This question raises a much more fundamental question, namely why is it advantageous to learn a musical instrument at all?
We will, however, proceed on the premise that the reader is convinced of the benefits of being able to play the instrument reasonably well at an early age, the only question that remains is whether it is worth your time and effort at a later stage in your life.
It's not just about being able to play "The Moonlight Sonata" flawlessly at a party, to impress your friends with Coldplay 's newest "Hot" play, but basically to feel good about yourself for conquering a musical ideal according to your own standards of acceptability.
There will be different opportunities to share with your friends, or even the general public. Music is a universal language, but it is nevertheless a language that can be mastered and impressed only by some basic discipline and consistency. Most of us have musical skills that we are very unaware of, and as our prowess develops, these salient abilities will come to the fore.
One just has to think about the movie. "I can only imagine" (based on a true story) to conjure up the lurking potential that could be life-changing; to stay away from that first final music lesson at a later age is the excuse of having less time left: "If only I started last year," is the miserable plea that sounds so hollow, even to yourself.
Yes, it's never too late to get started.
Tomorrow, you'll always be more developed than today if you start right away, and that's the only real issue you should be dealing with. Age is no longer a handicap to a large degree, and in any event most of us age with our peer group.
Whether it's the "Stairway to Heaven" riff (flute and guitar) or the "Mannheim rocket" (on the piano), there's no better time to start than now, and a technique once mastered can be leveraged and improvised.
Don't think about the effort: think about the reward and keep your goals clear. Never look back again! The joy of being able to play an instrument professionally at any age is priceless.