While many musicians struggle to survive, it’s still possible to make a living from your music, says songwriter Laura Gagné. It organized the first ever Francophone Music Summit where several musicians and experts will tell their story.
In 2018, Laura Gagné released an album, Getting to You, that went unnoticed. Having invested a lot of money in this project, the 34-year-old musician wondered if she could really make a living from her music.
A meeting with marketing expert Philippe Kyprianou changed everything for her. “He taught me the inner workings of online business,” she told the Journal. I took lessons from him and we developed a web strategy. »
One thing led to another, the singer-songwriter from Saguenay found multiple sources of income, so much so that she was able to repay the investment for her album.
Through discussions with other songwriters, Laura Gagné then decided to start the organization Vivre de ta musique and write an electronic book giving advice on how to monetize her music.
“The book has sold thousands of copies online in Switzerland, Belgium, France and Quebec,” she says proudly. Today, more than 3,600 artists are part of the Vivre de ta musique community.
On Thursday and Friday, the organization presents the very first Francophone Music Summit on the Internet. Over two full days, Laura Gagné meets nine musicians and industry experts.
“The possibilities are immense”
“These will be interviews with people that we find inspiring in the way they do things,” she says. With this event, the musician also wants to show that you can still make a living from this art in 2023. But isn’t it more difficult than before?
“Artists need to define themselves, build their community, generate excitement. The possibilities today are immense. The way of doing things has just changed. »
A report by the Guild of Musicians and Musicians of Quebec released in winter 2021 mentioned that more than 60% of the 681 musicians surveyed had an average annual net income of less than $38,000 before the pandemic. Worse, nearly a quarter of respondents (23.2%) had annual incomes of less than $20,000. The arrival of COVID-19 has not improved their situation.
The Francophone Music Summit 2023, presented by Vivre de ta musique, takes place on Thursday and Friday. The virtual event is free. For registration: livewithmusic.com/summit.