Most importantly, you need several quality, completed songs. So partial lyrics in your head or half-finished tracks on your hard drive don’t count. While there’s no set way to make money from your music as an unsigned artist, there are a few things you can do to get you on your way:
Get attention
Don’t keep those amazing tracks to yourself. Once you have a few finished top songs, share them and build connections via socials on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Doing this allows you to reach a broader audience and can potentially attract the attention of organizations willing to pay for featuring your music.
Distribute your music
Distribution is a crucial part of promoting your music. iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Unlimited are just some of the streaming platforms and digital music stores you can get on. Distributing your music and content on platforms like Boomplay Music, Spotify, and Apple Music can help attract attention from new fans and the music industry alike. You make money every time people stream, download, or buy your music on these platforms.
At 1710Media, we specialize in helping artists like you release your music directly on platforms and online stores while keeping 100% of your royalties.
Keep it real – get gigs
A healthy digital presence, social media love, and soaring Spotify play are always good. But every successful artist also needs to exist IRL too.
Touring is still a reliable way to make money, especially if you’re an all-star performer. The best singers and rappers know how to put on amazing shows for fans – no matter the size of the crowd. Great shows create buzz, get people talking and make big industry players take notice.
Making money from streaming
The amount of money you can make from streaming varies according to how often your music is streamed each month, the number of subscriptions, and ad revenue. When someone streams your music you’ll be paid a proportionate share of either the subscription revenue – or in the case of Spotify’s free-tier, a proportion of the monthly ad revenue.
Earn additional money as a songwriter
There are several ways you can make money as an independent songwriter including:
Sync Licensing (Synchronisation)
If a film or TV studio, production company, or content creator wants to use the music you’ve composed in their show, ad or YouTube channel, they need to pay you for the synchronization license. The license fee you receive is usually based on things like how your music will be used, for how long, and the format.
Not only can good sync be profitable, but it can skyrocket a previously unknown artist’s profile and popularity. But the world of music licensing and syncing is complex – so get advice from your lawyer and manager to ensure you understand your rights, the regulations, and what you should be paid.
Collaborate
When you collaborate with another artist, producer or songwriter, you are entitled to a portion of the royalties made from that music.
Regardless of whether your writing style leans more towards, Afropop, Fuji or anything in between, social media is a great way to find and connect with potential collaborators and co-write on their tracks.
Sell Your Song
If you can write or compose good songs, there are always people who are willing to pay you to write them a hit record. Artists like Peruzzi, Ceazar Milli, and others are getting good money composing and selling records to other performers.
Need more?
We’ve got you. Head over to the 1710Media Blog for free guides, info, and advice about taking your music career further.
