Being a music producer is incredible, but learning how to make money producing music is gold. Music production keeps evolving as many ideas and technology keep popping up. With evolution, opportunities for music producers, artists, and musicians are also booming with endless possibilities. Back in the ages, making money producing music was quite difficult, except you are with a label. Or you have solid connections in the music industry. However, time is different now, and there are countless opportunities for music producers.
Even better, the internet is now a door to series of opportunities with the world as the audience. You don’t have to send your demos to labels anymore and wait for responses. Waiting for top music bosses to discover you is no longer a thing now. Going to bars or events and begging to hire you to play is also a practice going extinct. These techniques don’t work that way anymore, which means your success is not at your fingertips.
To learn how to make money producing music, here are 11 innovative ways to help you through. So, let’s go right ahead and check out these ways, and you can start making good money doing what you love.
11 Innovative Ways To Make Money Producing Music
Royalty-free music or sell your beats.
Over the years, many music producers have been selling ‘type beats’ to artists, rappers, and independent singers. A lot of them make and sell good instrumentals on their websites and other platforms. They also use social media platforms for marketing their brand and digital products. However, the prices depend on the quality of the beat and the big the client is. Also, it depends on how famous you are for your work.
The good thing about selling beats as a producer is the advantage of learning while you sleep. It’s simple! Make a good beat, sell it on your website and relax while you earn. Then, repeat the process daily, weekly, or monthly; it all depends on your schedule. This is now the comfortable way of earning as a producer.
The ideal way to begin is to produce at least 15-20 beats to start your music-producing career. This is the ideal number, especially if you are a beginner, as it won’t be stressful to accomplish. Next, get a domain name for your site from any top domain registrars. Get a professional to design a professional logo, or you can do it on your own. This is the initial step to making money while producing music.
Have a YouTube Channel
Do you that big names like PewDiePie and Ryan ToysReview got so big and earned billions using YouTube? These big names began from the bottom in the YouTube space like everyone else—releasing content day in, day out and registering presence on social media. This way, they made names for themselves as they grew their social media presence.
Now, back to you as a new producer hoping to make money producing music. You can upload your beats on YouTube and run a channel with a consistent content upload schedule. This will grow not only your portfolio but also your business as well. Plus, you can also do producer vlogs or good and funny behind-the-scenes content which might interest your followers. All you have to do is effectively plan your branding strategy and be unique to stand out from the rest.
Simply upload content regularly to be able to monetize your channel. Once you reach the goal according to YouTube regulations, you can now make good producing music.
Use Patreon to increase income streams.
First off, what is Patreon? Patreon is a leading membership platform for content creators that provides business tools to run subscription content services. This platform also provides content providers with ways for producers to build relationships. This is more like a secret club for fans. Your fans or Patreon will have to subscribe to you for a fee. This subscription will give them access to your content that other subscribers do not have.
As a music producer, you can post anything that you feel might interest your subscribers—content like your behind-the-scenes videos, video chat, or just any other content. There are so many things to post as a music producer to engage your fans. Engaging your Patreon will get you money. Hence, you should be creative.
The best way to use this platform is to advertise it on your YouTube channel continually. You should also paste the link in your video description so they can subscribe. You can also share the link with your follower on other social media platforms.
Sell samples
Another tip to learning how to make money producing music is selling sample packs of beats. When it comes to creating music, some producers can tweak their drum sounds and effect. Others can’t do that or have the time to do so. Now, this is where you come in as a music producer looking for ways to make money.
These producers are in desperate need of your services. So, if you are the kind of producer who has a thing for sound design, then you should keep reading. This is the best method to make money while doing something you are passionate about. You can also make drum kits, synth samples, preset packs, and many more for sale. Then, you can sell these samples on your website or social media platforms. Also, don’t forget to include artwork to make it more captivating and appealing.
Offer your mixing and mastering services.
Yes! Another good way to make money while producing music is to offer your mixing services. One of the essential steps before releasing music is mixing and mastering. You are probably wondering how many artists release music every day. Well, a lot of artists release music daily, especially the independent ones.
Now, renting a professional studio for this service might be very expensive, especially for artists on a budget. The pricing depends on the number of tracks, studio equipment, and of course, the level of expertise. So, if you have a good ear for balancing mix and making a good one, you should consider this option. Take advantage of this offer and offer these mixing services at a reasonable price.
Check out freelancing websites.
A lot of people feel that freelancing websites are only good for administrative work and IT jobs. Yes! That’s true but not wholly accurate. If you’re wondering how to make money producing music, this is one of the ways. Many employers look for these services, but there is a substantial market for music producers. There are always clients in need of music for short ads, short films, or even apps and games. So, if you are flexible enough and willing to try other music-producing tasks, you should try them out.
There are series of these freelancing websites that you can try out to make more money. These websites include Upwork, Fiverr, and other sites that you can check out. Just register, build your profile and submit proposals to employers on these sites.
Try music licensing
One of the most profitable fields to add to your portfolio is music licensing for film and TV. That sounds good, right? Well, how does it work? It’s pretty simple. Just make instrumental cues with vocals that could work for a film or TV. Then, pitch the idea to music libraries, then wait and hope that you get in to be part of their catalogue. It’s amongst the list of how to make money producing music.
However, your music has to be good to be able to make it in this field. Also, networking and a bit of people skills will go a long way to help you. This is because you have to sometimes deal with supervisors and library owners. You might be lucky enough to find libraries that offer upfront payment or pay well for traditional music.
One of the most incredible aspects of licensing is that you earn money as you produce. The catch is that you have to make good and more music and pitch them to different libraries. However, the earning starts flourishing once you start getting royalties. You begin to produce music that gets featured on TV shows or broadcasts. The longer you produce, the more you create good opportunities and connections for yourself.
Teach Music
Most music producers are great with instrumentals. Can you efficiently play the piano or the guitar or the drums? Whatever instrument you know how to play, be sure to use your talent to earn money. You can begin by teaching other people how to play and help them develop their music skills. Depending on you, you can do it at your home or offer home services. You can also advertise this on your website and use social media ads to get potential clients near you. You could earn money, build your portfolio while teaching what you do best.
Sell online tutorials
Aside from having one-on-one classes or home services, you can also sell online courses and tutorials. A lot of online courses are done through video, simply record, and off you go. You may want to enhance the experience, though, by making use of media, including texts, photos, and texts. This will make your tutorials more appealing and educative. You can also produce interactive content to make it more fun and engaging. That way, your student can learn and enjoy themselves at the same time. Finally, there are platforms that you can sell these courses or tutorials and get reasonable payment.
Stream your music on music streaming sites
Streaming your music on streaming sites like Spotify, iTunes, and Google play will make you money. If you have your brand already, you can make more income by making music for a fan base. This time, you will no longer need to work behind the scenes anymore. You will be proudly at the forefront of producing music as the leading artist.
Sell your merchandise
Thar’s right. Another way to make money producing music is to sell your merchandise. You can keep the cash rolling by selling anything ranging from wristbands, chains, t-shirts, and caps. It all depends on you because the list is endless. Once you have your brand and get fame, you should consider selling your merchandise.
First, you should make good graphics designs that will be consistent with your brand. Feel free to show your creative skills with your taglines or catchphrases. These catchphrases could be any slang that made you famous to your fan base. It could be anything that represents you as one who is in the business of producing music. You can advertise this merchandise on all social media platforms to build your fan base.
Conclusion
Before what many people think, the internet has made it easier to earn more while producing music. Now you have innovative tips on how to make money producing music. It is now time for you to explore these tips and make good use of them.
