r/musicindustry

Lay it out for me,,,,

I started a band and all of its members (including me) are already full-time working musicians. None of us have day jobs, all of our incomes are earned playing music already.

I write all the material and the guys eat it up and play it full-assed. Our stuff is legit or at least i believe it is!

I'm having a hard time getting the band off the ground. This is the first time i've ever lead a real regular band and the music side of things is crushing but the business side is totally lacking. We've played a few shows since our inception last year. But i'm having a hard time selling the band (i don't know how to describe the band without using 'jazz' and that word is a death-knell to talent buyers), and i'm having difficulty with booking shows at all. Striking a balance between playing enough and getting paid enough is hard. It feels like the band is already stuck in limbo between newbie performers playing for exposure and established big names that have already been doing it.

We have decent video and audio, we have a bandcamp and ig, but i don't really know what to do next (i know we need to record, we are working on it). My peers seem to have no real understanding of why their projects get traction in this way, so it's hard to get good faith advice from the scene itself.

I'm just looking for some light guidance/ideas from people with some more experience/understanding with these situations.

If your only advice is to build a following on social media then kindly keep it to yourself. I understand why that's suggested all the time. I'm not interested in doing that with this band.

Open to discussion! Thanks for your time 🤘

I’ll tell you life about upcoming artists(myself included)the pain and struggle of going unseen despite the music being good,quality videos and creativity delivery is crushing and on top of that having to go through content creation to build brand……AAAHHHHHH😭😭😭😭

Can i die now😭😂

Been in the industry a decade.

Mostly hovered around 30-50k (larger side being a rarity so most of the years around 30k but thought I’d put it as luck hit me a few years ago)

Now in my thirties I feel I need more stability as I’m now on the lower side of that income.

I’m a music producer. Independent no mgmt or signed publishing etc.

No idea what to do with my life and kind of wish I got a better job outside of school instead of being this deep into music as it’s all I know and no idea how I’d go into another workforce. I’ve only ever really worked for myself.

EDIT: very likely I could make 20k this year hence my worrying

Hello everyone,

Yes, you read the title right.

It’s the world we live in at the moment, where big marketing budgets mean almost nothing if attention is not won over.

If that’s the reality for artists with massive backing, imagine how it is for the musicians who are just starting out and trying to build an audience?

Too many things are competing for the attention of the average person…I thought I was crazy when I couldn’t even recognize the Top 5 artists on Billboard’s Hot 100.

You know it’s bad when being an underground indie or niche artist with consistent supporters coming to see your shows seems unreachable.

The entertainment business in 2026 and need I say beyond, is a puzzle y’all. There’s no formula, secret or hack to stop people from scrolling past your music and actually follow your career like they did even just a few years ago.

Sometimes, I wonder why I keep going…why I keep investing my little $50 pay stubs into my craft, knowing fully well that it’s going to be treated as disposable. The algorithm is unforgiving, and “no one cares about my music” is no longer the emotional musician’s rant, but a current reality.

It’s kinda sad…we are creative human beings with aspirations and passions, the world where what we dreamt of doing and becoming is pretty much…gone. 😕

Since SOUR is turning five today, I want to talk about the insane luck that Olivia Rodrigo had.

Imagine being a new major artist and your first major single becoming a massive hit, a cultural song for the 2020s. Having one huge single is already incredibly lucky and a huge achievement, but it didn’t stop with drivers license. It started a whiplash effect for her next singles:

• deja vu

• good 4 u

• traitor

• brutal

They all became massive.

How about the album? Well, SOUR became a landmark album, catapulted her career into superstardom with her first album, and became one of the most streamed albums by a female artist on Spotify, outperforming many veteran female artists

You need insane luck, great timing, and to be in the right place at the right time to replicate what Olivia got. If she released SOUR in 2022, it might not have been that massive. There are so many factors deciding it.

I should also talk about something most artists don’t usually get. Olivia was a Disney star and appeared in shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and that visibility helped open doors that eventually led to her major-label career.

But at the same time, the success she had came from multiple factors:

• amazing songs

• luck

• right place, right time

• strong marketing

Once you get that level of luck in music, you can make music full-time and earn tons of money from it

It’s the music version of the American Dream.

