What’s with the majority of people giving passive aggressive hate to us music makers?

It could be insecurity - or sometimes friends just play around.

In reality tho most people - friends or not will simply not care about your music unless theyre producers / musicians themselves.

Its not out of hate or anything but unless they have a passion for music production they just wont be interested in checking it out and thats OK. If you want to share your music and get feedback etc your best finding other producers / rappers.

People without a creative bone in their body, or people that have a creative bone, but they neglect it, will try to tear you down because they know all they do with their life is go to work and then come home and watch tv.

Ignore them. And let me give you a piece of advice that'll save you some frustration if you keep it in your mind:

Your friends and family are some of the least likely people to be supportive of you, or like what you make. Don't make music with the appreciation of your friends or family in mind. They will almost certainly disappoint you. Not all of them, but most of them just won't care. Make your music with your real fans in mind. If you don't have any yet, they'll come.

Keep at it, and don't let haters with nothing going on their own boring, stale lives get you down. They hate to see us enjoying ourselves and actually creating something while they scroll Reels and fight with people in comment sections as their primary form of "entertainment."

Nobody really cares what you do.

it's because a lot of people are insecure about themselves and don't like to see others, especially people close to them rise up. that's why it's important to be able to recognize good people and surround yourself with them. those people you mentioned saying those kinds of things are definitely people you shouldn't take their critique seriously

People don't like it when you believe in yourself

Sounds like you need to upgrade your circle of friends.

A lot of people suppress their desires to create art and their lives reflect that. These same people lash out at others who do try to express creativity. It kinda sounds like they don't even know why they are mad about it which is pretty common tbh. If you seek out and speak to other creatives or go to live shows/events you'll find there's more people out there who really just appreciate the fact that you're into the same hobby as them

There will always be resistance & backlash when you're doing something someone else doesn't believe THEY can do. It's projection. They've decided it's impossible for them, so they believe it's impossible for you to achieve. Don't buy into it. The truth is...

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford

So believe that you can. No matter what anyone says. Making music for fun is the best motivation for doing it anyways. People making music solely for the money are misguided. There isn't much money to be made in music unless you're at the top, seriously. Keep your motivations. Keep doing it for fun. Don't let people who don't share the same dreams & interests as you tell you what you can & can't do. You decide what you can & can't do. Best of luck.

Most people have a pretty warped concept of music, and art in general, and only see music through the lens of pop stardom. Personally i only bring it up if people ask, or if i know that person has an interest in music themselves. I don't think most people go into the convo with the intention of being malicious, they just really don't get it.

Welcome to the real world. If you do what you love then prepare for plenty of jealousy. It’s crucial that you become adept at blocking it out and just doing your own thing. They wish they were doing what you’re doing, but instead of upping their game they try to take you off your game. That’s life. Wish them well and leave them be and focus your time on your friends who show kindness and respect.

This is why you don't tell your friends or family about your music. Just make your music and stop trying to make fans out of haters. You will just get in your own way sitting around worrying about the handful of "friends" that are just haters.

Try not to let it get to you, these people will always exist no matter what you’re doing. There is a weird hatred of new people trying to make music sometimes, as if mainstream artists weren’t doing the same exact thing. I’ve noticed it’s especially harsher with rap for some reason. Do it because you love it, and that’s all that matters.

I think some people are just bitter and jealous of others that have ambition and creativity. It takes a lot of work to get into music production!

However, with the ease of access of music production, I see a growing trend in person and on social media of people who constantly talk about making music but never actually finish something. The line "Something big is in the works... stay tuned" comes to mind. Imagine you went around and said "I'm knitting a scarf and it will be done soon". That's good for you, but it really doesn't mean much to anyone until it's done, right?

Jealousy and doubt feel more apparent these days. As long as you feel fulfillment in what you're doing, that's all that should matter.

Well first off, honestly if you've been making music for two months you probably do suck, and that's totally fine and expected. Very, very few people are going to create anything that doesn't completely suck after only two months.

And yeah, maybe they're also insecure or secretly jealous, or resentful of you just having fun.

But.

They way you're presenting it could also be part of it. If you're forcing people to listen to it, they're probably not going to respond positively. If you're presenting it in an arrogant way, same thing. Maybe they just don't like rap music. Maybe that don't like the style you're going for.

