WHY IT FEELS GOOD TO MAKE MUSIC PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO HEAR
It took me two years to generate my first $25 in royalty payments for my licensed music. It was just some boring ambient electronic stuff that I started experimenting with during the pandemic, mostly as a way to calm myself down. I wasn't making a concerted effort to make money, it was more of a "let's see what happens" approach. Nothing really happened.
When AI music tools appeared in 2024, I found myself with a brand new way to get my song ideas out there. I already had a huge stash of lyrics stored away in un-posted blogs or on scraps of paper in a box. Song lyrics or concepts I had come up with going back to junior high or early high school.
AI tools allowed me to flesh out these song ideas in a way I would have never been able to do on my own. In a far more robust variety of sounds than I would ever be able to do on my own. However, people still weren't super interested in listening to what I had to say.
I took a bit of inspiration from a song I saw going viral on TikTok, it even got played in a television commercial. I thought to myself, "That song is so stupid. But if he can do it, I can do it!" So I did it, I made a song of a similar topic. It started to go semi-viral. It hasn't been licensed for a television commercial yet, but it has paid itself off and will generate passive income for me for the rest of my life. How much passive income is the million-dollar question. But so far, I am definitely not complaining!
I've taken a lesson from Kickin' Wing from the film Joe Dirt. Well, actually, it was Joe Dirt's advice to Kickin' Wing. Selling fireworks doesn't work when all you sell are snakes and sparklers, because that's what you the product seller enjoy. No, you need to be selling the products that your customers enjoy. "It's not what you like, it's the consumer." - Joe Dirt
Now it would be real easy to say, hey, I know what people like! Drugs! And start selling drugs. But this is a double-edged sword. Not only are you taking advantage of other people's addictions, but you are surrounding yourself with the types of people who are far more likely to be self-centered. With criminals who skirt the law. With people who don't make the most responsible decisions. People who will sell you out for a gram of heroin. And what kind of household is that to raise a child in?
When we take shortcuts in life, they stand on shaky ground. Not a solid foundation. At some point, the house of cards collapses with the slightest breeze. While the man with a solid foundation outlasts the strongest storms.
My music has legs of its own in a way that my YouTube videos never will. When I create a YouTube video, a single piece of content which exists in a singular location on the internet. Hopefully people come across my video and check it out. Hopefully the algorithm picks it up and suggests it to people for a few days, if I'm lucky.
The music, however, is not in one centralized location. My music is spread throughout many locations, including; Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, Pandora, Amazon, etc... Even on TikTok and Instagram, which is where I generate the lion's share of my music income. When people discover my songs and post them on their reels, my music gets shared to their followers without any effort on my part. Organic promotion!
It brings me so much joy to see the videos people create, and use my music to bond with their pets and families with. I always thought it would be great to see people use my music because I get paid when they do. But witnessing the cute doggy videos, or people hugging their families at an event, and using my music as the soundtrack brings me joy and inner-satisfaction. It's a rewarding feeling knowing I created something that other people enjoy and use to bond with their families and pets.
Am I ever going to be up on stage like Taylor Swift? No. But I can create a majorly huge catalog of music that rewards my wallet with passive income and rewards my soul with a fulfilling purpose.
Once I release a song or album into the world, I don't have to touch it ever again. It will take on legs of it's own while other people discover my music, and share it with their friends or family organically. Free organic promotion is the best type of promotion! I can focus my energy on creating the next song or album.
I've already created over 1,700 songs. My goal is to create over 10,000 within the next 3-4 years. I'm using Matt Farley of Motern Media as a measuring stick. Matt has over 20,000 songs that have taken him the better part of two or three decades to create. However, he did it all well before AI music tools. So although his songs are pretty basic, just a guy with a keyboard, I respect the Hell out of his hustle. But I know I can one-up him with a more robust variety of styles, genres, and instruments. Even if they are all virtual. I'm not trying to write a chart-topping hit. I'm writing goofball ideas that have purpose.
It took me two years to generate my first $25. It took me another year to generate my next $25. Now I generate $25 in a fraction of that time. And it adds up. And will keep adding up with every new album released. One day, I will hear my music on TV or at major events. I guarantee it. People have built entire careers off of far fewer than 1,700 songs in their catalog.
And one day, I will be listed among Matt Farley as one of the largest music catalogs on Earth that is owned by an individual, and not a major corporation like Sony, Universal Music Group, or Warner Bros Music.
And that is pretty damn good company to be in, if you ask me.
Shoot for the fucking stars, my friends. Even if you miss, you will be in a much better place than if you never tried. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
Now get out there and sell some whistlin' kitty chasers!
"Who's got a pickle sandwich? I've got a pickle sandwich!" - Matt Farley
