Making money as a drummer - getting better or worse?

bermuda

bermuda

Drummerworld Pro Drummer - Administrator
Staff member
@toddy asked in Bermuda Here thread: You have been a long term member of the forum for many years by this stage. I was wondering, do you think that over these decades that the world has become better or worse for a drummer interested in making money? obviously there is covid so live work took a big hit. but what about things like remote recording etc, do you have any opinion on that?
edit* by money i mean a liveable monthly earning, e.g. £2000 / £24k a year.

There are several facets to this question. Rather than open too many cans of worms, I'll say that the number of opportunities has been pretty constant. In spite of the proliferation of programmed drums on recordings over the last 40 years, the number of artists and live performance opportunities seems to have increased. Not just because there are new artists, but because so many "legacy" artists are still out there pounding the pavement.

On a local level, I think club work has decreased a bit, and most think it doesn't pay enough to get by. But that depends on the amount of work (and of course the pay,) and one's expenses. And with housing being one of the largest necessary expenses, it depends where you live. In Los Angeles or New York City for example, making $500/wk playing bars would not be a living wage (unless you have another source of income, or a few roommates, or a spouse who helps with expenses.) Yet in a large city such as Phoenix, that same $500/wk easily covers an apartment and related expenses. Getting by is never about what you make, it's about what you spend.

Regarding remote recording, those opportunities aren't any better than being a studio drummer. There's not much call for them anymore due in part to programming, and to the fact that bands' drummers have become quite good at making good recordings and don't require a hired gun to step in. I know several musicians who do remote recording. Not one of them makes a living at it - it's always their side hustle.

There are still wedding bands and the like, and they usually pay well. But that's not every player's cup of tea.

But my basic answer to the question is, although things have changed, I think the opportunities are the same for a drummer.
 
thanks for the info, and i think you are probably right. although i'm sure session work has suffered due to programmed drums, i think that live work (when festivals etc are normal again) is probably decent enough if you can tolerate the schedule and being away from friends/family.. just need to accidentally play for adele or something i suppose. cheers.
 
For our band it's a pretty prolific time - starting in June we're basically on the road the rest of the year with a mixture of theater/PAC style gigs and projects.

We've won several grants:

Chamber Music America - For a project called "The Blue Desert Tour"
Mid Atlantic Arts - For a project with South African Musicians and the WOMAD Festival
Jazz Road from South Arts - For our "Painted Mountains" project in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management
Arts Forward from APAP - For our "Spirit Coalescent" project

So we've found other ways and other styles of projects to bring in money - but as band this will far and away be our highest income year.

I'm not sure how much you all spend in the grant realm or if we're just the kind of PBS nerds that design projects that fit their standards...but there's a whole lot of money out there for people that truly want to create music and projects.

I guess my point is that there are ways to provide a sustainable income in the arts that aren't so gig heavy if you get out and look.

Just a slightly different perspective :)
 
As a barroom musician it has gotten worse and I made my first $100 a gig in 1985.
I've made much better bucks over the years but had to play in multiple bands to keep the money coming.
The $100 'minimum musicians wage' has stayed the same or actually dropped in some venues, I don't play to make money, I just get some expenses paid and get to be on stage playing drums.
 
The consensus among every player I know is that it's much worse, but people individually figure out how to get by. Usually by including some things other than just performing, exploiting your other talents and connections.

I think anybody rationally thinking about whether to get into music based on the state of the industry as a whole, shouldn't do it. You have to believe you have some kind of exceptional talent and that you're going to succeed at it. Regardless of how bad it is for other people. And you have to love it enough that there is no other option.

There are still possibilities for average players. Cruise ship gigs still exist, and are easy to get, if you can play as well as an average college student. Most people don't want to do that their whole life, but it is work. However badly you blow it with your career, there's always that.
 
I only recently started making money at gigs in my country cover band...previous to that, I played in original metal and punk bands...and while we made money, we always sunk it back into band related stuff

granted, I did not get into music to make money. I grew up lower middle/working class, so money was not something I was taught to yearn for. Just enough to pay the bills ,and get some toys every once in a while has always been good enough for me

and even the money I make in the cover band goes pretty much right back into my kit, or truck that gets the kit there
 
toddbishop said:
The consensus among every player I know is that it's much worse, but people individually figure out how to get by. Usually by including some things other than just performing, exploiting your other talents and connections.

I think anybody rationally thinking about whether to get into music based on the state of the industry as a whole, shouldn't do it. You have to believe you have some kind of exceptional talent and that you're going to succeed at it. Regardless of how bad it is for other people. And you have to love it enough that there is no other option.

