Art, Advice and Stories

By: Nicole McCray
Mindset tools for musicians

Learn how to grow as an artist with these top tips today!

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The pandemic of 2020 had a big impact on the world. Music artists had to dig into their creative minds and discover new, innovative ways to continue to make a living. So while music sales from concert tours and gigs took a nosedive, bands and independent artists found a whole other world of being able to continue to generate income online.

Here are some of the best tips and ways that music artists can continue to grow and make a living online. As a result, you may find yourself enjoying one or more of these new business endeavors or side hustles that promote and allow you to enjoy a more fulfilling music career.

Table of Contents
1. How to Succeed in Streaming Your Music
2. Discover New Opportunities for Music Licensing
3. How to Leverage Your Gift of Teaching
4. What’s the BIG Secret about YouTube?
5. Learn How to Build and Grow Your Audience Faster
6. Why is it Important to Do LIVE Streams?

1. How to Succeed in Streaming Your Music

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Share your music for everyone to hear! 🎤🎼

Musicians who want to continue making and selling their music can gain mechanical and streaming royalties through platforms like iTunes and Spotify. In addition, you can use services such as DistroKid to get your music on Apple Music and Amazon even without being signed to a record label.

Streaming services have millions of users who can discover your music on playlists. It also helps that the business of music streaming is growing. It is a more streamlined and straightforward way to gain more exposure to your original music, which can help you achieve a more substantial fan following.

2. Discover New Opportunities for Music Licensing

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The best time to start is now.

Another method where you can generate income from performance royalties is by allowing your music to be licensed for commercial use. You just have to ensure that you register your original music with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) before submitting it to their music libraries.

Who will pursue licensing companies to find the perfect songs for their project?

Creative producers
Music supervisors
Directors
Advertisement scouts

When yours is chosen, you will receive income and potentially develop relationships for future musical works to be utilized in such things as commercials, television, film, and more.

3. How to Leverage Your Gift of Teaching

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Musicians can also be in the field of teaching music.

Besides offering simple one-on-one online lessons with students, you can get more creative and develop online group lessons together. You can also organize a workshop that pertains to a specific aspect of music.

During the pandemic a lot of pianists took up teaching online piano lessons to earn additional income and indulged in various lucrative online workshops. It helped musicians monetarily and also gave them an opportunity to improve their skill set in fine tuning their hand on their instrument.

Music lessons are a great way to earn money, and you open yourself up to a broader audience of students because there is no limitation on location. If you are uncomfortable in a live video setting, you can pre-record lessons and offer them for individual purchases.

4. What’s the BIG Secret about YouTube?

YouTube is the largest video streaming platform…

So you need to take advantage of the opportunity that it can provide your music. Utilizing YouTube and other social media platforms helps to engage your following and promote your music career.

Creating a music channel will allow you to distribute your original works for listening to your subscribers. It will give you a platform to give them a more “inside” look into other aspects of being a musician, such as a day in the recording studio or going on tour.

You can also keep your audience updated with promotions, merchandise on sale, or upcoming events on your channel. Then, when you grow a substantial following, you can easily monetize your YouTube channel by obtaining sponsorships which will help generate revenue.

5. Learn How to Build and Grow Your Audience Faster

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Learn how to make your fans feel special! 🥰🥰🥰

Musicians know that they owe much of their success to their fans. Having a loyal fan base can create another way to help you make a living by connecting with them through an email list and providing those fans with exclusive rewards just for being a fan.

You can create VIP rewards and opportunities for fans to purchase subscriptions or memberships for things like first-hear new releases, notable recordings or performances, merchandise, and more in exchange for a monthly contribution.

While it can take some effort and dedication for you to consistently create new content or come up with creative ideas for rewards and exclusives. It is an excellent way to establish and build upon the connection you have with your listeners.

6. Why is it Important to Do LIVE Streams?

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Learn how to keep the music alive!

Online live stream events and concerts truly bring people together. It can also be a great way to earn money from performances. You can use a live feature on a social media platform, such as YouTube or Facebook Live, and simply share your PayPal address for donations, sort of like a tip jar.

What if you could create a LIVE stream concert as a virtual experience?

You can sell online “tickets” upfront, and only those people can have access to the show. If you have a good fan base, those music fans will be happy to support you and gain access to your exclusive live stream.

It is important to remain inspired and grow in the music world. You may even find yourself discovering a new and innovative method that engage your fans and provide long-term success.

How will you use these tools and ideas in reaching for your goals as an artist? We’d love to hear from you.