How I make $8k/month as a full time musician

[@evandenlinger]

Really great to hear how you do it. I get stuck in gig world and it starts feeling like a a grind… this expanded my thinking… multiple income streams should be applauded, but I think the musician stereotypes have made me feel like it’s not a legit career… Thank you for sharing.

[@scottheins]

Nicholas of all the guitarists active on social media/~the internet~ your direct no b.s. candor, sense of humor, and kindness really sets you apart (your playing speaks for itself of course). Thanks for this video, it's an enlightening look at what it takes these days! Freelancing is a tough grind and you're right, you don't have to love every job/gig. Keep on pushing, we appreciate it!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Wow thanks so much that means a lot

[@GardenBoy4U]

@TheDonutDoctor I went to your website to get this ebook but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

[@ENSOTAVES]

Love the honesty, you got my respect. I currently make about $20 bucks a month on YT and that keeps me motivated to grow, also got gigs, looking forward to reach sustainable levels like you. Best regards.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

thats what its all about! Any amount coming in is motivating, i sometimes get publishing checks for a few bucks in the mail and that keeps me motivated. one day they'll be worth way more 🤞

[@carlostorres1171]

I think you, Bad Snacks and Harry Miree are the only people that I have seen who have addressed your financials publicly. Love to see it!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!!!

[@lanceouzumai]

I'm not even interested in becoming a full-time musician, but it was cool listening to what you did to get to where you are. Cheers

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for listening!

[@farooghnoori5342]

It was one of the most open and helpful videos, thanks for that☘️ with lots of positive vibes 🦋

[@TheDonutDoctor]

[@FoolishFrankie]

I clicked this video anticipating someone telling me they make $1k a month in gigs and sell $7k worth of courses, which is clearly not the case. I really enjoyed this man, super transparent and honest. This is all great advice and I'm really glad I came across your channel!

[@nrrjblank]

Would love to watch a video where you talk about practicing process for musicians. Or better, let’s do a joint video where you talk about how you learn song arrangements for your tours etc.

[@chadgarber]

Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate the honesty. Tough stuff for sure!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in bro!

[@KordTaylor]

Great video to hear about income and your journey. My son moved to LA as part of a pub deal and sorting how to make $. He’s doing a lot of this which is cool. I’m still sending him this link. Thanks again. ❤

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Congrats to him!!! Thats awesome 🔥

[@thesurfjunkies]

Thanks for sharing and we love the Jazzmasters on the wall.

[@BrianKabalaMusic]

Great video man, you are living the dream! I make money primarily from gigging, but am trying to grow my socials more to hopefully expand my horizons. Thanks for the info!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

thanks for tuning in bro!!

[@tajnehal]

Great info! I will have to check out the career consultation. Starting over after founding two music schools and doing cruise gigs this year figuring out a new plan

[@theworstguitarist]

Im happy for you and thanks for sharing this.I needed this

[@mekemontuori2186]

Thanks for this, I love how open you're being about all of your streams of income! Including the fact that you mentioned how few years ago you made less doing each, it shows growth over time is possible! Your"channel is great and you should have way more followers💜

[@TheDonutDoctor]

thanks for watching! means a lot

[@jmprofessor]

This is a great video! Super informative. Thanks a lot for sharing all your experience with us. I learned a lot! 🎶

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!!

[@atticusakelly]

Cool to see someone i know popping up in my algorithm!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

my man!!

[@matthewstuartnz]

This video was great man! Will definitely be showing this to some of my students 👌🏻

[@TheDonutDoctor]

[@necroticpoison]

Reminder to creators out there, for KZbin, you have to have impeccable title+thumbnails just about every time, alongside valuable videos, to be able to get worthwhile growth (growth equal to effort put in). Also I noticed on your channel that you have a bunch of videos that are supposed to be shorts but are over 1 minute long, so they won't get put there. I'd highly recommend trimming every one of them and in the future, down to under 1 minute. It messes with the algorithm and your videos page, dragging stuff down.

[@kylechapman9867]

Am making about the same per month in ATX but almost exclusively through teaching. Man, it’s exhausting. Cool to hear about how you’ve diversified things! Inspiring for sure.

[@gabriel.andreato]

Amazing way to explain, awesome content !

[@alexandretrejo3010]

Thanks for talking about these things! so encouraging! cheers

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Absolutely!!!

[@autistic_piano]

Very helpful content & I love the positive mindset

[@TheDonutDoctor]

🙏🏼

[@virgiliod24]

very informative video man much love for you and your carrer!!!!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in brother!

[@sebastienrobichaud6689]

Really good video! Thanks for sharing :)

[@Dlroper95]

Very cool man. Thank you for sharing!

