4 less obvious ways to make money as a musician
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
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In my experience, the key to making a living from music is to have a diverified portfolio career... in other words, a range of different income sources. So in today's video I'll take a look at four perhaps less common income sources for a musician that have worked really well for me.
The piano piece in the outro is called "Kneel" and you can listen to it in full on my Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0wKKJ... 🎶
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0:00 Introduction
0:46 Production Music
5:15 Session Work
7:58 Playing in Care Homes
10:36 UA-cam
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What is interesting about those four ways to make money: They also apply more or less to any other creative work. A friend of mine who is a freelance photographer has exactly the same four ways of income: He makes stock photos, produce photos for companies according to their needs, he presents his works in nursing homes and have them on social media.
How much does he usually make? That might be a good option for me
All things apply to every other things.
@@DS-nw4eq learn music theory applies to cooking? not so sure about that
5:22 What I'm actually saying here is "£100, £200, £1000...", not "£100,000-£200,000". I just phrased it very oddly! Sorry for any confusion 💰😅
I find it very funny and ironic - I did think you meant it as a joke. The reality is, once you start uploading your music to Storyblocks or something like that, it could take months and months until your song gets used even once. You need a very long breath and in the best case dozens of little snippets to upload. You can just see it as an excercise to finish and upload music that can, if you are very lucky, get you a bit of income.
@@enricodemeo of course it takes time to start seeing income, particularly due to the long accounting cycle, but once I was two years into regularly writing production music, I would see money every quarter and, even though I haven’t published a new production track now for over three years, I still see income from my existing back catalogue. 😊
My bad, I don’t have my hearing aids in, but hey you gotta admit it did sound like that amount,, LOL 😂
lol, i rewatched that part 3 times to double check...
@@DonLee1980 lol
I took a songwriting course recently in college and its crazy how you can make more money from a 30 second loop being licensed then a 3 minute song being streamed on all platforms combined
I'm not "classically" trained and didn't take lessons but I play guitar, bass, and drums as well as making "beats"... I compliment my income from my full time job (heavy equipment operator) by selling 0:05 to 0:30 bits of music!
Basically selling samples. If it's a 2-measure loop with drum beat, bass line, rhythm guitar progression, and (usually) multiple layers of lead guitar with dif effects, I'll put the full loop up for sale AND each and every individual track... Doing this way has made me much more money than just selling the finished loop!
I'm not making MILLIONS of dollars or anything lol but a BAD month is like $50-150, a NORMAL month is $300-$500, and a GREAT month can reach $1000!
If it was my Full Time gig, i would've starved to death a long time ago but it's been a great way to make a few bucks to relieve some stress regarding money, all while making music I would be anyway!
PS: there's plenty I keep for myself but I, or anyone else who buys them, can still make money of the samples potentially (by miraculously writing a hit song with it) no matter how many people buy them
@@phatnana2379 Do you upload them to a database, or do you just get commissions for them?
@@phatnana2379 is there a platform for that or is it just commissions?
@@Lhama666 50/50... Some friends who got studios commission stuff but always a good idea to throw "packs" up on LoopCloud, Prime loops, ADSR, etc... As well as the sites that let you peddle smaller samples.
There's no rhyme or reason to when/what people buy but once people do start, your stuff will pop up higher on the search list.
I doubt ANYONE is like waiting for my stuff to drop lol but those who frequently get samples that way usually check your stuff out somewhat regularly and buy again!
A few bucks here and there or a pack or two a month is good enough for me for it being a side-hustle/hobby
@@phatnana2379 How many loops do you usually fit in a pack? And do they all have to be in the same genre/style?
I love that you mention care homes. I've had quite a few internships with patients with dementia, and music's power to create a connection and trigger memories has always baffled me. Walking into a room and seeing personnel singing with a few patients always lifted my mood, no matter how stressed or annoyed I was.
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
I'm a music therapist and we work with people from all phases of life. It's such a rewarding way to share music with people!
I've been playing piano since I was 5 years old and I've always struggled with finding a way to make a living out of it. So thank you for this.
Good luck, most just use music that is public domain same with photos a few will pay for some song, you can make a few extra dollars but making a living is practically impossible.you can make more money busking on a busy street than you can selling your songs.
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
@@hifijohn This is misleading. If making a living from music was practically impossible, then many people simply wouldn't be doing it. Production music can make you more than a few extra dollars. The TV and film producers partner with these production music libraries to get licensable music. They don't just only resort to public domain music. Maybe some UA-camrs do, but not in the TV and film world. This, plus the other myriad ways of making money from music, it is definitely not impossible to make a living. Is it hard work? Of course. Will it take time? Of course. But it's not impossible.
