It's SO simple. If you want to make money from it, you're making a business out of it. If you don't, it's a hobby and something of passion and anything that comes from it should be considered as a bonus, not "income" in the traditional sense.
If you go for the former, well, there's a whole lot of things to learn about setting up a business such as goal setting, you as a brand, your product, market research (who do you sound like), the kind of people who will buy your music, what makes them tick... That's just to get started, maybe 5-10% and it's a forever evolving thing.
I respect those that are creating for their own fulfillment and for them an audience may come naturally at some point..
This is where I am at (the latter - serious hobbying). I did entertain the business element, purchased a few music marketing courses and found out a lot about my own goals, motivations and what's realistic (arguably being realistic was the most humbling experience that I had!)
The realisation I had was, "I make music to escape so if it becomes my sole source, what am I going to do to escape?"
I've loved being on steem and meeting loads of different people, forever learning, as well as the chance to earn something from what I still consider to be a hobby but something I put everything into (gotta love perfectionism sometimes)!
So I'm with you on the complainers and have wanted to vent about it myself for sometime so reading your post prompted it 😂
And thanks a lot for the support you guys in the c-squared community have given me btw
(and sorry for an outburst on a previous post where I was supporting the leader of another community I am in. I since found out the full story and saw you had replied to me but then removed it)