<body><div>By Andy Price, Music Radar | In the not too distant past, many young people were first lured onto the road to become musicians by the compelling motivation that if they worked hard enough, immense rewards would follow. How many guitar or drum-learning kids, growing up in the last four decades of the 20th century, were comforted by this notion? It was an idea that reassured, and took the sting out of the dispiriting trial of playing those nerve-wracking early gigs in the tiniest backrooms of pubs. With the uphill-struggle dynamic lodged in their minds, amateur musicians secretly knew this was only the first step – the very beginning of a journey that would ultimately lead to an all too grateful major label taking note.This idea could uplift even the grimmest situations, reinforced by many of those foundational perseverance-paying-off legends in the annals of music history, such as The Beatles’ legendary two-year gig-binge in the clubs of Hamburg.Of course, despite the psychology of it all, one-day, having being worth it, for the vast majority of musicians fame and rich rewards were never to be found. But, for every few million failed wannabe idols, there were stories like that of Ed Sheeran; famously putting in 300+ pre-fame gigs, handling his own promotion and being seized upon by Asylum/Atlantic in 2011. It’s a tale that underlined the central covenant artists had with the industry; with the right level of time and effort, you too could achieve major recognition.In the 2020s, music-makers face a very different reality. As the traditional major label-oriented pathway becomes untenable to many, self-writing, releasing, promoting and touring artists and bands now face a future where the summit of their appeal might have a far lower ceiling than before. Compounding this dispiriting state-of-affairs comes the sad reality that the cost of being a musician and artist is only rocketing.In 2022, UK charity Help Musicians surveyed 525 musicians and found that half of that number were either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ concerned that they’ll be forced to leave the industry, citing equipment costs and the general upwards trend in the cost of living as major factors. In 2023, a further census detailed that “30% of musicians report low mental well-being, with those at the start of their career most impacted”.&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt;</div></body>

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Will the Rocketing Cost of Being a Musician Eventually Kill the Industry?

By Andy Price, Music Radar | In the not too distant past, many young people were first lured onto the road to become musicians by the compelling motivation that if they worked hard enough, immense rewards would follow. How many guitar or drum-learning kids, growing up in the last four decades of the 20th century, were comforted by this notion? It was an idea that reassured, and took the sting out of the dispiriting trial of playing those nerve-wracking early gigs in the tiniest backrooms of pubs.