@@hifijohn it’s not impossible, it’s just extremely difficult
Same here. I have never met a real manager. Instead musicians are expected to "sell themselves". We're not used car dealers.
I used to work for a music library. It's been ages, but one of our more popular options was sound-alikes. Stuff that sounded reminiscent to popular/famous music, but just different enough to avoid infringing on copyright.
I'd like to add one more way: transcribing music.
The majority of my income nowadays comes from this, I'd consider it still a very small niche with not too much competition. There's always people wanting to learn a song and there will always be - I work mainly for guitar tabs but piano sheet music is requested quite a lot as well.
You can market yourself or work within an agencies (I do both).
Just make sure you do have some ear training/transcribing knowledge, meaning you can easily notate what's being played into a music notation software (Sibelius and Finale are the standards, I use Guitar Pro and some Finale).
Any questions you might have feel free to ask
What would you say about this song?
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Would the charge be different if I asked just for the singer's line, music alone, both singer and music, a different arrangement? Transposing everything to alto voice?
@@MariaMartinez-researcher @María Martínez I'm just here trying to help people answering to any questions regarding music transcriptions type of work. If you want me to quote something you can send me an email. But short answer: yes, more work = more charge
Hi Miguel, I was wondering: where do you sell your transcriptions? Which agencies are you using? I already have a nice collection of guitar solos and rhythm transcriptions I might be able to sell.
Thanks for your suggestion!
@@RobertSiroen I'd like to know the answer to Robert's question as well ! Is there a platform like Fiver or the equivalent of the one David shows for music library but for transcription ?
There was a lovely man called Graham, sadly missed and taken from us far too soon. I met him because he ran the music group for people who suffered from mental health issues and I have depression. He also used to play at a hospital for elderly patients and used to joke that he got them up dancing on their Zimmer frames! He was incredibly talented, had an amazing sense of humour and was extremely enthusiastic as well. RIP Graham, I wish you were still with us, you brightened up the lives of everyone who knew you.
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The moral enrichment people like you must enjoy is priceless. Thanks for the video and for you openness on this subject.
Thank you!
Consider becoming a church musician. They need someone they can rely on usually several times a week (and not usually when you'd have other gigs, like Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings). Most don't require that you be an adherent of their faith (or any faith) as long as you can fit in with their style of worship. It's more fruitful for keyboard players, I've found, but as a guitarist-bassist I've managed to make a nice little piece of change over the past few years -- not a living wage, but a decent complement to other income.
You guys are so lucky. Living in a (predominantly) Eastern Orthodox country there is no music in churches. I reckon it could be a nice source of extra income.
@@axilleas how about the choir? It is music, although it's purely vocal and requires this particular set of skills
@@user-xb6hi2pn9u They usually give those spots to retired opera singers and they hold these for life. One guy can have 4 or 5 churches he sings (chants?) at.
I'm not the target for this video, as I am not a professional musician (just a guy who enjoys music analysis channels like David Bennett Piano) but I found this really fascinating, as I know that it is really hard for entertainers to find work in their field and am always interested in how they find avenues for their talents.
I’ve been playing at care homes for eight years now as a side gig. I can agree with you that it is a rewarding experience to see the joy it brings to people who have little else in their lives. And it is a good source of extra income.
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
Where do you find these opportunities? Where are they advertised?
Was gonna ask how you find these kind of gigs? Is it emailing the carehomes directly?
@@connorpearson2000 In my case there is an organization here in Phoenix, Arizona that sends musicians to care homes all over the metro area. Maybe you have a similar organization in your area. Otherwise I suppose you could call/email the individual homes and ask them if they’d like to have musical entertainment.
Great video David, your work is awesome. Keep going
Thank you!
Care homes are great for musicians. Work in the day and very rewarding.
Can be a tough crowd though haha
Great until a patient needs help with the bog. I’m turning green just thinking about it! 🤢
Joking aside, the old folks are great to perform to. I’ve met some cool oldies this way!
David happy to meet you here. From another fellow pianist and producer, I really appreciate what you are doing and the positive message you share in this and other videos.
Music Therapy, specially instrumental piano music, have an amazing healing-support power and for old people or with mental illness is a beautiful way to help them in a deep and lovely way. Hope more people work on themselves first so they can reach a powerful level with their music and spread the love around.