Any Indie artists willing to tell me a little about themselves and answer some questions about your music?? Can be done via DM or Google meet- whatever you prefer.

This is for a uni project- had something lined up with an artist but unfortunately fell through last minute.

Anyone willing to do this?? Will take about 5 minutes and will be insanely appreciated!!!

I currently do not work in the industry but Im trying to change careers and I’ve been thinking about ways to network/ get my foot in the door as someone with no experience. I’m going to a concert coming up (a somewhat well known DJ he’s coming to a small venue in my town) and was wondering if it’s worth DMing or emailing someone from his team if I could talk to them about their career path while they’re here? I know they probably won’t be interested in entertaining me but I really want to make connections and a lot of people I know have networked backstage at concerts. I see some artists managers and team members doing Q&As and giving advice on tiktok so I guess some people are willing to help in that way, but what realistically what is the best way to start making connections? I live in a small town so there’s not a lot of concerts or events happening here

Hey everyone,

I managed to contact an artist through his publicist and we exchanged info to set up an interview. I messaged him about a date/time and he responded (not really answering my question about possible dates just more of an okay sure).

I read it as dismissive and a lack of interest initially and it’s been about 6 weeks since I sent the last message. I’m new to this but that means I should cut my losses right?

Throw away account, I recently interviewed for an internship at a record label. I didn’t end up getting the internship, but when they called me to deliver feedback, I was told everyone really liked me and they want to set me up a call with someone else in the company to give more career specific advice. They also encouraged me to continue applying to positions within the company as my skill set develops.

Basically I just want to know if this is a common thing that happens? Are they just being polite and helpful because it was quite a long interview process, and they want me to get something out of it? Or is this a possible sign that they may be interested in hiring me in the future? Some sources I’ve found online have even suggested that this could be an informal job interview of sorts.

Basically I’m just trying to figure out how the label may be viewing this meeting so I can prepaid myself adequately. Any insight or advice appreciated :)

I'm in the middle of a five-round interview process right now and am curious what your process looked like and how long it took before you got your offer.

Would love some insight so I can set some realistic expectations for myself and not follow-up too quickly.

I’m an independent artist making work that doesn’t fit neatly into a genre.

On social media I can get solid reach (10k–60k+ views fairly consistently), but the engagement is often polarized. A lot of comments are negative or trolling, and while posts may get thousands of shares, they don’t convert well into followers or streams (e.g. 5,000 shares → ~5–20 follows / very low streaming lift).

At the same time, there is a smaller group that genuinely connects with it—they follow, listen, and reach out—but they’re harder to consistently reach through the algorithm.

What’s interesting is that live, the same material connects very directly with audiences.

So my question is:

• Has anyone here experienced a phase where early “viral” attention was mostly from the wrong audience (hate/trolling/misreads), but it eventually did lead to a more aligned listener base over time?
• Or did you find that it was actually a signal that your content needed reframing (packaging, clips, captions, context, etc.) rather than “waiting it out”?

I’ve also seen examples of artists getting millions of views with extremely negative comment sections, but still building real careers from it. I’m trying to understand if that’s the norm (misaligned early attention that eventually filters) or if that’s the exception.

Would especially appreciate hearing from people who’ve gone through something similar and what actually changed the trajectory for them (if anything did)—whether that was content strategy, platform shift, or something else.

I'm trying to assess what the actual value would be of finding a manager for my band, and looking for outside perspectives. We've reached a point where it feels like we need someone else to help manage opportunities and scale what we have going on, but I'm not really convinced its worth it.

Over the past few years we've been able to put out several releases and plan short tours around the region we're based in. We don't have a major following by any means but have slowly and steadily been building dedicated fans. I feel like we have become really proficient in managing ourselves: we're able to plan & execute consistent releases, tour without losing money, we post consistently, run our website merch store and so much more (on top of working other jobs as well).

Every time we tour it feels so worth it. Our live set gets so much better, we put in a lot of effort to make connections, and almost every gig seems to result in a new opportunity. We love to gig, and we love to meet people. It feels like the right move to get on the road more, but the reality of booking and organizing these runs is grueling. It really feels like if we want to travel farther and more often, we'll need another person. It would also be a huge help to have someone else who can help in other areas besides booking that preoccupy us so we can try to be even more active on social media and write more- someone who could apply for grants for us, update our website, etc.

