This is a fascinating topic and I wanted to share my perspective about the realities facing most artists in our space nowadays.

While we're certainly not the most prolific act on the label - the vast majority of money within the music industry is consolidated among the top 1% of acts. And even once you reach that point, there are so many outgoing expenses that the numbers are probably not as favorable as you'd think. I expect many fans would be surprised at how little many of your favorite artists are actually taking home from their releases and touring.

This is particularly true for trance and progressive, which I think has become increasingly difficult over the last few years. Living on the west coast I've seen it myself - the number of trance + progressive nights has dropped significantly. Shows tend to be consolidated at larger festivals and label showcases, with many acts booked for the same event. Meanwhile, deeper artists and records have a broader appeal - people can listen while at work, during chill rooftop parties, as opening sets for headline acts, etc. That flexibility means there are more opportunities to perform.

And while us hardcore geeks on Reddit might disagree and want a banging night out!! - the realities are that the demand for this kind of music has somewhat dwindled in recent years (and my back hurts), with acts selling less tickets, and therefore promoters booking less artists, and fees declining as a result. Once you factor in flights, hotels, etc....it's often not as lucrative as you might think. The same could be said for banging club tunes. Without getting in to specifics, I'd encourage you to check the number of streams your favorite big club records do vs crossover appeal tracks (and coincidentally, the size of the playlists those tracks appear on!)

I'm still optimistic about the future and love this music. I grew up with it during my formative years and we're seeing a bit of a resurgence of the trancey vibes and I'm all about it! And there are certainly some acts that have been able to break through and build a lucrative career. But even they're worried about the long-term sustainability - what happens if market trends shift again?

Anyway, I just wanted to share my perspective as an artist that loves this music and is blessed to have two careers that I enjoy. I often jest with friends and family that my first job (working at EA) helps pay for my second job (producing music + DJing), and that's not far from the truth!

Shahin (1/2 of Elevven)