Let me be straight up, I'm pursing internet entrepreneurship because the industry sux

theonlybman

theonlybman

New member
For those of you that don't know me which is probably all of you let me introduce myself. My name is Brian Liebman (I know doesn't sound very hip hop, and yeah I am a white kid from that suburbs) and I've been off and on these boards for about 6 years. My dream and my passion is music, but music is something that if I only want to pursue if I know I can go all the way with it. In other words, I don't want to be a musician if that means there will be creative limits on what I can do, I'd rather just do music on my own time and make money doing something else.

When I look at the industry nowadays, I see creative limits just about everywhere, and I see the best acts getting lost while a lot of really junk rehash acts are blowing up. I could spend all day naming names, but as we all know the game has changed and the industry isn't looking for the next Kurt Cobain, they're looking for a Kurt Cobain rehash. Just like the industry basically forced Lady Gaga into being a rehash of Madonna. I don't think I even need to mention how the revenue model has all but collapsed and even online sharing services like Spotify can't help but hemorrage money even when they've got millions of users.

Even my buddy from college SuperTanzi is making what I honestly think is some of the dopest shit around, and yet there is basically no avenue for him to progress.

Although I did see Anna Wise from Soony Moon make it on Kendrick Lamar's album who I knew of in college, so maybe there is some real hope.

Anyway, I've taken some serious time off from pursing my music career to work on a content discovery grid called FuturEchoes. I really don't know if this thing will succeed for a variety of reasons, but getting this far has been an incredible learning experience and I know that if I ever go back to the music industry, what I've learned from this project will serve me well if that time ever comes.

Has anyone here considered making a similar career shift?

Does anyone here think that the music industry right now is dead man's land and anyone with real creative ambitions?

Does anyone think within my youth (I'm 22), that real opportunity will re-emerge in the music industry?

Also, does anyone need a website designed for a good price (not trying to plug, but if I've got your attention why not)?

Thanks for listening FP
 
my teacher (who's also a web designer/musician) straight up told his class...consisting of ALL audio students, to GIVE UP pursuing a career in music b/c its so overly saturated, piracy is rampant & there's no REAL money in it except in shows...needless to say, a lot of them was pissed. he's proly just disgruntled on his success.
 
My quick rough feedback on Futurechoes... need to make the design slicker... opportunity to integrate within facebook, twitter, tumblr etc to share content with more ease.

Could be the pinterest of web items... basically you are sharing your favourite...

Question : how to make sure that people are going to check and spread the word ?

monetization ? : people needing traffic toward their page could pay you for display

Idea is quite interresting but prolly has to be developped further.

Otherwise back on topic, I'm making a similar move so that I can maybe come back to music later with tools to make it successful. Ultimately, music is going to be completely financed by corporations I believe. The era of the musician-employee.
 
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so you're basically saying:

Music money is hard nowadays, leme make a website...

I think you should be very honest with yourself, with your skills, and your passions

because there is no easy money industry, and if it seems easy to you to run a successful website i think you need to learn some more about that stuff

i recommend the six figure second income, its a dude tellin you the ins and outs of running a successful website
 
The internet is probably just as saturated if not more than the music business. Living in California the amount of web designers/IT/Engineers etc and Start ups is ridiculous. The competition is even crazier because many of these people have advanced degree's or dropped out of school while pursuing an advanced degree. If you stop focusing so much on the money part on just do what you want while finding a job that supports you , you'll be alright but if your whole goal is to become well off or make a living off music while doing nothing else then forget it. Kanye worked at the Gap while making beats. If you give up you know the result.
 
iambase said:
My quick rough feedback on Futurechoes... need to make the design slicker... opportunity to integrate within facebook, twitter, tumblr etc to share content with more ease.

Could be the pinterest of web items... basically you are sharing your favourite...

Question : how to make sure that people are going to check and spread the word ?

monetization ? : people needing traffic toward their page could pay you for display

Idea is quite interresting but prolly has to be developped further.

Otherwise back on topic, I'm making a similar move so that I can maybe come back to music later with tools to make it successful. Ultimately, music is going to be completely financed by corporations I believe. The era of the musician-employee.
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First off let just say thanks for the feedback. It's like gold to me.

I think you are right about the design, just pondering over how exactly I want to go about it right now.
It's already very well integrated with Facebook and Twitter (though not Tumblr or Pinterest, so good there, I'll see what I can do about that), but basically what I did was I noticed that there are like 100000 share buttons next to every piece of content on the web, so I simplified the whole thing and there's just one share button in the top-right corner. Perhaps its too far ahead of its time, because it doesn't follow convention but we'll see.

As to the points on engagement and monetization, I've got plans, but I don't want to get into it right now. PM me if you really want to know.


I really hope you are wrong about your musician-employee predictions, but I don't see what could possibly break up the current trend, so I've got to agree.

The way I see it is this: if you want fast *******, and work parties at the 40/40 and you don't want to have to call your boss 'sir.'
Then the music industry is still probably for you, but if you want creative freedom or you have big ambitions to set some kind of trend, then it's best to look elsewhere.
 
Beat Off said:
The internet is probably just as saturated if not more than the music business. Living in California the amount of web designers/IT/Engineers etc and Start ups is ridiculous. The competition is even crazier because many of these people have advanced degree's or dropped out of school while pursuing an advanced degree. If you stop focusing so much on the money part on just do what you want while finding a job that supports you , you'll be alright but if your whole goal is to become well off or make a living off music while doing nothing else then forget it. Kanye worked at the Gap while making beats. If you give up you know the result.
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The thing is when Kanye was working at the gap, it was still a real dream to be able to make your own album and have it blow up. Now, the industry has little incentive to make great albums and when they do come out they usually get passed on (Kendrick is a rare exception), so without a healthy industry to support artists, the dream begins to look like a fantasy.

