Let’s speak straight: To your music to be a profession, you might want to earn cash.
Some acts make their dwelling on the street. 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 an expert life as an artist, band, or producer requires that you just both maximize your earnings 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 a whole lot of income alternatives for musicians as we speak. Actually, there are extra methods than ever to earn cash, which affords trendy creators the power 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 with regards to incomes potential.
As a result of realizing what to attempt, 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 lots 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 schooling, being a paid session participant, a church pianist, a ballet accompanist, an orchestra member, operating sound at a membership, and so forth.
In case you’re an artist whose profession is constructed upon authentic music, these are the ten types of income you need to prioritize:
1. Digital Music Income
That is cash you earn for streaming and downloads whenever you launch your music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The income is paid to the label (otherwise you, if you happen to personal your personal recordings) for the utilization of the monitor.
Although downloads aren’t as standard as they as soon as have been, the per-unit value can nonetheless make MP3s or WAVs a profitable format to promote by way of iTunes, Bandcamp, ReverbNation, and even your personal web site.
2. Bodily Gross sales
That is cash you earn whenever 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 enchantment to a lot of your prime followers. Sure, even CDs.
3. Merch Gross sales
“Merch” is a fast approach of claiming “stuff on the market that displays your creative model.” It may very well be t-shirts, sweatshirts, flasks, posters, hats, socks, books, something!
You possibly can promote merch at gigs, in your webstore, or by way of integrations with platforms like Instagram and Spotify.
4. Dwell Performances
That is revenue earned out of your concert events, gigs, excursions, and festivals. It may very well 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 approach to promote merch and bodily albums!
5. Licensing and Sync Offers
That is cash you earn whenever you license your music to be used in films, TV exhibits, commercials, and video video games.
Sync licensing could be profitable, nevertheless it’s an space of the music trade that requires a whole lot of dedication if you happen to count on 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 amassing your songwriter royalties?
7. Crowdfunding, Memberships, and Fan Help
That is cash you generate by means of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, fan help platforms like Patreon, or by way of your personal membership membership.
The fan contributions could be project-based, or in help of your general music profession, however the level is to provide your viewers extra direct and rapid entry to your artistry in trade for… cash!
(Don’t neglect the digital tip jar if you happen to’re doing livestreams).
8. YouTube Income
This contains earnings past no matter streaming and publishing cash you’re incomes from exercise on YouTube Music.
It contains be a share of advert income generated whenever you music is utilized in different creators’ movies on YouTube, tracked and paid by way of the YouTube Content material ID program. Or companion program income in case your channel reaches sure benchmarks.
Different video platforms akin to Twitch have comparable monetization applications 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 creative id and viewers.
When you have a devoted following on social, you could possibly additionally take into account 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.
As an example, Emma McGann constructed an interactive Discord recreation. Artists like Holly Herndon and Grimes have made voice-simulators accessible in order that different musicians can create new tracks utilizing their voices. And lots of crypto-native artists have discovered success promoting music NFTs.
The thought right here is: Assume outdoors the standard bag of income methods.
How a lot you earn in any considered one of these classes relies upon, in fact, on the dimensions 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 risk in your music to generate cash.
And keep 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.
