As an independent music artist, there's more than one way to make money from your music, and you should be taking advantage of them all. 

Here are a few ideas to consider:

Sell band merchandise online

Selling merch is a great way for artists to earn extra income without a lot of extra work. Create merch that centers around your brand and your projects (like a new release). Many website hosts offer ways to integrate a shop right into your page, which makes it easy to sell your band merchandise on your own website (even if you’re not very computer-savvy). There are even print-on-demand services that make and ship the products for you, so you don’t even have to worry about sending out orders yourself.

Also Read: Why Every Musician Needs a Website.

Teach music classes and sell lessons

This one is pretty straightforward. If you’ve got a skill in music, such as playing an instrument, music production, or songwriting, you can teach it. There’s a whole generation of new learners out there just itching to learn new skills, which opens up great opportunities for artists looking to make some extra money.

Sell beats and samples

If you make beats, selling them is a no-brainer. There are tons of platforms like Beatstars and Airbit that let you sell your beats directly to other artists. You can also upload your music to music libraries, which help you sell music as synch licenses. This means you upload your content to their platform so individuals and companies can find it and use it in videos or films. Some artists are able to make a living just off synch licensing, so definitely do your research on it.

Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting music for artists is a great way to easily turn your skills into extra cash. If you’re a newer artist with a smaller fanbase, you can tap into the fan bases and higher streaming numbers of bigger artists by ghostwriting music for them. You’ll build your reputation in the industry, make connections, and get paid for your songwriting skills.

Collaborate with brands

Artists can partner with brands by getting brand endorsements. This is when a brand makes a deal to sponsor an artist by providing services, pay, or some other benefit to the artist in return for promotion. Try approaching companies that fit your brand and let them know how a partnership with you will benefit them.

Also Read: Influencer Marketing for Indie Musicians.

Sell Ringtones

What is often overlooked by artists - but shouldn’t be - is selling ringtones online. All the big labels are doing it, and so should you. Ringtone distribution is a great way to earn extra cash as an independent artist. Plus, it’s easy to do when you use MusicDigi because you can release your music as ringtones right from your dashboard, just like releasing a single or album.

Sell tickets to live streams

Playing gigs via live stream has become a huge part of an artist’s income, and a great way to stay connected with fans. Start by choosing the best platform to host an online concert and get to planning. Once you nail down the details, you can start selling tickets to your show. Using a service to sell tickets can help you seem more professional, but you can also take payments on your website using third party payment apps like PayPal.

Accept tips

Add a tip jar to your website or blog to let fans show their appreciation. Platforms like Spotify and Twitter let you accept donations from fans right through the app. You can link it to different payment platforms or a charity of your choice.

Start an online fan club

The fan club has been reinvented in recent years with the emergence of subscription platforms online. If you’ve got a decent-sized fanbase, it may be worth it to set up a fan club that charges a subscription fee in exchange for exclusive content for your biggest die-hard fans.

To Sum It Up

As you can see, there’s no limit to how you can make money as a musician if you get a little creative (which, as a musician, should be a breeze!). The great thing about these is they are things any artist can do to help boost their income, but don’t forget to promote! If your fans don’t know about these, they can’t give you their money or support.

Ready to release music and get paid? Sign up to MusicDigi to upload your music to all major stores.