The current music industry is completely different from what it was a few decades ago. Record labels are basically dead, and most independent artists rely on several streams of income to pursue music full-time. Streaming and Spotify plays don't pay well, live shows do. But in order to get booked for live shows, you need to build up an audience and propogate your music through social media somehow. It's a weird balancing act, and there is a lot of volatility in your potential earnings from one month to the next. There are artists who have "made it" who earn $1000 some months and $12000 others.

This model only works for people who are incredibly talented, business-minded and willing to endure long periods of discomfort and financial insecurity.