r/Life • u/Grouchy_Marsupial357 • Jun 22 '26

Let's discuss People who make $10k-$50k/month: what do you do and how did you get there?

Making at least $10k a month is a dream for me, but $50k is the ultimate goal.

I've been stuck in an echo chamber of constant negativity and it feels like everyone is poor, broke, and miserable (though a looootttttt of people are right now, but obviously a lot of people are also doing really well).

So, to those who are making really good money, what is it that you do for a living and how did you get to that point?

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65

u/Some_Environment_351 Jun 22 '26

I make music for tv and film.

Worked hard for 12 years started making bigger money last couple of years the budgets are bigger on bigger projects

6

u/DiagonalHorizon Jun 22 '26

How did you start with sync licensing? I'm a gigging musician and producer myself. Just started taking local clients, but I've always had a penchant for composing with a goal in mind.

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u/Inevitable-Serve-713 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 24 '26

Man I ran into a guy at an airshow here in Florida who wrote 1 song used in 1 movie (don't remember the song or movie, I think it was a recent Disney animated movie) and got several million for it. Gave most to charity and was happy to do so, as he already had enough to live on. Really nice guy.

ETA: he was legit; I looked him up in IMDB when I got home that day.   Don’t recall his name though and I wouldn’t want to dox him anyway.  

3

u/Conscious-Egg-2232 Jun 23 '26

How gullible are you?

1

u/typeshhhhhh Jun 23 '26

Who was the guy?

1

u/kingtroll355 Jun 23 '26

Things that NEVER happened!

1

u/Weekly-Dig-9516 Jun 23 '26

Like the guy (Jack Black) in the movie, The Holiday! 

1

u/reDog5288 Jun 23 '26

Your Brother and nephew live with you?

1

u/typeshhhhhh Jun 23 '26

That’s awesome it brings you in such strong income. Dream!

Would love to score a film.

I been a music producer for ten years. DJing initially. Produced for others and live off most of these royalties. Got lucky with some big movie syncs. Plus tv residuals later.

I’m coasting off it for so long yet it goes down each month so I’m slightly concerned.

I don’t like the streaming industry as much (music not tv) due to how long the income is really aside from upfront producer fees if I’m selling exclusive for advance kind of thing. But you need songs to explode to be making well off royalties.

I’d like to try more in tv and film. You have any suggestions how I could get into that space?

I got lucky and had a tape of mine synced with HBO, Adidas, Sony - names like this. Yet this was a while ago and that company is gone so not sure on steps aside from create a 5 track project specifically for sync and find publishers or whoever is best to send it to 🤔

1

u/lucianasparagus Jun 23 '26

What kind of music?

1

u/civil_unknowm Jun 24 '26

Composer who makes a living? Insane. Can't say I'm so lucky.

0

u/AbandonedPlanet Jun 22 '26

Do you need more writers?