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5 Mistakes People Make When Traveling

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Traveling can be a great adventure. It can also be stressful and frustrating. Which way it goes is out of your control to a certain extent, but there are some things you can do to make it easier.

Here are five of the biggest, most common mistakes people make when they travel, so you can avoid them.

1. Getting Too Ambitious About Seeing the Sights

Sure it’s great to visit that big city, when you’ve spent your whole life in the country. But you can’t see everything in a day or two. If you plan an itinerary that has you going from sunup to sundown and beyond, running from place to place, you aren’t really going to have time to stop and take things in.

Instead, stop and smell the metaphorical roses. You can always add additional things, and even make a backup list before you head out on your vacation, but don’t cram your days too full right from the start.

2. Assuming There Are Places to Stay

Be sure to book your hotel in advance. You don’t want to travel to a new location and assume that there will be a good places to stay at a reasonable price. It’s often less expensive to book days or weeks in advance of your travel date. You can also get more options for rooms that way, and may receive other perks, too. You don’t want to be stuck in an unfamiliar location with no hotel.

3. Not Researching Important Dates

If there’s a big concert, festival, or convention going on at your travel destination, you might want to move the dates of your vacation. Hotels and restaurants can fill up quickly, and the extra influx of people could make navigating around the area more complicated, too. By researching in advance, you’ll know you’re visiting the destination at a good time.

4. Not Leaving Your Valuables at Home

Leave those expensive rings and necklaces at home. Sure, you want to look great in all your Instagram photos, but you can get some cheap jewelry to give you the same look. You’ll be less likely to get robbed, and if you lose your jewelry or someone takes it, you’re not devastated and financially damaged, either.

While you’re at it, be sure to tell your bank that you’re going on an adventure. That will reduce the chances of your card being declined, so you can focus on the fun.

5. Taking More Than They Need

When you travel, it’s very important to be realistic about the amount of luggage you take. If you’re going to be gone for a week, you don’t need three weeks worth of clothing. Having a little extra can make sense in case of spills, stains, or other damage, but an extra shirt and some extra socks and underwear is probably enough.

Space is limited, and it’s no fun to carry around a bunch of heavy luggage, either. Pare down your essentials, and remember that most places aren’t so rural that you can’t buy something if you really need it. Have a great trip!

The Culture Guide: 5 Things You Should Not Do When Visiting Egypt

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Whether trekking through the desert to view pyramids thousands of years old or perusing the stalls at a Cairo marketplace for delicious food and delightful souvenirs, there is no doubt that Egypt offers an unforgettable place to visit and explore. To get the most out of your trip, however, you want to be conscientious of a few key don’ts that could hinder your trip. Keep these in mind to help you stay on good terms with your hosts and experience the beauty of Egypt.

DON’T Forget about cultural differences in clothing

Remember the expression, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” In Egypt, that means watching your dress to avoid offending the locals. Wearing tight-fitting clothing or showing too much skin through tank tops or shorts can make you seem rude. This is amplified even further if you want to enter any religious buildings. Wear loose-fitting, light clothing throughout your trip. Women should also have a loose scarf available if they want to visit any religious buildings. As an added bonus, covering your arms and legs will also help protect your skin from the strong Egyptian sun.

DON’T Assume you want to wear sandals everywhere

Sandals might seem like a great footwear choice because of the comfort they offer in the heat, but they can actually be a poor choice when exploring Egypt. Even major cities like Cairo tend to have streets that are dirtier than what some people might expect. Additionally, you should expect to do a lot of walking as you explore the areas around the major sites. Sensible shoes, such as sneakers, will likely serve you better throughout your trip.

DON’T Take a picture of everything you see

As you look around at all of the amazing sites, you might feel tempted to take pictures of everything you see. However, you should familiarize yourself with the cultural expectations surrounding pictures. Specifically, regulations dictate that you cannot take pictures of certain infrastructure in the country, such as the Suez Canal. Therefore, you want to verify that you can take pictures of your target before you start snapping.

