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Gigging Poll

Do you make money playing music?

  • Make my living playing music

    Votes: 34 10.0%

  • Make a significant income from playing, but still have another job

    Votes: 50 14.7%

  • Gig occasionally or regularly, but don't make much money from it

    Votes: 151 44.3%

  • Rarely get paid for playing

    Votes: 37 10.9%

  • Never play for money

    Votes: 38 11.1%

  • Just started playing, so getting paid would just be a fantasy

    Votes: 31 9.1%
  • Total voters
    341
#41
I play in a RHCP tribute band that gigs pretty regularly and in a trio (piano/vocals, bass & drums) doing a 50/50 mix of covers and the frontwoman's originals which is gigging more and more often.

I also do some fill in work, play coffee shop gigs with my guitar player as a duo and am trying to get an originals project off the ground. The latter two don't pay well if they pay at all.

This month (counting New Year's Eve) I am scheduled to make $1200 gigging but that is way above normal thanks to a couple high paying shows. Typically I'm lucky to make $500/month gigging.
 
#42
I used to make a living at it, but now I have a wife, kids, house, mortgage, etc., and a (music-related) day job with benefits. I still play regularly with various people (including "recording artists"), but the scant money is icing on the cake.
 
#43
My band gigs pretty regularly (usually a few times a month, though we take a few months off here or there), and we tend to get paid, but it doesn't go very far. Our last show brought in $250, but between 6 people... it goes in the band fund to help pay for t-shirts, cd's, and studio time. So far the only real source of income has come from a high profile television placement, which seems to me about the only way a working (non-cover) band could really make anything substantial without having a record deal and national touring.
 
#44
We gig at least 3 weekends a month, with each gig paying us between 400-600 per night. It's actually slowed down since last year, and we've had to play the same clubs twice in a month sometimes. But if you think about it, with all the set-up and tear-down, gas, drinks, food,etc, we really dont net more than $100 a night if we're lucky. Like others, we'll be busier this month through New Years. I love playing New Years parties!
 
#45
I'm kind of in between the top two. I gig at least twice a week with the group down below (robots and empires) and every sunday morning at a church in Irvine, CA. The cover gigs are currently sent to our "guitarist left and took all the gear so we need to build that back up again" fund . :hyper:
 
#48
We work around 10 a month typically. I have a good day job, but that is supplemented with music income, most months are upwards of $1k in cash, not insignificant. But then, I'm not married, and don't have a steady GF, so my money is spent on me! HA! :cool:

I backed into the cactus of life and have been pulling out the spines of good fortune ever since..





EDIT: I did have some issues lately, but things are getting better. Still have the day job and am still in the band.
 
#49
I've only had one gig which was last saturday and we got paid $200. I didn't even know we got paid I was just so excited because everyone was telling me we did great. Next thing I know the DJ in my band comes out of no where with some cash in his hand and hands me some. I'm like, what's this? he said, the bar paid us 200. But yeah, i dont feel like i have enough gig experience yet to vote yet.
 
#50
I voted for #2. I play 3-5 shows a week. I could fit into #3 pretty well too though.

Right about half of my income comes from gigs. On a good month, I can make $1000-$1200 from music. Normal month is $600-700.

It's not a ton, but it pays rent + a few bills. My day job covers the rest, or in the case of my current show-I get paid all at the end, so my day job is covering the bills+rent.
 
#51
CamMcIntyre said:
I voted for #2. I play 3-5 shows a week. I could fit into #3 pretty well too though.

Right about half of my income comes from gigs. On a good month, I can make $1000-$1200 from music. Normal month is $600-700.

It's not a ton, but it pays rent + a few bills. My day job covers the rest, or in the case of my current show-I get paid all at the end, so my day job is covering the bills+rent.
Click to expand...

My story is alot like CamMcIntyre's. We play 4-5 shows a week. Without getting into specifics or details, I bring home around $750/week from gigging and have been for the last 7yrs. We also have next yr already booked. I have a "day job", which actually pays fairly well, but not as much as my band! I feel very blessed and lucky that I really have been able to make a living playing bass!

BTW, all I did for 3 yrs('03-'06) was play bass in this band! I got kinda bored sitting at home all day practicing or playing video games or going out and playing golf! LOL! I had to go get a "job" just to keep my @$$ out of trouble...
 
#52
Gigging $$ on a regular basis is sometimes hit or miss. I put the make significant money but still have a day job. With my regular band in October I made $1,600. In Nov and Dec it will be $0 (2 month break). I will pick up some cash doing a few sub gigs in December but it's nothing you can always count on.

I would love to gig/play full-time but between the real-life commitments of myself and other band members it would be difficult.
 

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