10 (Realistic) Ways to Make Money as a Musician

Busking: 'Busking, or 'Street Performing' is one of the best ways for you to not only get paid (Up to £300 per day) for making music, but also to make a name for yourself and gain a following in your local area. No musician made it without the support of fans, and what better way to create a loyal fanbase than by giving them a reason to support your career? Everybody who loves music wants to know their favourite musician, and by already knowing you, they'll want you to make it, not just for your sake, but for theirs.

Session Musician: Everybody needs those vocals, that guitar bit, those drums that make the song sound professional, so why not get yourself down to the local music studio and ask around? People are always looking to improve their music and if the answer to their problems walks right through the front door and slaps them across the face with their talent, they'd be insane not to put you on their track. It sounds scary, just rocking up to a professional environment and throwing your weight around, but confidence is key in this industry, and you can have as many degrees as you want, but without networking, chances are you won't get anywhere.

Selling your songs: Yes, I know. You don't want to sell your precious lyrics to some stranger. I felt the same way. But if you do it right, and you make it very clear to the buyer that they are required to give you writing credit upon publishing the song, you can make a lot of money from doing so. There are a few ways in which you can sell your lyrics that include but are most certainly not limited to: Posting your services on websites such as Fiverr, using your new found networking skills to find people in need of your lyrics, reaching out directly to artists and producers on social media with a pitch for your lyrics (Maybe they'll even want your vocals, who knows?), busking is also a great way to make contacts in the industry who may need lyrics for an artist they are working with. These are a few good options, but there are many more out there.

Gigs: It may sound like it's easier said than done, but gigging is actually a very simple thing to do. Head down to all your local pubs, restaurants and other communal areas with one simple question, 'Do you do live music?' Odds are they do, and they would be delighted to have some local talent on their roster. Many places hold open-mic nights, which are usually not paid gigs, however I have played multiple open-mic nights and have been approached by the venue staff with an offer to come back and play a paid gig. Sometimes you have to work for free to get paid. There are also a few organisations built to help artists find gigs. One which I have used for a few years now is 'Hotvox'. This organisation has been a huge help for me in finding gigs and expanding my audience through creation of promotional materials such as posters, digital albums and social media posts, which leads me to my next point.

Using Social Media: As much as it pains me to say this, social media is one of the greatest tools for a musician to use. If platforms such as Instagram, YouTube or TikTok are used correctly, you can reach an audience of thousands, if not millions. If you perform at a venue, make sure to have a friend or family member record your performance so that you can post those videos or photos on your social media page and let people know where your next gig will be. These platforms also have great promotional tools for you to use which have proven to be a huge help to me. If you use the tools correctly, you can reach a much larger number of people than you ever could at a gig or in the street (Not to say that those things don't matter, as you need to perform to get content for social media, and nothing beats live music). I have written an unpublished book that details the use of Instagram promotions, so make sure to follow my social media to find out when that is released.

Writing songs for commercial use: Every advert or film you see has music in it. Even so called 'Silent Movies' are riddled with instrumentals. You can write music for commercial use and pitch your songs to companies. All it takes to make it in this industry is confidence, persistence and the ability to stand out. That does not mean your music needs to be hugely different, or that you need to act really strange in order to get people's attention, but rather that your music and personality must leave an impression on the people you meet. This could simply be down to your mannerisms in conversation. Your music may speak for itself, but do YOU speak for YOURself? That's the difference between someone who gets the gig and someone who doesn't. Just give it a try. Write an instrumental piece, or lay down some incredible vocals and just start pitching, reaching out to people who may be interested, and see where it gets you after three months of hard work, persistence and confidence.

Selling CDs: So, you've just written an awesome EP or album and have managed to gig and busk your way in to a studio to get it recorded. Now it's time to get yourself a street vendor license, burn some CDs and hit the streets again. You can simply walk around town and speak to people passing by (One method I've found that works is telling people that they've dropped something, and then saying, "Actually it was me that dropped something, it's my new album for only £3". Or something of that nature, however people may get annoyed with you so do this at your own risk). Another method of selling your CDs is to simply have them on display when you're busking. Make yourself a sign that states what the CD is and how much is costs, and let your singing sell your music. TOP TIP: Leave a business card in each CD sleeve so people can follow your social media.

Streaming Platforms: Now that you've got your masterpiece recorded and have started seeing progress with CD sales, it's time to start thinking about publishing your music online. First things first, register with a Publishing Rights Organisation (The only one in England is called PRS) and get your music copyrighted. This is also important if you have worked with a producer or song writer, as they will ask you for your IPI number, which is what allows you to receive your royalty percentage and get credit for the song. Now that you've got your IPI number (It usually takes around 1-2 weeks to receive) you're ready to start thinking about releasing tracks. There are multiple distribution companies that can get your music on streaming platforms, but the ones which I have used are called 'TuneCore' and 'Record Union'. These companies will charge a small fee for distribution costs, but will allow you to pick your platforms and see all of your royalties from those platforms in one place. Now that you've picked the right distribution company for you, all that's left to do is publish! Well, also promote until you can't stand hearing the word anymore, but that's a given. Streaming platforms may not pay thousands, but if you have a large enough following, you can definitely get yourself a nice booster of passive income.

Merchandise: So you may not be able to do this at the start of your music career, but merchandise is a really great way to earn money. Once you've built yourself a large enough fanbase, perhaps using tips from this list, you can start to investigate what they're most interested in. If you write rock music, maybe best not to start selling coffee mugs to your fans. Have a good look at what the type of people your music attracts want. If it's edgy clothing, give them edgy clothing with your logo or lyrics on it. There are plenty of Print on Demand and Drop Shipping websites out there that will print merchandise for you and send it off to a fan without you ever coming in to contact with it, or you can go a more personal route and create merch yourself, which will give fans more reason to buy it, but will also create a lot of work for you.

Teach: Whether you play guitar, piano, saxophone or sing, somebody out there wants to learn how to do the same. So why mot teach them? I have earned a reasonable amount through teaching people how to play an instrument, and you can too. All that you need to do is ask around either in person or online. People are always posting ads on Facebook asking wherever somebody can teach their daughter how to play the violin, so just get yourself on there and start speaking to people. Teaching doesn't mean full-time hours in a school with a group of kids who just don't care (Well, it can mean that). Teaching means sharing. your skills with another person who is eager to learn! There is no better way of serving humanity than by passing your knowledge on to people. You'll be making money and feeling good whilst doing it :)

So there you have it. These are all ways in which I have made money through music in the past, and there's no reason that you can't do it too! All it takes is perseverance and confidence in your skills.

Have fun doing what you love!