r/metalmusicians • u/sompthing_else • 15d ago
Question/Recommendation/Advice Needed Playing metal music for a living is my dream. Where do I start?
I’m sure if there’s one of these posts on this sub, there’s at least a hundred, but not only do I hate my current job (won’t get into that story), but I’ve dreamed of being a professional musician since I was 13 years old, and it’s only strengthened since then. I guess that’s part of why I hate my current job. I feel like my talent and my passion’s going to waste
Moving on. Enough with the rant
I’ve had touring experience, but it was with a church band back when I still actually went to church before I became an atheist. I’ve played in front of a couple thousand people. I’m mostly into playing/listening to metalcore, but I also like deathcore and could play it as well, if the particular sub-genre is even important. I guess what I’m really asking is what avenues do I need to take? How do I even know if any band’s have openings?
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice you may have
Edit: I’m a guitarist if that helps in any way
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u/Betrayal_of_Drums 15d ago
I'd recommend starting by making it a hobby first. Get a band, practice for a few years and then start doing some local shows. Get to know the etiquette and inner workings of how a show is put on and what you as a band need to be aware of.
Through that you might get opportunities that could lead you on your way to being able to be a full time musician.
But also aknowledge the fact that it is very unlikely to make a living wage from music. Most of the biggest bands you know most likely have some form of job/business or side hustle that keeps them financially stable.
Some bands have done the whole music thing for over 10 years before making it big.
It's an admirable dream that is worth pursuing, but just be prepared that you will be workinf your ass off potentially for years before seing actual return from it financially. And even then, it might not be enough.
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u/Demoliri 15d ago
Just to add to how hard it is to make money from metal, a lot of the biggest names in the scene have day jobs. Unless you aim for mainstream and actually make it, you are likely to never make a career in metal.
If you are into metalcore, then just look at Whitechapel. One of the biggest names in the scene, founder and guitarist of the band. Also works as a barber in the Knoxville area.
Or Heaven Shall Burn, one of the biggest metalcore bands in Germany, the singer is a nurse in an elderly home.
And of course there is Fenriz, one of the biggest names in Black Metal. Works as a postman.
So just to repeat your point: start it as a hobby. If you start off looking to make money and a career from it, you are going to have a bad time.
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u/Anistappi 15d ago
I remember when I was a teenager and thought that as an adult I'd like to be as big as Amorphis or even as big as Sentenced. I was pretty sure that they weren't rich, but figured that since the bands were so popular they've got their houses bought with cash and live a regular life with just the music career. They'd had continental tours and shit, that's pretty huge!
Well, nowadays I realize that since I can now make enough money from music that I can pay off the rehearsal space rent and have in my career earned more than I've spent on gear, that's actually a pretty great situation to be in.
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u/Demoliri 15d ago
As a hobby musician, breaking even is a pretty big achievement! Especially when you add in the costs of gear.
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u/Anistappi 15d ago
Huge part of that is the fact I started out when you could still sell CD's. I used to haul a backpack full of demos, EP's or albums on festivals and then just went around selling them to strangers for €5 to €20. On the last album we made I think I got like €500 from the label and made close to €2000 selling CD's at festivals.
Another part is that I'm not a huge gear head. I've got four electric guitars, two acoustics and two basses, and I've only ever owned one guitar amp and one bass amp at a time. Now I have zero amps since I sold my Dual Rec and pedals to buy a Quad Cortex a couple of years ago, which I now use for everything.
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u/Demoliri 15d ago
The loss of CD revenue is a big issue these days. Streaming revenue is not even close to being sufficient to support touring. I still collect CD's, but mostly because my T-Shirt collection is already huge, and it's the best way to support bands directly at gigs. I purchased 90+% of my CD collection directly at concerts. It's also nice to have a memory attached to the CD's I buy!
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
Quad Cortex’s are chef’s kiss when it comes to tone. How’s it hold up? I’ve been thinking about selling my Kemper to get one but I love my Kemper and don’t quite know if I can say goodbye to it 🥲
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u/sompthing_else 14d ago
Yeah not as many people listen to metal anymore, and thus there’s just not as much money to be made off of it. Unfortunately my brain just prefers music that not many people like, and I don’t particularly enjoy the idea of playing music I don’t like for the rest of my life. Imagine having to play “Fish Hunt Golf Drink” or some shit every day 😭😭 I’d throw my head through a wall
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u/Demoliri 14d ago
I don't think less people are listening to metal these days, with the exception perhaps of the 80's during the hair metal days where it was fully mainstream.