There are still possibilities for average players. Cruise ship gigs still exist, and are easy to get, if you can play as well as an average college student. Most people don't want to do that their whole life, but it is work. However badly you blow it with your career, there's always that.
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that is why I got into teaching. I get paid more to play marching, concert and that kind of drumming than set. I also get paid to arrange/write music, and consult for other programs. It is a diffeent kind of gig, but I still get paid to play
 
I live in central Florida near the beach. Our state as a whole pretty much acted as if the whole pandemic thing didn't exist when compared to the regulations most other states faced (hell... Still currently face) so we didn't see as much of a drop in local gigs, I played about 10 gigs in 2020 for example. And while that's not a huge number, that's many more then most people on this forum got to play combined. The problem my area faces is that we are primarily a beachy vacationer vibe and a huge demographic that is age 60+, it's VERY difficult to get regular paying gigs in my area unless you are a solo acoustic guitar act playing Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett covers or a DJ who plays a mix of reggae and boat tunes. In addition, those guys typically will take $100-$150 for a 3-4 hour block so even if you are lucky enough to find a venue that is willing to even have a full band, let alone actually pay you for it, they typically want to give you that same $100-$150 for a 3-4 hour block. Well my current band is 4 members and while we can easily play 3-4 hours of material... It's about 1.5-2 hours worth of set up and dial in to do so effectively and another 1 hour to break down and settle up. So in the end each person is making $25-$37.50 for an average of 7 hours time (not counting commute and load in/load out time at home, also not counting buying dinner out because you don't really have a choice).

I'm playing a gig tonight splitting the bill with two other bands, we each only get a 30 minute set and the venue is charging $10 a head. Between the three bands we will easily have 100+ people show up, not counting venue regulars. This is a local independent movie theater who plays indie films... They dont have a bar, they don't have a kitchen, and they will have literally one single minimum wage staff member covering the door and locking up at night yet they are guaranteed a minimum $1,000 in their till tonight for letting three bands play during a 2 hour block and we don't even get some free popcorn let alone pay lol.
 
Locally here in my part of NJ, it’s much worse now. Covid killed off several venues that had live music. Most of the remaining ones want acoustic solos or duos and not a full, “loud” 5 piece band. Especially indoors. And the pay is terrible. Some use the “exposure” angle instead of paying.
 
Jml said:
Locally here in my part of NJ, it’s much worse now. Covid killed off several venues that had live music. Most of the remaining ones want acoustic solos or duos and not a full, “loud” 5 piece band. Especially indoors. And the pay is terrible. Some use the “exposure” angle instead of paying.
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Mind if I inquire as to your general area? My wife grew up in Phillipsburg (warren county) and I grew up in Holland Township (hunterdon county).
 
I think places like to push the whole 'passion' thing. Meaning, 'what do you mean pay? Don't you just love playing music? Aren't you happy to be playing your music for people? Why do you want to get paid, it's not your job?" Etc etc etc.

I run into this same issue with my actual job: I am a professional craft brewer, I've worked at 5 different facilities and for 7 different companies. Any time the topic of a raise, a bonus, or even a simple day off request comes up it's always this same thing, "what do you mean? Aren't you passionate? I thought you loved making beer? You have such a cool job! Why do you want to sully that with business talk?"
 
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Thankfully, I have other income to pay overheads, so for me these days, playing is a hobby (albeit taken seriously). I don't have the talent or breadth of facility to cut it professionally these days, & maintain the standard of living I value. Back in the day, I could cut a living, but I was single, & responsibilities greatly reduced.

I think I've hit the sweet spot. My band commands decent fees for most gigs. Although the money is always welcome, we're more pleased by the fact someone thinks we're worth paying a good rate than the practicalities of earnings. Somehow, the act is financially positioned alongside higher end tribute & wedding acts, yet we are neither.

Bottom line, in my very small & specific world, opportunities have improved.
 