Additionally, most locals will consider it rude if you take pictures without asking permission. Therefore, even if you can take pictures in the area you explore, make sure that you have asked permission of those around you as well.

DON’T Forget to tip

Tipping plays an important role in the local economy, so you should carry coins and some small bills with you to provide a tip to those who offer you services throughout your trip. For example, you will want to tip your room cleaners, taxi drivers, and tour guides as you travel.

DON’T Write off the potential of a guided tour

You might feel tempted to try and save some money or to give yourself more flexibility, and explore the different sites on your own with the help of a guidebook. However, booking some guided tours can help you get significantly more out of your travels. You can ask your guide questions that might arise as you explore. You also get to find all of the hidden gems that you might have missed if you relied solely on what you could find in a book. 

However, as you look for your tour guide, be sure to check their government license. Failing to do so can result in accidentally falling for a scam.

Egypt can offer you an adventure of a lifetime. Keep these tips in mind and experience all that this incredible country can offer.

 

Don’t Cook This At Home: The 5 Weirdest Dishes Cooked By Celebrity Chefs

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Chefs seem to be the new rock stars. They have TV series, books, podcasts, and are must-book guests for late-night hosts. But can they really cook? While many celebrity chefs can whip up incredible meals, others may have let their stardom go to their heads. Here are some just plain odd celebrity chef recipes you probably don’t want to make at home.

These Five Celebrity Chef Recipes Are Just Plain Strange

Number 5: Blood and Guts Potatoes

Nigella Lawson can cook some fabulous food, and many of her recipes are top-shelf, but her Blood and Guts Potatoes isn’t one of them. Besides the unappetizing name, the ingredients list of potatoes, fresh mozzarella, and tomato ketchup don’t work well together. Calling this recipe Blood and Guts is definitely a ploy to attract the attention of little kids. Maybe that is the point because only those without a developed palette could enjoy this side dish. 

Number 4: Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick

While this dish is the worst nightmare for anyone on the Keto diet, even people not following such a carb-restricted diet should probably give it a pass. Paula Deen’s Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick tells you everything you need to know right in the name. Take a sausage dressing, cut it into pieces, and put it on sticks. Then coat the sausage dressing in flour and deep-fry until golden brown. It is even more regrettable since frying ruins an otherwise good sausage dressing. 

Number 3: Quick & Easy Egg Fried Rice

Stepping outside your cultural background to cook ethnic food is always fraught with danger, but sometimes there is a recipe that is just so wrong on so many levels that one wonders if the chef has tasted the food he is trying to recreate. That’s the case with Jamie Oliver’s Quick & Easy Egg Fried Rice. From using olive oil and pre-packaged rice to adding water and silken tofu, this recipe is a wet and unappealing mess. But, don’t worry, Jamie, we still love your British food!

Number 2: The Ultimate Bacon Sandwich

Heston Blumenthal is known as a mad scientist when it comes to cooking. While famous for recreating the appearance of food using other food, such as faux minced meat made from ice cream, this Ultimate Bacon Sandwich recipe is one of his weirdest creations. It’s not the ingredients that are odd but the chef’s techniques. From rolling the bacon to only toasting one of the two slices of bread, you have to wonder if Blumenthal was having a laugh when he came up with this dish. 

Number 1: Crunchy Snap Pea Popcorn Salad

Food Network star Molly Yeh upset the taste buds of many viewers when she shared her unusual way of cooking with popcorn. Crunchy Snap Pea Popcorn Salad probably would have been great if she had stuck with the sugar snap peas, carrots, celery, and watercress in the sour cream and mayo dressing. But once she added the popcorn and white cheddar popcorn flavoring, it got way too weird for many people.

The next time your meal doesn’t turn out as planned, be glad you didn’t make any of these five celebrity chef dishes!

