Why I QUIT My 6-Figure Music Production Business

Took me a long time to finally release this one. Thanks for watching and hope it helped you in some way.

Bless you brother.. I'm glad you're still here ❤

So in a nutshell, we should buy your course. LOL

Glad you kept going. I’m still working it from an artist perspective and been there with all the VIPs and all that and back to small stages busking, churches, cafe shows etc… it’s been a humbling 20 years and I keep going too. It’s definitely not for fame. It’s for making a living, making a positive impact in this world, even if it’s one person at a time.✨

do you work on hip hop urban projects??? I think i can share some experience about deal with it

is this 6 figure business in the room with us?

Thank you for this video! I'm aspiring to make a career in music as well, i live in Switzerland/Italy and tried lots of 'the traditional ways' but I am finding out that through the internet being curious in general reading books. There's other exciting ways to make a living with music and these kinds of videos are very helpful. Thank you!

As a 23 y.o. producer doing this everyday for years and recently been physically burnt out I've learnt lots about myself. It's not often I hear about stories like yours. Thanks for sharing!!

If you need any help with your work I'm happy to assist. We need more mental health talk in the music industry. Again Inspiring! Love from Sweden.

Thanks you! Really inspiring. Gave me what I needed to keep my head up right now through a tough spell

Thanks for sharing.

The last part is SUCH TRUTH, and even (or especially) older musicians like myself need the reminder! Thank you for all you do!!!

True and Interesting story

Thanks!!

Could you elaborate on the "Modern Producer Skills" you didn't have that studios wanted from you?

Great story and redemption. I’ve been doing pro audio and production, acoustics for 25 years. I’ve always been a solo artist and songwriter recording and producing my own music. I always have that multi gig $$$$ stream because you never know what’s going to happen. It’s been a real journey I fully understand and I’m glad you’re in a good place doing your thing! There are so many ways to help others realize goals through experience and mentorship. 👊🏻❤J

you are an inspiration bud! Keep doing what you are doing and wish you all the best!!

Loved your story. I was also told “one chance” in the industry… have had many chances in multiple facets and even taken breaks and started from scratch a few times …by choice!

Very important to know that nothing material or any form of validation from anyone ever fills the void, it really is only found within 💜⭐️

Thank you for taking time to share

God bless you on your journey Brother....

Congratulations on your survival,,,career is not the only important thing in life,,,

Wow, goosebumps, congratulations for your story and thank you for sharing it with the world, it helped me tons🫶🏽

congrats. thanks for your story.

This was really inspirational!!!

Great story, appreciate the honesty

Incredibly inspiring story bro, thank u for sharing it!

Wow this is such an inspiring video!! Thanks a lot for sharing, especially being so transparent about your struggles makes it much more relatable!

I love your story brother. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for this.

i dont want to be a producer i want to sound design.
i finally have my vst after tons of mistakes and i made it geared towards west coast and trance lol

So great hearing your story laid out like this man. I've always heard the pieces but never laid out chronologically like this. Thanks for sharing!

This was a great provision to the public. I am not in the music industry. This was a story of success. One for anyone & everyone who is human and therefore has life's challenges. Thank you. (By the way, the sound and background music was great ... I guess I should have expected that.)

Wonderful story...same happened to me as a guitarist

Really appreciate stumbling upon this vid. Super inspirational! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Sorry, wrote a dumb and hateful comment. Deleted it. All the best for your future. Good that you found help! 🍇

So how exactly is the music industry broken? Your video basically states that your addictions were what led you to quit, not anything about the industry per se

I’m not in the music industry, just a consumer of it, but this is a real story and took guts to share it. Thanks for doing so and best wishes going forward with this or whatever you choose to do.

Appreciate the share, Man!
Needed this!!!❤

It would have been interesting to hear your story, but unfortunately the background music is too distracting. 🫤

Congratulations on having plumbed the depths of despair not once, but twice and, like the Phoenix, rising again and again.

Hopefully we can chat soon . This is real ahit bro . Sending love

It feels like in the music business there are rare mini gold rushes, which cannot compete with the over all corporate and wealthiest greed that controls it all.

What a beautiful video. I feel you.

