Music as a business?

[King Belieal]

I am a musician. I play the piano. I train vocalists and bands. When people contact me for my services, they feel I shouldn't charge them well because music is not a business. Their point? It is a talent and a gift that I was given free.

Do you see music as a business? Would you happily pay a musician if you ever get to need their services?

 

[Starmix]

You need to charge them per hour. I play music as a member of a rock band all females. We're paid handsomely in clubs and in special occasions.

 

[neku]

Many people hire musicians for weddings and other events. The musicians are spending their time, so they are charging for their services. Some of the top singers like Taylor Swift are the richest performers in the world.

 

[pousinha]

Of course, you need to charge your customers. Musicians have expenses and need to live as whatever professional. I'm a musician too and I charge for my lessons. People who don't want to pay a musician after having required his/her services are usually scroungers. The only circumstances that justify the music services for free are the church service and the voluntary teaching for poor people who cannot pay.

 

[Starmix]

You are paying the current and the maintenence of the musical to instruments. There is no free this time. We need to be smart because that's business.

 

[King Belieal]

I love all the comments here. People think music is easy. You spend days trying to rehearse and deliver for clients. They should be paid and handsomely too.

 

[Starmix]

That's right, a trainer or coach must charge a pay per head per hour. There is no free coaching this time.

 

[Kross]

Don't ever allow people make you feel that you are supposed to offer free services with your skill. Be it music or any other other skill. That is the nature of human. They want to use you.

 

[eLdavis]

I play the drums so I have an idea of how tasking it can be to play an instrument. It took you time to learn how to do what you do. Be it a talent or not, you had to learn it, and probably paid for classes to learn. What these people are paying for is not just your time, but also the knowledge you are passing to them.

 

[Fidelia]

If I want to offer my services to you free of charge, maybe, due to inclination or relationship, let it be my willingness to do so. You can't blackmail me to do that. Charge anyone you wish to charge for your musical skills.

 

[Augusta]

if business is a source of living for you then you should do it as a business and let them know. it would be helpful to you

 

[pousinha]

The excuses to not pay a learning skill services in my former area were usually the following:
-we are neighbour and live in the same condominium: so why should I pay you?
-I'm an in-law of your mother's neighbour: so why should I pay you?
And so on...