The performer's piece: getting paid through neighbouring rights.(IndieInsider)

For Dave Faber, working on his band's debut album was a financially challenging endeavour. "I was working a full-time job and had to quit," recollects Faber, front-man for the BC-based rock outfit Faber Drive. After winning a Vancouver rock radio contest, Faber Drive caught the attention of another BC musician, Chad Kroeger (yes, that Chad Kroeger), who signed the group to his 604 Records imprint and set them up in the studio with acclaimed producer Joey Moi to record what would become Seven Second Surgery, released in 2007.

Despite the high-profile support, having to quit his job to focus on this opportunity meant Faber was barely scraping by. "I ended up going to the food bank," he shares, noting that his case is a common one among career musicians trying to make ends meet in this tough and demanding industry.

As such, any source of income related to your craft is not only welcome; it's deserved. Considering the hours of practice and the amount of dedication and risk involved with making music, a commodity that has lost so much consumer value since the proliferation of music pirating and unlicensed online streaming, it's a travesty that the creators of such a universally-enjoyed product are not properly remunerated.

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