Should I keep trying to make this work or pivot to something else in music (or leave entirely)?

We need to talk about the question that keeps you up at night.

You’re three years into gigging every weekend, but your bank account looks the same as when you started. Or you’ve been producing for five years, gotten some decent placements, but still can’t quit your day job. Maybe you’re a session musician watching younger players book the gigs you used to get.

The question isn’t whether you’re talented enough. It’s whether you should keep pushing forward, pivot to a different corner of the music industry, or walk away entirely.

This isn’t a motivational post telling you to “just believe in yourself.” This is about making clear-headed decisions about your creative career when the path forward isn’t obvious.

The music industry has fundamentally changed. Streaming pays fractions of pennies. Social media demands you become a content creator on top of being a musician. The cost of living has skyrocketed while gig pay has stayed flat for a decade.

But here’s the paradox: there are also more opportunities than ever before. You can release music without a label, teach globally via Zoom, score films from your bedroom, and build an audience without gatekeepers.

The problem isn’t lack of opportunity. It’s that the opportunities are scattered, constantly shifting, and often require skills you never expected to need.

So how do you know when to persist, when to pivot, and when to walk away?

Before we dive into specific scenarios, ask yourself these three questions honestly:

1. Am I actually making progress, or am I stuck in a loop?

Progress doesn’t always mean more money or fame. It means you’re learning, building skills, expanding your network, and creating opportunities that didn’t exist before. Being stuck means you’re repeating the same year over and over, hoping for different results.

2. Is this sustainable for my mental health and relationships?

Passion can’t compensate for chronic stress, financial anxiety that never ends, or relationships that suffer because you’re always broke and stressed. There’s a difference between healthy sacrifice and slow-burn destruction.

3. Do I still love the music itself, or am I chasing a lifestyle/identity?

Sometimes we hold onto music careers because we can’t imagine being anything else, not because we still love making music. That’s identity attachment, not passion.

Let’s walk through actual situations facing independent musicians right now.

Scenario 1: The Gigging Musician Hitting a Ceiling

The Situation: You’re a working musician playing 2-4 gigs per week. You’ve been doing this for 3-5 years. You make enough to scrape by, but you’re not building savings, and you see no clear path to earning more. The same venues, the same pay, the same hustle.

Red Flags:

• Gig rates haven’t increased in years
• You’re not getting called for higher-paying private events
• Your network isn’t expanding
• You feel tired before you even start the gig

Path Forward Options:

Option A: Strategic Pivot Within Performing

Focus on the highest-paying niches in your area. Corporate events, weddings, and private parties often pay 2-5x what bar gigs pay. This requires:

• • Upgrading your presentation (website, promo materials, stage presence)
  • Networking with event planners and wedding coordinators
  • Possibly adjusting your setlist to what these markets want
  • Learning to price yourself appropriately and communicate value

Option B: Leverage Your Performance Skills Into Teaching

The best gigging musicians often become the best teachers because they know what actually works in real performance situations. Consider:

• • Private lessons (in-person or online)
  • Group workshops or masterclasses
  • Creating online course content
  • Partnering with music schools or teaching platforms

This doesn’t mean stopping performing—it means creating income stability that lets you be selective about gigs.

Option C: Transition to Music Direction/Contracting

If you’re connected and organized, become the person who books and manages other musicians. Build a roster, handle the client relationships, and take a percentage. Your performance experience makes you credible; your hustle makes you effective.

Scenario 2: The Producer/Beatmaker Struggling to Break Through

The Situation: You’ve been producing for years. You have a solid catalog, maybe some placements or collaborations, but you’re not getting consistent work or income. You’re caught between pursuing your artistic vision and making “commercial” beats that might sell.

Red Flags:

• You’re making beats in isolation without real feedback loops
• Your outreach to artists gets ignored or leads nowhere
• You’re stuck in “one more course/plugin” syndrome
• You resent making the kind of music that might actually pay

Path Forward Options:

Option A: Niche Down Aggressively

General “hip-hop producer” or “electronic music producer” is too broad. The producers making consistent money often dominate a specific micro-niche:

• • Gospel trap beats
  • Afrobeats/Amapiano
  • Meditation/wellness music for content creators
  • Video game soundtracks
  • Podcast intro/outro music

Pick one, become undeniably skilled at it, and own that space. Build a portfolio, engage with that specific community, and become the go-to person.

