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The Challenges of Being a Musician, per Mohammed Aldandan

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While it is difficult to break into any performing art, finding success as a musician is especially difficult. Mohammed Aldandan shares some of the most prominent challenges musicians face, especially in the digital era. While these artists create a romantic picture, the reality isn’t quite so pretty.

Demos

Musicians send out countless demos. Before the rise of technology, this involved sending a tape or CD to every manager, producer, and label in the business. Mohammed Aldandan remembers that having your demo accepted, much less heard, was a considerable achievement in itself. Musicians playing in major cities had a better chance of scouts finding them, but even these odds were slim. While artists today can utilize the internet and social media platforms as a wide-reaching showcase of their work, there are millions of other performers doing the same thing.

Finances

Mohammed Aldandan openly admits that music is an expensive craft to practice. While artists need time to rehearse, this takes away time they could be hustling for gigs or making money to invest in their music. Necessary items include microphones, instruments, a place to practice, and sound equipment. Then musicians need to consider road trips, tours, getting the venues, and booking studio time. To be a musician requires money, so up-and-coming artists are faced with a double-edged sword as they are trying to launch their careers.

Royalties and Piracy

Royalties are the revenues musicians bring in. Per Mohammed Aldandan, it is crucial to have an ethical manager to ensure the correct amount of money goes to the musicians. Inexperienced newcomers must keep this in mind when working out financial arrangements with a service or label. Sadly, many unsavory figures in the music business take a big cut from the talent they represent. Piracy is another primary concern as this directly takes away revenues from musicians. As more and more artists warm up to sharing their catalogs with streaming services, there is usually an ironclad royalty agreement involved.

While being a musician does have formidable challenges, Mohammed Aldandan has seen countless artists overcome these obstacles. After all, music is a calling, and those with the fiercest passion will always find a way to make their dreams come true.

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