[@justcallmemoses]

This was really helpful information. I quit my day job to persuing music. I'm not making as much as I did a few months ago and I needed some ideas. Thanks a lot!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Stoked for you!!!

[@livinGhost88]

Dude, this was DIRECTLY up my alley, for things to learn/keep in mind about the direction that I'm heading with music. It's a goal for me to have a career with music. Though, I'm currently building some missing foundational pieces on guitar, in order to make that happen. I have a list of investments, that I'm going to be making, when the time comes. I've entered the singing world. I've made countless connections with other musicians in surrounding areas. But this gave me SO much insight about the diversity of ways for me to stay open minded, on the business side of things. I really appreciate you for making this video, and going into the details that you did, with the level of honesty that you did, as well. Since this was made a year ago, I was wondering if you had any other related videos up, like what you mentioned at the end of this one?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Hell yeah - stoked you're making the leap!! Just do your best and plan out whatever you can - take risks, and keep at it. It always works eventually! As for more vids - I actually have an entire library of music industry vids + a copy of my e-book "The Working Musicians Handbook" on my website! www.thedonutdoctormusic.com Hope that helps!

[@TannerPetersonMusic]

Thanks for the video man! Been watching you since 2011. Yes, make another video on this! 👌🏼

[@TheDonutDoctor]

awh man you are OG!!!!! Thanks for sticking around for so long

[@panorama_mastering]

Another Nicholas! Great video and detail. Thanks for sharing! P.s what's your favourite donut spot in LA?

[@Mocha_Mic]

Clearly a super hard working musician, have a sub good sir

[@KimLachanceMusic]

Thanks for the valuable video Nicholas! I love your channel

[@iamcoreytucker]

Thanks sharing your experience!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@backonstageapp]

Thank you for sharing! Love how open you are about your experience! Very, very helpful video 🤟

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for watching!

[@alexjung5129]

Would love to hear more on the studio work end if things!

[@pao507]

Thank you for sharing the information! I would like to know more about growing social media. Thanks :3

[@SamHooperGroup]

Great info, man! Yes, I’d love to hear more details

[@TheDonutDoctor]

[@MirenaGuitaru]

Thank you so much bro this really helps. I have been following you since 2014 you been my inspiration 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for all your support bro, you're a freaking OG!!!

[@MabsMakes]

I love your honesty throughout this whole video. Very helpful.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@everyonexist]

donuts

[@Steezybasslinez]

Thanks man, this helped a lot! Thinking about making the transition!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

send it!!

[@KirbyJane]

Thanks for sharing! Super refreshing to hear some realness/transparency around making a living at this. Hope you're well!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Glad you dug it!

[@Linguini1996]

Thank you! Love the honesty and clearness in this video!

[@ElyJaffeMusic]

awesome video thank you!!

[@MinhPham-ly7yp]

Hi. Would love to see a video about the science of posting. As you mentioned, day and time, length, etc..

[@activehimelda]

You look like Nicholas cage.anyways nice content nick. I was inspired by your guitar on 12 guitarists solo on pickup music. You really killed it. Your KZbin channel is underrated. You really deserve over 500k subs

[@pietart3596]

Hey Nicholas this was an amazing candid learn on money making. It's smth I've wondered as practicing guitar with a full time job. And your methods are help sm being so straight forward. Cheers over sharing !

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks!!

[@samhudsonmusic1]

i found this helpful and would like another vid !

[@JarredGarneauMusic]

Thanks for sharing this! Very insightful and honest.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for watching!

[@AndrewColyerMusic]

Hey man, this was really helpful. Thank you so much! 😀🎹🎵🤟🎊

[@TheDonutDoctor]

thank you for watching!!

[@bLiNdEDM]

Thanks for sharing this. I really like your idea for teaching and the streamlining of it thru a subscription model. I need to do the same ❤

[@TheDonutDoctor]

free's up a lot of time for you to do other stuff while still providing A++ value for students!

[@AndrewOlsenMusic]

Loved the video man!! Thank you for being so open with everything. I'd say right now biggest challenge for me is networking in my city. I've got the gigging/teaching side going fairly well, and am working on the social media consistency, so will just need to try and be intentional about getting out to open jams as much as possible.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Absolutely feel that. I've always felt my weakest quality was "networking" too. I tried focusing more on just making genuine relationships/friends working in the same lane as myself, and that made the whole process feel way more natural. Also, I can say from experience, almost every call I've ever received for a gig has been through a friend. Homies are the ultimate asset - we all rise together!

[@juliciencia]

Thank you so much for this video!!!

[@ferlandersalt2778]

Dude, rock on, spot on, big thanks

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks!