My main hangup is obviously paying someone else to do what I know we can do. My bandmate and I are extremely dedicated, organized and always willing to push ourselves. The idea of giving someone a % for any less effort just seems horrible, and like we would be wasting time. We've worked with plenty of managers and bookers on the opposite end, where they reach out to have us open a show for one of their artists and most of the time we're better at communicating than they are.

So what do you think, is it worth it to try and find someone who can match our energy and give us a boost of energy or is now the time to just dig even deeper than before and try to take it to the next level independently? Is it even possible to find someone who could care about the project in the way we do?

Hey everyone,
I’ve been DJing for around 14 years and I also have releases with label.

I’m curious how experienced techno DJs usually connect with managers or booking representation nowadays.

Most opportunities seem to happen through networking, labels or social media, but I’d love to hear experiences from people in the industry.

What worked for you?

How do you actually land a job at a label? I already have some skills in Marketing, Music production and working with other people but I don't know how to properly present myself so I can make a good impression on a label so that they would actually hire me.

So 2 questions:

How do I best present myself?
What are skills that labels are actually looking for?

Any advice appreciated!

Does anyone have any recommendations for software that helps manage venues, specifically from a booking management standpoint? I've done demos with Prism and Gigwell, but want to demo as many options as possible so I can give my higher-ups some options.

The tragic paradox of Michael Jackson’s life is that his greatest gift was also his ultimate vulnerability. He was an artist of unprecedented global scale, but he was also a child prodigy who grew up entirely inside the belly of the entertainment industry. He saw firsthand how the gears of Hollywood turned, how artists were chewed up and spit out, and how "the suits" in corporate boardrooms viewed human creativity strictly as a line item on a balance sheet. Because he understood the industry's ruthlessness, his later-life paranoia wasn't a delusion—it was a calculated defense mechanism against an ecosystem designed to wait him out.

I. The Target on the Crown Jewels
The turning point that transformed Michael Jackson from a bankable pop star into a dangerous corporate target occurred in 1985. Acting on a brilliant piece of business advice, Jackson purchased ATV Music—the publishing catalog that owned the rights to nearly every single song by The Beatles—for $47.5 million. It was a masterstroke of financial negotiation that stunned Hollywood. A Black artist had out-maneuvered the traditional power brokers to own the most coveted intellectual property in music history.
Ownership of that catalog instantly altered his relationship with major record labels. He was no longer just an employee delivering hits; he possessed massive leverage over the industry itself. In 1995, under early signs of financial pressure, Jackson entered into a joint venture with Sony, merging ATV with Sony’s publishing arm to create Sony/ATV. Jackson retained a 50% stake. To the corporate hierarchy, having a volatile, fiercely independent artist controlling half of their most valuable asset was an unsustainable corporate reality. The corporate strategy shifted from partnership to a calculated waiting game.

II. The Open War of 2002
By the turn of the millennium, the tension erupted into the public eye. Jackson became openly convinced that Sony was actively attempting to financially ruin him. His rationale was straightforward: if he was driven into bankruptcy, he would be forced to default on the massive bank loans he had taken out—loans that used his prized 50% stake in the Sony/ATV catalog as collateral. If he defaulted, the corporate machinery would swallow the catalog whole.
In July 2002, Jackson took the unprecedented step of leading public protests against his own record label. Standing on top of a double-decker bus in London, he leveled staggering public accusations against Sony Music's leadership:
He publicly labeled Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola "devilish" and "a racist" who exploited Black artists for corporate gain.
He openly accused the label of deliberately sabotaging the promotion and marketing of his 2001 album Invincible to artificially suppress sales.
He argued that the corporate strategy was to drain his active earning power, creating an artificial cash crunch that would force him to liquidate his assets.
The public viewed Jackson's behavior as increasingly erratic, but inside the industry, it was recognized as a desperate scorched-earth campaign by an artist who felt the corporate walls closing in on him.

