Many musicians struggle to rely on music alone as an income stream, and therefore diversifying their income sources is essential to ensure financial security.
Side hustles provide musicians with a low-risk way to monetize their passion without jeopardizing their day job. Here are some of the top gigs for musicians.
Music Arranging
Music arrangement is the practice of altering an existing piece of music in various ways to make it sound fuller or change its instrumentation, such as changing its instrumentation or adding extra elements for a fuller sound. Arranging can also be used to compose entirely new musical works from scratch – for instance creating an orchestral piece from scratch or writing beats for hip-hop songs.
Though arranging is not difficult to grasp, musicians sometimes forget its significance when creating tracks. This may be due to time-consuming practices or trial and error being involved, yet with proper instruction musicians can quickly learn to arrange faster with better results.
One of the best ways to begin learning to arrange is by studying music theory. This will give you an understanding of what makes an effective arrangement, while helping you utilize all your instruments efficiently. Furthermore, online tutorials or other musicians may offer advice.
Practice makes perfect, so one way of honing your arranging skills is through solo practice. Consider how the songs you like are structured and whether there are ways you could enhance their arrangements – for instance if the chorus section of one song is much louder than its verse section you may wish to experiment with different arrangements until finding what works best.
As soon as you’ve learned the fundamentals, you can begin focusing on particular parts of a track to add interest and excitement. For instance, if a section seems monotonous, try playing around with different arrangement possibilities to see which works best.
Experiment with different kinds of harmonies as part of your experimentation process. For example, if there’s an area in your track that sounds flat, adding higher or lower harmonies could add depth or create more of an upbeat jangly sound.
Music Journalism
Music journalism is one of the fastest growing jobs in journalism, offering opportunities to share one’s passion for the arts through words. A music journalist career is highly lucrative and connects you to an expansive community of listeners and fans; plus it can help get a foot in the door with music industry professionals and bring in extra cash while you pursue your desired path!
Aspiring music journalists looking to break into the field should immerse themselves in the local music scene and start writing reviews of shows they attend, before submitting their work to their local newspaper’s arts editor or alternative weekly. They could also submit articles speculatively without knowing whether they will be accepted to major online publications like Pitchfork or Stereogum – these outlets allow aspiring journalists to submit pieces without knowing whether they will be published.
Music journalists require not only writing skills but also an in-depth knowledge of recording and production techniques. Furthermore, they must be capable of quickly researching and writing stories under tight deadlines; often this requires traveling to concerts or other events for coverage.
Some music journalists work as staff writers for publications while others freelance. If they can demonstrate that they can produce quality content consistently, they often find steady employment. It is important for music journalists to have a flexible schedule since their hours may fluctuate depending on their employer and specialty area.
The average salary of a music journalist is $37,996, though this will depend on their specific role and geographical location. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, journalism jobs are expected to expand 6% within 10 years–in line with overall job growth in their field.
At first glance, being a musician can be both rewarding and stable, however its not always the most financially sustainable choice. Many musicians opt to pursue side hustles to supplement their income and expand their skill sets while pursuing their dream job without giving up time with family, friends, or performing in front of an audience while nurturing musical creativity.
Music Teaching
Apart from performing music, teaching others how to play an instrument is another lucrative way of making money with your musical talent. You could teach private students or join a music teaching school where your abilities will be refined while being paid accordingly.
The online education market is an $85 billion industry, and many people want to acquire skills they weren’t taught in school. If you are an accomplished musician who’s adept at marketing themselves as well, teaching people how to get their music out there would likely prove lucrative; or if you are an experienced producer offering lessons in creating and mixing tracks.
Find clients for your music teaching business through an online marketplace for freelancers such as LessonFace. This platform matches you with students and charges you anywhere from 4%-15% of their lesson cost; alternatively you could advertise yourself via social media, print/digital music magazines, local gigs etc.
Songwriters with an impressive knack can also use songwriting as a source of side income, earning an estimated median annual salary of $52,000 as established songwriters.
Curating music playlists for events or businesses is another effective side hustle for musicians to earn extra income utilizing their musical skills, plus it can be tons of fun too. Find freelance gigs like these on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork.
As a performer or writer of music, finding ways to make extra income can help build your career while preventing burnout. While side jobs won’t earn Kenny Chesney the envy of many fans, they typically pay fair rates and can provide enough financial security so you can pursue your passion full-time. If you want to advance further with your dream, consider enrolling in a music degree program; in four years’ time you could earn either your Bachelors’ or Masters’ Degree and be qualified for many high-paying job opportunities!
Music Repair
If you’re an accomplished singer-songwriter or instrumentalist – or even just passionate about music – who wants to earn some extra cash in the music industry, there are numerous side hustle options for working as a freelancer in music-related jobs ranging from creating custom songs and curating playlists to curating music libraries and working a side gig with Kenny Chesney-level pay rates! These gigs can provide enjoyable work at reasonable rates of pay.
Musicians looking for new career options might also consider becoming instrument repairers. Experienced players who know how to disassemble and reassemble their instruments may find this skill is in demand at music stores and studios alike. Before considering this path as an option for themselves, individuals should first investigate whether taking a repair class or technical program would suit them; otherwise they can contact local music shops or self-employed repair specialists about job shadowing/apprenticing opportunities in their area.
Maintaining good condition musical instruments is vital to musicians pursuing careers in music. If your instrument doesn’t operate as intended, it can become frustrating and make practicing difficult – not to mention costly replacement costs of worn out parts and accessories.
As another way of building your music-related side hustle, composing band biographies for other musicians can be an enjoyable and profitable career opportunity – helping you to learn best practices for writing effective bios in the process!
Starting a side gig related to music can be daunting, but it’s essential that your priorities remain clear. Artists often struggle to juggle both passion projects with full-time jobs; successful people know how to efficiently allocate their time and commitments – by prioritizing cost-efficient strategies for nurturing your career through a side hustle, you can increase both income earned as well as enjoy taking one more step towards your dream job!