 

 

The Life Electrical: 5 Essential Electronic Circuits Facts For Beginners

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Building electronic circuits is a really cool hobby – not only does it teach problem solving and allow you to make something with your hands, but you get to understand more about the world around you. As a bonus, you can learn to make cool gadgets like transistor radios, walkie talkies, torches, and maybe even your own burglar alarm. We thought we’d make this quick run down for beginners, so you can learn about some fundamentals before you get started.

1. Component of an Electronic Circuit

An electronic circuit is an electrical pathway that contains 5 electronic components in various arrangements to manage the flow of electricity. 

  • Capacitors can store electricity along the way as voltage. When you activate it, it releases that energy at 90% of the speed of light.
  • Resistors can slow it down to reduce the voltage. Energy flows through them in one direction. As energy flows through the resistor, it creates “resistance,” which dissipates some of the energy from the circuit. The smaller the resistor, the greater the resistance it creates.
  • Diode is a one-way ticket for electricity. Pass through the diode, and you can never go back. 
  • Transistor is conductive but can stop the current. It acts as a gateway that you open or close on command.
  • Inductors can also store electricity but as a magnetic field.

Among these, you have circuit nodes. A circuit node is something that connects two components, like an insulated wire. 

Your electronic circuit will also need an energy source and an energy-needing object on the other end receiving electricity to do something.

2. Voltage

Your voltage measures the amount of energy gained or lost between two components (resistors, capacitors, etc.) on your circuit when you move a unit of positive charge from one component to another. So voltage is always relative to the two points.  

When you connect multiple components, your voltage is the sum across all your components.

3. Current

The current is the rate your energy flows through your electronic circuit. Your spacing and choice of components impact this rate.

If multiple components are on your electronic circuit, you must make sure each one of them can carry the same current.

4. Resistance

The ratio between your voltage and current is called resistance. If the voltage is moving across a conductor like a wire, it moves in a linear fashion. 

However, a component like a diode or a transistor will make the energy move in a non-linear way. The component dissipates some of the energy.

This is known as a Joule per second (J/s), or a Watt in more everyday terms. 

5. Grounding

A ground is a circuit node that acts as a reference point for all other circuit voltages that can be referenced. 

A voltage source has both a positive and negative terminal (end). In positive electronic circuits, the negative end is connected to the grounding circuit. This creates energy flow from positive to negative. That flow travels through your components to reach the ground.

An electronic circuit can also have a virtual ground, which is a circuit node that acts like a ground but isn’t connected to the power supply. So the energy moves toward it without returning to the power source. 

Building Your Electronic Circuit

With these fundamentals, you can now begin building simple electronic circuits. Add components to your circuit and measure your results to learn to manage the flow of energy through your circuit. 

How to Install Your Own Irrigation Drip System in Four Steps

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Manually watering a lawn is a pain. It also wastes a lot of water. Whether you’re gardening for fun, or growing vegetables as part of a drive towards self-sufficiency and living the homesteading life, you might end up saving time and money by installing your own irrigation drip system.

Installing it is a lot easier than you might think. In fact, you can go through the whole process in four easy steps.

1. Pick Your System

 

There are a lot of different ways to go about drip irrigation. Today, you’re going to learn the simplest form. The system will consist of a main one-inch line. From there, ¼-inch lines can be attached to feed directly to your plants.

 

We aren’t going to fight with sprayers, porous pipes, or anything too fancy. If you want to install those types of systems, they will still largely follow this tutorial, but you will need to make a few adjustments to your equipment.

 

2. Go Shopping

 

You need materials for your irrigation system. The first thing you want to do is estimate the length. The shape of the line will determine how much tubing you need. You can try to measure things directly, but a rough estimate is usually good enough. 

 

Since the main line is made with 1-inch tubing, you can find that at your local hardware store in 50-foot coils. So, you only need to get your estimate right to within 50 feet.