Option B: Focus on Direct Service Work

Stop waiting for placements and start offering specific production services:

• • Mixing and mastering for indie artists
  • Beat customization services
  • Sound design for content creators and filmmakers
  • Production coaching for bedroom producers
  • Sample pack creation

These are direct exchanges of skill for money, not hoping someone discovers your beat tape.

Option C: Combine Production with Content Creation

The producers gaining visibility are documenting their process. Not because they love social media, but because it works:

• • Beat-making process videos
  • Mixing tutorials showcasing your work
  • Sound breakdown videos
  • Production challenges

This builds an audience and attracts both clients and opportunities. It’s uncomfortable if you’re introverted, but it’s effective.

Scenario 3: The Band Facing Reality

The Situation: Your band has been together for years. You’ve released music, played regional shows, maybe even done small tours. But streaming income is negligible, show attendance isn’t growing, and you’re all getting older with increasing responsibilities.

Red Flags:

• Band members are increasingly unavailable or uncommitted
• Financial losses on every tour
• Creative disagreements are becoming personal conflicts
• You’re playing to smaller crowds than three years ago
• The drive to practice and create new material is fading

Path Forward Options:

Option A: Honest Conversation and Reset

Get everyone in a room and have the uncomfortable talk:

• • What does success actually look like for each person?
  • What’s everyone realistically willing to sacrifice?
  • Should this become a “serious hobby” rather than a career pursuit?

Sometimes acknowledging that the band won’t be a full-time career lifts enormous pressure and lets you enjoy making music together again without the stress.

Option B: Strategic Partial Pivot

Maybe the full band as a touring/recording project isn’t sustainable, but elements of it are:

• • Lead singer develops solo acoustic project for steady gig work
  • Guitarist offers session work and teaches
  • Drummer joins cover bands that actually pay
  • You still write and release music together, but without the pressure

Option C: Leverage What You’ve Built

You’ve spent years developing skills beyond just playing. Use them:

• • Event production and promotion
  • Recording and producing other local bands
  • Music photography and videography
  • Running a local music venue or booking shows
  • Artist management or consulting

Your band experience gives you credibility and understanding that others don’t have.

Scenario 4: The DJ Watching the Market Shift

The Situation: You’ve built a decent DJ career with regular club/event bookings. But the scene is changing—younger DJs work for less, venues are cutting budgets, and everyone expects you to have a massive social media presence.

Red Flags:

• Your booking rate is declining
• You’re competing primarily on price rather than value
• Technology has changed and you haven’t kept up
• You dread promoting yourself on social media
• The scene feels less creative and more transactional

Path Forward Options:

Option A: Specialize in Underserved Markets

Instead of competing for nightclub slots, dominate niches where experience and professionalism matter:

• • Corporate events and conferences
  • Luxury weddings and destination events
  • Nonprofit galas and fundraisers
  • High-end restaurant residencies
  • Private collector and art world events

These clients pay significantly more and value reliability over Instagram followers.

Option B: Transition to Music Supervision/Curation

Your ability to read rooms and understand how music affects atmosphere is valuable beyond DJing:

• • Music consulting for restaurants and retail
  • Playlist curation services
  • Brand music strategy
  • Radio or podcast programming
  • Music supervision for events and experiences

Option C: Educational and Workshop Route

Teach the skills you’ve developed:

• • DJ lessons and courses
  • Music industry workshops
  • Production techniques for DJs
  • Building a DJ business masterclass
  • Consulting for aspiring DJs

The market for education is often more stable than performance.

Scenario 5: The Session Musician Feeling Expendable

The Situation: You’ve been doing session work—recording, touring with other artists, pit orchestra work. The gigs were steady for years, but now they’re drying up. Remote recording, younger musicians, and tighter budgets are cutting into your work.

