5 CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS A MUSICIAN

By Motiv8

If you're going to go full time as a musician, you're clearly going to need to make some cash. How can you make money as a musician without resorting to heading back to look for a day job? It can take a little creativity as your getting your music career off the ground. These ideas will get you started.

Here's How:

1.    Play Live:

Playing live is an obvious choice when it comes to making money as a musician. You can make money through show guarantees from show organizers. All you need to do is find and connect with show organizers, promoters, DJs, etc. Even artiste managers, radio personalities, MCs and comedians can give you access to shows. Of course, if you don't have much a proven track record when it comes to pulling in an audience, or you don’t have a known song, you're not in a great position to demand performance fees. Building up to this will take time. Every little bit helps, though, and even if you go home with no money, take the long term view and treat each non-paying and low paying gig as a step towards increasing your earning potential.

2.    Sell Your Music:

Well, duh, you think. Of course you should sell your music, but the trick here is to make sure your fans don't have to look far to find it. Digital distribution is a must, whether you go through a PR that places your music all over the net for you or if you approach services on your own, one by one. Selling your music at shows is also a point to consider. You can sell CD at shows, as long as you price them accordingly.

3.    Sell Branded Merchandise:

Diversifying what you have to sell will boost your earning potential. Make your own t-shirts, buttons/badges, stickers and so on and sell them to friends, fans, at your shows and on your blog. Merchandise does especially well at shows, after your fans have just seen you play and are all caught up in the spirit, and as long as you keep your overhead down, merchandise can give your income a nice little boost. Give it a shot!

4.    Provide Back-Up For People's Music:

The talents that you hope will allow you to make a career out of playing music can help you make ends meet until the day you get to play your songs exclusively. Back-up musician work for other musicians can help you bridge the financial gap and make some extra money. As a bonus, you'll be honing your own skills and meeting people who can create opportunities for you. Works just fine.

5.    Musical Odd Jobs:

OK, so the point here is to move away from a day job, but if you need to make some extra money, doing something music related - even if it doesn't specifically involve YOUR music - is a good choice. Much like working as a back-up singer, the idea here is to use your knowledge and talents to help other musicians (and get paid for it). Are you a great producer? Get some studio work done for others. Are you a pro at booking shows? Do it for other musicians. Got design skills? Do cover art or blogs for musicians or music related businesses. Tap into your music skills to put some extra money in your pocket. 

Your ability to make a living as a musician depends A LOT on your ability to promote your music. You have to make sure people know about your music, where they can get it, when you are playing and so on.