 

Aside from the main tube, you’re going to need enough ¼-inch tubing to run from the main line to each plant. Typically, you need a few feet of ¼-inch tubing per plant.

 

The rest of the materials you need make a nice, easy list:

 

  • Faucet connection
  • Timing system (optional)
  • 1-inch hose connectors
  • ¼-inch hose connectors
  • Punching tool (often comes with the ¼-inch connectors
  • Ground stakes (optional)
  • Line-cutting tool
  • End cap
  • Silicone adhesive

 

3. Lay the Main Tube

 

Now that you have your materials, it’s time to install. The first thing you want to do is connect your one-inch hose to the faucet. If you’re using a timing device, go ahead and connect that first; the drip line will connect to the timing device.

 

From there, uncoil the main line and run it along the path that you select. Try to get it within a few feet of each plant it will water. If a single coil of tubing isn’t enough, use your connectors to attach one coil to another.

 

If you want to stake it to the ground, this is a good time to do that.

 

Also, make sure you place the end cap on the final end of the line.

 

4. Run the Drips

 

Now that the main line is in place, it’s time for the ¼-inch runs. For each plant, you need to punch a hole in the main line. Once you punch the hole, push your ¼-inch connector into the hole until it clicks into place. Then, attach the ¼-inch line to the connector. Run the smaller line where you want it and cut it. You can secure it with mulch or dirt.

 

Repeat this process for every plant. When you’re done, run the water and check for leaks. Most commonly, you will find leaks at the faucet, wherever you joined 1-inch hoses together, and at each punched hole with the ¼-inch line. In most cases, you can secure the hoses around the leak to make them stop. If you need a little extra sealant, use your silicone glue.

 

That’s it! You now have a functioning drip system.

 

The Culture Guide: 5 Things You Should Not Do When Visiting New Zealand

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New Zealand is one of those countries that will take your breath away with beautiful scenery and clean, soft sandy beaches. Where ever you travel, though, it’s important to remember you are a guest and respect your host. There are some things you might think are no big deal, but that will be offensive to the kind people of New Zealand. So while you plan your trip to this amazing country, here are five things to avoid doing. 

1. Don’t Be Disrespectful to the Native Culture

Part of the charm of New Zealand is the chance to experience a unique culture there – the Maori. Do your homework before you leave and learn more about the Maori people. Certain parts of the country are sacred to them. That doesn’t mean you can’t see them, but you need to respect their culture and land while there. 

Avoid smoking, learn a few Maori words so you can understand some of their language, and don’t put your hands on tapu or sacred objects. If invited to a powhiri Maori welcoming ceremony, do as they ask. If they sing, you sing. When they eat, you eat, too. 

2. Don’t Compare New Zealand to Australia

It is a common error for newbie tourists to the country and one they don’t take kindly. Also, don’t assume New Zealand is part of Australia just because it is off the coast of its neighbor. They are very different countries and cultures. If you want to visit Australia, plan your trip there and don’t go to New Zealand. If you want to see both, know that they are different. 

3. Don’t Turn Your Nose Up at Their Traditional Food

If you are interested in enjoying New Zealand and everything beautiful there, then be open-minded about their food. The Maori have their own food culture, too, and it might surprise you how much you love it. If it doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other types of cuisine in the country, so move on without comment. You might find you like it if you are willing to try it, though. 

4. Don’t Abuse the Tapu

In the Maori language, tapu means head. You should avoid touching someone’s head because in New Zealand culture, tapu is sacred. You should also be careful how you treat things that involve the head, such as hats. You wouldn’t put your hat on the table, for example. You shouldn’t throw pillows around, either.

5. Don’t Put Anything on the Table

Don’t sit at tables, especially if they have food on them. It is considered impolite to place your bottom or bag on the table. You should also avoid sitting on pillows or cushions, but you can use them to support your back.

New Zealand done right will definitely take your breath away. 