Fact is, most people just aren't going to give a shit, and that's ok. If you're doing it for fun, just keep doing it. Don't worry about other people's opinions. Especially in the beginning.

Most people aren't going to want to hear a work in progress. That applies to a particular track, a project, but also to artists. Like, some people enjoy going to open mics and watching people slowly refine their craft. Most people just want to hear the final product. They want to listen to musicians who have honed theirs skills, not to someone who's practicing and struggling through the beginning phases.

If one of your goals is to improve, then put in the work, and over time you'll improve. Maybe after a year or twenty, you'll be better than you were, and you can try to get your music out there more.

It's not seen as a mature hobby or wise use of time, since it doesn't really provide tangible value to society. (Our ancient, tribal genetics tell us, why is that person spending so much time on their pointless instrument when they could be doing something else to benefit the tribe.)

probably they'd like to do it too, but don't have proper discipline or motivation for it.

you do it for yourself, not for them. if you succeed, they'll change their disposition; if they don't, they're unlikely friends.

Why are you making music if it's not for yourself?

Show, don't tell. The first rule of creative projects. No one cares about your ideas for your project. They might care about a good final product. Maybe.

Personally besides my wife and some people I get help from on forums not much of anyone has any idea what I'm working on. It's a fairly new project. I haven't even told my brother, who literally owns a label, because I don't have anything to show him yet. (Plus it's nothing close to what his label is about so I wouldn't be trying to get it published through him anyway.) I get that it is exciting to talk about but there is actually research that shows that the more you talk about what you plan to do, the less likely you are to actually complete it. People get excited in the ideas phase but then the reality of the hours and hours of hard work just to make stuff you think could be a lot better kicks in.

And to be frank, a lot of us have been around for awhile and have listened to ideas and ideas and ideas from newcomers who were totally going to do it all and then... quit before they had anything to show. So I get skeptical. Meanwhile the people I know who produce great stuff will be quiet for a long time then pop in and be like "oh I've been working on new stuff and I'm releasing a 4 track ep next month check it out!" with a link to 4 polished tracks. And I'm like what, I didn't even know you were still making stuff!

Anyway, think of how much more exciting it would be to be able to hand them a finished product instead of just talking about what you think it could be.

Something something the devaluation of art/nepotism running rampant and unchecked

Most people don’t really give a shit. Even if they’re being passive aggressive, it’s not worth figuring out why. If you stick with it, this is likely going to happen frequently. If your friends are being total assholes about it, then your friends are assholes.

It sucks to hope your friends will be supportive and they disappoint you, but… if you’ve only been doing this a couple months and you aren’t in a group of friends where everyone is making music they probably just don’t get it. Which is fine. Do fun stuff that you enjoy and don’t worry about telling everyone about it.

It's mostly people struggling with their shitty 9-5 or their shitty kids realizing they've never done anything and/or have zero creativity in their bodies, so you obviously can't either.

This is probably (imo) why so many successful artists seem so self-obsessed. They've got something inside telling them "No you're amazing and this really IS incredible and people need to hear it!". The rest of us get shit on into oblivion.

It’s people projecting their internalized self doubt onto you. It doesn’t mean anything lol

People can be bitter and jealous. I think that some people are actually jealous about your musical skills and they try to make themselves feel better by downplaying you. Let them whine

cuz 99% of people who say they are music makers suck, are doing it for the clout, even i cringe at myself telling people

Nobody cares until you've made something. People subconsciously know through experience that saying you're going to do something gives you the same release of happy brain chemicals as actually doing it. Saying you're making a mixtape is the same as saying you're writing a novel. Nobody believes you until you've got proof.

Because we aren't trying to outright say "this is ass" . I only straight up tell my friends if their music is garbage but maybe not a stranger

A UK lad was popping off under an IG post from RA, where Moodymann was speaking about the influence Juan Atkins has on Detroit's music community.

If his comments were any indicator, I think it's a combo of ignorance and arrogance.

But it could also be that people likely have to hear about the US in other contexts, such as global politics.

And with the fact that more Americans are now living abroad; not necessarily greeted with a welcoming committee when factoring gentrification and the rise of the cost of living (just about everywhere), the disdain for Americans in general, might be a growing sentiment.