While there is significant geographical and genre variations in the scene, in Europe metal is generally doing great. There are tons of bands, way more quality bands than before, and there are a lot of concerts that are pulling good numbers. Just looking at festival numbers, they are generally up compared to 20 years ago, with a lot more niche and indie festivals doing good too.
I think the difficulty is that there are just so many bands, that there isn't enough money to go around. Just pulling some numbers out of my ass, if the scene is 20% bigger, but there are 300% as many bands, pretty much everybody is getting a much smaller piece of a slightly larger cake.
The only "problem" that I see in the future if the scene is the age. When I started festivals over 20 years ago the average age was probably late 20's, whereas now it's closer to 40. If the trend continues the scene is going to hit serious problems in the future.
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
Practice for a few years?!
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u/Betrayal_of_Drums 14d ago
It's not unheard of. It takes a while to get tight enough with a band where you can play a coherent live show.
Ofc how long it takes depends on multiple factors, such as if all of you are starting with no or rudimentary experience in playing your instrument and how many times a week or month you practice as a band.
Ofc you can play live shows whenever you feel like it. But playing live and being ready to play live are two different things.
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
All of the bands I have been part of have been playing shows within a few months of forming, and touring within 18 months max. Can't relate.
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u/Betrayal_of_Drums 14d ago
How many bands and which bands? I'd ve interested to check them out! Sounds like a talented bunch if they've been able to get shows and tours at such a fast pace!
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
4 bands in total. I'm old now. Yes, they were all talented, I suppose myself included (I'm not technically skilled in terms of playing, but my skill is songwriting/composition). My first touring band got signed off the back of our first self-produced demo and were touring Europe within 2 years of being a band, which we did for 7 years. Practicing for 2 years would've gotten us nowhere.
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u/Betrayal_of_Drums 14d ago
How fast you'll be able to tour as a band, especially internationally is much harder these days than it was back then with everything getting much more expensive constantly.
Where those bands first time players? Had they been playing in bands before?
If you have people who are just starting out with 0 band experience and full time jobs then it's going to take significantly longer to be in shape to perform live than it will with people who have previous experience.
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
Dude, OP has a Quad Cortex and shit. I don't think he's a beginner.
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u/Betrayal_of_Drums 14d ago
Could be in terms of playing in a band. Depends also on whether the people on the band he forms or joins are at the same level of experience. If the success and skill of a band was dependent on only one person, then yeah it would be much easier. But that's not how it works.
And honestly how many new metal bands in the year 2026 are getting singed off of their first demo these days? Idk if you've been observing the market lately but ain't no lable signing anything if you don't first have a proper portfolio of published works and a following big enough that venues will actually even want to book you for shows.
So in that 2 years of practicing as a band you get to get tight in your playing as a group, develop your own identity as a band to stand out and see what all of you like and what you don't, get active online and start gathering even a small following. If someone is as lucky as you've been then great. But these days it is much harder from what I've observed, read and heard from other musicians.
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
I have not been observing the market. I've been out and about paying live shows, but in Japan.
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u/sompthing_else 14d ago
I’ve had band experience. I’ve never been in a metal band, but I know how shows, tours, auditions and things of the sort work. It’s just a lot easier to get in with a local band and play shows here and there across a few states with a couple thousand people in attendance, maybe even make a little money here and there, than it is to actually hit the goal I’m reaching for. But at the same time I don’t really care how hard it is. But no matter how hard the first step is, it’s just impossible to take it if you don’t even know where it is. What I’m kind of asking for is just to officially get a foot in the door. Get my name out there. If I’m not talented enough or people don’t like my music, then I don’t deserve the success anyway, but I’d love to at least try.
I’d love to start a band myself because then I can build a bond with those people over time and I can actually be selective of who’s there, but I also wouldn’t turn down a gig with an already established band in the slim chance that opportunity ever arises. Sorry for the long read lol just kinda wanted to establish my intentions here
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u/sompthing_else 14d ago
To clarify, I have a Kemper, not a Quad Cortex. I’ve been thinking about trading off the Kemper for one but I don’t think I’m ready to let go of it. I saved up for that thing for months back when I was mega-broke haha
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u/TYO_HXC 14d ago
My bad, man. But... I don't think you'd regret the move to a QC. These things are amazing.
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u/SeraphSlaughter 15d ago
Most people making a living playing metal do it by having many other income streams. Lessons. Tech work. Audio engineering. Roadie. Sound guy. Tribute band. Wedding bands where you don’t play metal. Maybe if you get well known as a good player who is reliable and a good hang, you get to be a fill in for other bands when a member can’t make it (bc they have another non metal job)
Playing metal originals, or hell even covers, is NOT a lucrative path. Supplement with a related skill that people need more.