If you disagree with this pessimism, then I hope you're right. Even if what I'm saying is true, it may not even justify a change of path. What I'm saying is for me personally, I find it hard to imagine the grind paying off. Kendrick's new album has given me some real hope, but even stars like J Cole can't even do what they want, and even top notch talent like Janelle Monae are considered a financial liability. It all sums up to me saying forget about it for now, I'm gonna see what else I can do.

I'm not in it for the money at all, I just want the energy. It seems like internet entrepreneurs are the new rock stars are pathetic as that sounds. If Zuckerberg has even an drop of swag he's be nailing Kim K if he wanted to.

The internet market is pretty saturated, but the internet is a lot younger than the music industry so there's a lot of room for improvement, and as far as I can tell it's still anyone's game if they really go at it.

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BJv said:
Internet entrepreneurship, that shit is even deader than music
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Not sure why you think so, are we talking about the .com crash here? Can you elaborate?

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DjPolair said:
so you're basically saying:

Music money is hard nowadays, leme make a website...

I think you should be very honest with yourself, with your skills, and your passions

because there is no easy money industry, and if it seems easy to you to run a successful website i think you need to learn some more about that stuff

i recommend the six figure second income, its a dude tellin you the ins and outs of running a successful website
Click to expand...


Nah, not money, just the chance to make an impact. It has more to do with how narrow what is considered 'mainstream' music has become more than anything. I've talked a lot about the industry here, but it also has to do with what role music plays in our culture now. The two are tied together obviously.

The way I see it there's two ways to make an impact: become popular in mainstream culture, or be part of a counter-cultural movement. Hip hop was a counter-cultural movement, but it became mainstream in the late 90's. Dub-step and electronica are in the process of becoming mainstream.

You show me a counter-cultural movement that's rising, and I'll be there making music or whatever, but right now, the best we've got is Occupy, and I don't even know what to call that. So, what I'm working on with FuturEchoes is to create a format on the web that expands the mainstream a bit by throwing a little bit of everything together. The internet is too culturally divided, i.e. there are too many disconntected niche subculture sites, and then there's just this mass of corporate mainstream stuff, I just want to provide a little bit of cohesion.
 
Internet entrepreneur? LMAO!

Just go to school, get a degree, get a job and settle for less like the masses. You can always pick up a coke habit or have an affair to spice things up.

Life is too short to be chasing dreams. The happiest people are the ones that are ignorant. They don't know what they are missing out on so they are just happy with whatever.

Dumb down to be happy.
 
Got the degree, Boston University, so I'm not worried about that.

I say the opposite, life is too short not to go for it all, why waste it drunk and dumb. It's all about passion!
 
Dude, You sound like a failure just give up you've already planted that seed of doubt in your head. instead of worrying about what other people are doing. develop your skills find something you love and go hard at it don't worry about the money just do it.

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Desire Inspires said:
Internet entrepreneur? LMAO!

Just go to school, get a degree, get a job and settle for less like the masses. You can always pick up a coke habit or have an affair to spice things up.

Life is too short to be chasing dreams. The happiest people are the ones that are ignorant. They don't know what they are missing out on so they are just happy with whatever.

Dumb down to be happy.
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Cosign....
 
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Desire Inspires said:
Internet entrepreneur? LMAO!

Just go to school, get a degree, get a job and settle for less like the masses. You can always pick up a coke habit or have an affair to spice things up.

Life is too short to be chasing dreams. The happiest people are the ones that are ignorant. They don't know what they are missing out on so they are just happy with whatever.

Dumb down to be happy.
Click to expand...

Wise words like this is rarely spoken on this forums!
 
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theonlybman said:
Got the degree, Boston University, so I'm not worried about that.

I say the opposite, life is too short not to go for it all, why waste it drunk and dumb. It's all about passion!
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Well if you have a degree, get a job! Entrepeneurship is a gamble. If you got the money and time, go for it. But you don't have the money and time. Stop living these fantasies. Work is nothing to be passionate about.
 
Desire Inspires said:
Well if you have a degree, get a job! Entrepeneurship is a gamble. If you got the money and time, go for it. But you don't have the money and time. Stop living these fantasies. Work is nothing to be passionate about.
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Life is a gamble nothing is a certain jobs aren't certain its whatever "YOU MAKE IT" and you only get one life, **** living a safe life you going to die anyways whats the point go all out while your here.
 
unique osmosis said:
Life is a gamble nothing is a certain jobs aren't certain its whatever "YOU MAKE IT" and you only get one life, **** living a safe life you going to die anyways whats the point go all out while your here.
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Boy, you ain't taking no risks. If you are, they are dumb risks that won't bring you any money.

Why do cats always talk about risks when they are bumbling around and goofing off? Go ahead and play games in life. You better be ready to get real serious
 
Haha.... I never said be a fool and take risks, I'm going to quote from my man "Muhammad Ali "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
 
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Desire Inspires said:
Well if you have a degree, get a job! Entrepeneurship is a gamble. If you got the money and time, go for it. But you don't have the money and time. Stop living these fantasies. Work is nothing to be passionate about.
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Hahaha oh man this cracks me up:cool: The man has my back after all.

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Money fine, I wouldn't take risks for money, but pussy, well that's a different story.:cheers:
 
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