Making it in music: How do you create a local music scene in a 'superstar economy'?

San Diego's music scene is full of talent, but making a living off your art? That's a different story.

Shua, a Southeast San Diego artist with over a million Spotify streams, has lived both extremes: signing a record deal and later facing near homelessness. In this episode, he shares the highs and lows of his career, what it means to be an independent musician today and why fan support is more crucial than ever.

Watch: Shua performs his song "Broken" live at KPBS' studio

We also break down the brutal reality of the modern music industry, where the biggest stars are increasingly taking home the bulk of the earnings while local and indie artists fight to stay afloat. And we explore why local music matters, what we lose when artists can't afford to make their art.

" I think art, if you're willing, can cut through the noise and say to someone, 'See me. Hear me,'" Shua said.

Whether you're an artist, a music lover or just curious about how the industry really works, this episode offers a perspective you won't forget.

Guests:

• Shua, musician
• David Hesmondhalgh, Professor of Media, Music and Culture at the University of Leeds

Photos: See snapshots of Shua

Shua Track List:

• "Plaza Cuernavaca"
• "You Can Only Go in Pieces"
• "Aren't You Tired?"
• "Broken"

Shua's musical influences:

• Fred Hammond
• The Winans
• Stevie Wonder
• Bill Withers
• "The Jungle Book" Original Soundtrack
• Beethoven
• Coldplay

Watch: Shua performs "Lucid Girl" with The Sacred Souls on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Mentioned in this episode:

• Soda Bar | North Park dive for intimate sets, rising indie acts and vibrant local energy
• San Diego Zoo | World famous Balboa Park destination for animal lovers, families and curious minds
• Petco Park | Home to the Padres — and a downtown hub for major concerts and local shows
• Snapdragon Stadium | Mission Valley venue where Wave FC and San Diego FC play, and top music festivals take the stage

Sources:

• "Rock and Roll, Economics, and Rebuilding the Middle Class" (Alan B. Krueger, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers, 2013)
• "Music Superstars Are the New One Percenters" (Neil Shah, Wall Street Journal, 2019)
• "Musicians and Singers" (Data USA, 2022)
• "Is music streaming bad for musicians? Problems of evidence and argument" [Full PDF] (David Hesmondhalgh, New Media and Society, 2021)
• "Data Shows 90 Percent of Streams Go to the Top 1 Percent of Artists" (Emily Blake, Rolling Stone, 2020)
• "What the Ek? Spotify founder is richer than any musical artist, ever" (Daniel Griffiths, MusicRadar, 2024)
• "How Many Streams Would an Artist Need to Earn as Much as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek? No One's Close" (Wren Graves, Consequence of Sound, 2024)
• "Spotify most streamed artists of 2024" (Guillaume Vieira, Chartmasters, 2025)
• "Our Annual Music Economics Report" (Spotify, 2025)
• "Beethoven's capital" (Dr. Nicole Kämpken and Dr. Michael Ladenburger, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, 2005)