Wait, people make music with outdated systems?
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Minneapolis
Yup, sounds about like what I was expecting. 
Just thought I'd throw it out there, since I know people would be interested in discussing it. It's always been curious to me how "regular" musicians get by anyhow.
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̛̛̩̥̩̥̩̥̅ ̥⎬̛̛̛̛̛̥̥̩̥̩̩
A few people have made it into a job
But for most of us, hobby
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brooklyn!
i suppose right now it's my job.
as for how "regular" musicians get by, there are a lot of ways to make cash; teach, play local gigs consistently, doing copy stuff, if you know the right people you can do some writing, etc.
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Riverside, CA
arlen wrote:
I can't see anyone being a chip-musician as a career.
I think IFD is a pretty cool guy. eh uses chiptoon as a gimmick to make money and doesn't afraid of anything...
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Hobby. I wouldn't want to make any valuable income or permanent career with chipmusic or any of my music. Doing so would result in me endlessly hating it just out of spite because it's a "job".
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Philly/NY
µB wrote:
hobby.
I kept music in general my hobby, because it's my favorite creative activity.
I took my second favorite (coding) as a job. Best decision in my life, because I'd hate to loose music as something recreational.
I think about this all the time. Will choosing illustration as a career ruin my ability to enjoy it for fun? Time will only tell, it seems.
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Finland
µB wrote:
hobby.
I kept music in general my hobby, because it's my favorite creative activity.
I took my second favorite (coding) as a job. Best decision in my life, because I'd hate to loose music as something recreational.
This pretty much sums it up for me too. I just have to replace coding with visual arts but yeah, I rarely do drawing or stuff like that outside my job. Thats kinda how it started when I got in to my first art school, I started doing music because I wanted to do something creative but absolutely hated to pick up a pen or photoshop outside classes.
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England
I tried studing music once and i fucking lost all interest in making music for myself, i'd rather not have to be forced to make it for a job as i'd probably have to create things that I fucking hate.
Imagine working in a studio and having to listen to some cunt with an acoustic guitar moaning about fucking reverb on his voice.
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Brunswick, GA USA
FTF wrote:
Since when can chipmusic pay the bills?
Not to sound like a sourpuss, but a certain lot of people I've known over time have made it impossible for me to be zealous about anything. It doesn't mean that I don't like stuff anymore, it's just how I keep my life in check and out of danger.
I don't want music to be my main job, it's a dangerous rollercoaster of a lifestyle that is no longer appropriate for me. I started to like making music again when it stopped being necessary to make a career out of it.
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Brunswick, GA USA
Jellica wrote:
...i'd rather not have to be forced to make it for a job as i'd probably have to create things that I fucking hate.
Imagine working in a studio and having to listen to some cunt with an acoustic guitar moaning about fucking reverb on his voice.
This too.
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Berkeley, CA
Depends who you ask.
Music is my hobby AND my job.
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Berkeley, CA
enso wrote:
I think about this all the time. Will choosing illustration as a career ruin my ability to enjoy it for fun? Time will only tell, it seems.
I think it's important to choose which answer gives you more free time to hone your craft.
A really good quote from Steve Reich:
“People say you teach during the day and you’re free at so-and-so, but there’s a certain energy that goes into teaching people, it seems to me… and if you don’t give them that energy, then you’re immoral. And if you do give them that energy, then you’re wiped out. Because there’s only so much energy anyone has. So I’d rather drive a cab - I had a good time driving the cab, I wasn’t invested in it, you know what I mean? I could think about music, I could bug the cab, I could take time off to play a show – it really fit me. And I was making more money than most assistant professors too!”
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Berkeley, CA
Also, it's important to recognize your own energy. Some people can iterate like 12 times a day *COUGH*little-scale*COUGH* but some people simply can't. If you have endless reserves of creative energy to dedicate, writing music for a living might be for you. It's also a rewarding challenge to try to write great music inside of other peoples' limitations (sound familiar?)
I've been writing music for video games and it's really fantastic. The only downside is always having to be around the computer so much. I wish I had a piano and could write music on paper easily!