People don’t like people trying new things, period. If you meet someone and they’ve always had dark brown long hair, then one day they decided to cut it short and dye it red, people around them will hate it, even if it looks objectively better. Whereas if you know someone and they always just had short red hair you’ll just say “yeah that’s mike, he’s got short red hair.” There’s a reason people say first impressions are important. When someone meets you they instantly decide what box to put you in and what their idea of you is, and if you break out of that it confuses them because they don’t know what to do with you. If someone knew you from since you were a kid and you always played basketball, that’s fine. But if suddenly you just decide to start playing basketball their brain goes “hey!! that’s jake, he doesn’t play basketball!”. People don’t like having their perceptions of people messed with. Just ignore it tbh, or make better friends.

I started making music just 3 weeks ago. Sent it out to everyone I knew, then felt like trash when no one responded. Eventually, a couple people did, with actually constructive criticism that I took and worked with. I didn’t notice it at the time, but I appreciate those people so much more now. It was validation that I did find a few really interesting and supportive friends.

Focus less on the hate, and more on the people giving you actual feedback. Telling me it sucks doesn’t help, but telling me the volume on one track needs adjusting because it’s ear piercing and annoying is incredibly helpful.

Honestly just do you, most people around you will hate, but if you are a musician just focus on making music. You are exposing a inner side of yourself most people will not appreciate it

I think it's time to redraw the lines on what you consider friendship. Anyone that will put you down for being excited about pursuing your artistic ambitions is just an asshole that probably hates where they are in life at any given moment.

There is a constant war being fought over your two most precious resources. Your time, and your attention.....give them to people that support you and are able to contribute to your growth in tangible ways.

Wow I am disagreeing with a good chunk of these comments. Not that they are wrong, but I think they are ignoring what's really happening.

People hear "I'm going to make a mixtape" or "I'm writing a song" so much from a lot of people. And a lot of the people who go around saying that say it for attention, not content. Think of that guy who walks around with a guitar who says that just to get women interested. I don't think it's jealousy or hate. Just burnout. My suggestion is to think of a creative way to talk about it rather than telling them you are making a mixtape. Like... "Aren't you tired of how corporate America taking advantage of us? I wrote a song about it." Probably a mediocre example, but I think it gets the point across.

People love music especially if it's their style. Arts are loved by a LOT of people but there are a lot of people who are only saying they are artists with no real work being done at all. It's just filtering you are seeing.

It has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you tbqh. Impossible to say exactly what is going on but a negative reaction to a friend or loved one making music is a weird. The most charitable is they want to help avoid delusions of grandeur or maybe they seeing it as a bid for support like they might have to repost music they don't like or show up at shows when they don't like the music... but it doesn't sound like you're making such requests so it's probably some internal stuff.

Oh 110% experienced this. I genuinely saw a huge rise once SoundCloud artists began gaining popularity. Also I have to give the haters a bit of credit, I remember the early days of sound cloud gaining popularity and how many people didn't use proper audio editing or even mics with sound proofed rooms. It kinda created this thing where yes anyone can produce music but at what cost to the listeners ears with horribly mixed and recordings alike. I say this because I was also that person who recorded some of my boys rapping on some beats back in 2014. It was horrible I took a listen last year and it sounded like a hot steamy pile of horse shit on a summer day. This is chances are where the hate is coming from is everyone has an experience with someone who made a mixtape and it's rough edited at most.

It's sort of like talking about your screenplay or novel at this point... the moment you bring it up, people are probably expecting you to talk about it way too much with zero regard for how they feel, then pressure them to listen to it, after which they'll be expected to give a reaction and potentially start a conflict or hurt your feelings when it isn't the reaction you wanted.

I don't experience any unpleasantness, and can't speak to OPs experience but it could happen more with people who constantly ping others for attention/validation.

Most of my friends were really supportive with me.

may not be fair, but if that bothers you in the slightest...you won't make it long.

No one will care as much about your music as you.

Welcome to planet Earth. Best thing to do is ignore all negative comments, and in particular avoid those types that are pretending to help you when they are really just trying to make you smaller. You can tell because they appear to be complementing you, but then you introvert and feel worse as a result.

Create Music, have fun!

