Comments
YDI for being stupid enough to drop out of college for such a dead end dream
You should promote your music. Maybe by revisiting this post of yours and linking us to one of your songs would be a good start.
I was gonna say the same, I know dozens of people who are in bands but their education comes first and they practise and record music alongside college. Why couldn't you do that?
Yeah, I mean Jesus, dropping out for music? That's not even something you NEED to do full time in order to succeed.
Why was #1 buried? It's valid in every way.
um...sell merchandise? Play live? There's a reason the biggest bands on the Earth do shit like that. Do you really expect to make a living off of selling records alone?
#62 - On 12/01/2009 at 4:03pm by Reyo
I salute you, #1. OP is a dumbass.
YDI did anyone besides your firends actually tell you you were any good?
#1, you stole my words!!!!
no one said his music sucks...just his friends do. I feel your pain dude. FYL
Agreed with 1, 44, and 70.
And honestly? It's common sense to think about back ups. Go ahead and do your dream, but minor in something on the side so you might at least have a nice job if shit hits the fan.
why, you go to college to get further education for what you think you want to end up doing.. he already picked it and saved himself some money. If it really doesn't work out, he can pick college back up at any time. It's ALWAYS there.
#93 - On 12/01/2009 at 11:21pm by yehr
Gets more expensive, actually. Inflation as time passes, plus not being eligible for a few scholarships because you're not fresh out of high school, and of course any credits you previously earned disappear after a certain amount of time, so you'll waste plenty of time retaking classes....
YOUR MUSIC IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it is not a dead end dream, i too am a musician, i did not drop out of school becuz imma go to a music school butttt im not going to scold u for doing so.
what type of music do u do? i would love to hear it
Well that was a dumb move. Did you really think your friends would buy enough music to cover your income for the rest of your life?
I agree. I'm assuming you don't have millions of friends, let alone a thousand. You had no reason to drop out of college for such a low amount of people.
YDI for what you did, but you should go after your friends for stealing it if you're that upset about it and think your life if fucked. You know which person bought it and put it up on the site, and you know which other ones stole it, go get em or stop bitching.
actually, that should be the other way round - "I'm assuming you don't have a thousand friends, let alone a million". It's like saying "I'm assuming you don't have even a thousand friends, so you're sure not going to have a million." Saying it the reverse doesn't even make sense.
Actually, it also makes sense to say "I'm assuming you don't have even a thousand friends, so you're sure not going to have a million," because it implies that if he doesn't have a few, how could he have enough to cover his expenses for the rest of his life.
oh man that sucks. i wish you all the best for your album.
I'm sure a ton of people downloaded your album thats why you didn't sell any. YDI for thinking your music was good.
Welcome to the music industry.
And if it was acual money you were after then it's stupid for you to think you could make enough to get by when you're an unknown artists with one album.
I kind of want to buy it now too. I feel bad for the OP.
If it was really that good, people would buy it, share site or not. Get a manager, play your ass off, and if you are good enough you'll sign with someone and have a nice shiny buss.
Agreed. I'm always downloading, but after so many downloads I have no problem buying an album if I like what I'm hearing, especially if the album has songs that aren't on torrent.
YDI for not being prepared.
Whats the link? For the torrent I mean.
Wade Bowen is awesome, one of the best country artists in all of Texas
Risky dream. You tried to go all out, and pretty much lost everything in the process. My recommendation? Try local shows, like open-mic night at bars, and try to promote your album. That would have been a smart first step, but this is your only chance at success now since you went all out, so you might as well try that route.
You can't just trust that your "friends" are going to promote your cd. You spent everything on those cds, so now you should go out and try to make it worth while.
That was pretty shitty of your friends.
But you probably shouldn't have dropped out of college. Now if you don't make it, you'll be screwed.
Bullshit. If anyone was into recording enough to drop out of college or uni they would have been playing for years and would have their own recording gear at home. If anybody is stupid enough to release a fucking LP before an EP or a demo then they deserve it for not getting public perceptions and wasting money on pointless time in a recording studio. YDI idiot.
