You Can Make Money From Music Without Being Famous
Most artists that create music usually have some sort of gift or talent, which benefits in a creative composition known as a song or a single. A short collection of these can create an EP, and longer collections create an album. But let’s be honest, as many artists today may not have the talent but strive to be a singer songwriter or rapper, take advantage of higher technology to shape their music to mainstream and industry standards. So, there are those who are talented and have a gift in the art of making music, and there are those who have the money and engineers to make them sound like they have the talent. So even if you lack vocal skills or music composition capabilities, if you are fortunate in the financial department, an engineer or higher technology can compose and edit everything to meet a particular standard.
You’ll have to be willing to pay more money or learn more material if you don’t have the talent. Artists that are signed to major record labels have access to technology that significantly enhances their vocals and audio to meet standards for the radio and particular algorithms on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
But when you’re an unsigned artist, you don’t necessarily need to meet these standards to make money. However, the closer you are to meeting these standards, the more likely people are to listen to your music. This is because many people that listen to the radio have been programmed into tolerating a particular sound. While some people may prefer artists that have unique and different music, most people prefer the standards that they are use to. So, as a musician, there’s no need to waste money in order to meet industry standards, but do take it into consideration. This can be achieved by finding a balance between your own talent and budget, industry standards and your own time and schedule.
In the beginning, it’s probably not the best idea to spend a lot of money on a music interest or hobby without having a plan. When I started my journey being a musical artist, I did not have a plan. But I also didn’t spend much money because I made all my music with GarageBand on my phone, free of charge. I posted some of my music on a streaming platform called SoundCloud and experienced how difficult it is to persuade others to listen to your songs. So, I quickly learned that it wouldn’t be worth it to spend a lot of money on studio equipment, unless people are willing to listen. Therefore, the beginning of a music career may be mostly influenced by some sort of intrinsic motivation, rather than some sort of external pressure or extrinsic motivation.
The process of making music and being an artist is not necessarily difficult, but it’s a step by step process that takes a good amount of patience. Most artists make music from recording vocals to some sort of instrumental. Those vocals are mixed and mastered to meet a particular standard, and then released on streaming platforms, CDs or vinyls for people to listen to.
Fame is not necessary for profit
There’s an outdated belief that someone can only make money in the music industry from being famous or signed under a major record label, and this is untrue. Money can be made as an unsigned musician, with a limited budget. Especially since this last couple of years, where opportunities for artists, freelance work and entrepreneurs have been on the rise. Social media and other resources online have made it easier to at least start up a creative idea.
Even if you are not necessarily a person who wants to make songs, you can make money from music publishing, production, promotion, being a DJ, and creating playlists. Other artists may perform at gigs singing their songs or other people’s music as a source of income. One of the more simple ways to make money as a musician is by distributing your music to streaming platforms and making money from music streams and digital royalties. Although easier said, it’s very possible, especially if your music lands on playlist or makes some sort of algorithm.
Having fame and notoriety within the industry can make someone rich, powerful and maybe well liked; at least for a period of time. Regardless, a career in music can be creatively fulfilling, and give access to a variety opportunities within the music business and industry. Many artists make money from streaming royalties, freelance work, selling merchandise, using social media and performing. Keep in mind that there are plenty of other ways to make a profit from having a gift or talent, knowledge and technical skills in music and production. Many people make a profit from music with or without having skills in singing or writing music by producing instrumentals, beats and samples.
Why Make Money From Music?
Some people believe that making music is just a hobby. But making music should be treated like a business. Time, effort and money is put into the music creation process, with an expectation of making a profit. Many musicians spend thousands of dollars on equipment, engineering and building a studio. It’s very rare that an artist, like myself, uses limited tools and money to create music.
When I first started making music in 2018, it would cost $20-$30 to lease a beat or instrumental from a YouTube artist or BeatStars catalogue. Today, that same transaction cost $50 or more, which means that an unsigned music artist needs to make at least $100 from a song to receive a 50% profit from their song. Even if an artist decided to start making their own beats and instrumentals, it cost money to buy the instruments, the tools and the samples to create the instrumental.
Selling Your Music
Although this is easier said, selling your music is one of the easiest ways to make money in the music business. Artists can sell their instrumentals, beats, samples and full songs through downloading and streaming. Today most artists can make money from music streams, digital royalties and support from fans and listeners. If you have the budget and the time, artists can create music and lyrical videos to attract more audience and listeners and tell their story. Music can be distributed to platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube, Tidal and many others. Some of the best music distributing companies are DistroKid, TuneCore and CDbaby and Amuse. Music Distribution platforms are a very important of the music creation and profiting process.
Music distributors are not only limited to allowing you to upload music onto streaming platforms and making your music available to the public. They also allow you to monetize and collect music royalties, promote and organize your music, and add data and information about your music. So, finding the right music distributor is an important part of the creation process if you want to earn some sort of profit. Although music distribution also cost money, it’s easy to find a distribution platform that is affordable.
In the past streaming platforms like SoundCloud allowed you to upload music free of charge. Fans and listeners could listen to your music, but you couldn’t profit from any music being streamed. Now SoundCloud launched an artist distribution service, which allows you to monetize on their platform and other digital service providers. An artist today can use the SoundCloud for Artists platform as an alternative option to monetize and distribute their music.
The Music Making Process Should First Be a Hobby
It’s important to start making music as a source of fun and entertainment and creative expression, without feeling the need to immediately receive something back in return. Although, this may be the expectations later on, initially for most artist, creating music is not a primary job or source of income. Most artists find another way to make money in the industry or hold another job that is compatible with their creative pursuits. It’s important to be open minded, but also set boundaries and limitations. This will prevent future disappointment and motivates artist to be consistent in creating music and achieving their goals.
