4 Ways Musicians Can Make Money as We Await a Return to Normalcy

While the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be tapering off, the continued risk of catching the virus means that we have not completely returned to normal. Because of that, many musicians are still unable to go public and play live music to make money. Since musicians make a big chunk of their money from these gigs, that can be an issue, but all is not lost. Here at Tru1Hundred Radio, we know how important it is to provide for your families and make money, so we have some exciting ways that musicians can still earn cash until we return to full-fledged normalcy.

Sell Your Merchandise

Typically many musicians try to sell their records and other merchandise at the end of the shows, but you can do the same thing from home by creating a website and selling your goods online. Since you have some downtime, this may be a good opportunity to record new music and you can sell or stream the album online to hold audiences over until you can get on the road again. You can also consider selling shirts, pins, and other merchandise.

Give Music Lessons Online

Another way to make money in our advancing world of technology is to tutor people or give music lessons online. You can do it through your own website or an existing site like Fiverr. People love to learn how to play new instruments, so this could be a very lucrative career and the best part is that when you teach online, you can provide your lessons for anyone around the world so the profit potential is unlimited.

Some musicians get into online tutoring or any of the other ideas on this list and decide that they want to start their own official side business. If this is you then you will need to make some considerations. The most important is choosing the right business entity for your situation. If you are balancing many things at once, then consider starting a limited liability company. An LLC is a great way to go because it requires less paperwork, offers more flexibility, and could save you cash come tax time. Rules vary by state, so make sure you research how to start an LLC in California before diving in.

Start a YouTube Channel

You can also jump on the YouTube bandwagon and create your own channel where you can stream your live performances, answer viewer questions, and create entertaining videos for the masses. Once you start finding your audience on YouTube, you can begin to add advertisements to the videos. And the more views and likes that you get, the more that you can earn. 

Once you have success there, you can expand to other social media outlets. You can show your videos on Facebook, show cool images on Instagram, and advertise to make money in the process.

Non-Music Side Gigs

If you have tried all of the tactics above and you still need more of an income or those tips aren’t right for you, then consider a different side gig. There are many ways that people are making extra cash these days, from delivering food for a restaurant or grocery store to practicing freelance writing on the side. These jobs provide a good way for you to set your own hours and work when you can so you can still work on your music.

As you can see there are several avenues that you can try so you can make the money that you need as you wait until tour season begins again. You never know when one of these temporary gigs could turn into a full-time job. If you would like to learn more about Tru1Hundred Radio, then you can contact us at Tru1hundredradio@gmail.com.