Let’s discuss straight: On your music to be a profession, you should earn cash.
Some acts make their residing on the highway. Others keep within the studio recording music for TV exhibits. In fact, megastars like Taylor Swift appear to make a fortune in virtually all the methods.
Constructing knowledgeable life as an artist, band, or producer requires that you just both maximize your income in a single or two areas, diversify your earnings throughout a variety of income streams, or some mixture of each approaches.
Extra methods to earn cash out of your music
It doesn’t matter what you see in information headlines, there are plenty of income alternatives for musicians at this time. Actually, there are extra methods than ever to earn cash, which affords trendy creators the flexibility to pair their distinctive skills with specific types of monetization.
From music distribution and licensing offers, to crowdfunding and merch gross sales, you’ll wish to perceive your choices on the subject of incomes potential.
As a result of realizing what to strive, the place to focus, when to pivot, and how one can gather your royalties can imply the distinction between your music being a side-hustle and a thriving enterprise.
Important revenue for artists in 2025
Although there are a lot of dozens of how to earn cash out of your musical skills, I’m making a distinction on this article between “artist income” and different music-related professions — akin to music training, being a paid session participant, a church pianist, a ballet accompanist, an orchestra member, operating sound at a membership, and many others.
If you happen to’re an artist whose profession is constructed upon authentic music, these are the ten types of income it’s best to prioritize:
1. Digital Music Income
That is cash you earn for streaming and downloads if you launch your music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The income is paid to the label (otherwise you, for those who personal your personal recordings) for the utilization of the observe.
Although downloads aren’t as fashionable as they as soon as have been, the per-unit worth can nonetheless make MP3s or WAVs a profitable format to promote through iTunes, Bandcamp, ReverbNation, and even your personal web site.
2. Bodily Gross sales
That is cash you earn if you promote bodily copies of your music on vinyl, CD, tape, and even sheet music.
Although we’re a long time into the digital music century, bodily media will nonetheless attraction to a lot of your high followers. Sure, even CDs.
3. Merch Gross sales
“Merch” is a fast method of claiming “stuff on the market that displays your inventive model.” It could possibly be t-shirts, sweatshirts, flasks, posters, hats, socks, books, something!
You possibly can promote merch at gigs, in your webstore, or through integrations with platforms like Instagram and Spotify.
4. Dwell Performances
That is revenue earned out of your concert events, gigs, excursions, and festivals. It could possibly be within the type of ticket gross sales, door charges, bar percentages, and even grant cash.
In fact stay occasions additionally provide you with a solution to promote merch and bodily albums!
5. Licensing and Sync Offers
That is cash you earn if you license your music to be used in films, TV exhibits, commercials, and video video games.
Sync licensing will be profitable, however it’s an space of the music business that requires plenty of dedication for those who anticipate to attain frequent placements.
6. Publishing Royalties
These are songwriter royalties earned from the publishing rights to your authentic music, together with mechanical royalties (from gross sales and streams) and efficiency royalties (from public performances and radio play).
Need assistance gathering your songwriter royalties?
7. Crowdfunding, Memberships, and Fan Help
That is cash you generate by crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, fan help platforms like Patreon, or through your personal membership membership.
The fan contributions will be project-based, or in help of your total music profession, however the level is to provide your viewers extra direct and speedy entry to your artistry in trade for… cash!
(Don’t overlook the digital tip jar for those who’re doing livestreams).
8. YouTube Income
This consists of earnings past no matter streaming and publishing cash you’re incomes from exercise on YouTube Music.
It consists of be a share of advert income generated if you music is utilized in different creators’ movies on YouTube, tracked and paid through the YouTube Content material ID program. Or associate program income in case your channel reaches sure benchmarks.
Different video platforms akin to Twitch have comparable monetization packages for profitable creators and streamers.
9. Sponsorships and Endorsements
That is cash (or different types of help, akin to free gear or reductions) given to you by manufacturers that match along with your inventive identification and viewers.
When you’ve got a devoted following on social, you would additionally think about being an “influencer” and doing paid product placements.
10. Immersive experiences and new tech
Loads of artists have discovered income alternatives by stretching past conventional merch and VIP experiences.
For example, Emma McGann constructed an interactive Discord recreation. Artists like Holly Herndon and Grimes have made voice-simulators obtainable in order that different musicians can create new tracks utilizing their voices. And plenty of crypto-native artists have discovered success promoting music NFTs.
The concept right here is: Assume outdoors the standard bag of income tips.
How a lot you earn in any one in every of these classes relies upon, after all, on the scale and dedication of your fanbase.
Success in most of those areas additionally requires that you just actively market your music and make gross sales affords.
However hopefully this text provides you a way of chance on your music to generate cash.
And bear in mind, as you progress ahead in your profession, ReverbNation is right here to assist along with your music distribution, promotion, and publishing administration wants.