FYI, a lot of local singing and music schools tend to put false assumptions on people. You remember how on shows like American Idol, you hear a lot of people say they were trained? Well the thing is if you're paying someone 1000s of dollars, they'd probably kiss your ass and call it candy. So a lot of people think they're "good" but in reality, they're just terrible.
Also, music equipments cost a lot of money. In the sum of 10~30k. I don't think a college drop-out would even make close to that much. Especially if he has to drop out for the specific purpose of pursuing his dream.
You can create a home recording studio for a lot less than that. If you have one decent mic and a good digital studio with direct tap input (like Cubase or Logic) then you don't need much more, as the mix desks and so on are all built in. And if you're interested in this stuff at high school level it's highly likely you can access the tech from there and get a student discount. Also, if you're a decent player then you should be able to work with lower quality stuff. Case in point- it takes a helluva lot more effects, work and prodution time to make Britney Spears sound decent than Queen Latifah.
I agree that it was a misguided thing to do, but it's probably more expensive in terms of the education lost than the recording equipment.
You really believe that if anyone is into recording and performing music enough to drop out of college that they have been pursuing their dream for years in advance and are already set up and capable of doing professional quality work themselves? That is pretty ignorant. Hell I know people who dropped out of college to sit in their garage and make pottery. Doesn't mean it was the right choice, but people make stupid choices all of the time. This OP definitely made a bad choice, that alone points to the idea that it is most likely not bullshit to begin with.
OP: At least you are getting some exposure. More people will hear your music by pirating it online and come to see live shows and buy albums than if you just play at some local venues. Now days it's a good way to get your name out there. It sucks for you in the sense that you won't profit much, but in the music industry you will be lucky if you ever make it far enough to get a real profit anyhow. If you are doing it for love of the music and not for the money then don't worry about it.

u let ur friends buy ur cd? give them am copy for free, sell it to the strangers...
REAL friends will pay the $5 for a cd you spent $10k on if they really like it. Hell, they should do that even if they don't.
#28 - On 12/01/2009 at 9:48am by phatdaddy
I call BS on this. Looks to me like a representative of the RIAA found fmylife and decided this would be a good playing ground for their political agenda.
YDI for dropping out of college. You could've easily released that album while continuing your education.
thats BS.. I know nothing about the music industry but I know of better ways to promote an album rather than just "release" it..I cant believe that as a musician, you dont know ways on how to market yourself as an artist. I thing YDI for being unprepared and unresourceful.
besides, selling ur album doesnt mean you have to do it all in one day, maybe you just sold one now but market yourself well and who knows, dont feel defeated just because of today or whenever you released the album
Why would you charge your friends for your crappy cd? You know they are obligated to listen to it, now you're making them pay too? get a job
YDI for dropping out of college - nuff said.
Don't listen to these assholes, dude. I agree you probably shouldn't have dropped out of college, but it's definitely cool that you are pursuing your dream. Keep it up, and get some better friends.
It's stupid to start as a noname right away with a cd. You should first get popular on the internet, then sell it.
YDI for doing really stupid things.
FLY, but now that your in this situation, dont become a prefab superstar
Turn your "friends" into the RIAA. They'll make those fucking pirates walk the plank. They are so tough that pirates are moving away from stealing music for the less-stressful task of hijacking supertankers.
In an age where we are constantly surrounded by thousands of new music artists, music genres, and everything in between, it is no surprise that you were unsuccessful. Without knowing the specifics of your situation, OP, you probably should have sought wise counsel and taken a demo/EP of your music to someone in the industry (or someone who promotes music) and get their professional opinion. If your music is truly a "breakthrough" or a "worthwhile investment," that person could potentially hook you up with some cash and/or a connection to someone in the industry with a bit more clout.
I honestly think YDI for not doing enough research and for rushing into this decision without a contingency plan of sorts. While I think your "friends" should support your music regardless what it may sound like, you cannot rely solely on them to get the ball rolling.
