How to Make Money in Music – Without Recording an Album

Thanks to the internet, music distribution has become very different from what it used to be. Recording an album is hard enough, and making money from it is even harder when record sales are falling. Luckily, recorded albums are not the only way to make money in music these days, so here are some helpful tips for how you can make bank for your band.

1. Merchandise

In 2013, Business Insider estimated that One Direction has sold around 67.5 million dollars in merchandise. While your own brand may not be as recognizable as the British boy band’s, selling merchandise is a great way to earn more money while promoting yourself and creating an identifiable image for you or your band.

2. Touring and Live Gigs

While recorded albums are obviously important, nothing beats getting out there and interacting with your fans. You get paid for gigs and you gain more fans and make personal connections with them. You don’t always have to produce original content either; lots of bands make money by covering other artists.

3. Commercials/Endorsement Deals

Musicians can earn a lot of money by having their songs featured in advertisements or even by landing endorsement deals. Selling your songs to companies often gets you greater recognition, not to mention a paycheck you can spend on your music.

4. YouTube

Stars like Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy, Karmin, and Bo Burnham all got their start on YouTube, a great site for music distribution. Not only will you be able to share music with more fans, YouTube often gives artists a portion of the income they make from ads that play before their videos.

5. Crowdfunding

Get a Kickstarter going! Friends, family, and fans will be happy to donate a few dollars so that you can continue to make amazing music without having to worry as much about costs.

6. Do Other Musical Jobs

If you have producing skills or management expertise, use this to help other musicians while making some money for your own career. If you have untapped potential as a designer, start doing freelance work for other bands. You can even use your musical expertise by teaching instruments to others and sharing the joy of music with even more people.

7. Promote Yourself

You can’t put a price tag on good press. The connections you make with music industry insiders might lead you to your next big break, and the more visibility you have, the higher your potential is. Use SongCast for music distribution online to increase your digital sales and connect with other artists. Keep up with social media and be actively updating it, putting content out there, and interacting with fans through it. Go on tour, advertise, do live gigs in your home town— anything to make your name known.

With these tips, you can maximize your earnings as an artist so you can continue to make great music and share it with the world. Music distribution as an Indie artist can be hard, so be sure to follow our blog for more advice and news about Indie music.