Red Flags:

• Clients are asking for significant rate cuts
• You’re being replaced by remote session players
• Gigs that used to be live are now tracked/programmed
• Your phone rings less each year
• You feel your skills are being devalued

Path Forward Options:

Option A: Become Unavoidably Excellent at One Thing

In a competitive market, being good at everything means you’re replaceable. Being exceptional at one specific thing makes you irreplaceable:

• • Master a rare or unique instrument
  • Develop a signature sound that clients specifically request
  • Become the person known for sight-reading anything perfectly
  • Specialize in a specific genre or style so deeply that you’re the first call

Option B: Add Production/Arrangement to Your Services

Don’t just play what they put in front of you—help create it:

• • Offer arrangement services alongside session work
  • Develop production skills to become more involved in the creative process
  • Learn mixing/mastering to offer complete packages
  • Become a musical director, not just a hired gun

Option C: Build Your Own Projects

Stop being only a sideman:

• • Launch your own recording projects
  • Create instructional content showcasing your expertise
  • Develop a signature sound library or sample packs
  • Build an online presence that attracts opportunities instead of chasing them

Let’s address what many won’t: sometimes the healthiest choice is to step away from professional music while keeping it in your life recreationally.

This isn’t failure. It’s recognizing that:

• Financial stability matters for long-term wellbeing
• Your identity isn’t just “musician”
• You can love music without needing it to pay your bills
• Burnout destroys the joy that made you start in the first place

What this might look like:

• Taking a “normal” job while writing and recording on your own timeline
• Joining a weekend band that plays for fun, not income
• Producing music as a serious hobby without the pressure of monetization
• Volunteering in music education or community programs
• Supporting other musicians through non-musical work that sustains the scene

Some of the happiest former full-time musicians I know made this choice. They stopped stressing about playlist placements and started enjoying making music again. They stopped resenting the industry and started appreciating the art.

Leaving professionally doesn’t mean:

• You failed or weren’t good enough
• You can never return if circumstances change
• Music stops being part of your identity
• You betrayed some artistic ideal

It means you’re choosing psychological and financial health while keeping music in your life in a sustainable way.

Set aside an hour and honestly answer these questions in writing:

Financial Reality Check:

1. What do I actually need to earn monthly to live with basic dignity and security?
2. What am I currently earning from music over the last 12 months?
3. What’s the realistic trajectory if I maintain my current approach?
4. What changes would need to happen to close the gap?

Progress Audit:

1. What measurable progress have I made in the past year?
2. Am I building momentum or stuck in place?
3. What new opportunities or skills have I developed?
4. Am I doing the same things hoping for different results?

Fulfillment Assessment:

1. Do I still experience genuine joy when making or performing music?
2. Am I motivated by the music itself or by external validation?
3. How much of my identity is wrapped up in being a professional musician?
4. What would I do with my time and energy if music wasn’t paying the bills?

Relationship and Health Check:

1. How are my closest relationships affected by my music career?
2. What’s my stress level and mental health honestly like?
3. Am I sacrificing too much for returns that aren’t materializing?
4. Can I sustain this physically and emotionally for another 5 years?

Your answers will point you toward one of three paths:

• PATH 1: persist with your current approach
• PATH 2: pivot to a different musical direction
• PATH 3: step back from professional music

The romanticized artist story is about unwavering dedication despite all obstacles, succeeding against all odds through pure persistence.

That’s a compelling narrative, but it’s not the only valid path.

Sometimes the bravest thing is admitting your current path isn’t working and choosing something different.

Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to pivot.

Sometimes self-respect means walking away from something you love because the cost has become too high.

Your music doesn’t become less meaningful if it stops being your profession. Your years of dedication aren’t wasted if you redirect your energy. Your artistic identity doesn’t disappear if you find other ways to sustain yourself.

The music industry will never love you back. It’s not designed to. But you can build a relationship with music—professional or otherwise—that sustains you rather than depletes you.

Whatever you decide, make it a conscious choice, not a passive drift. You deserve that much.

What path are you considering? I’d love to hear your situation and thoughts.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

If you’re wrestling with these questions and want personalized guidance for your specific situation, I’d love to talk with you.

I offer both one-on-one coaching for artists ready for intensive, individualized support, and group coaching for those who want community and accountability alongside expert guidance.

Book a free 15-minute intro call where we’ll discuss where you are in your music career, what’s working, what’s not, and whether coaching might help you get clarity and build a sustainable path forward.

No pressure, no sales pitch—just an honest conversation about your music and your future.

Book your free intro call and let’s figure out your next move together.