In the summer of 2007 I got some great news. I was graduating from the Berklee College of Music a year early. Over the last three years I excelled through the bachelor's program, performing in the advanced guitar performance ensemble and earning Magna cum laude honors. And the day after I graduated no one cared.
Being involved in the arts is very different than other skill sets developed in college. If a student goes to medical school, excels in his or her classes, then the now doctor should easily find a job. As a musician, it's hard to translate an A+ in Ear Training to a consistent paycheck.
I hope to divulge information here that I wish someone told me when I was 18. Let’s discuss how to make money writing and recording original music.
Many of us conjure up images of signing a record deal, having our songs on the radio, and playing sold out tours as a means to accomplish this. This is definitely one route to take. One of my bands has a record deal with a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group. We have played international LiveNation tours to hundreds of thousands of people. And we have recorded with my idols and producers who have earned half a dozen Grammy's. But with the current state of the music Industry, and a stubborn reliance on old systems, the ability to make money doing this is becoming less realistic.
Now, why doesn't the old system work? A simple Google search produces several working theories. I attribute it to the product.
Twenty years ago a band's product was a CD. This CD would run the consumer around $20. When the Internet came along that product shifted from a $20 CD to a $1 iTunes download. Now we are in the era of streaming music. The one-dollar track turned into a fraction of a penny per stream for the artist. The advertisers on these streaming services pay these platforms top dollar for advertising and a disproportionate amount of that goes to the artist.
My other band took a less traditional route. In 2009, we started to accumulate buzz, and through this buzz we almost signed to American Recordings—Rick Rubin's subsidiary of Columbia Records. We ended up not doing the deal. At the time we were disappointed, but it was the best this that could have happened.
Through all the buzz we signed an international publishing deal with a company based in London. Usually bands have record deals before this happens, but the shift in the music Industry has caused everything to turn around.
Through this company we have placed our music in dozens of international commercials, TV shows, and video games. Our placements have included Coors light, Mazda, Kit Kat, MTV shows, ABC shows, and many more. Some placements have earned over six figure sync fees. 
Now, how does a band or artist get to the level of attaining a record deal, or the less traditional publishing deal? One of the great things about the digital age is that the barriers of communication have all been broken down. A kid in Iowa can record a song in his bedroom using a couple thousand dollars in gear, market this product through their social media channels, and get a deal without ever leaving their computer. Traditionally, bands could gain buzz by selling out prominent venues or getting spins on local terrestrial radio. A healthy combination of both of these schools of thought should be employed.
Do the music industry professionals come to me or can I bring it to them? Which is preferred? Stay tuned.