[@ferlandersalt2778]

No, thank you

[@RFToob]

Very helpful thx. And also you should consider being cast in film as a young Pete Townsend. Need a decent British accent however. Cheers!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

🤣

[@pitchisperfect]

This video was super helpful! Thanks man! 🤟🏼

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for watching!!

[@bennyjones_]

This is literally my life! Every point is spot on 🙌🙌 my Main thing I want to do more of is brand deals… any advice to get more or that stuff??

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Just being consistent with creative content revolving around brands to showcase how you can uniquely promote their products, ect helped me a lot!

[@LostSinceSundayBand]

Yes make another video I really liked this one

[@harrymichaelmusic]

Dude Nicholas, as a professional musician with basically 1 income stream (touring^^) I appreciate this video so much and you‘be definitely given me some great ideas and inspiration to branch out and build up other streams of income! Thank you for making this super insightful video!!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

of course bro anytime!

[@BobGnarley.]

3:09 cute doggo

[@hanoitripper1809]

Sounds like a fun lifestyle 🎉

[@PiotrstrashcanŚmietnikPiotra]

Amazing dog!!! Useful video.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Alice (the dog) says thank you haha!

[@chasearrington346]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@jz5005]

Interesting. Thank-you.

[@aadityakiran_s]

Best thing to do is keep your day job till you get enough income from your music job to offset your day job income and practice all the time in your non work time when you're at your day job. This is how you can make a living in music.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Absolutely - there always has to be a balance. That being said, I personally quit my day job before music was bringing enough $ in for me. Having that tremendous pressure and taking that leap of faith made me work and hustle like my life depended on it (literally) and ultimately lead to having more success. Always take chances (but be responsible doing so haha!)

[@aadityakiran_s]

@@TheDonutDoctor hmm. But if i was in your place, the immense pressure would not allow me to do anything. I like to be in a comfortable place and use that as a safety net to put in the effort. I suppose we're different people. Your channel is pretty nice.

[@BetterLait]

@@aadityakiran_ssometimes you need that extra fire under your ass

[@chadgarber]

I started KZbin in 2007 as well.

[@lucianofrangi713]

Tank you men!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thank u!!!

[@abhishekmittal5413]

Thank you Nick for sharing this. Love from India

[@TheDonutDoctor]

big love back to you!

[@Its_MLLOS]

Great video.

[@lspyderp]

Very interesting info, I’ve heard in general that there is a lot of work in LA for musicians, writers etc.. but that the cost of living is very high and $8000 a month sounds pretty good, but in reality in LA it probably doesn’t go that far, or does it ? How did u mitigate that ? That would be a good topic for those of us who have dreamed of doing it !

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Cost of living out here has really skyrocketed. Rent with utilities is around 2.5k, then we got health insurance, car insurance, food, phone... shit adds up fast. $8k is enough to live happily and save some money for retirement. I generally try to save 25% off the top of every paycheck and put it away! As long as you bueget you can get by with far less - and trust me some months are great and some months are not so great haha

[@nomoti_music]

Thank you so much !

[@TheDonutDoctor]

thanks for tuning in!

[@joyn7675]

Man this is so helpful. I’ve always wished some ig musicians would talk about and explain this stuff. Thanks for the transparency

[@hermitcrypto2787]

Played guitar my whole life and never got to do any of this..

[@TheDonutDoctor]

never to late!!

[@ramonserranomusic7649]

Long time Instagram follower , first time KZbin view.. I've grown too like you soon much

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Awh thanks for following for so long, appreciate you big time

[@jonathanchristen2235]

Thank you for this! Where can I find singer songwriter nights and open mic nights/open jam session? I live a couple hours from LA so I can’t just go there and walk around necessarily… thanks!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Hey Jonathan! I'd start at local venues/bars/even coffee shops or farmers markets. From there try checking for any local songwriters clubs/rounds/showcases! Surely you'll find something!

[@khaliljibran999]

Good video

[@Sadowsky46]

Are the devils horns from the Strat in the back intentional? 😂

[@nj7627]

This got recommended in my feed shortly after I lost my job and decided to try to do music full time, and my name is Nic. And I play a Jazzmaster. And my favorite color is blue. Is this a sign or a glitch in the Matrix?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

dude.... its a sigh lol SEND IT

[@nicolascastillo9698]

Nicholas I'm from Latin America and I know that I have a lot to learn in different areas. I'm not a great guitar player yet and I know just a few things about producing music. But I'm trying to post on social media everyday and I don't know what should be the step 1 to start this journey. I'm just creating guitar solos for songs made in my country and posting them on Instagram. I'm not playing in any band, I don't have to much followers (around 200), I don't produce for anyone. I want to know what things I can do to start this thing correctly. BTW I'm 22.

