Is it doable so that you can earn a dwelling as a musician immediately if you happen to aren’t a family identify?
The quick reply is sure, completely. However that doesn’t imply it’s a bit of cake.
Because you’ll be extra empowered to succeed if you happen to perceive the state of music income in 2025, this text include 13 truths about incomes cash as a musician.
Driving your individual inventive & enterprise success on the identical time isn’t simple.
It’s a must to put on a minimum of two hats nicely: artist and entrepreneur.
And in a subject that evolves as quickly because the music {industry} (which stands on the intersection of know-how, tradition, advertising and marketing, and extra), you’ve obtained to remain in your toes.
Plus, many current occasions have impacted artist income, together with:
So if we start with the premise that success takes expertise, data, onerous work, and continued curiosity, listed here are 13 issues it is best to know proper now with a purpose to develop your music earnings.
13 onerous truths about incomes cash in music
The purpose of this checklist is that can assist you see by a number of the widespread confusions, and keep away from the pitfalls that stop many artists from making progress.
A few of these truths could sound apparent to you, and if that’s the case, nice! They’re classes you gained’t need to study the onerous means. However consider me, even in 2025, they’re nonetheless issues that many artists don’t know, or don’t wish to settle for.
1. Simply since you made music doesn’t robotically imply it is going to make you cash.
Music isn’t a shortage! There are practically infinite alternate options to your music.
The identical means that new meals merchandise don’t simply magically arrive in shops and fly off the cabinets by themselves (it takes branding, distribution, promotion, and so forth.), you’ll have to work to create demand on your music. Should you count on your music to generate income, that work doesn’t cease on the finish of the creation course of.
2. What’s good for the “{industry}” could be very completely different from what’s good for you.
Generally the music {industry} and particular person creators have completely different wants and wishes. And it’s simple to study the mistaken classes from {industry} headlines.
“Indie music” as a sector could also be more healthy than ever, however you’re only one artist. You, in the end, pay your individual payments. Deal with what’s greatest for you and take headlines and quotes from CEOs with a grain of salt.
That being mentioned, I believe the current LUMINATE report did an excellent job conveying huge industry-wide stats whereas additionally telling a extra detailed and inspiring story about lesser-known artists.
3: Making a living from music is an element thriller. It’s an artform, in addition to a science.
What turns into well-liked isn’t predictable. What labored yesterday doesn’t at all times work immediately. Some geniuses go unrecognized. Your least favourite unique track could be your greatest hit.
This uncertainty is a part of what makes music so thrilling. You by no means know when and the place success would possibly come from.
Use this to gasoline creativity, and don’t be afraid to strive new issues. And as they are saying in advertising and marketing circles, “check, check, check.”
4: Make it simple for folks to present you cash.
Critically. Are you… promoting stuff? If not, your first drawback is making issues — music, merch, concert events, experiences — that you’ll be able to truly promote to followers.
Then it’s essential to constantly create provides. Compelling provides. Subsequent, talk these provides. Ship provide e-mail. Submit webstore hyperlinks in your social bios. Announce merch at gigs. Promote merch on Spotify. And in every single place else.
Lastly, whenever you do make provides, it is best to give followers choices. Not everybody desires a big black t-shirt, so have dimension and shade alternate options. Sure folks gained’t go to public exhibits, however they’ll pay for a livestream. Some followers can pay you extra for a VIP pre-show cling.
The purpose is: Many artists underperform on the income facet as a result of they simply aren’t giving followers a chance to pay them.
5: Any deal an artist indicators could have severe monetary implications.
There may be a time and place for document labels, managers, and reserving brokers. However all {industry} partnerships will have an effect in your earnings. Don’t wait till it’s too late to actually perceive what these implications are.
Know what you’re getting your self into. Not simply within the near-term. Ask your self, “What may this association imply for my music in 25 years?”
The trade-offs may very well be nicely value it. However ask the onerous questions BEFORE you signal a deal.
6: In style artists typically have a skewed vantage level on the precise economics of streaming, however they’ve the loudest platform.
Whereas there’s a lot to be realized from well-liked artists, they will typically give up-and-coming artists the mistaken impression on sure facets of the enterprise, as a result of they’re taking part in a special sport at a special stage.
When somebody well-known talks about not incomes any cash from tens of tens of millions of streams, take into account, you don’t know what’s taking place behind-the-scenes and also you don’t have THEIR label or publishing contracts to reference.
How a lot does their label maintain? What was the artist’s advance? What number of co-writers had been on the track? All that and extra can complicate the income state of affairs, when in comparison with an unbiased artist who owns 100% of their publishing and recording rights.
Additionally, simply because an artist is well-liked, it doesn’t essentially imply they know the way each facet of the {industry} works.
7: Your private preferences round music consumption would possibly lead you to missed alternatives.
You could be getting in the way in which of extra income, if you happen to assume that each one your doable followers behave similar to you do. As an artist who additionally listens to music, you will have particular preferences. However you won’t 100% match your viewers in these preferences.