The negative reaction is Jealousy. Please don’t write/create with the goal to be successful and have people adore you. Create your music with the goal of only you enjoying it. Practice and experiment and have a great time putting projects together. If others enjoy it along the way, that’s great.

The industry is so oversaturated, almost everyone knows someone who picked up music for the social clout alone. Takes time to prove you're not one of those people, other musicians can sniff it out quicker.

No I definitely feel that. That's why I feel so damn weird about promoting my stuff. I always hear those passive aggressive voices like "wow you really think you're special huh?" Though maybe it's me projecting my own fear and judgement onto people. Maybe I think those things about other people or even about myself? Was I trained by those few vocal haters? It's a weird time for independent musical artists.

It seems people can make a painting, share it, and usually friends and whatnot will look and be like wow that's cool you did that. But when I share my new release, I can only imagine them doubting me. Like they think I expect more than a couple minutes of listening. Which is weird because usually the few times I get feedback at all, it is like "that's cool" or something. I get a lot of "that sounds like cool video game music" which has gotten old but I guess it's a compliment.

I guess the painting comparison shows that it's about time. You can look and absorb a painting in a couple seconds. Sure you can really look into the details, but if someone is really analyzing your painting silently for 4 minutes straight, that's some deep appreciation or something. I guess they think we expect them to have that deep level from the get go.

Sounds like you're around the wrong people. Everyone I know is excited for me to get into making music

i've never gotten hate for saying i produce music. people who like music will think it's cool but won't care. people who don't like music won't care either. I think you're friends are just messing with you or have a wrong perception of music production wich is very common.

Just focus on having fun with you're friends making music with friends is one of the most fun things you can do

Usually when I encounter people like that they think you aren't serious about it and that's why they joke. But once you get good and play them a fkn banger, u will shut them up lol

we don't make music for anybody but ourselves. If others end up liking it...great! if not, its a fun and valuable experience. All these haters simply don't know what they are talking about. They should try making something themselves before talking shit. But who cares? Make what you like! do what you enjoy! Music is about fun. its not about money or fame or status or anything else.

That's not hate, that's just what humans do. Most people have dreamed about doing something exciting like making music but never had the balls, discipline or just plain couldn't get over the self-image that world had betowed them. So they move on, rationalizing that stuff as a pipe dream, something that regular folks can't do.

Then you come along with your fancy ideas.

Well, they think, if this upstart actually goes out there and nails the thing I dreamed of doing and makes a success of it, that's going to hurt. That's going to touch that nerve where all my lost and broken dreams are stowed away. It's going to pinch it hard! It's going to force them to face something about themselves.

So they pour a little bit of scorn on your ideas, and call it reality. For your own good (actually their own good).

But do you know what? It's temporary. If you are actually the rare person who can shrug that off and go and make something happen... and a little bit of time has passed (just long enough for those exposed nerves to desensitize)... they'll get behind you.

That's humans.

I think everyone's come across multiple people throughout their lives who try to push their music on them (random dude on the corner trying to "give" you their mixtape and then asking for money, millions of soundcloud rappers spamming every comment section, etc) so they have been conditioned to have a negative response to any random person who tells them they make music, even if you're not pushing it on them in any way.

Just another case of psychology making people act irrational. Sucks but it is what it is.

To find a silver lining, their reaction is a good litmus test for how kind and thoughtful they are.

As someone who makes music, I don’t hate other people who produce, I hate the stereotype of what people think a producer is, because of some pretentious TikTok influencer who started making “BeAtS”

I’m having a hard time with that with my best friend. He’s not supportive until other people support it. Then back in private he’s not supportive. But I’ll accept it.

What I do hate is when other music people I’ve met try to tell me I don’t have the look to be in the music industry. Like an engineer I worked out with for a bit loved my music but said I don’t have the look to perform…..I was like the fuck?

Jealousy and laziness. It’s hard work to make music. Hate breeds anger. Anger breeds jealousy. Jealousy leads to doubt.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

There are all kinds of people. Some people will hate, some people will support no matter what. Some people will support you if they think you're special. Other people just don't care.

A lot of people don't choose who the next drake is, they are told who the next drake is. Those people have no idea if you have the talent for it or not. But they're liable to think it's impossible, because they've glorified this person, and just find the odds someone they know would become famous just seem low to them.

But drake went to elementary school too, and highschool. So did every artist that made it.