[@jontans]

Hey Nicolas, don't get so bogged down in worrying about whether you're doing the right thing. If you want to play guitar and produce, just keep working on that. Make and post social media content if you like - maybe you're ready to, maybe you're not. If it feels natural to you, go to local shows at small venues, if they have them. Great ways to meet people. Let yourself feel the enjoyment of music - of learning a new song, a new chord, of discovering a new melody. You're doing good man, take your time.

[@Rockobassman]

Got a lot of doubts am going to LA and want to make a good livin playing music

[@PeterPine]

😃How did you make the transition from workin' a job to workin' as a full-time musician? I'm a singer-songwriter so that would be the dream goal! Good content brother.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Absolutely, I worked a retail job for a while before making the jump full on. Do what you gotta do!

[@UB.S]

What are the $8K after taxes?

[@mais5762]

Do you have a course but on marketing and building an online presence? Creating content and stuff... I suck at that haha

[@rustythatchnj]

Oh My Goodness Dawgo! 3:08

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Alice 😍

[@seanschweska856]

I’m teaching at studios in Arizona should I move some where better like Nashville or Austin I don’t want to live in la because I dint like visiting it

[@LaurenNikohl]

How do you recommend starting to work with studios as a session musician?

[@xavierg5523]

I’d love to know how to make more money as a musician online. Example: fivr, patreon, other online platforms

[@TheDonutDoctor]

A lot of this will come from your community/platform across all social media - in most cases, its the long game. Post content that provides value to people all the time for 2-3 years and you'll be able to do something with your audience (market your fivr, patreon, ect). My instagram has taken me 7+ years of posting nearly every other day. I've also seen it happen in a couple of months. Just depends on the person!

[@Sphereal]

Thank you.

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@amircleverman8756]

New Subscriber here... 16:00 Please! PLEASE!! do a followup video !😅

[@TheDonutDoctor]

noted :)

[@user-cp8wn3oc1n]

Where is the link to the book about you said?

[@ernestojr.angeles9707]

Thanks Nicolas. Are these figures NET or prior costs?

[@mchinaherry4231]

Appreciate

[@vikewave]

How do you manage your time with these 5 projects going on simultaneously?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

I'm horrible with time management to be honest - I go REALLY hard on one thing at a time and constantly bounce around my focus. It works out that everything always gets done at the end of the week, but its always been a struggle and I'm still learning how to manage everything/make the most use out of my time (which I admittedly waste a lot of!)

[@kiltroguitarist]

Question man, I just moved to LA to follow the dream just like you, I am a guitar player I wanna try to get into some session work but I didnt study music everything that I know is pretty much by ear so wondering do I need to study music for this kind of work?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Not at all bro! If you have good ears and can figure stuff out by ear - you can thrive!

[@kiltroguitarist]

@@TheDonutDoctor Thats good to know I am intimidated by session work just because of that reason there are a lot of talented people here in LA and my weakness is that I can not read music but I have a good ear!

[@TheDonutDoctor]

@@kiltroguitarist Man, I've been working in LA for 7+ years, and have only had to read music ONCE for an off-broadway musical. You'll crush it out here!

[@kiltroguitarist]

@@TheDonutDoctor Thank you man! I really appreciate it!

[@timvibes]

How many hours a week are you working to make this income?

[@imaginableAudio]

$8000 a month.. is this possible ? Help 😅 need more income

[@TheDonutDoctor]

theres always good months and bad months bro!!

[@imaginableAudio]

@TheDonutDoctor thanks for your reply. I'll subscribe and like. May I ask how you build your website for guitar lessons? Is there a video on how to get started? Really curious about that since I never built a website before

[@TheDonutDoctor]

@@imaginableAudio Appreciate you bro! I use a service called Podia.com to host my website ( www.thedonutdoctormusic.com ) Pretty straightforward to use!

[@abraham555]

🙌🏽

[@tsm7964]

after taking the leap of quitting my desk job in insurance making $100k, i pursued music and at age 39 Katy Perry invited me on tour.

[@FedericoAccardo]

2k a month for gigs and 4k a month on royalties on collabs? That's weird, how much is an average gig in LA for a guitarist?

[@TheDonutDoctor]

Depends on the gig! On average, I charge $400-500/day for any gig. This obviously adds up when you're touring for weeks at a time, but when I'm playing shows locally it adds up pretty quick. For example one show with 2 rehearsals = 1,500. Also, some corporate gigs will pay anywhere between $400-$1,500. Really depends on the month/if I'm on tour!

[@FedericoAccardo]

@@TheDonutDoctor that's why I was wondering why you only make 2k a month with gigs

[@TheDonutDoctor]

@@FedericoAccardo This video I'm not including touring - this is what a usual month working while in LA looks like for me!

[@vintagepipesnightmares]

And you spend them all for your hair😂 Joking ✌️