YDI for not thinking this through. I'm fairly certain it's possible to release a CD while in school, and I'm also fairly certain it would be possible to get reviews from people other than your friends-- that is, people who won't spare you the truth about what needs work. Go back to school and learn your lesson about researching and finding proper critics.
You don't make money from CD sales dumbass, you promote yourself with them. Then once you get noticed, you make money from playing gigs. And you call yourself a musician?
#31 - On 12/01/2009 at 10:31am by Rota
actually... once you're successful... you do make a hella lot of money from CD sales.
No you don't, specially cause people have been stealing music all over. Artists make good money out of concerts, not out of CD sales.
I have a friend that is an amateur musician as well. But when he makes a song, he sends it to me for free to listen and see what I think. Because since we are FRIENDS he doesn't expect me to pay. That's what FRIENDS do. Your friends supported your music dream, and in return you're demanding 10 bucks from each of them. Try being less selfish.
Well, if you released the album today, you should be happy you have the one sale that you do. It takes a while.
you really should not have dropped out of college, you should have back up options. And in regards to music sharing sites....well now you know why music artists and music labels fight to close those sites.
Sucks huh, to have put your heart and soul into an album then have everyone download it for free??
#35 - On 12/01/2009 at 11:20am by patticake1601
My advice is to compose some unoriginal lyrics, start rapping, and add heavy autotune to every song. You'll be rolling in millions in no time.
#36 - On 12/01/2009 at 11:33am by shaister
Well, you shouldn't expect your friends to pay retail for the CD, especially if they gave you advice or helped them with it. It's December - give your friends free copies as an early xmas gift. No good friend should make profit off of another friend. Yea, maybe ask them for the 25 cents or whatever the actual CD manufacturing cost, but don't ask for the other $9.75 that will just be going into your pocket.
Try promoting your music online (for free) first. No one will buy your album if no one knows who you are.
And, YDI for dropping out of school. I, for one, doubt that you dropped out solely to pursue a music career. Maybe you didn't like school, and that's your excuse for giving up on it. If you're really that busy, go on reduced course load, or pick an easy major. You can play gigs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. You can go to class during the weekdays, and record music the other nights of the week, and still have the weekend afternoons off to just hang out. And, if you sold only one CD, I'm going to go out on a limb and doubt that you're playing any live performances, so that leaves every night of the week to work on your music.
Being a musician while in college isn't any more difficult than working part time while in college, which is something that most of us handle without any problems.

You've obviously never put out an album before. I've put out 3 full-length albums and a handful of demos. They've typically cost anywhere from $3,000-$6,000, depending on the quality of the recording and another $1,200 for the first batch of 1000 CDs. Let's say it took $5,000 to record and manufacture to first batch. In order to recover the costs of the recording and the initial batch of CDs, one must sell 500 CDs at $10 each, or 1,000 CDs at $5 each. PROFIT does not occur until the expenses are paid off. So when you say, "No good friend should make profit off of another friend," you are completely wrong. He wouldn't profit until he sold at least 500 CDs.
You tell me who sounds like the worse friend:
a) The person who charges $10 for a CD he spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours writing and recording.
b) The person who sees how much effort and money their friend puts into his life's dream but, rather than supporting that friend by spending a measly $10 on a CD, expects free stuff from him...
If you said A, it's because you are a douchebag.
#45 - On 12/01/2009 at 1:15pm by phatdaddy
c) the person who uses music only as a means to make money
#52 - On 12/01/2009 at 2:25pm by grv
d) Someone who judges people they don't know based on their desired occupation.
You have to take risks to reap the rewards. This guy may be the next John Mayer for all we know. No matter what you think about his music, you'd give just about anything to make a good living doing what you love.