 

5 Cognitive Benefits of Psilocybin

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Magic mushrooms are getting a lot of attention lately. Multiple reputable studies are underway to investigate the potential for positive impacts on the brain, and documentaries and books are making strong claims about their advantages. Meanwhile, news headlines claim many moms are gravitating from wine to mushrooms to “take the edge off”. Recently, the city of Denver even decriminalized magic mushrooms, and Colorado is voting on state-wide decriminalization and the creation of mushroom healing centers on its November 2022 ballot. 

While we certainly don’t recommend ingesting psilocybin – especially if you live in a territory where it is banned – it’s worth taking a look at why legislators are considering changes to the law, and the suspected cognitive benefits which may accompany its use.

1. More flexibility.

Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to switch between different types of brain operations. When people have the same thoughts over and over, their brain creates a path between those neurons. This becomes the easiest path for their thoughts to travel down. This can apply to general negative thoughts, but it also applies to mental health concerns such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance abuse disorder. 

When people ingest psilocybin, it makes their brains more flexible. Essentially, it smooths out the well-worn paths and allows the brain to create new paths more easily. This process makes the brain more flexible and improves your mental health. 

2. Good vibes only

Psilocybin reduces negative thoughts and increases positive thoughts. It also reduces how your amygdala responds to negative stimuli. This is the part of your brain that controls your emotions. When people are presented with negative stimuli after taking psilocybin, they have a more positive response. They feel less sad, anxious, or fearful. They’re able to roll with the punches a bit more effectively. 

3. Fast-acting changes

Psilocybin works faster than traditional anti-depressants. In one study, researchers gave psilocybin to 24 people with major depressive disorder. After just two doses coupled with psychotherapy, the subjects showed intense improvements immediately.

In contrast, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), which are the go-to antidepressant for most people, take a lot longer to have an impact. Generally, when you start taking an SSRI, it won’t have an effect for two to four weeks. When people are really struggling, they often don’t have this much time. 

4. Better problem-solving abilities

You don’t necessarily have to “trip” to experience the benefits of psilocybin. Research shows that even microdosing can have positive effects on your brain. Microdosing involves taking a very small dose of psilocybin. Generally, the person who takes it doesn’t feel anything, but they will notice positive effects. 

In particular, microdosing helps improve people’s divergent thinking, and it makes their intelligence more fluid. What do these technical terms mean? Divergence is the ability to see more than one solution to a problem, and fluidity improves your ability to solve new problems more easily. 

5. Long-lasting changes

The improvements from psilocybin are not just temporary. They are long-lasting. Numerous studies have looked at subjects several weeks or a month after they took the psilocybin. They all showed lasting changes and improvements to brain functioning and mood. 

Note that while the benefits are abundant, you need to tread carefully. Psilocybin is illegal under federal law. You also should not ingest hallucinogens without consulting with your medical care provider. 

5 Reasons Why Trains Are Key To The Future

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When it comes to the future of transportation, you might assume that self-driving electric cars and hyperloops will be the key to solving today’s issues of congestion, pollution, and energy scarcity. Despite the hype these solutions have been given in the media, you’d be more than likely to be wrong. 

Studies have shown that the more infrastructure is built towards enabling driving, the more people purchase and rely on cars – meaning that the attempt to solve congestion is literally never ending as long as the focus remains based on the automobile. Rather than place their hopes in expensive solutions, many countries have built extensive train networks allowing their citizens to be able to satisfy their needs based on public transport alone. This cuts commuting time for everyone, helps the environment, and allows everyone to save money. Read on to explore why.

Trains can help manage congestion

Congestion becomes an increasing problem as more people move to cities and countries become more modernized. However, trains can help greatly reduce the number of people on the road. A single train can take the place of as many as 300 trucks. Commuter trains can also take the place of countless cars. Altogether, this reduces the number of people trying to navigate the roads and, thereby, reduces congestion. This makes it easier for people to travel and reduces traffic.