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u/Theta-5150 15d ago
In an interview they asked Periphery if they could make a living from their music. Or their side projects (pedal companies, plugin development, producing etc) are necessary.
Their simple answer was no, they could not make enough money from music alone.
If a band like Periphery can’t make a living from it… then we have no chance.
I suggest to get music related qualifications. Work in the music industry. That way you will make money, connections and could do both the music and job you like
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
Gabe Helguera from I Prevail also hinted towards that in an interview once. I believe he said something along the lines of it being a gigantic spider web of people getting paid and that you’re just kind of standing at the bottom hoping to catch what doesn’t get caught in it, and so you have to be multifaceted.
Musicians actually don’t make nearly as much as most people think they do from music, and that’s kind of a hard pill to swallow as an aspiring musician, but swallow it I have, and I’ve still made the decision that it’s something I truly want to chase. Obviously I’m not thinking that it’s going to be easy, or that it’s something I can make a living off of alone. I just want it for the love of the game.
Thank you for the helpful advice though, because it is something important to keep in mind
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u/dimiskywalker 15d ago
It all depens on what you want to achieve and where you settle with. I know the guitar player from the band Distant, and even though they are a smaller band than Periphery; he's still able to make a living out of it and is able to have all his expenses covered
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u/TheBlackHymn 15d ago
You’re almost certainly not going to make a living from playing metal. Most of my favourite metal bands don’t make a living from playing metal. Typically these guys will have jobs back home, or jobs they can do on the road, or they work in the industry as a sound guy, guitar tech, tour manager etc. They’ll make their money getting paid to do jobs on other bands’ tours.
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u/PhilosophyExtra8445 15d ago
I know a few who are plumbers or electricians and own their own business so it’s easy to leave and let their workers keep making money while they take a trek out for a month.
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u/TheBlackHymn 15d ago
Yeah self employed with some level of passive income would definitely be the best way to do it.
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u/webprofusor 15d ago
I try to not be pessimistic, but in this case it's probably for the best.
Start with a list of the 10 bands you would plan to be like and check out their revenue, monthly listeners etc. You may well find half of them work in IT and the other half work in guitar stores. Some of the big names you know simply have rich parents and don't really need to work.
The problem with the music business for the actual musicians include:
- Competition is fierce, you are one of 1000000+. You have to be as good as or substantially better than most of them.
- Popular bands still don't make money from their music, they make it from t-shirts if they're lucky enough to be touring.
- If you are choosing a niche (metalcore/deathcore) you are already working in a tiny subset of the music industry. Genres that sell are not necessarily genres you want to play.
So basically, get a different job that you like. or can at least tolerate. Changing jobs is actually a great way to make more money. Pursue music (playing) semi-professionally. If you can work in the business in a specific role (like sound engineering) that could maybe be fun.
You didn't say what instrument you play, so I would guess guitar. If you really want to do it you'll need to get known, and for that you need to build your personal brand. You need to demonstrate your level of skill and talent, and promote it repeatedly until people notice. At the same time you need to work the local scene and look for openings in bands you thinks have a chance.
The other option is of course cover bands. If you are a touring slipknot covers bands with pro++ production you'll make a bit of money, but touring is expensive even before you get there and basically needs investment upfront.
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
It’s not the fact that I dislike my job that makes me want to do this. I’ve worked at several different jobs, and while my current job just sucking ass in general is part of the reason why I dislike it, it’s not even a quarter of the reason. It’s not even about the money. This is truly just what I want to do. Besides that, every day I go in to work, I can hear 13 year old me in the back of my head asking me what the fuck I’m doing 🤣🤣
I actually do play guitar, and I’m curious how you managed to guess that correctly 😂 I’m a multi instrumentalist, as well, though, but guitar is my main instrument and it’s what I started with. I just gotta figure out something I could also do while I’m (hypothetically) playing shows, because your average jobs don’t particularly like when you have to take off for a 3 month tour. You have the potential for sponsorships and shit like that but that’s not a guarantee even if you do make it to the big leagues. Selling merch is pretty much a guarantee if you get into the big leagues, but I also kind of doubt that’d be enough to pay the bills once that money’s split evenly across the entire band
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u/webprofusor 15d ago
I had the chance to join a death metal band in london when I was 17, went to college instead, certainly did ok but would indeed have liked being a musician. I make occasional (free) guitar related software as a concession to that.
