How to Make Money with Music
While making money as a musician can seem like a daunting task, there are plenty of opportunities for new and experienced musicians. One way to make money as a musician is to start a YouTube channel, which you can use to make money off ads and get your name out there. Your channel can feature you playing an instrument, singing, or offering free music lessons. Another way to make money is to use a crowdfunding platform, like Patreon or Kickstarter, to allow your fans to contribute money to help support your career. For example, if you're working on a new album, start a crowdfunding campaign to ask fans to help out. If you're more interested in playing live, find paid gigs at local bars or cafes or consider if your music is well suited to special events, like weddings.
Try finding paid gigs at bars that feature live musicians. Some bars pay solo artists and bands to entertain their patrons while they eat, drink, and hang out. Check out some local bars with live music and ask an employee if they're looking for new performers. You might be able to find a one-time gig, and if things go well, you could end up with a regular spot. Look for gigs at clubs and private parties if you’re a DJ. Clubs and people hosting private parties are always looking for talented DJs. Ask around at local clubs to see if they're currently hiring new talent. You can also look for ads online through websites like Craigslist to see if anyone is looking for a DJ for their event. The more experienced you become as a DJ, the easier it will be to find paying gigs. You'll also make more connections in the industry, which will help you get your foot in the door at different clubs and venues. Keep an eye out for big events that are looking for musicians. Events can range from corporate conferences to music festivals to art fairs. If you hear about an upcoming event that will be featuring live performers, reach out and ask if they're looking for musicians to add to their lineup. You can also do some research online to see if any big events have posted calls for musicians. If you're willing to travel far for the event, you might have an easier time finding a paid gig. Perform at weddings if you’re looking for consistent opportunities. Booking wedding gigs can be competitive, but it's also a consistent, reliable way to make money as a musician. If you have videos of you performing and testimonials from previous clients you've worked with, you should be able to find work doing wedding gigs. Once you've got a couple successful gigs under your belt, you'll have an easier time finding work in the future. To find wedding gigs, you can advertise your services through social media, promote your personal website, or look for online advertisements that call for wedding performers. Get hired to perform on a cruise ship if you’re willing to travel. Many cruise ships hire talented musicians to help entertain their guests after setting sail. As a cruise ship performer, you'll be contracted for several months, so you'll need to be willing to be away from home for extended periods of time. Often times, you'll be provided with a free room (sometimes shared with other musicians) and receive regular paychecks. You can apply to be a cruise ship musician directly through cruise lines, or you can work with a talent agency to apply to multiple job opportunities at once. Offer music lessons if you enjoy teaching music to others. Teaching music is a great way to earn some money and help other aspiring musicians. If you're skilled at playing a particular instrument, you can offer lessons on that, or you can offer singing lessons instead (or both!). If you don't have the space or resources to offer in-person music lessons, you can do lessons online instead. Just advertise your services through social media, websites like Craigslist, or your personal website if you have one, and then do live lessons using a webcam. Consider busking to make a little side cash while improving your skills. Busking, or performing on the street for tips, might not sound glamorous, but it is an opportunity to put yourself out there and practice performing in front of people. Also, if you do it in an area with heavy foot traffic, like a busy street corner, you might be able to make some decent tips. Depending on where you live, there might be laws or ordinances that restrict or ban busking. Always check your local laws first to make sure you don't get in trouble. Sell CDs or vinyls with your music on them whenever you have a show. Fans and newcomers to your music might be interested in checking out more of your stuff after seeing one of your shows, so having a booth with CDs or vinyls is a great opportunity to make some extra cash. Depending on how big of a following you have, you might be able to sell them for $5-10 each. Before you sell CDs or vinyls, search online to find a service that will duplicate them for cheap so you can make more of a profit. You can also sell merchandise with your name or the name of your band on it to make some extra money. Create a website to easily sell your music online. Having your own website makes it easier for people to buy your music. You can advertise your website on social media and at gigs you perform at. Then, when people visit your website, they'll be able to buy your new album or pay to download their favorite songs. Once you set up a website, you'll need to pay for a hosting platform that will allow you to upload music and sell it. Additionally, you'll need to use a third-party platform to accept payments, like Paypal or Google Checkout. Sell your music on Fiverr if you like writing jingles or short songs. Fiverr is a website where freelancers, artists, and performers can sell their services. All you have to do is sign up, create a profile, and advertise the services you offer and what your rates are. Then, if someone's interested, they'll pay you to write and deliver a song for them. You can get started on Fiverr by visiting www.fiverr.com. Start a YouTube channel to make money off of ads and get your name out there. With your own YouTube channel, you can monetize your videos and earn money off of the advertisements that YouTube plays during them. You can post videos of yourself singing, playing an instrument, or offering free music lessons to attract viewers. Keep in mind that your videos will need to have a lot of views before you start earning a decent amount of money off of your channel. However, regularly publishing videos of you performing or giving lessons is a good way to get your name out there. Add your music to Spotify to collect royalties when your songs are streamed. Spotify is a popular music streaming platform that allows users to stream music from both mainstream musicians and lesser-known performers. When a user streams your music on the platform, you get paid royalties. To add your music to Spotify, you'll need to go through a distributor, like CDBaby or TuneCore. When your music is streamed, your distributor will be the one to pay you. Use crowdfunding platforms to raise money for your music. Crowdfunding platforms, like Patreon and Kickstarter, allow fans of your music to contribute money to help support your music-making efforts. You can launch new campaigns on the crowdfunding platform of your choice and share it on social media and your website if you have one. If you have enough supporters, you can earn a decent amount of money to help support you while you work on your music and look for different gigs. For example, if you're working on an upcoming album, you could start a crowdfunding campaign asking fans for contributions to help out. Keep in mind that most crowdfunding platforms keep a percentage of the money that people pledge to you. Publish and license your songs to earn money off of royalties. When you publish and license a song you wrote, you're giving a publisher the right to issue licenses to people who want to use your song. If someone pays to use your song, the publisher will give you a percentage of that money. While making money off of licensing your songs isn't guaranteed (you won't make money if people don't pay to use your music), some musicians are successful. To get started publishing and licensing your music, look for an online music library to submit your songs to, like Audiosparx or Jinglepunks. If your songs are selected, they'll be upload to the library and made available to anyone who's interested in licensing them. 
Try finding paid gigs at bars that feature live musicians. Look for gigs at clubs and private parties if you’re a DJ. Keep an eye out for big events that are looking for musicians. Perform at weddings if you’re looking for consistent opportunities. Get hired to perform on a cruise ship if you’re willing to travel. Offer music lessons if you enjoy teaching music to others. Consider busking to make a little side cash while improving your skills. Sell CDs or vinyls with your music on them whenever you have a show. Create a website to easily sell your music online. Sell your music on Fiverr if you like writing jingles or short songs. Start a YouTube channel to make money off of ads and get your name out there. Add your music to Spotify to collect royalties when your songs are streamed. Use crowdfunding platforms to raise money for your music. Publish and license your songs to earn money off of royalties. 