#65 - On 12/01/2009 at 4:20pm by phatdaddy
Yes, I understand it's messed up what his friends did, and he's probably taking a big loss on this, but how can you honestly say it's not at least partially his fault? He could've instead recorded an EP or something while attending college instead of putting out a full CD. He took a huge risk here, and maybe he paid more of a price than he should've (I mean it's pretty awful that his friends betrayed him like that), but that still doesn't take away from the fact that he took a HUGE risk. I mean going into the music buisness is already risky, but with a plan like this? It's almost suicide. I honestly can't feel THAT bad for him, because the way he went about putting out this album seems pretty moronic
I empathize with the guy, because i've been there. I was financially stable, and paid for my albums with disposable income, but I've never been able to recover those losses, and have had very few friends that have actually bought a CD from me, saying $10 is "too much for a local band's CD" even though my last full-length album was professionally recorded, mixed, mastered, designed and manufactured, and would not be distinguishable from a major label album to the average listener. Still, have only had a handful of friends buy the CD.
#109 - On 12/03/2009 at 4:01pm by phatdaddy
That's just the start. You've got to get out and promote, promote, promote.
That being said, I still don't get enough to cover my guitar upkeep costs, which is why I'm not risking recording an album just yet.
*Insert shameless plug here*
What makes you think that you can drop out of college for music when huge rockstars can barely make money anymore? You can't beat the internet. YDI totally for being delusional.
That's what it feels like to all the people who you have no doubt done that to by downloading their stuff. Sucks, doesn't it?
And don't tell me you haven't, it's one of those things everybody does and nobody admits.
I'm gonna call YDI on this, since you released it out in Hippie-run California.
That is all, good night.
First, go to the Library and look up some books on a few different subjects:
Sound - recording and reproducing (for home studio needs)
Music trade - which will be over in the 780.23 non-fiction section where you will find titles like:
'The Musician's Handbook: a practical guide to understanding the music business.'
Second, make efforts to get an internship with one of the tentpoles of the music industry. Example: Recording Engineers work with musicians, and managers, and labels etc all the time; maybe try to get work in a studio. While you are learning the ropes you can meet invaluable contacts. Really, there'a a lot of advice out there but get around the people who are actually making things happen, even if that market is small scale at the time. Find someone to mentor you.
you have horrible friends. Sorry man.
good going :) you can do this!!
but your friends suck a bit.
What kind of music do you play? Do you have a website?
FYL indeed... man, that's horrible of your "friends" since they knew how much money and effort you put into this. If I got an album out and could I'd give it for free to my closest friends, but if I were broke as you seem to be saying you are, I'd definitely expect the support from those who implied they would give it! I do try to get free music as much as I can, but when I'm really a fan of someone, I get their original albums even if I don't know them... I'd definitely support a friend. Sorry to hear that, but hey, if you're dedicated I'm sure you can make money without your "friends'" support. :)
#51 - On 12/01/2009 at 2:14pm by csd
1) You shouldn't have dropped out of college (My bf is a musician, he works 40 hrs a week, I help him promote his music, & he plays shows when he isn't working)
2) Your "friends" should have told you before uploading your cd to a sharing site, but then again you should want as many people as possible to hear your music.
3) You can't go from nothing to rich & famous. It's a lot of work. Like someone else said you aren't going to be able to make money off your friends. Burn cds like crazy just to get your music out there.
4) Releasing your first cd shouldn't cost that much money. You act like your friends convinced you to drop out of school. Think for yourself.
Here's my BF= http://www.myspace.com/listentotravisbrooks
perdix, usually I love your comments but the RIAA can't even shut down p2p. their useless, because even if the OP's friends were reported the sharing site (probably bittorrent) doesn't have to give up their IP address. the OP can't prove it was them.
If the OP gives the RIAA the names and addresses of the so-called "friends" who pirated his CD, they don't need no steenking proof!
I'd bet those bastards would make the crooks life unpleasant enough that they're not going steal the OP's next CD (if there ever is one (which I doubt there will be)).
"I dropped out of college to pay for it..."
''after my friends who liked my music urged me to...''
That totally sux. I always buy my friends stuff when they take risks like this, it's common courtesy. I recommend you sue for copyright infringement and emotional damages. On the bright side you know exactly where the infringed material is.
I take it you're american?
"something went wrong because I'm a retard. LET'S SUE EVERYONE NEAR ME!!!!!11111"
*sigh* prejudice is alive and well i see...good for you.