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX said:
that is why I got into teaching. I get paid more to play marching, concert and that kind of drumming than set. I also get paid to arrange/write music, and consult for other programs. It is a diffeent kind of gig, but I still get paid to play
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Yeah sadly teaching (at least face to face) is out of the question for me, and I'm also not sure I'd have had the patience to do it either. I just enjoy playing myself, but I'm sure teaching can be very fulfilling and also a decent way to make some consistent cash.
 
roncadillac said:
I live in central Florida near the beach. Our state as a whole pretty much acted as if the whole pandemic thing didn't exist when compared to the regulations most other states faced (hell... Still currently face) so we didn't see as much of a drop in local gigs, I played about 10 gigs in 2020 for example. And while that's not a huge number, that's many more then most people on this forum got to play combined. The problem my area faces is that we are primarily a beachy vacationer vibe and a huge demographic that is age 60+, it's VERY difficult to get regular paying gigs in my area unless you are a solo acoustic guitar act playing Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett covers or a DJ who plays a mix of reggae and boat tunes. In addition, those guys typically will take $100-$150 for a 3-4 hour block so even if you are lucky enough to find a venue that is willing to even have a full band, let alone actually pay you for it, they typically want to give you that same $100-$150 for a 3-4 hour block. Well my current band is 4 members and while we can easily play 3-4 hours of material... It's about 1.5-2 hours worth of set up and dial in to do so effectively and another 1 hour to break down and settle up. So in the end each person is making $25-$37.50 for an average of 7 hours time (not counting commute and load in/load out time at home, also not counting buying dinner out because you don't really have a choice).

I'm playing a gig tonight splitting the bill with two other bands, we each only get a 30 minute set and the venue is charging $10 a head. Between the three bands we will easily have 100+ people show up, not counting venue regulars. This is a local independent movie theater who plays indie films... They dont have a bar, they don't have a kitchen, and they will have literally one single minimum wage staff member covering the door and locking up at night yet they are guaranteed a minimum $1,000 in their till tonight for letting three bands play during a 2 hour block and we don't even get some free popcorn let alone pay lol.
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Yep.. Very similar situation to me. I live in the UK but not near a city, I live on a small island off the south coast, which is filled with 60+ year olds. We have lots of pub bands playing every weekend, but they really dont make a lot of money. I might start a little cover band just to have some fun though. I could easily enough make a function band and make money doing that, but right now I can subsist without needing to and I'm not sure I want to deal with the whole function vibe. The main reason I asked Bermuda the question is because I'm thinking of renting out my house down here and moving to London, but obviously things are still rough with covid and lack of footfall.

I should also say I don't primarily play rock or metal etc and don't have the desire to play in a "band" and become famous or anything. I mostly play hip hop, UK drill, grime, pop/alt pop, drum and bass/dubstep/electro. My idea was to move London and start networking to get into the urban music scene and see if I can blag my way into doing urban/pop music, be it live or sessions.

Anyway it's nice to see ppl talking about their experiences, the whole money thing can be a bit of an awkward subject.
 
We're a cover band that plays mostly bars, private events and the occasional summer series. We've been back to a pre-covid schedule of 2-3 gigs a month
for close to a year. 2022 is almost completely booked out. Like others have said I think it really depends on the market where you're located and what your band is offering, whether it be originals or covers. Overall, my feeling, at least in the Sacramento area is that there is a lot of demand for a good bands.

As for money, again it depends on the band but in this area, good cover bands are getting anywhere from $600-$1000 per gig, 2K for private events. A solid cover band will have no problem staying busy.
 
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SharkSandwich said:
We're a cover band that plays mostly bars, private events and the occasional summer series. We've been back to a pre-covid schedule of 2-3 gigs a month
for close to a year. 2022 is almost completely booked out. Like others have said I think it really depends on the market where you're located and what your band is offering, whether it be originals or covers. Overall, my feeling, at least in the Sacramento area is that there is a lot of demand for a good bands.

As for money, again it depends on the band but in this area, good cover bands are getting anywhere from $600-$1000 per gig, 2K for private events. A solid cover band will have no problem staingy busy.
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That's actually a decent chunk of change. Is it a 3 or 4 piece? I was thinking of doing a trio with my guitarist mate and a good bassist, because there are lots of weddings here (very popular place even for people from up north to get married), and also various events such as sailing regattas etc, which actually have good budgets.
 
We made more the last couple of years than ever before, but mostly on merch sales. We started out as a metal tribute/cover act but slowly incorporated our own material and soon had enough for an album, that was greatly reviewed. We have a lot of expenses in our band so nothing really comes back in our own pockets, mainly just to cover travel and hotel expenses at the most... So no, making a living of it is close to impossible for me, and not on my radar at all. I have quite a good dayjob with little to no overtime, so it's easy to combine it with being a weekend warrior at times. My band has ambitions, but mostly to make the best albums we can, and try to play bigger events/festivals when possible, maybe a smaller tour down the road. I have no intentions on living on a bus for many days a year, but I enjoy the fact that there are people in, say, South America and the U.S. that can buy our album at a local store (or at the very least on the web... Just shipped a few signed vinyls over to Japan, and I'm childish enough to really get a kick out of that :LOL:).
 
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