my life, but music will still always be a hobby. I think there are far better ways to earn a living.

stefancrs · Post by **stefancrs** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 12:46 pm

If you don't feel like wanting to be a total prostitute in your music making, I think you'd be better off earning a living on something else than your music.

However, I do make remixes etc for signed artists, if it will get me anywhere, only time will tell. There is for sure more (and easier) money to make in programming than in music except for a few chosen ones. And I enjoy both programming and making music. I do however not do as much programming in my spare time since I started making a living out of it.

Vegetarian · Post by **Vegetarian** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 12:51 pm

I'm trying to break into production work, if anyone will let me produce for them

I don't know if anyone would really buy any of my stuff, though, maybe if I can get my DJ friend to spin more of my stuff people might get into it more (I managed to get him to spin some goa stuff I'd written a while back, it was a real rush seeing people dancing to it

).

Vinz · Post by **Vinz** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:10 pm

I've been wondering for sometimes how many signed artists are able to live off making music?

I guess Autechre, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada don't need a day job, but what about less know artists released on smaller labels, like arovane, Ulrich Schnauss, proem... ?

opiadream · Post by **opiadream** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:16 pm

soundaddik wrote:Umm...so anyone cashing in? dont disappoint me that this site is just a hobby

is it really that dissapointing to you that others might do it for a hobby?
do your own thing and stop worrying about others

VMan88 · Post by **VMan88** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:18 pm

Just a quick story to tell you Bones is correct about making compromises. To make a long story short, I started writing last year after some considerable time off from music due to being burnt out. Well, within 6 months I was offered a deal through an independant label. Their initial contact was, "we love the stuff, you are so talented, blah, blah blah", all the ass kissing stuff. So I say sure, why not. I wasn't looking for anything at the time but it seemed like a good opportunity to get my music out there for people to enjoy.

Well as soon as I agree, he comes back with "well we have to change this and this and we want a more ethnic feel and a harder edge and a more underground feel" so I am thinking, wtf, you liked the stuff before, why do you want to change it? So now I am having a tough time writing because I am writing to fit what the label wants while trying to write something I enjoy as well. I do have to admit it has expanded my horizons a bit but it is far more difficult than writing from your heart. If you can find some label that will let you do anything you want (highly unlikely), than it would be worth it. After I am done with this cd, I am going "solo" and doing my own thing again.

Sepheritoh · Post by **Sepheritoh** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 2:12 pm

KvR is my label. I write music for KvR. The A&R people are not snooty at all. Don't pay anything though, but it is more enjoyable. If somebody offers me a contract I think carefully. I had a few of these fly-by labels asking to put songs of mine on their compilation CDs. Ask them for a contract and they are very reasonable, but you get paid only if they sell more than xx or maybe you are lucky enough to get some exposure and maybe somebody bigger will listen to the CD.

TexasMusicForge · Post by **TexasMusicForge** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:21 pm

I make my living by being able to sell my CDs @ gigs. I work now mostly as a solo (I can make a profit from almost *any* gig), sometimes with a laptop patched into the PA. I do all my recording at home these days and have had no trouble with doing my own CDR releases here in small batches for each week's gigs. I don't know if this qualifies as a "success" story or not, but I'm doing work I really like with mostly my own music and keeping the wolves away from the door (and a daughter in college) in the process.

Besides producing my own music, I get occasional audio jobs like producing soundtrack and SFX CDs for a theatrical company, the occasional radio commercial or production for other musicians that help pay the rent.

I generally play what I want, with and for whom I choose, and take a craftman's pride in the work I do for hire if it's not my own music. I'm going into my 34th year in this business and can boil success down to a few basics:

1. This is a brutally competitive business. *Never* let yourself be outworked by your competition.

2. Be realistic about your talents and limitations and find a way to work successfully inside those limits.

3. If you want to market yourself and/or your work, you first have to correctly identify who you need to be pitching your work to and, more importantly, *why* they should pick you. If you don't have a good answer for that last question, it's time to consider doing this as a hobby.

4. How can you use the new tools to successfully identify and fill a need or demand for what you do? As an example, I'm doing an increasing amount of work from my home studio for theatrical companies that is extremely satisfying and challenging work - what kind of niche markets can you find?

5. Most important of all - make sure you're in it for the long run. If you've got the stamina for point #1 above and can come up with the right answers for #s 2, 3 and 4 then the rest of it is just a matter of persistence and patience.

Best regards to all,

Tio Ed
Austin, Texas

VicDiesel · Post by **VicDiesel** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:38 pm

TexasMusicForge wrote: I'm going into my 34th year in this business

That's pretty cool.

I decided to be realistic about my limitations a long time ago and keep music strictly a hobby. That means that sometimes my job leaves me zero time for music, but other times I can play around, waste time where and how I want. Anything I happen to produce goes for free download on my electromancer site, and I don't have ambitions beyond that.

My ambition is to create music that I'm happy with.

V.

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:45 pm

Right now it's a hobby - a kind of expensive one (lol), but a hobby none-the-less. Someday, maybe I'll have enough worthwhile material for an album, and I'll sell CDs via my Website and locally but I'm not pushing myself to do it as that kind of thing kills the creativity for me.

Since I'm a software engineer as my day gig, I can afford to just "do what I want".. although I'm thinking of entering the niche market of composing music for exotic dancers ("Stripper Tunes").

djguido · Post by **djguido** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:53 pm

Since I'm a software engineer as my day gig, I can afford to just "do what I want".. although I'm thinking of entering the niche market of composing music for exotic dancers ("Stripper Tunes").

LOL.....I think Prince has the market cornered on that

TeeLangSun · Post by **TeeLangSun** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:59 pm

I've produced signed artist and at this moment, I'm at the best possible position ever. Only problem is, I'm beginning to reconsider if it's the route I wish to take or not. Probably my age. I feel like I'm getting too old for this stuff. I would never do music simply to please myself so if I don't find exactly where I belong in the pro music scene then I will most likely drop it alltogether.

So no one cashing in on their projects?