Should we give music away for free? | LinkedIn
No music, art, nor any form of creativity at all is necessarily connected to a money-meter. You've stated as much yourself. As any endeavor may teach, there are many potentially prohibitive aspects to attaining your "goal", whatever that may be.
Many creative people, who do artistic work as a profession (I'm one) will constantly juggle the money-making projects with the less lucrative, but sometimes ironically more meaningful projects. Whether your own or others', I believe that the music should be approached without cynicism and with full respect and integrity. If you are able to make music, distribute it, etc., and have the (potentially) remunerative aspects be an afterthought, that you're obviously eating and paying your bills. So be it. However, if you wish to do it full-time, and have yourself and/or a family to support, than you'll find yourself necessarily becoming very creative, indeed--at your art as well as at devising a variety of ways to make money from it.
The artist in all of us knows without asking: Music and art existed before money.
If your economical complexion is healthy apart from your artistic endeavors, then enjoy yourself, and hopefully employ some others as collaborators who do rely on music for a living. Most of those folks are pretty good, having learned to do what is called for and do it aptly and economically.
In short: if your calling is in the creative arts, and that is what you want to do ALL THE TIME, and you're not subsisting independently, then you should figure out a way to be paid for your work. Giving it away should be measured and promotional.
Good luck to you in all your projects.
~JC
