How can you make money in music: from your skills, knowledge and experience?
Well, thankfully there are a great number of ways to generate income in many different fields. I have made a list for you to get you started.
7 main fields, with several examples within each field. Then it is up to you to choose how you want to make money from your music skills and knowledge.
Field 1 – Music Composition
Composing music for various projects, clients and end use is probably the most common way to make money as a music composer . Here are some examples:
- Compose Music for Clients
Film, TV, games, apps. - Compose for Music Libraries
Exclusive vs non-exclusive. Freelancer vs in-house. - Music Licensing Sync Fees
Make money for the rights to sync your music to media. - Music Composition Royalties
Broadcast & performance royalties, mechanical royalties. - Technical Music Work
Orchestrating, notating, transcribing & arranging music.
Field 2 – Music Production
Producing other artists’ music and various music production client work is another common path to make a living in music. Here are some examples:
- Music Producer
Mixing, producing and mastering music. - Recording Engineer
Recording instruments, vocals & audio in a studio, an event, or in the field. - Audio Engineering
Live audio & mixing for broadcast & live events.
Field 3 – Music Performance
Playing gigs and performing live as an artist for fans, or booked for a client, is the classic revenue path in music that also builds your own personal brand from exposure. For example:
- Playing your own Live Shows
Tours, special events, weddings. - Contracted Musician
Orchestra, band, club, restaurant etc. - Studio Session Musician
Recording instruments & vocals in the studio. - Performance on Live Streams
Performing your music (and covers) on live streams, taking requests etc.
Field 4 – Music Education
People will always need to learn, to evolve, to develop their knowledge and skills. That is why education is another great field in music. Examples:
- Teach in a School
- Teach private lessons in Person
- Teach one-to-one online
- Create Online Courses
- Write Books or E-Books
- Write for a Newspaper
- Write for an Online Magazine
- Write for a Blog
Field 5 – Sound Design
If you have the skills of recording, shaping, creating sounds, from recording sounds in the studio and in the field, or making them on a synthesizer or instrument…then sound design might be an interesting field for you. Here are some examples:
- Sound Design for Media
Foley sound design or digital audio sound design for TV, film, games etc. - Field & Studio Recordings
Recording audio for sample libraries & sound collections. - Sound Design for Instruments
Software/hardware instrument presets, sample library assets etc. - Sound Design for Products
Audio design and control for product user experience.
Field 6 – Fan Support
If you have built a fan base as a music artist, you have many ways to let your fans support your journey. Like for example:
- Distributing your Music to your Fans
Getting your music distributed on streaming services like Spotify etc. - Get Fan Donations
Paypal, Patreon, Kickstarter etc. - Sell Merchandise
Any type of digital or physical product with your artist brand.
Field 7 – Music Influencer
If you develop a presence online as an artist, with your own brand, and build a following…then you have great potential in making money as an influencer online. For example:
- Create your own Online Brand (Website & Blog)
- Become an Influencer on Social Media (YouTube, Facebook)
- Create your own Community (Facebook Group)
- Make money from Ads (Adsense, YouTube)
- Make money from Sponsors (Brand Deals)
- Make money as an Affiliate (Amazon)
Your Music Career
Join my Music Composer Academy
- Level Up your Skills
- Level Up your Music
- Level Up your Career
PS. I wish you Great Success on your Professional Journey in Music! =)
Friendly regards,
Mikael “Mike” Baggström
Music Composer | Sound Designer