We need more musicians for this NEW WORLD!
i follow you specially because of the "list of songs that uses a certain musical technique" videos but i'm a musician too and recently i started trying to do a lot of things at the same time to see what's gonna actually work (freelance as session musician, teaching, recording stuff that nobody will ever listen or pay for, etc etc etc)
so... to watch this video right now was really reassuring, thanks for that, David! 😅
So far, the only "real" income I've ever made was once-off through session work. Through a mutual friend, an up-and-coming Twitch streamer wanted to overhaul their intro and asked me to do a 5 minute track entirely from scratch in a very specific style, with access to stems and exclusive use rights. We worked out the rates (tbh I think I kinda lowballed myself given the amount of work in the end), and by the end of it, there were 19 revisions over 2 months lol. At the time, it was my most complex piece of music by far. If given the chance, I'd definitely do this kind of work again because I loved every second of if. Right now, I'm still fine just doing all this for fun. I don't know how I'd feel if was my full time job... Might suck the fun out of making music for me
You are a legend David. Always well researched, articulate, intelligent and helpful. Thanks for your channel mate. Cheers.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your gifts w/us on this public platform, David! 🙏
You’re such an excellent musician AND educator (common to be one or the other, but not to be both at such a high caliber), and make learning what is often an abstract & boring topic (ie, music theory), so interesting, fun, and relevant. BRAVO! 👏 👏 👏 🌹🌹🌹 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🎉
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I'm really happy you included Josh Turner Guitar; he truly works hard in all of the covers he makes across all genres. Very detailed and pretty much perfect AND he writes his own songs as well that are just as great!
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Thank you for sharing this, it’s helpful x
David, thank you for making this video. I've got some musical abilities I'm trying to make use of in some fashion and this gave me ideas I'd never even thought of.
you put this out at just the right time in my life man! you're one of my favorite channels and youre saving my ass rn!
I used to play at Care Homes back here in the U.S. and it was quite fun. We had the older people singing and dancing. In fact, a son of one of the older ladies sent my band a letter stating, the last thing he remembered his mother doing before she transcended was dancing on her walker to our music. She was dancing all the way to heaven!!!! lol Alleluia!!!
Always enjoyed your vids man. This video seems so tuned at just genuinely wanting to help people. I appreciate this so much. You've earned yourself a patron, sir
Thank you!
I don't know why, but I already knew all of this and did nothing about it. I'm going for it now. Thanks David and keep it up!
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Great insights. Thank you.
Brilliant video - thanks for sharing your insight David 😀
"I'd prefer silence to this" . . . what's a cutting heckle! lol
Sometimes noise hurts and it has nothing to do with the performer.
Should have started playing Sound Of Silence.
I had a colleague in a corporate job who wrote and recorded production music as a side gig, because he could do it anytime around his 9-5 schedule. Eventually he did move to working in the music industry full-time, and having some existing income and experience in his target career smoothed that transition and made it much safer and easier for him to achieve his goals. So I'm glad you highlighted that option!
Thank you so much. Love your videos !
Thank you Roger!
2:50 I'm pretty sure I heard that christmas song in a tv ad
My daughter played the harp for four years. She and a friend booked themselves into a Care Home to do a harp and flute concert of three songs. So many people came up and asked about the harp since it isn't the most common thing to see.
I appreciate your videos even though I am not at all musical.
Very insightful, thank you!
Thanks 😊
Great advice! Thanks David
Inspiring. Even more so than usual! Thank you!
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
Awesome. Great to hear this info directly from someone who knows.
Your content is always so creative... Thanks you
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This is really helpful - great insights. Thank you 🙏
Thanks!
bro thank you for sharing your experience with us
That's a great video! Thank you. It feels very empathatic and supportive :)
Love the vid, David; love the music - and love the "bin day" story :)
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Excellent, David, thank you.
Thanks Peter!
Good info, David. More, specific info on this topic, as well as more avenues (methods & approaches) would be welcome. More info on music libraries (names, best libraries, etc.) also welcomed. How to form your own music PUBLISHING site (and your own website) would be great, for music creators, would be very helpful. Please pursue this topic, in more (money-making) depth, please. I very much enjoyed this (too brief) synopsis of the possibilities. Good work, though. I just don't want my work necessarily posted ONLY on a commercial music library...but would love the capability of my own site (in addition to?) a large conglomerate library. (BMI, songwriter, former touring/live and recording/sound engineer, etc.). --- yours in music, Doug ("Crossbow"), Florida.
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If you are interested in library music business you can read this book Composer's Guide to Library Music. It's from 2018 but still pretty accurate.
Thank you for making this video
What a great guy you are. I really love your videos. Thanks because this is exactly what I was looking for !
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
Very grateful for this. It shows you care about your audience.
Thanks for your videos, they are always interesting
Thanks!
One of the most interesting video in your channel
Thanks! 😃
Great ideas! Thank you!
You're a hard working musician and an inspiration! Love your videos mate.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for this David. I'm probably too old to make a full time career out of music, but it is nice to hear that there are ways I could bring my music to the public and maybe make a bit of money in the process.
