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Should You Move to LA to Be a Musician?

Los Angeles is a vibrant and exciting city with a thriving music scene that can be a great place to start or further your music career. However, it can also be a very competitive and expensive city. You should carefully consider all the factors involved before deciding to move!

Despite the potential challenges, I still believe that moving to Los Angeles to pursue a music career is a good idea. Let me tell you why.

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💰 Cost of Living

One of the main things to consider when deciding whether to move to Los Angeles is the cost of living.

Los Angeles is known for being an expensive city. The high cost of housing, food, and other necessities can make it challenging to support yourself financially while pursuing your music career.

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Have a plan for paying your bills in case music doesn't cover all your expenses.

It's rare for musicians to make 100% of their income from songwriting and producing alone. They often take on odd jobs to supplement their income and pay the bills. This could involve making sample packs or playing guitar in a wedding band, for example.

Roommates can also help keep the cost of rent down—consider living with someone who also makes music!

How much does it cost to live in LA as a musician?

These are some average monthly costs living in LA. As you can see, living in LA can cost a lot!

Expense	Cost/month
2-bedroom apartment (where you can also record without bothering neighbors)	$2,750
Utilities (Electric, water, and natural gas)	$150
Groceries	$400
Rehearsal/Recording Studios	$200
Gas/Parking/Driving	$100
Car Insurance	$200
Shows/Going Out	$300

Many jobs pay considerably more than in other parts of the country. Working at a coffee shop usually starts at $20/hr in LA at the time of writing. So it’s possible to supplement your music income with other part-time work.

Neighborhoods like Silverlake have many music venues and rehearsal spaces, making it ideal for musicians.

📍 Best LA Neighborhoods for Musicians

So, you're thinking of moving to LA? One thing to consider is the location and community you'll end up in.

LA is a vast and diverse city with many different neighborhoods and communities, each with its unique vibe and culture.

West Hollywood might be your spot if you're into great food and local concerts. But if you're a family person and want to be closer to rehearsal studios, the Valley might be your jam.

Take some time to research different areas and think about what kind of environment you'd be most comfortable living in.

Some neighborhoods, like Silver Lake, are better suited for musicians, with a bustling music scene and affordable housing options.

And if you're into indie bands and songwriters, dozens of live music venues in Hollywood and West Hollywood have shows almost every night of the week.

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Neighborhood info: Silver Lake: Great food scene and diverse music venues. Popular neighborhood but with rising rents. Hollywood/West Hollywood: Right in the heart of the “music business” in Los Angeles. Labels and famous venues dot the streets. Rent is high because of the night life scene. Lots of recording studios and filming spaces available here. The Valley: Neighborhoods like Burbank, North Hollywood, and Studio City are all in “the Valley.” They’re about 15 minutes north of Hollywood. Rent is usually much cheaper and lots of rehearsal studios are located here. Downtown: Downtown LA isn’t known for its music scene in the same way other neighborhoods are. But if you’re moving from NYC, this will give you a similar vibe to living in a big city.

How Competitive is the Music Business in LA?

In addition to the cost of living and the location of the city, you should also consider the competitiveness of the music industry in Los Angeles.

The city is home to many talented musicians. The competition for gigs, recording contracts, and other opportunities can be steep.

You should be prepared to work hard and put in the time and effort to build your skills and connections in order to succeed.

Consider seeking out mentors or joining a music community or organization to help you navigate the local music scene and connect with other musicians!

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“Honestly, Los Angeles isn’t as competitive as people make it out to be. There are incredibly talented players everywhere in the city, but there are even more opportunities. People in the LA music community are friendly and welcoming. We’re all here for the same reason. I’m always surprised at how open people are to working together if it feels like a good fit. Clout or social media followings rarely come up in conversation. Plenty of open mic nights, songwriter showcases, industry events, and more all help you build up your chops. I see performers of all skill levels at every event I go to. Bands playing their first show all the way to songwriters with #1 songs. Don’t be afraid to move to LA to pursue music as a career because there are “too many people already doing it.”