Trains offer greener transportation

It is important not to overlook the green potential for trains. To begin, trains offer a highly successful form of mass transportation. This means that they can transport hundreds of people at once and thereby reduce the amount of fuel needed to get them to their destinations.

When it comes to shipping freight, trains are more fuel efficient than trucks. Combined with the number of trucks, the trains can get off the road, and you can easily see how trains can reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Significant advancements have also been made that have introduced zero-emission trains. If the technology continues to develop, customers might also soon have access to emission-free trains, which will only further enhance the green capabilities of this form of transportation.

Trains offer greater convenience

Trains can also move significantly faster than cars. While traveling on highways might allow you to hit speeds between 60-70 mph, without traffic, trains quickly surpass these standards. Trains linking Tokyo and Nagoya, for example, will reach speeds of 500 kph. Meanwhile, the record for the fastest train tops 600 kph. These high speeds mean that customers can use the trains to reach far-away places significantly faster, which will only increase the convenience of train travel and create a beneficial experience for customers.

Trains can connect cities

Thanks to the speed at which they can travel, trains help to better connect cities. People can travel to cities hundreds of miles away and be there within a few short hours. This enhances convenience, with people feeling more mobile and connected in their area. This fast transportation enhances communication and trade.  

Trains can help control the cost of living

Trains make it easier for people to travel around their region, including between cities, with little hassle. This can also help to control the cost of living. People will move to the areas that they like the most, without as much concern for commutes. This helps to provide more balance for the housing markets and greater cost control. 

Trains may have been around for generations, but they also show tremendous potential for lighting our way towards the future. Advancements in technology mean that researchers continually find new ways to improve trains and make them an outstanding mode of transportation. These five reasons have shown us what makes trains the key to the future.

5 Reasons To Start Learning Magic Tricks

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People of all walks of life are fascinated by magicians and magic. During any display of the sleight-of-hand arts, audience members watch closely to ascertain how the trick works. But a skilled magician employs techniques that leave people wondering if magic is real. Of course it is. Learning magic tricks proves beneficial to those who know the secrets used to mesmerize others and these are reasons why.

1: Magic Tricks Can Provide Levity In A Tense Situation

True story: a restaurant owner has multiple kitchen staff employees call out on a busy Saturday dinner service. Orders are backing up and seated parties are growing antsy. Serving warm rolls and butter isn’t cutting the mustard any longer as the annoyance factor peaks. Fortunately, a member of the waitstaff works children’s parties performing magic tricks for extra cash.

In an effort to avoid disgruntled customers walking out, the restaurant owner offers the magic arts practitioner extra money to go around and do a few tricks to appease hungry patrons. With a few card tricks and coin-behind-the-ear maneuvers, patrons forget their appetite and applaud the show while the kitchen catches up. When business gets tough, and clients or customers are unhappy, magic tricks put a smile on their faces.

2: Learning Magic Tricks Improves Social Skills

Learning magic tricks tasks people with becoming an audience’s focus. During the training, hobbyists or would-be pros also learn how to use gestures, hand signals, and eye contact in meaningful ways. Magicians also engage in a form of public speaking as they lead people through illusions. A magician is a type of performer who engages people at an intimate level to see things their way. Social skills are learned behavior and performing magic will only enhance your interpersonal knowledge.

3: Performing Magic Tricks Hones Mental Acuity

Everyday people — particularly children — are subjected to short bits of information, images, and tweets that tend to dull cognitive skills. Practicing magic is akin to other disciplines that require heightened mental focus. Learning a new illusion calls for the magician to practice each step over and over. Once perfected, the next step in the series must be repeated again and again. Learning magic requires a step-by-step process that involves full engagement over time. Essentially, learning magic tricks will make you smarter.