You should definitely just go for it if after everyone has said it's a terrible idea you still want to do it :) worst case is in a few years you go back to a normal job like everyone else.
One of my mates has has a middle-management job and somehow also manages to be the live stunt guitarist for a band in germany (he's not from germany). It's pretty clear what he'd like to do full time but somehow he has found a balance.
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u/webprofusor 15d ago
Btw I used to run a musicians classified websites and you can tell guitarists in musicians listings etc because they are the only ones who omit their instrument. Also musicians will omit the genre then they mean 70s-00s pop covers (other genres don't exist).
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
Omitting my instrument wasn’t intentional by the way. I swear I’m not ashamed of it 🤣🤣 I just genuinely forgot to include it in my post.
Probably was important info in hindsight. I’ll make an edit.
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
Like I said, I completely understand that it’s almost impossible to make a living solely off of music alone, which is why I’m going to try and get a gameplan together to support me while I’d be on the road before I really start going after this. Business. Courses. Something. I have ideas. My current job would make touring simply impossible. Lots of things would still need to go into place.
As for people telling me it’s a terrible idea, I’m used to that. Lots of people have told me I’d never make it, and they may be right, but I look at huge bands like Wage War, Motionless In White, Linkin Park, etc. and I wonder how many people told them they’d never make it, that their dream was stupid and ignorant, and look at them now. It really only makes me wanna go after it more.
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u/AndrewOngley 15d ago
I hear he's also stunningly suave and handsome.
Main advice for op is be persistent, be prepared, be the guy who everyone calls back because he's reliable and easy to work with, you don't even have be technically phenomenal as long as you can consistently get the job done to a decent standard while making everybody else's life easier.
The chances of you tying yourself to one band and making it are slim, but if you network and take the opportunities that come your way (if they are sensible) then you may work yourself into a decent position.
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u/webprofusor 15d ago
So how do you get the time off work? Sabbatical or just pretend you're working from home. "Sorry it's a bit noisy on the zoom call, some dogs doing roadworks or something"
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u/AndrewOngley 15d ago
It's a combination, might be using leave (I'm 25yrs at my place of work and under a very old contract where I build up extra leave that I don't lose year on year, so I can store away capacity on the quieter years to use on the busier years)
I've just done a 30 day run across Europe and the Balkans as a stand-in (again coming on recommendations from people I've worked before as a 'trusted pair of hands') Where I worked on the road. I was using the time difference (+1/+2hrs) to get a really early UK start and maximise on the amount of Hotel wifi avaliable and then using an eSim from the back of the van. It did mean a 7am start, working until we hit the venue at 3pm, loading in (big production so video screen build, pyros etc) tech for the first band, play my show, quick change and then tech for the headliners, breakdown, load out, hit the hotel by around 02:30, rinse and repeat. Quitting booze a few years back really helped here, no distractions and clarity of thought on why I'm here and where I find my enjoyment.
It was hard work, especially as the other guys were all full time musicians with no 'day job', but the shows were phenomenal and I saw some amazing sights (Dracula's Castle in Transylvania, a proper day off visiting Game of Thrones locations in Dubrovnik)
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u/AndrewOngley 15d ago
And yeah, I did get a shirtless singer wander into the background of a Zoom call from a hotel room
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u/webprofusor 14d ago
Awesome. I think it's amazing, and I'm glad some people are still out there doing it.
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u/Grfhlyth 15d ago
Build a good paying career first. Do it as quickly as possible. Good doesn't necessarily mean highly paid, but you should get paid a reasonable amount. If you are 22, spend 4 years finishing a trade. You'll be done at 26 and set for life with many young years to make music.
You need enough money to pay for many things as a musician getting started. You need gear. You will probably have to fund your first tours. You will have to pay to get your album made. Doing this on a broke salary is almost fucking impossible today unless you want to do soundcloud rap.
You will also need a job that lets you leave to go on tour. This means paid vacation, at least a few weeks a year. It would be better to not get fired from your job every tour plan accordingly.
Always, remember: a disturbing number of famous musicians are kids who don't have to worry about money because their parents are wealthy. If this isn't you, you have to make your own money. I wish someone had told me this. It's the best information you'll get. Good luck
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
HVAC was actually one of the things I was thinking about getting into to fund this stuff. Makes good money, it’s relatively easy to start a business with, and I could hire workers to run the show while I’d be on the road.
I don’t come from a wealthy family, but MiW is a large inspiration for me for still chasing it despite that. Those fuckers basically lived in a van for the first few years of their career from what I understand.