III. The Trap and the Final Pressure
The relentless media sensationalism, combined with staggering legal defense costs from continuous high-profile lawsuits, achieved exactly what Jackson feared: his earning power dried up. To maintain his extravagant lifestyle, fund the upkeep of Neverland Ranch, and fight endless legal battles, Jackson was forced to take out massive, high-interest loans totaling roughly $500 million. The industry's squeeze strategy was working with mathematical precision.
By 2009, Jackson was cornered. In a desperate bid to clear his crushing debts and protect his assets for his children, he agreed to a grueling, unprecedented 50-show comeback residency in London titled This Is It, promoted by corporate giant AEG Live. The physical and psychological pressure of anchoring a multi-million-dollar corporate venture at fifty years old created a pressure-cooker environment. Jackson was plagued by severe insomnia, terrified that if he failed to perform, the corporate promoters would sue him for everything he had left.

IV. The Modern Corporate Harvest
The events of June 25, 2009, proved that while there may not have been a dark, orchestrated conspiracy to end his life, the medical malpractice of his personal physician occurred under the crushing weight of immense corporate demands. Legally, it was involuntary manslaughter. Financially, it was the opening of the floodgates.
The moment Jackson passed away, the precise scenario he spent decades trying to prevent unfolded. Control of his legacy did not fall to his family or his children; it was centralized under court-appointed corporate executors—lawyers and industry insiders whom Jackson had repeatedly hired and fired throughout his volatile life. These executors viewed Jackson’s legacy not through an ideological or artistic lens, but as a highly profitable corporate restructuring project.

The information below shows how corporate entities successfully harvested the exact assets Jackson fought to shield during his lifetime:
Asset / Legacy Venture
Jackson's Lifelong Intent
The Corporate Outcome  

The Beatles Catalog (Sony/ATV)
Keep 100% independent of total corporate ownership; preserve as family leverage.
100% Sony Ownership. Sold by the estate in 2016 for $750 million to completely liquidate Jackson's debts.

Michael's Personal Masters & Publishing
Maintain complete ownership of hits like Thriller and Bad out of corporate hands.
50% Sony Ownership. Sold by the estate in early 2024 for a historic $600 million, despite fierce objections from Katherine Jackson.

The Official Michael Biopic
Authentic, unfiltered representation controlled strictly by family and heirs.
Hollywood-Controlled. Produced directly by the estate executor and major studios. Paris Jackson's script corrections were completely dismissed.

The ultimate tragedy of the King of Pop is the cold, clockwork precision of the system. Jackson was correct about the predatory nature of the business. While his estate was successfully rescued from bankruptcy, the cost of that financial rescue was the total monetization and sanitization of his life's work. Today, his children are forced to wage continuous, bitter legal wars against highly compensated corporate lawyers just to track the revenue generated by their father's name. Michael Jackson spent his life predicting exactly how the industry would carve up his kingdom once he was no longer here to defend it—and in the end, the suits got exactly what they wanted.

22M — Looking for advice about getting into the music industry as a guitarist/singer-songwriter

Hey everyone,

I come from a very music-driven family and grew up surrounded by it my whole life. I also have relatives and connections abroad involved in music, including winners/former contestants from shows like The X Factor and The Voice.

For most of my life, I always thought it was cool having people around me involved in that world, but I never seriously considered it for myself beyond just enjoying music casually.

That changed around September 2025.

Over the last year or so, my social circle changed massively for the better. I started meeting more musicians and bands, and I now have fairly regular contact with several smaller bands/artists that are beginning to make a name for themselves. Being around that environment again really reignited something in me and brought back a passion for music that I honestly thought I had lost during my teenage years.

At the same time, it also made me realise that the career path connected to my university degree probably isn’t what I truly want long term.

So I wanted to ask anyone with experience in the industry or anyone who’s been in a similar situation:
What advice would you give to someone trying to get into music seriously at 22 as a guitarist and aspiring singer-songwriter?

Whether that’s: networking, improving as a musician, getting started performing, writing/releasing music, or just navigating the industry in general.

I’d genuinely appreciate any advice or experiences people are willing to share.

Hope you all have a great day x

As a musician, is sharing music to music platforms that support AI music not something dumb? Should real artists boycott those platforms?