5 Online Side-Hustles for Musicians

Making money solely from your musical career is becoming more difficult because of low streaming payouts and complex touring logistics. Statistics show that Spotify pays artists only $.0032 per stream. Fortunately, with the rise of remote work, there are plenty of jobs you can do from anywhere and retain your financial stability. You don’t have to give up your passion or rely on your copyrights to earn a living, and you may discover some new passions in the process. Here are five side-hustles to consider.

1. Content Writing

If you write your own songs or loved English in school, you might want to try content writing. You only need a computer and some basic skills to get started. You can choose to work as a freelancer and work in a niche you’re interested in or work for a company that generates a steady stream of work so you can focus on making money instead of stirring up customers. If you go this route, sites like Flexjobs have listings for content writers of all kinds.

2. Virtual Music Lessons

If you are passionate about your instrument and love to share knowledge, teaching guitar or vocal lessons virtually might be your best bet. There are lots of teaching and tutoring websites you can list yourself on. Or, create your own website and reach out to those in your community who might be looking for help. This flexible option allows you to schedule as many or few lessons as you wish.

3. Start a Patreon

If you already have a significant base of fans, friends, and family who want to support your music, you can start a Patreon page where they can do so. Patreon allows you to upload content and create subscription tiers where patrons can contribute what they wish. Artists like Amanda Palmer have built large followings that enable them to entirely forgo the traditional album cycle and create and share whenever they are inspired.

4. Start an E-Commerce Site

Whether you want to sell your own merch, sell your vintage t-shirt collection, or monetize your jewelry hobby, starting an online store is a great option. You can choose to hold your inventory and ship it yourself or use a merch fulfillment company to handle those elements. If you choose this option, they will take a percentage of the profits, but it will be very little work on your part.

You may want to redesign your logo to make a solid first impression on potential customers. You don’t have to hire an expensive graphic designer to do this. You can use an online logo maker and embrace your creative side to create a great logo design. Just choose the style and color scheme you want, and make some options to compare. If you intend to use your logo on a lot of different things (digital and physical marketing, for example), use a photo size converter that will let you quickly adjust the image’s dimensions. Some options can resize your image in as little as 30 seconds.

5. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube is a vast and diverse platform where you can upload all kinds of videos about any subject that interests you. Whether you want to upload yourself performing covers or start a BookTube channel where you talk about your favorite books, there is likely a community that fits. If you already have a lot of recording or video equipment, you won’t need much more to get started.

The ideas above can help you make a living while pursuing your passions. Sit down and think about which options fit your lifestyle the best and what skills you have that work with each one. Then, you can make an informed decision and start making more money right away.