Well seeing as you are a nobody you might get some exposure through the p2p sites. And after that you might sell some records so you might have to thank those deadbeat friends of yours later on.
Anyone could've told you that this wouldn't have worked out. Nobody buys CDs anymore. It's all illegal downloading and stuff. Even if you're good, no CDs will be sold unless you get big and do CD signing
YDI for charging for music. Give it away and get money from live shows.
Don't give be that "Art should be free to the world" bullshit. Do you know how much it costs to make a good CD? THOUSANDS. How do you recoup those losses? SELLING them.
Wouldn't the world be great if everyone gave away everything they worked for?
NO! Because then no one would have a reason to work for anything.
#112 - On 12/04/2009 at 1:38pm by phatdaddy
And he should give away CDs and make money playing live shows? Where the hell do you think most small-time musicians make most of their money at shows? Certainly not from the clubs that screw them out of every dollar they can. CD and Merch sales are the primary source of revenue for local musicians, and you're telling this guy he deserves to get ripped off by his friends for selling a product he spent THOUSANDS of dollars, and HUNDREDS of hours working on?
F*** you.
#113 - On 12/04/2009 at 1:43pm by phatdaddy
YDI for dropping out on college and counting on a career in the music business so reclessly. You listened to your friends who told you they 'liked' your music, pshh you need a professional opinion before you should make your own music album or at least oyu need some real fans. I don't know much about the music industry but even I could have known this was going bad from the start.
Look on the bright side... the college that produces the most billionaires is Harvard. The college producing the second largest number of billionaires isn't a college at all, but rather dropouts.
Oh my god, I didn't know such idiots existed.
I mean, come on. COLLEGE.
You just spent 12-13 years in school trying to GET INTO a college so you could do something with your life, and just dropped out to sell a CD your friend said was good?
Please, be a troll. There is no way this cannot be a troll....... If not, there goes my faith in humanity.....
Dropping out of college sems a *BIT* extreme. My cousin's girlfriend goes to college, works a job and finds time to practice and promote her music when she isn't studying. I'm sorry you made such a dumb move, because there isn't really much money in the music industry anymore and it should really be something you do on the side until you are 100% sure you can support yourself. If she makes it big one day my cousin's gf might quit her job, but never until she is totally sure she can support herself.
Good luck being a bum who lives with their mom and can't get a date.
If he lives in America he just spent 12-13 years in school because the law requires it. Not everyone who goes to school wants to go to college. Not that it is a good choice, it's merely a fact.
you're a moron for dropping out of college for whatever reason... unless you actually get signed by at least a small record company, it's nearly impossible to make it... YDI
dude that was an example of peer pressure ydi
I say fyl, illegal downloading these days...
It was a risk, but seriously, you shouldn't care if they're you're friends. What they have done is illegal and they should be punished accordingly.
Hi,
This is an expensive way to find out your friends are really nice and supportive …
Think of music as just another business. Any "respectable" business should have a "plan" somewhere in the beginning :)
For you, as a starting musician / businessman advertising is crucial. Basically you should have uploaded the album by yourself. Music, once recorded becomes "infinite goods". What you should strive to create is a crowd of fans. Once you are there you can sell the "scarce goods" like tickets to your concerts, CDs with your signature etc…, T-Shirts. Basically you should provide a reason to buy.
So in order to become a successful artist you should:
1. First and most important: create quality music
2. Almost equally important: manage the business / build a fan base and offer them reasons to buy.
YDI for starting just like that …
YDI for doing what others tell you to and not thinking with your own head …
YDI for not staying in school …
PS: for all those grammar trolls out there: I don’t live in an English speaking country :))))

you can sue the site and them.
only if it was copyrighted, which im guessing not becuz this is his first CD.
Oh let me tell you what. its ok to drop out of college to do music but its because you love it not because your friends likes them. all you want is fame you don't love music. alicia keys dropped out of colombia university so she could do music but she ain't stupid, she was a valedictorian at her high school. so yeah, listen to your heart, not other people. for the forum, sue them!
