Am I Too Old to Make It in Music? What I Want Older Musicians to Know

If you're over 24, you're officially... an old musician.

And your chances of success are lower.

Don't look at me like that! It's the truth, and you need to face it.

Sure, some people will say age doesn't matter. They'll give you a list of musicians who made it later in life, like Sia, to give you hope that maybe you'll be one of them.

But age does matter (just not in the way you might think, and I'll explain what I mean in a bit).

Because of that, you'll need to work harder. You'll need to compete with Gen Z, and soon even Gen Alpha, for your place in this industry.

So that's the reality. Now the question is, what do you do about it?

Why I started thinking about this

It started with a comment on a post I shared about Reel ideas for musicians who want to introduce themselves to their fans.

And that got me thinking. Am I constantly ignoring a group of musicians who don't find my content relevant?

So I checked my stats, and it turned out around 80% of my followers were "old musicians" too.

So this one is for you.

I also sucked at content, even at 22

Let me just say it. Today, I'm also an old musician.

I started making music when I was 14 and truly believed I'd "make it" before 18. Spoiler: I didn't.

So I quit, studied marketing and got a degree.

When I came back to music, I thought my marketing degree would help me grow fast. I was still Gen Z, still "young", but my content sucked. I was awkward on camera, my videos didn't connect, and I had no idea how to market myself online.

So the problem was experience, and my age had nothing to do with it.

It doesn't matter if you're 16, 22 or 40. If you're just starting, you're going to suck at first.

Want proof? One of the first Reels I shared got exactly one like. And I posted even cringier ones after that. All my old Reels are archived now, so only I can see them, and thank God for that.

Practice matters more than age

Whether you're 18 or 40, when you're new to content, it's going to be rough. When your content isn't working, the reason is almost always a lack of practice.

What I want you to do is keep putting your content out there while you learn how to make it better.

Gen Z is good at content because they believe they can get good at it. That belief is available to you at any age.

Age just reflects how much time you could have spent learning, practicing and getting better. And if you're an old musician, it means you had that time, but maybe didn't use it right.

That doesn't mean it's over. It means you're starting from a different place. It's not too late.

Please don't give up. Keep making content, keep improving your music and your marketing, and most importantly, keep believing.

3 problems older musicians have (and how to fix them)

1. Not believing you can do it

A lot of older musicians get stuck in doubt because they compare themselves to people who started earlier. But belief comes from action. You don't need to feel 100% confident to begin.

Start with small wins. Post one Reel, write one song, talk to one new fan. Confidence grows every time you show up for yourself, but only if you give yourself a fair chance.

2. Not staying consistent

Life gets busy, I get it. But you can't disappear for months and expect your audience (or the algorithm) to still be there.

Consistency doesn't mean posting every day. It means showing up regularly in a way that works for your life. One Reel a week is better than 10 in one month and nothing the next. Build a rhythm you can stick to, and let that momentum carry you.

3. Not looking at the analytics

You don't need to obsess over numbers, but you do need to listen to what your content is telling you. Which posts get the most saves? Which Reels keep people watching? Which songs are fans adding to their playlists?

Your analytics are there to guide you. Once you know what works, you can do more of it, and you stop guessing.

Your path is just different

Being an older musician means your path is different. You might have to work harder, but you also have more life experience, more clarity and more stories to tell.

Don't let your doubts or your age stop you from building the music career you still want. Start where you are, use what you have, and keep moving forward.

Your future fans care about how your music makes them feel, and your age doesn't come into it. So go make them feel something.

And if you want a clear place to start, The 100K Challenge is free and walks you through it over 10 days.