You've been making music for 2 months, unless you're a genius it's going to be pants. When I first started I was a genius too.

Some people just can’t comprehend being creative for the sake of being creative

People are funny. I am in my fifties, and played bass in a cover band for two or three small performances a a few years ago. I had a friend tell me it was good, but that I shouldn’t try to do it professionally.”

I would never say to my athlete buddies, “Yeah, you are good at soccer, but don’t try to be a pro.”

I think most people don’t have an image of amateur musicians.

They heard me singing and they told me to stop

Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock

These days my life, I feel it has no purpose, But late at night the feelings swim to the surface

‘Cause on the surface the city lights shine, They're calling at me, come and find your kind

Sometimes I wonder if the World's so small, That we can never get away from the sprawl

Living in the sprawl

Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains

And there's no end in sight

I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights

I haven't experienced this at all. People are not necessarily interested in hearing my music, but everyone I talk to thinks it's cool that I'm trying to make stuff. OP you hang out with some sad people.

I remember reading an article about the mental toll music making has on beginning artists/producers and unless you’re a big name it’s really hard for other people to see it as legitimate; a professional cellist playing in some fancy orchestra told a story where someone said to them “are you still doing your little music thing?” When the cellist was a literal salaried professional lol. If you’re not famous people just see it as a hobby

Please keep your chin up, make music YOU like, and recognize that that passive agressiveness is coming from a group that is not your core audience.

Telling other people about your plans and goals is largely a waste of time.

Sorry you’re going through that.

Try working silently and see what that does for you would be my suggestion.

Either way, keep doing you and be thankful for the practice.

The hate will only grow.

I’ve been producing my own music for 12 years, and my friends still treat me this way. The only people that seem to actually appreciate my music are my peers who also make music. I’m getting my Bachelor’s in recording arts, and the friends i’ve met in school are a million times more supportive and actually have knowledge of their own to offer, unlike my casual friends.

with the access to ways to make music getting greater, more people are making “shitty” music too. everyone has to start somewhere, but majority of the population wants to listen to a professional record. also a lot of new musicians are low effort rappers that are just biting their favorite artists almost like for line. I think that and the soundcloud rapper stigma is why ppl have negative connotations about ppl making indie music

Stop telling them and start showing them instead.

I think the kiddies call them 'haters'. Usually tho, it's not really about hate. It can be a very complex reaction tho. I've encountered it before. I think at the core, those that express these things as they do, do so out of their own insecurities and perhaps unrequited ambitions. Also, there are those who have this idea that certain things are not 'real' jobs. Athletes are not engaged in a real job. Musicians seem to enjoy what they are doing, so it must not be a real job. etc. People have weird things floating around in their heads. It's really rather fascinating.

At the end of the day tho: Do yo thang man, fuck what they lookin at.

A lot of people’s hobby is consumption of creativity. So much so that when they hear of someone creating music, art, or books, they correlate that activity with only being reserved for the “successful” people that are figures they put on a pedestal.

Overcome this

play live as much as possible and become yourself, you’ll be solid when you realize it’s only yourself and your audience that counts

In your case it’s probably the whole “check out my mixtape” meme that has put a negative connotation on it. In my experience (being in a punk band) when I tell them that, most reactions are that it’s immature or like they don’t really know what to say. I just like to write and listen to music, I’m genuinely not trying to be famous or make a career out of it, but people who aren’t passionate about music seem to think that’s the only reason to do it. I think it’s because music (and art as a whole) is undervalued in our society. It’s widely known that artists do not make a lot of money, and apparently if you aren’t making money you are not contributing to society. Parents discourage kids going to college for art bc it’s a “waste of time and money.” In a capitalist society, it’s hard for the average person to understand the importance of art. So it’s looked down upon. People who meet you with passive aggression really just are misguided. It sucks, but don’t let it stop you. The ones who know, know…and that’s what’s important. They exist and they support you, negativity is just louder. I support you, have fun with it. Creating music has helped me grow as a person, and I hope it does the same for you. Growing individually has nothing to do with them, so don’t let them cripple you.

Everyone has an axe to grind. :) I think most of the responses saying “nobody gives a shit” are also wrong, or at least, that’s what you’re telling us.