All of you that are criticizing the OP for dropping out of college really need to understand the situation:
As stupid as he (obviously) is, he probably wasn't getting anything accomplished in college anyway... just taking up space and wasting precious resources there. So it actually is better for everyone that he gave up and left.
your assuming. Don't be such an ass. He probably wanted to persue his dream. It's not the end of the world. He can always go back to college if it doesn't work. But i agree with the other person who said, he should have done it on the side and stayed in college for backup.
#94 - On 12/01/2009 at 11:27pm by yehr
I agree. There definitely seems to be more to the story than just he dropped out because he thought he would make millions off his CD. If you're doing well in school, you're not going to throw away all the work you've already put into it just on a whim. My guess is that the OP wasn't that far from flunking out or dropping out anyway, and is using music as an excuse.
As for your friends; Do you really expect to be able to support yourself based solely on your friends buying your music? Do you really want your friends to be buying your music out of an obligation to you and pity towards you, rather than a genuine appreciation of your music? Unless you're the most popular person in the world, you're going to need to sell mostly to strangers in order to make enough money to support yourself, so who cares if a few friends cheaped out on you?
I am currently starting to break into the music industry myself, but I am also currently in school. Recording an album (in my case a mixtape) is difficult to balance with school, but not impossible. Sure dropping out frees up your time more, but you have to be pretty sure of yourself and your plan of action to go into music with no backup plan. And honestly, you're planning was pretty bad here. You made a CD expecting that people, including your friends, would all buy it just like that. Instead of going straight to selling a CD, you should've released a few songs, promoted yourself, gotten a strong fanbase, THEN sold a CD. You can't just go on blind faith. Yes it absolutely sucks that your friends did that, but even if they hadn't done it, friends alone couldn't have supported you. This is all on you because it was your choice to let them convince you to drop out. I would LOVE to become successful as a musician. I don't even care if I become famous, I just want to be successful enough to support myself. But I know that it's a hard gig, and I having an education won't hurt if I can't make it.

HAHA you're supposed to give your friends free copies you douche, YDI.
#92 - On 12/01/2009 at 10:51pm by bored690
No, douche. Your friends are supposed to support your dreams, not hinder them. If you've ever spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours writing, recording, and producing an album, you wouldn't be giving it away, either.
#111 - On 12/04/2009 at 1:33pm by phatdaddy
This is why you have to come up with a strategy to sell your CD.
Also, I agree with everyone else who say OP is an idiot for dropping out of college.
OP: Go back to school and make something of yourself, obvi you're not going to make it in the music biz.
.... 8[
wow
...just wow
not cool
:c
Rob, being in the music industry is damn hard. With all the competition and music pirating now, its going to be hard to make a living off it. Your album cant be just 'average' and will need to 'perfect', in order to compete with the people out there today. Its also risky, say if no one likes your music no one will buy your albums, which is why its good to have a back up plan and get a degree. If your music career doesn't work out you can fall back to the job your degree can get, to live on.
Thats why im majoring in two majors, small business making and human resource management. If i fail at making a profitable business, im going to go into marketing.
Hope everything works out in your life. :)
Fuck you music company employee! Try to make us feel guilty for using superior dispersal methods.
You didn't think this through well...
The end result was deserving I guess.
#104 - On 12/02/2009 at 6:20am by Soloblackdude
Your life sucks and you deserve it.
For starters, you didn't need to drop out of college. I'm going to go on a limb here and say you were really desperate for the money.
Second, your friends suck. Music piracy? You probably download free music yourself, so you know what they say, what goes around, comes around.
Third, you're using FML as a means to promote yourself. You probably made this story up, but now people will be all sympathetic and buy your album out of pity. Shame on you.
Most of the money for a musician just starting in the business comes from touring and shows anyway, even if they get signed to a decent label.
you only have one solution. Kill the motherfucker who ripped your album to the internet. fuck music pirates.
can we have a link to the music?
you fail how do u have a computer if u have no money and the reason u don't have a link is because there was no music
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