Was this an ad for your new venture? 😮

'As long as we are alive and breathing' well said buddy ❤

😂 when you’re at the lowest point - there’s gonna be a hatch on the floor. You knock on it - they would open.

Thank you for sharing your story. Inspired me to share mine here since I'm feeling it right now. It'll be a longer post and probably just typing for self

I've never felt like I've had an opening. or at least the one I had I couldn't take. I have only music in my life for a short time in comparison to most my peers. It started when I switched majors and transferred colleges. I hadn't heard about music production until college level and realized that the way a producer listens to music was the way that I do. I didn't have a background in music, the most i had was taking a guitar class in high school. But I knew I wasn't a performer so I thought music wasn't for me. But then the tech side was introduced and i fell in love. And I listened to a lot of music. I haven't met many people who listened to as much music as I do. With the passion, I took the leap with change of majors and school. I quickly learned that I was a head deep in water of things to learn but I was persistent and finished my degree on time and did a lot of learning in three years. However, I was still down a major credit, experience. I didn't have the years of practice and all of the school opportunities were ones I couldn't use because I was busy being in practice room and computer room learning. I hit a very low point when I graduated school as I felt like all my hard work wasn't going to pay off. I couldn't find an opening and I didn't even have money to purchase the tools that I had when I was in school (like a computer to run a daw or a keyboard, etc). So i worked a regular job to build the money... and to pass the time since the depression was really bad. And unfortunately, this was time away from music and some of the skills I learned in school faded because i wasn't able to practice them. And about the time I was starting to feel like I was going to do the push to try to get into the industry, covid happened. As an essential worker, my wallet was happy (sort of) but my time was work and that's where it went. Got enough money to move to Nashville (another grocery job) and then I got a mac the following holiday. A keyboard in the following months. I worked on releasing an album and then I released it. I again fell into depression. I didn't think releasing an album would fix everything but it just felt so empty after I put it out. Like i did this thing and nobody cared. I really struggled with validation. During my time in college, I didn't make many friends in the same major. I felt outcasted by my peers. Living in Nashville, I couldn't make good friends with other producers/artists. I couldn't get collaborations to get off the ground. My music didn't really turn any heads (granted it still needed work). I didn't know how to get things to work. I made a list of the open mics and writing meet ups but the few times I tried, I was doing it alone and it required me to initiate and I struggle with social anxiety and so I ended up just sitting and listening. I just felt like an island that no one was interested. And it didn't help that I didn't drink nor am I good at small talk. This cloud of lack of validation and rejection was one I couldn't escape. It haunted me everywhere I went. I worked on my craft and I improved a lot in the meantime but the cloud followed me still. And then I was forced to move out of Nashville. My wife was really unhappy in the city and she couldn't take feeling isolated there away from her family (this event is lot more in depth but that's a different story). And a some months later, I get contacted by someone who manages artists and their company was hiring more people and they came across my linkedin profile. It wasn't my dream job but it was my one opening so far and I had to pass on it since it was local only. There was no way I was going to move my wife back... and we were completely out of money. I try to tell myself that if I can open one door, I can do another but nothing has showed up since. All I have been doing is planning a way to get in doing my best with what I can do.

I mentioned the cloud of lack of validation and rejection. I did manage a way to make peace with it. It came from "Everywhere. Everything. All At Once." (slight spoilers if that matters) I was seeing life as nothing matters. I couldn't get validation so nothing I did mattered. That life was feeling worthless. If it did, I would receive some validation. But I was reminded through this movie of how I used to see life. I deconstructed my religion and I lost a bit of myself in doing so. But it was the kindness and love I had. I didn't lose it fully but I lost it in the way that I viewed life. But now I regained it through inverting my view. That it doesn't matter but it does to me. That nothing matters still but that's the joy of it not the end of it. That instead of being mad at how the world is and how much life sucks I can be better. I can be the joy and hope that I want to be in the world and its me who makes the difference. I still want Ryan Tedders job (maybe without the pop side lol) but the best I can do is love the ride and keep trying today. I took a break from music cause I'm really tired of the grocery store job that really takes the joy out of life. And my wife and I are rebuilding our lives rn financially. And as soon as I'm able, I'm pursuing music with my all. The cringe of social media, the love of music. But I'm not going to let the cloud take it from me. And I'm going to balance the love of wife with it too. Get bad habits out. I have to make the best of today that I have instead of wishing I was doing something else. The something else will come and I can't waste time being mad it isn't here

Really interesting, as a 15 year old who is making music and will continue to follow my passion when I get older this was genuinely something that I’ll remember 🙌🏻👏🏻

I don't think I would survive 5 minutes in the US, it seems incredibly difficult living and working there.