I think people react to it the same way they would react if you told them you were starting a business. Envy is in human nature. People don’t have a lot of perspective on music which means they also don’t understand how hard it is to make it, which means the humility that comes with actually trying to do this might not be reflected in people’s perceptions. At the end of the day people have mixed feelings about the audacity you’re showing by attempting something new.

Don’t let it get to you, it’s totally typical for anyone who is trying to do something new.

Bro this actually means they are jealous because you’re doing something you love and they don’t and probably doing great, They are pulling you down. This is one of the reasons to be careful who you tell about what you do especially if a path that most people don’t usually take (different from 9-5 jobs). If you like making music, you might consider doing it as a career.

Or maybe- this is WACKAZOIDAL just mayyybe in this climate people aren’t loving “niggxr kill that fag with your mighty  cock then bang your bitch ho slut” Ie maybe choose music that isn’t entirely hateful before wondering why people don’t want to listen to ANOTHER jackass shouting about how rich they are how many women they rape and every ism sexism racism homophobia ageism just hate hate hate. Maybe people don’t love hate I say freaking hurray finally!!!!

I’ve noticed sharing music with people I know never gives me any benefit. Show your mom a song and ask for feedback “it’s great! I’m so proud!” In reality it stinks….also a great song that you show friends who are jealous you get the passive aggressive negativity. They don’t dislike the tune just the fact you are completing a project and they loaf. So make the mixtape and post It online and get people you don’t know to give feedback

On the one hand, it’s too bad your friends aren’t more supportive. If it were me I’d maybe try and find some friendships with people who treated me a bit better.

On the other hand, it is a fact of music making that almost no one, including your friends and family, will really care about what you’re doing. You have to accept this if you want to keep doing it imo. Music making is something that doesn’t offer a lot of external rewards so you have to get used to it being self motivated. I have worked for years on albums that most of my friends and family didn’t even bother to listen to. This is just how it goes, they have their own shit going on. Most people will never care about music until some kind of press/social media tells them that they should care, and that will only happen when you’ve made connections in the business.

They're jealous they have no creativity, not everyone does, take it as a compliment and maybe inspiration for lyrics 😉

Maybe you just hang out with shitty people.

they had the same dream as u, but they convinced themselves it was "genetic" or "all luck" or some pussy excuse like that. in reality they saw the mountain they had to climb and these excuses allow them to avoid making the climb, so when they see someone doing the climb, their beliefs get challenged. "That guys trying, but its okay tho, it's all luck, it's all luck, wait he's had some success? no no no, it's supposed to be all luck, let me think of all the reasons why and bring him down!!!"

this was prolly put in an aggressive ass tone, but it's just what it is, these people aint worth the time convincing.

think about it, it's so hard to get YOURSELF to belief in yourself, IMAGINE how hard it is to try and convince someone else to believe in u.

most successful people had to delude themselves in unrealistic dreams and perceptions to keep themselves going.

"I wasn't even telling my mom my dreams of being a rapper, cause I'm not going to give anyone the chance to bring me back to reality" - J Cole

Narcissist talk like that. Yes they are many. No they are not your friends. Move on.

Sounds like you need some new friends. That's a shitty way to react to a friend trying to share their creative ideas with you. Especially if that haven't even heard it yet. When people act like that I just put them on the spot and ask them what they have been doing lately and they usually have absolutely nothing interesting to say. Making a mixtape, even a bad one, is way more interesting than what most people are even trying to so woth their lives. Just remind them that "hey at least I am trying to do something, what are you trying to do that's even remotely interesting?"

It's caused by jelousy and inferirity complexs. Typical haters. Best things to do is either ignore them completely ,or try to make tham more angry, if that's your thing.

If people coming for your throat makes you uncomfortable or makes you want to stop doing it stop right now and do something you would do no matter what. People will call you a fake, tell you to get a real job, call you a failure, call you stupid etc. the whole way + even after you ‘make-it’. It is not an industry for the faint of heart or determination.

Give up now or buckle up sweetheart, because that life is a rollercoaster and there is no exit ramp.

redditor + annoying go hand in hand

Haters gonna hate lol.

Do you think all the rappers out there didnt hear that?

Even if you dont want to get famous or super successful with music, they gonna say this shit, because they themselfs, wont even think or try to do something else.