If you are new to music production, it can seem hard to make money from music. Today we want to inspire you with 6 ways to make money as a producer.
6 Ways to Make Money
1. Sell Beats
Beat selling has taken the world of music production by storm in the last few years. Many singers and rappers are often in search of beats to rap or sing over, and due to the high cost of hiring a big-name producer and a professional studio, people often resort to buying beats.
This is a great opportunity for aspiring producers to easily step into the game. With the right strategy, selling your beats online can create a good source of income and valuable contacts.
If you’re interested in learning more about selling beats, check out our article on How to Sell Beats Online.
Selling beats is one of the best ways to ways to make money as a music producer.
2. Sell Stock Music
Content creators are always in need of music to use on their videos, presentations, and even commercials. But the cost of hiring a producer to do one background track can become astronomical. That’s where stock music libraries and websites shine.
Stock libraries and websites make the process of finding good music to use in a variety of projects much easier. Similar to buying beats, the creator can search for a library and buy a track he likes.
You can sell your own tracks on websites such as Audiojungle and Pond5. It has a big pricing range and the possibility of earning royalties by registering your stock music with BMI or Ascap.
Here is an informative video of one of Audio Jungle’s most proactive producers on how he makes a living by selling stock sounds on the website.
3. Sell Sample Packs
Sample packs have become an essential part of music production. Music producers are always in search of new sounds to strike their creativity or to put an additional spice on their tracks.
You can create a great source of passive income, while at the same time helping the music production community, by creating and selling your own sample packs.
It’s as easy as setting a profile on websites such as Gumroad or even using sample pack distribution services such as Rightsify. But remember to build your presence online and to give away some freebies.
4. Offer Mixing & Mastering Services
Are you a skilled mixing engineer? If so, you should be offering these services online since there are a lot of artists looking to have their tracks professionally mixed and mastered.
And back in the day, it was a complicated process, to say the least.
Artists would often need to pay more than they could afford to have their tracks sound radio-ready. Nowadays, with the advent of the internet, it only takes the click of a button.
You can offer your mixing and mastering services by creating your own website or using freelancing platforms such as Fiverr. It’s also best to have some contacts.
Try, for instance, mixing a friend’s song to put in your portfolio, so people can better evaluate your work.
5. Affiliate Marketing
If you have a blog, a Youtube channel, or an Instagram profile where you frequently review gear or give tips about music production, affiliate marketing is a good way to create passive income.
In fact, affiliate marketing is nowadays one of the main sources of income for content creators.
You can, for instance, create an honest review of a midi keyboard and leave a link where people who became interested can purchase it; If they do so, you earn a commission.
One of the biggest affiliate programs nowadays is Amazon Associates. They offer a wide range of products and standard commission rates, along with an easy, hassle-free registering process.
6. Display Ads on Your Website
This one goes along with affiliate marketing. If you have a website with a decent number of views per month, you can use it to display ads and banners to earn extra money.
Some affiliate programs even offer custom ads, so in case you’re worried about the products that are going to be advertised, you can tailor it to your liking so it suits your type of content.
A good place to start is Google Adsense. It is the internet’s leading advertising program, with hassle-free registration and easy to use interface.
Conclusion on Ways to Make Money
Nowadays it’s easier than ever to earn extra money, or even a main income by producing music and doing what you love.
Selling beats and selling stock sounds are currently two of the most profitable niches to be in.
It’s a great idea to sell sample packs too. Producers are always in the search of new sounds and creativity boosters.
If you’re a good mixing engineer, try offering your mixing/mastering services online. There is a high demand for it.
If you have a website with a decent number of visitors a month, affiliate marketing and displaying ads are a great way to earn extra income.
No matter what niche you choose, always remember to market yourself efficiently and create a presence online.
Do you have any more ideas on ways to make money?
Please share in the comments below.
There are lots of ways to make money off of music and I think beats actually pays the least. Do music for movies, commercials both tv and internet, TV shows, YouTube is a great way to make side cash, create music production libraries and sell those. All sorts of stuff. People usually start and stop at getting on artists albums but there are other easier ways to get money these days
Soundkits seem to be doing good for producers with a lil buzz besides that for new producers a publishing company might be the way to go!!!
I”d love to hear sum more other way’s out of the box stuff I could use the help myself…!
Get creative. Reach out to up and coming filmmakers about scoring projects. Get in touch with local sports groups to see if they need theme music or even music for a specific performance/competition. There are so many options. Licensing is also big and can be very lucrative!…
its easy. if you make dope beats, the product will sale.
I am reading all of these comments posted and I can’t believe the ignorance I am reading regarding some projected ideas of selling beats and making money off of music in some minds these days!
Now a days there are over 1200 new producers jumping on the bandwagon each and every day who eventually get better because of easier accessible music programs being development and more simple to you that most don’t even have to know a properly developed skill of Music Chord progression. (Yes, it is sad and pathetic these days who might make a buck in this biz). Therefore the entire game of biz has changed for the worse (Not sounding like a pessimistic but a realist in a time where those who lie saying they are making $10,000 off of a beat are fabricating nonsense unless it is a major record label artist and what don’t realize most times is that major labels don’t pay the producer and many artist’s don’t upfront (unless the music producer was signed to a major publishing deal that sold more then 400,000 units).
Labels (Majors) haven’t the same budgets expenses as they did a decade ago or some what 20 years ago. This is basic common sense whiles most live in a vertical reality of fails truths of what they want to believe.
If you make bangers they will sell. I’ve had a lot of trouble selling beats. But after I begin to learn the mixing & mastering part of it. I began to get better!!
Awesome Article!