Hi Ian,

You know, there was a brief period of time where I was making the bulk of my money through selling music online, but over time my revenue streams have shifted and now I make most of my money from performing and recording work.

When I wrote that article about iMixes, it was the best way I’d found to help others discover my music. Nothing else came close. I’ve left that article intact because, even though iMixes (now just called Playlists) are not nearly as effective, the general approach is still the best way to market your music without a bunch of money. Make your music approachable by framing it with similar but more popular artists and tell people what they should be doing when they’re listening to it (drinking coffee, reading a book, dancing, etc.).

It also helps to have a broader catalog of music. I’ve released my own instrumental albums, but I’ve also collaborated with other musicians to record albums, where we’ve split the revenue. Christmas albums and covers albums always do alright, but another collaboration that has sold really well for me is original, instrumental Americana music that for some reason has just resonated with people who listen to it.

Bottom line, though, is that making music for a living is tough no matter where you are. Your music has to be really, really good, you have to be really, really good, and you have to be diverse. I don’t think it’s possible to make a living as a musician without having multiple streams of income–performing, teaching, arranging, selling music, and whatever else you can do. It helps to be in a town where there are more opportunities for musicians, but we’ve heard from people all over the world that put together a living as a musician from years of hard work.

Good luck, and thanks for reading.

- Cameron