[WhompingWindows]

The best way is to just play live music. That was the way it was for hundreds of years in music, and still the best musical experiences occur in live performances.

I've been an amateur musician for 20 years. I would never try to make a living out of it, it's so much of a craps shoot trying to get people to listen and focus on your music online. The best way is to simply go in front of them and make their eardrums resonant with your instrument directly. You may need another career to support this live-only lifestyle, but what's the point of dumping 100's of hours and $1000's in capital into a recording barely anyone will listen to?

[fipple]

I am a serious listener to and creator of music and I HATE live music. I can’t hear the subtleties as well, and I can’t put my best performance forwards. The only exception for me is chamber music.

[KozmoNau7]

The phrase "serious listener" makes my eye twitch, it must be the association with woo-woo audiophiles.

I love listening to well-recorded music on my rather capable stereo or good headphones, but it just doesn't provide the same rush and sensation of seeing the actual musicians, live in concert, at a proper concert volume on a good live sound setup, handled by competent sound techs.

Over the last I-have-no-idea-how-many-years, I've averaged 3-4 concerts per month, and 3-4 festivals per year, and I've experienced both garbage tier gear/sound and the exact opposite -- concert experiences that bordered on religious experiences.

I especially appreciate small intimate venues, where you get right up close to the musicians and can really interact with them. The energy you feel in those situations is just second to none.

My musical niche as a listener is metal, primarily death and thrash. YMMV obviously, depending on genres and available venues. But for me, going to live music shows on a regular basis is absolutely essential.

[thirdsun]

Same here. Plus, location is a very limiting factor when it comes to musical selection. There aren't many artists in my collection I could have seen live in my area.