For instance, you would possibly assume nobody purchases CDs since you solely hearken to streaming, whereas CDs are nonetheless an enormous income for artists. You would possibly solely share a Spotify hyperlink, when 40% of your viewers is definitely on Amazon Music. Possibly you wish to press vinyl, however most of your followers are extra inclined to pay you for a digital expertise.
The purpose is easy: Don’t assume everybody listens, engages, and spends cash precisely such as you do. Ask your viewers. Take polls. Take a look at the waters. And transfer within the route that generates probably the most income.
8: You (in all probability) gained’t make a dwelling from one track. Deal with constructing a catalog.
A lot of the unbiased artists I’ve seen succeed over time made a strong dwelling as a result of they constructed a large catalog of songs. This, in fact, offers them extra possibilities to create hit songs, but additionally boosts the quantity of tracks that may be licensed, streamed, performed at concert events, and so forth.
So each time they launched new music, their followers may return and hearken to outdated stuff, thus with each new launch got here an additional wave of income from previous materials.
9. Your greatest alternative won’t be from merely “releasing” songs, however monetizing the connection you will have with followers.
Don’t pin success (or income) completely to the recorded music. We reside in a social second that thrives on engagement. A few of your greatest incomes potentialities would possibly come up from the fan expertise AROUND your music, or from what they will do WITH your music.
Subscriptions, entry, livestreams, classes, and meetups. To say nothing of fan-generated content material.
10. It’s the music “enterprise,” so deal with it such as you would a job.
This can be a problem for many of us artists: We spend an excessive amount of time dreaming and never sufficient time doing. I’m responsible of it too. We wish a “profession,” however the work? Not a lot.
If you need your music to be a full-time job, effort and time should constantly be on the stage you’d count on from a “common” job.
11. So as to maximize music income, it’s a must to inform folks precisely what to do.
As artists we battle to present followers clear instructions. However folks must be informed, proven, guided. That’s the ability of an enormous, shiny button with an apparent call-to-action on web sites or emails.
Some artists battle to be clear and direct as a result of we lack confidence in our music or provide. Others would possibly really feel like we glance uncool or desparate if we ask followers to take an motion. And for an additional set of artists, we simply assume our followers know what to do subsequent. However more often than not they don’t.
At all times make an try and make clear the motion you need followers to take, why it advantages them, the way it’s necessary to you, and supply easy directions on find out how to do the factor!
12. One viral video doesn’t equal sustainable income.
Attempting to engineer one huge, viral video hit? I imply, okay, that’s wonderful. You’ll study one thing from the try even when it doesn’t get the attain you dream of. However most profitable musicians didn’t put all their eggs in a single viral video basket. Even creators who’ve an enormous video hit don’t at all times have an apparent solution to rework that focus into true followers and clients, not to mention a full-time dwelling.
As an alternative, most profitable musicians who create a significant video presence did so as a result of they established a sustainable course of that was intently related with their very own musical identification, passions, and abilities. It’s about momentum, and it’s about the correct followers being there for the correct causes: As a result of they like what YOU do.
Don’t chase memes and developments. Discover a extra compelling solution to be YOU on digicam. After which slowly construct your social advertising and marketing efforts round that. The continuing course of will probably have a larger impression than attempting to engineer one viral video. And that’s the way in which to construct an “genuine” social model that results in actual income.
13. Simply because it labored for Taylor Swift, doesn’t imply it is going to give you the results you want.
Seeking to superstars for classes in success generally is a blended bag.
When Radiohead dropped In Rainbows free of charge practically 20 years in the past, each band needed to repeat the try. However they weren’t Radiohead. When Beyoncé launched a secret album, everybody needed to do secret albums. They weren’t Beyoncé.
When Drake launched a tough drive with… (nicely, possibly don’t strive that one both).
The purpose is: There are economies of scale at play with celebrity artists. Which means they don’t need to work as onerous to incentivize followers to take motion, as a result of they’ve already put within the work to ascertain an in depth relationship with their viewers.
What works for them won’t give you the results you want. However the reverse will also be true. You’ll be able to take sure possibilities they will’t, and even capitalize on efforts that aren’t scalable in any respect! The realm of unbiased music is filled with innovation, by necessity. You don’t have the identify, price range, or crew that superstars do. There could by methods to make use of that to your benefit!
Key takeaways
Listed here are 4 issues to remember as you pursue your music profession:
- Prioritize actions that generate income – don’t simply chase likes.
- Search for untapped income alternatives that align along with your particular person profession plan and abilities.
- Don’t blindly observe headlines or recommendation. Take a look at assumptions, advertising and marketing ways, and even inventive approaches.
- And lastly, if you happen to need assistance spreading the phrase about your music, use music promo instruments to present your message a lift!
Wish to study extra about your revenue-generating choices as a musician immediately?
Take a look at “75 methods to earn a living in music.”