4: Learning Magic Improves Dexterity

It may come as something of a surprise but learning magic tricks includes rigorous finger exercises designed to increase hand strength, flexibility, and improve motor skills. Magic tricks involving playing cards, aka “cardistry,” calls for incredibly refined hand and finger skills.

Card cuts, shuffling, and placement are anything but random. The ability to position certain cards without being detected calls for developing the hand-eye coordination often reserved for virtuosos. You may not achieve the mastery of a cellist like Yo-Yo Ma, but you can expect to be better at a great many things that require fine motor skills.

5: Magic Tricks Are A Go-To Icebreaker

 

Imagine your hosting a party and some of the guests are meeting for the first time. It’s difficult to tell whether they are shy or socially awkward in this setting. But you understand that your valued reputation as a good host is in jeopardy. You change the music up, but that only seems to exasperate the problem. It seems members of the group don’t like the same genres. Now, people are starting to stare at their cell phones. That’s when knowing a few magic tricks truly comes in handy.

There’s a certain innocence and wonder around magic that entertains wide audiences. After just one illusion, people are smiling and naturally interacting with each other. That’s because you provided a common interest that puzzled people enough to talk about how the magic trick was orchestrated. Had you not learned magic, attendance may have been sparse at your next social event.

 

5 Facts About The Modern Music Industry Hopeful Musicians Need To Know

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Are you an aspiring musician who dreams of someday becoming a superstar? Before you put all your hopes on that path, you should know some hard facts about the music industry.

Fact #1 No One Gives a Crap About Your Music

You can produce wonderful music. Then, work hard to record it well. After that, you distribute it yourself using services like Distrokid or Tunecore. You get your songs out there and released in all the online music stores and streaming systems, like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Then, you have the frustrating experience that almost nobody, except your closest friends, listens to it.

Here is the harsh reality – at least until you work to change it. Consider Spotify as an example. Spotify is the most popular streaming system. More than 60,000 new songs are uploaded to Spotify every day. That is your competition. Think your music is better than the 60,000 songs released today? How about the 60,000 more released tomorrow?

Not only do you have to create, record, and distribute your music, you have to promote it. Promotion takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money.

Fact# 2 You Probably Will Not Get Rich from Music

Zip Recruiter reports the average professional musician’s annual earnings are $43,350. This amount is equivalent to $20.84 per hour.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported for the second quarter of 2022 that the median salary in the United States was $54,134. This amount is equivalent to $26.02 per hour.

Compare these figures to a plumber’s earnings. Salary.com reports the average plumber’s salary is $59,651. This amount is equivalent to $28.68 per hour. Additionally, the average overtime pay is an extra $6,750 earned each year.

Most professional musicians have a second job to support themselves. If you want to succeed, consider working as a plumber or another high-paying job during the day and work on your music at night.

Fact # 3 Traditional Promotion is Expensive

The Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA) reports that promoting an artist in a major market like a big city such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles may cost up to $2 million. That is the cost per city.

Record labels invest over $4 billion yearly in promotion and marketing expenses. Even if you are a top artist, it takes a lot of money to build a following and let people know about your new album.

Fact #4 Everything is Online – Even More Than You Think!

RIAA also reports that 88% of the music industry revenues come from online sources, and 75% are from streaming services. Concerts and tours used to be big money-makers until the pandemic put them all on pause. The big concert tours are starting up again. However, the pandemic forced the closure of many small venues across America. The number of performance spaces that closed is extremely unfortunate.

Fact #5 The Top 0.1% Make All the Money

Using Spotify again as an example, in 2020, just over 13,400 musicians made at least $50,000 that year from Spotify. Only 7,800 musicians made more than $100,000. For over $50,000 in earnings, the number goes down to 1,820, and there were only 870 musicians who made more than $1 million from Spotify.

Spotify represents about one-third of the music streaming services, so a musician who is popular may have total online earnings of two to three times the Spotify amounts.

Can you become a successful musician? Yes, but it is not easy. At least now you know what you are up against.