# Poll: how many of us r living of composing?



## Lex (Oct 1, 2009)

What subject said...it can be completly anonymous, just curious how many of you r fortunate enough to make a living only from composing.



aLex


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## Hannes_F (Oct 1, 2009)

I live from music but composing is a minor part of it (but it is there).


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## Herman Witkam (Oct 1, 2009)

Yes sir. Composing full time.


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## Hal (Oct 1, 2009)

100 %

but i am trying to get involved in other sort of business now..
TV production and currently building a recording studio.
otherwise i will have to compose 5 movies a year,


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## bryla (Oct 2, 2009)

I work as a jazz musician, and composing is also a small part of it


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## germancomponist (Oct 2, 2009)

I live from music since I was 20 and composing is one part of it.


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## Andreas Moisa (Oct 2, 2009)

It's like 60% composing/producing and 40% live playing.


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## groove (Oct 2, 2009)

On more lucky bastard I am 

Music is part of my life since I was 7 but my first career was to be a drummer then a sound mixer for 10 years then I decided to go back full time to composing music for movies.

Since then I'm lucky enough so it's how I make a living 100%

Hope to be able to do that for ever now /\~O


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## Blackster (Oct 2, 2009)

I compose full time as well. 

I make money by doing composing jobs and through library music. But all this money is a result of my songs to 100%. That is my status quo.


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## DKeenum (Oct 2, 2009)

I teach Elementary Music for my job. I also compose on the side. I've done a number of recording and composing jobs through the years, but I've always kept the teaching job.

But I want to say that I admire those of you that are brave enough to do composing for a "living." I love my teaching job, but I would also love to live off composing. Maybe one day....


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## hbuus (Oct 2, 2009)

Wow, a lot of people here are making a 100% living from making music.
I have a lot of respect, admiration even, for you guys.
It takes courage to base your income solely on ones creative capabilities, I think.
What if the well dries up, I mean!
Anyway, just wanted to say that you guys have my deepest respect.

Best regards,
Henrik


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## dinerdog (Oct 2, 2009)

Henrik, my accountant used to call it "100% unfixed income". Now when people ask me what it's like, I tell them it's like "looking for a job everyday". Most of them wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

After dropping out of college, being a waiter and playing in wedding and blues bands (in NYC in the 80s - Frankie Paris, Chris Carter Band) it became full time about 20+ years ago. Though I must say, I've never seen an environment like we have now. The technology (and libraries among other things) are quite the double edged sword.

Oh, and I agree with Harlan Ellison that the amateurs are ruining if for the professionals. No offense intended to anyone here. All those amateurs and there mothers slapping stuff together in Acid (now Garageband) and putting it out there. Now that it can all be spliced, diced and packaged, there is just too much cheap crap that's 'good enough' for many things. Onward men. : >


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Oct 2, 2009)

My best advice is to find ways to hang in there, to persevere. If you have talent, eventually your turn will come, but you have to be there, it might not happen if you've got another job. Many of us full-timers are older and we've accumulated a bunch of returning clients.


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## Jaap (Oct 2, 2009)

Almost 100% composing (a bit of teaching here and there as well)


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## Pzy-Clone (Oct 2, 2009)

Yes, been living (well.. define living...) from music since i was 17, parts of which involve composing, parts of which involves decomposing :D


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## hbuus (Oct 2, 2009)

I composed the music for a couple of Commodore 64 games back in the 80's and have dreamt of making music for a living ever since. Yet for various reasons I ended up getting a MSc in Business Administration - not much music in that!  But interesting as hell.

My goal with music today is to become able to write some nice music which I'm satisfied with myself, both from a technical and musical point of view. But I'm way too lazy to really do something about this goal, so basically I'm just enjoying myself following the development in sample based music + listening to what other people compose.

Anyway, enough about me :D


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## nikolas (Oct 2, 2009)

I make a living 90% off composing. The other 10% is from teaching.

Previously I was making money of scholarships and grands from the goverment. I actually consider these money as an income as a composer (since I was studying in a composition research degree course, and I got a grand to build a studio... :D)

I'm feel quite lucky!


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## mixolydian (Oct 3, 2009)

To me it's a hobby.

Aleks(sandar), what about you? Is Immediate Music your main job?


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## Lex (Oct 3, 2009)

Yes, majority of my income is from trailer music. The rest is various different projects, but still all income I make is 100% composing.

aLex


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## Tilman (Oct 6, 2009)

100% composing since about 7 years now - in the past I used to teach and play live but it turned out that I only have real fun when I compose music. And I never was a good teacher or player, so I made a choice.


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## Pietro (Oct 6, 2009)

About 50% from composing. I'm working on turning it into 100% and making all the other musical activities (apart from sound design maybe) into a hobby.

Still, difficult to break in.

- Piotr


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## midphase (Oct 6, 2009)

"It takes courage to base your income solely on ones creative capabilities, I think. 
What if the well dries up, I mean!"

Yeah, nothing like those secure jobs in Car Manufacturing, Real Estate, State Jobs or Computer Support!


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## Guy Bacos (Nov 5, 2009)

I deliver pizzas.


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## rayinstirling (Nov 6, 2009)

Composing? I do it because I enjoy doing it BUT!

In the unlikely event of someone wishing to use my music.

They'll pay for it or they won't be getting it, end of story.

Wannabe pro's take the food from others' mouths by giving music away, not amateurs.


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## Hannes_F (Nov 6, 2009)

rayinstirling @ Fri Nov 06 said:


> Composing? I do it because I enjoy doing it BUT!
> 
> In the unlikely event of someone wishing to use my music.
> 
> ...



Well said, Ray.

BTW cool glasses.


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## rayinstirling (Nov 6, 2009)

Hannes_F @ Fri Nov 06 said:


> BTW cool glasses.



I'm glad you like them. Do I look like a professor?

Check out my bloops

http://www.comparethemeerkat.com/specials


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## Hannes_F (Nov 6, 2009)

rayinstirling @ Fri Nov 06 said:


> Hannes_F @ Fri Nov 06 said:
> 
> 
> > BTW cool glasses.
> ...



HAHAHAHA


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