Rehearsal studios like Amp are affordable places to prep for shows all over LA. The studio pictured costs $12/hr for a solo artist.

💼 Access to Music Industry Resources

Finally, you should consider the resources and opportunities available to musicians in Los Angeles.

The city is home to many different music venues, recording studios, music schools, and other resources that can be valuable for musicians. As a result, there are countless music industry jobs as well!

There are simply more music industry opportunities in LA than anywhere else in the country.

Need to rehearse with your bandmate at 3AM? There’s a studio available.

Want to go to an underground hip hop show with A&Rs from indie labels? See you Friday night.

You should research the local music scene and the opportunities available to you before making a decision. If you are able to find opportunities and resources that are well-suited to your musical interests and goals, then moving to Los Angeles may be a good choice for you.

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Small cities have the advantage of “big fish in a small pond.” You can make a name for yourself locally before moving to a big city by being really talented. But that advice applies less and less these days. The Internet made it easy to live in a cheaper city and get famous on TikTok and social media. Having said that, LA isn’t just for “getting famous.” Being around creative people all the time can help you level up your music in ways that staying in your home town may not be able to facilitate.

🎸 Playing Live

Depending on the type of music you make and how frequently you plan on playing out may impact where you live.

If you’re a cover gig musician, a lot of restaurants with live music are on the east side of town in Downtown, Silverlake, and Hollywood.

DJs playing clubs or staying out late partying will want to be closer to Downtown and Hollywood.

Rock bands or indie bands may need easier access to rehearsal spaces for live gigs or repair shops for their instruments, a lot of which are in North Hollywood where rents are cheaper.

Songwriters looking to play lots of open mics or artist showcases may have a better time living in the Valley or in Hollywood where independent venues flourish.

In conclusion, whether or not you should move to Los Angeles for your music career will depend on your individual circumstances and goals.

But despite the cost of living, I still think it’s a great choice to move to LA to pursue music.

Tips from an LA artist: Freccero

Living in Los Angeles can be expensive, especially when it comes to drinks, groceries, and fuel.

Though rent is comparable to other cities, it may still present a challenge for lots of up and coming indie artists.

However, the city offers a wealth of networking opportunities, thanks to diverse music events happening every week.

Given Los Angeles' unreliable public transportation system, owning a car is essential. Most music events occur in Hollywood, West Hollywood, or downtown LA, which can be challenging to reach by public transport.

Despite the cost of living, LA offers many free events like album release parties and Q&A sessions with famous musicians. Attending such events can help artists establish their name and connect with others trying to make cool songs.

Songwriter rounds with 3 or 4 songwriters sharing the stage are more common in Nashville.

🤠 LA or Nashville for music?

Los Angeles

The city of Angels is known for its vibrant music scene.

However, the cost of living is high, and many musicians have a hard time making ends meet.

Many musicians have day jobs, and it's difficult to make a living solely from music-related activities.

Paying for mixes and productions usually comes out of your own pocket, crowdfunding, debt, or giving up equity in a project.

That said, there are many record labels in LA paying market-rates that make living off of music possible. While these opportunities are rare, they’re not impossible.

There’s also a large production music and sync music culture in Los Angeles. That’s because movie and TV studios are just down the street from many recording studios. There’s a proximity effect.

Nashville

The studio scene in Nashville is still thriving, with many home studios. As an independent artist, it's easier to succeed in Nashville than LA due to the lower cost of living.

However, lower wages and living costs have also led to smaller budgets for traditional recording studios. As a result, many world-class records are now being made in basements and bedrooms.

Nashville and LA have strong songwriting cultures. Though Nashville is known for country and Christian music, it also has a vibrant pop scene. However, if your focus is primarily on pop music, much of the pop songwriting industry is centered in Los Angeles.