What a tough road, on the other hand success rarely teaches you anything useful, in that way this new business makes a lot of sense. Very impressive.

May I suggest or mention that....Every successful person Fails and fails and fails and falls on their face so many times before FINALLy the Success happens...I've experienced these thoughts, panic attacks...broke AF......I'm grammy nominated...well respected,, and the Electronic Music industry has completely changed. The only thing that needed to change was my approach ...and business model....and client base. I done really work with clients....but my 20 years of experience and who ive worked with made me realize that I can also do what I am still resisting. I had to expand my view and Mindset about what i was doing and...things turned around......I wont share the rest of the story...But i'm landing Trailers/ Synch Licensing.....and scoring movies. WTF?! :-) TALK ABOUT a life saver. There is much more i added to what i do aside from writing music producing etc. I followed a business plan which i've never written before for music....developed some strategies, and ideas.......and just leaned in to the hard work. I am diagnosed ADHD which causes many problems....but Mindset, Attitude, Good Healthy Habits and ACTION. Get's us where we need to be. At my worse i got my real estate license......but it was also my best...it taught me how to SELL myself (not on the corner LOL) Those paychecks in real estate were the most INSANE dollar figures i had ever seen on a piece of paper with my name on it. But thats not me...........I know where to go get Jobs for music.......i just wasn't doing it. If you need help with anything reach out to me. I also went through pretty bad substance abuse period..But have been sober ever since. 6 yrs. Turned out to be my ADHD problem. People are NAYsayers and REALLY negative...........I am on my way to making MILLIONS. ....(money isn't the source of my happiness) I've found that through meditation and self care...I've learned to be happy TOTALLY BROKE with NO money........I think going through all of that has created the armor, Tenacity and keep on GOING...its so fun ...even on the days it SUCKS :-) Because working for yourself and creating our OWN empire.......Is one dream..i know alt of people think about ..and should SHOOT for the stars on. My dad always gave me the best advice...when i was young..and starting out making music...."you can do anything you put your mind to...just dont ever quit....it's not going to happen on YOUR timeline...the effort and work accumulates and one day it just EXPLODES" ..and then you have new problems LOL like omg i need employees ....No matter how bad things get.....(And this is very serious..and i mean no disrespect to anyone).....Life is Fragile, its not supposed to be all amazing ALL the time...the ups and downs are there to help us grow and make decisions.......giving up (At least taking the day off to be fed up is ok).......but once somebody t takes their life. the ability to power through that extreme low and figure out how to solve the problem is no longer available. I'll openly admit..I've had those thoughts. Totally sober.....very dark moments..........and snap in to it once i realize that i'm being totally Ridiculous and that i can do this and i'm just at a vey weak point of Defeat...(Alot of people get there and its SUCKS) My heart goes out to people who struggle with mental illness and have lost a loved one, i wanted to make the example of how far i've been pushed in my music career to the point of........i cant go on anymore (And no i do not have a college degree). I didn't really have an option other than to MAKE this work... Still going at it......and growing even faster than before (and most importantly, since i do not know everything, I'm learning something new every single day). And there are people counting on me whether they hire me frequently that. I've known for 20 years and they've given me the best compliments anyone can receive "you're the most talented person i've ever worked with in the studio" Of the Artists this person has worked with.....you'd think that I wouldn't be the top pick...it never crossed my mind. It did make me think very hard about how much value I can bring to an artist and their projects and their CAREER depends on it. I am not the producer or writer everyone would hire...I don't even expect that lol. But after my income changed, i've taken a while to figure out what i can do differently that nobody else can offer that will ensure a stable career...I consider myself versatile in one sense......but i need to put the versatility in to action Because i am blessed to be able to do so many different styles of music....and play the organ for church, weddings- my tunnel vision and complacency combined with a poor mindset was my demise........its also saving me and launching me faster forward than ever before! and AI will not take over :P