I picked up this book as someone who regularly listens to a variety of genres, and I’m glad I did. Miller’s style is so sharp and distinct that it had me gripped from the very first page.

The Hours are Long, But the Pay is Low is less a structural analysis of the music industry and more a sweeping autobiography of being caught within it. Miller writes with brutal honesty, immediately dashing any romanticized view of “making it big” that you might hold as a reader. You’re left with the bare bones of someone elbowing his way through the saturated market to fight for the indie artists in his corner.

What counts as great music? What does it take to produce a hit track? The author has some strong opinions like most. But he owns up to his bias. In fact, he takes music very personally, and the narrative picks up momentum when he starts having skin in the game. I don’t always get his references—I’m chalking this up to our generational gap—but his tenacity is palpable, if nothing else. I’m willing to take his word for it.

At some off-tangents I find myself wishing that the writing had a tighter through line. Then again, perhaps the chaos and randomness of it reflects the nature of the industry as a whole. Miller paints a gritty, sobering picture. Yet beneath the self-deprecating humor and irony there’s a glimmer of hope that warms your heart and keeps you going.

I don’t always read nonfiction in this niche, but the writing does remind me of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential in the best way possible. If you’re someone who’s always immersed in the underbelly of the indie scene, you might want to read this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and author Rob Miller for providing me an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I run a small underground record label and I didn't get to finish it as by chapter 13 there had been little information regarding Rob's record label. As a UK Reader I found a lot of the colloquialisms regarding American culture baffling with long lists of bands I've never Heard of. I think there are some interesting stories here but the book needed a good editor.