Question: When am I "too old" to make it in music?

Answer: Though age can be a sensitive subject for musicians, you better accept that the entertainment industry is a youth-generated business! Musician’s life expectancy in the pop, rock, R & B, and rap genres parallels that of an athlete’s life span in the sports world. As you approach 35, your chances of succeeding are significantly diminished. I know this is somewhat of a paradox since musicians’ skills only tend to improve with age and experience, but let’s face it, youth, vitality, and sex-appeal sells albums and record companies heavily rely on these attributes to market product--whether you like it or not! Additionally, record companies prefer signing younger acts that, if successful, can bring them a return on their initial investment for several years to come. After all, record companies are a business just like any other, and they must be run like one first and foremost.

So does all this mean that un-signed artists nearing their mid-thirties should throw in the towel and abandoned their life dreams if they still haven’t found success with the “MTV generation?” Of course not! It’s the serious artist who cares for their health and image who can usually get away with looking, acting, and convincing the world that they’re much younger than their actual age. And of course, there’s always the rare exception to the rule where a more adult artist is signed strictly on his musical talent and songwriting abilities. But even when you're one of the lucky artists who gets their big break and experiences some success, it's only the rare, creative, and business-minded artist who can still appeal to younger audiences (both musically, and physically) as they approach their 50th and 60th birthdays.

The point of all this is that age in the entertainment business isn't really something you think about when in your teens or twenties, but without a doubt--AGE AND IMAGE IN THE COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE IS A VERY REAL ISSUE FOR MUSICIANS IN THEIR LATER YEARS. And unless you want to go on a personal crusade to change the status quo (and some do), it's therefore advisable to look at your careers reasonably and have the foresight to set realistic goals for yourselves. For instance, considering your career status, your age, and your image, perhaps it’s a more prudent approach to begin focusing on a genre of music with a more sophisticated demographic audience, or to seek a recording deal with a smaller, less commercial independent record label, or to simply resort to a DIY (do it yourself) approach; a situation where you can make all of your own business decisions and NOT LET THE RECORD COMPANIES DICTATE WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT DO! To be sure, it’s not about abandoning your original dreams; it’s about looking at age and image in the music business realistically, and learning how to continually re-invent yourself over time.

Once again, I know that age is a sensitive issue for many artists, but you don’t really want to kill me, I’m only the messenger. I didn't make up the rules, and though rules can always be broken, you'd at least better know they exist.

Copyright 2002 Bobby Borg.
Excerpt from “The Musician’s Handbook: A Practical Guide To Understanding The Music Business,” which is scheduled for release in the Spring 2003 by Billboard Books.
For more information, visit bobbyborg.com, or write: bborg@earthlink.net
or snail mail: Bobby Borg, PO Box 18564, Beverly Hills, CA 90209.