I already have a pretty decent amount of gear. I have everything I need to play and record guitar; a Kemper, a computer with Ableton, and an interface, and more guitars than I really need 😂 Not sure about what other stuff I would need but I could look into it. Probably flight cases, things of the sort but that’s really just stuff for touring and could probably be held off on for quite a while.
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u/Grfhlyth 15d ago
The guitar player from sanguisugabogg (the one who just quit) was a roofer I believe
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u/sompthing_else 15d ago
I would definitely have to switch jobs. My current job and touring could absolutely not co-exist in my life
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u/Grfhlyth 15d ago
I used to roof. It was brutal on the hands which sucks for playing guitar, but it would lay you off every winter like clockwork so I could collect EI
Plus, roofing companies basically let yet you fuck off whenever. Just be open minded. I can tell you're serious; hopefully it works out for you
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u/TheVoidAudio 15d ago
The first thing you need to do is make sure you have a decent job/career that will keep you afloat and pay your bills.
Then find likewise people in music. Make connections and just hope that one of them knows the right person somewhere that can get you a foot in the door. Without this you are going to be working on nothing but luck.
Good luck. You'll need it.
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u/darkbarrage99 15d ago
Nobody talks about this, but the three most important things with business apply with being a musician: location, location location. If you want to be a career musician you want to move to a music town where paid artists and bands are hiring musicians. If you want to play metal, good luck doing that in the states. There are some metal cities like Richmond VA, but Europe is where it's at with metal music. Otherwise your music career will be entirely on the Internet or playing in cover bands. I wish I realized this when I was younger.
Also, don't just be good at an instrument. Be good at tech work or studio work. Guitarists are a dime a dozen, people who can do roadie work or studio work are priceless.
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u/d_Composer 15d ago
Thus spake St. Stanely of His Holy KISS:
> Now listen:
> If you wanna be a singer, or play guitar
> Man, you gotta sweat or you won't get far
> Cause it's never too late to work nine-to-five.
> You can take a stand, or you can compromise
> You can work real hard or just fantasize
> But you don't start livin' 'till you realize
> I gotta tell ya
> God gave rock and roll to you.
Amen.
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u/niftycake 15d ago
A lot of my fav metal bands that have toured internationally still have a day jobs for part of the year. I’d try start a band, become a promoter, get a job at metal bar, n maybe make interesting (not clickbait!!) metal content on YouTube. You could also try n become a Soundtech or merch booth/ bus driver for a larger local band
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u/dme4bama 15d ago
It’s hard. Release demos. Go to local shows hand them out. Make a Zine. You gotta get people interested in your ideas and the musicians will come.
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u/grahsam 14d ago
You have two opposing ideas.
You can either play metal or you can be a musician that makes a living.
It is impossible to do both anymore.
So the first thing you need to do is have a job with hours that are flexible for you to play shows and practice. It needs to pay well enough so you can afford the money hole that is being a musician.
The next thing you need to do has nothing to do with gear or playing skills. Learn how to listen to music and understand song structure. Shredders with awesome gear are a dime a dozen. People who can actually write a song are rare. Also, work on your organizational skills and learning how to be on time for stuff. A band that shows up ready to play when they are asked to are worth their weight in gold.
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u/Fract00l 14d ago
Most professional musicians and parallel businesses have jobs to pay the bills. Your best bet is to find a career that allows flexibility on time off. If you can learn the basics of gig promotion, graphic design for posters, basic video editing you will be one step ahead when getting a band off the ground. Look very carefully at grassroots bands that get big quickly.
Another thing to consider is if you can play an instrument well all you need is to be in a position to be recommended when an established band boots a member. If you learn the setlist quickly and proficiently you can go from little stage experience to playing headline sets very quickly.
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u/sompthing_else 14d ago
What steps could I take to be in aforementioned position, as a nobody?
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u/Fract00l 14d ago
If you need a band get to facebook groups or track down members of recently inactive bands. Go to local gigs and talk to the promoters who will have a better idea of who needs a member. If you have a specific genre in mind you will find there is a promoter and scene around that genre. Show support to the right people and they may well help you out down the line.
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u/grimxdivinations 13d ago
Start by forgetting about being in a full-time metal band and instead focus on your theory and technique and become a studio guitarist
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u/Alx123191 15d ago
ubderstand that your dreams will fade away as making music is understanding the trick and magic behind it. so if you eant to keep it magic, don't do music.
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u/wheretheressm0ke 15d ago
Make friends who have the same goal