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There's no such thing as too old if you're truly passionate about something.
You're definitely not too old. There's no such thing.
Really helpful and practical advice. Thank you.
Thanks!
Excellent ideas. Thanks
200k quid? I think I'll better go dust my old keyboard 😆
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Greetings from Brazil, I love your work!
Thanks!
That care home bit makes me wanna arrange an acoustic guitar version of Manowar's "Shellshock"
Thank you David for your advice! Very helpful👍🏻 God bless!
Glad it was helpful!
David, Thank you very much for your encouraging and helpful video. I love the Jive Aces btw. Have seen them live. Love dancing to and singing their version of the song 'Bring me Sunshine'.
Thanks David
Thank you David, love it1
Thanks!
Interesting information, well presented and as the previous commenter said, can be applied to other genres of creativity too.
Thanks!
Excellent advice. For any creative career, exploiting a range of streams is vital. One thing you didn't mention (perhaps because you're talking about less obvious things) is how to make money with songs you've written rather than performances. Exactly who do you send them to? And at what standard of demo? Does it have to include chords and/or standard notation ... ? Things like that. Subject for another vid one day, maybe?
David may cover these topics in a future video, but in the meantime, check out thre excellent DIY MUSICIAN PODCAST and see if they’re able to answer any of your questions.
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Great video as usual David !
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thanks david - solid advice
I found this very informative. Thank you. As someone with limited but tangible musical ability, I think I can come up with a jingle or two, so the first one is my best bet. When I had even less musical ability than now, I did play keyboard at a care home where my late father was resident. I was actually backing my guitar teacher who got a few paid gigs there. In the UK, be prepared to play Vera Lynne!
Vera Lynne 100%!
Charlie Harper seemed to do well out of creating jingles, but the scores he seemed most interested in weren't musical ones.
Hi Dave, great video and thanks for the shoutout! 3.5 million views now and yes, spot on, it got us a lot of work, a US agent, festivals all around the world and a ton of new fans. Although not our song, our arrangement has even been used on Stroctly three times which means lots of newspaper mentions as "the artist" they are dancing to that week. It's even getting us exposure over twn years after it's initial release!.
I don't plan to make money from music but I have to say, you're such a sweet and wonderful human being for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you!
As a music student, this was really interesting. Thank you.
Thanks!
Brilliant, thank you 👍
Thanks!
You're really great side, bringing something to a great but sometimes struggling crowd
Pretty cool -- I watched the whole run of X-Factor Australia (I think it ran like six seasons) and never knew that a David Bennett piece might have been playing as background music!
Great video!
Thank you!
Awesome video, as usual
Sorry, this may've been answered already but I've given up scrolling though the comments - what platform do you use to publish library/production music?
I'm giving up too, no one seems to have the answer and Dave didn't say it, maybe there is a reason for it
I performed in care homes! So nice that you mentioned it, it's an unusual yet very rewarding crowd.
ua-cam.com/channels/F4WNzluz2tid1nlBba40Mw.html.
Thank you
Thank you so much for this! It really helps to hear from a successful working musician about this topic. What website do you use for the Production Music?
he doesn't mention it, does he?? I keep checking the comments to see if someone knows 🧐
I'd love to hear you do a breakdown and analysis of some more lesser known music - the Beatles & Radiohead etc. stuff is great but it's the subject of loads of channels....how about taking an obscure band, maybe say like Toy Matinee who were a band made up of some of the best session musicians (Guy Pratt, Tim Pierce, Kevin Gilbert), and breaking down some of their songs and looking at the production techniques and writing styles?
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I haven’t watched the video yet so idk if you mention it but I make a pretty good living around my city playing piano at nursing homes and churches. It’s those kinds of places that not a lot of musicians think of or want to play at cuz “old people ew.” I like it cuz I like the music from those decades haha
As some one who is barely starting this boosted my confidence by a lot. Its gonna be hard but I’m stoked for the challenge
2:54 im pretty sure i heard that one on a sainsburys ad or something similar
With the rise in entertainment I'm so glad you made this!!
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Great tips!
Do you have advice on websites like the one you showed on production music? Where do I start to give out my music to production/sync?
Hey, David. Thanks for the video! What website you recommend us to put our music on as "library music"? Do you put your music on more than one? Love from Brazil
I’ve played in care homes before. Hands down an amazing experience. Seeing smiles on their faces is the best thing ever.
As a bassist I truly thank you
These were very helpful, thank you so much. Do you recommend any particular websites to find these types of work (for all the income sources you mentioned)? Thanks again.
I do a lot of care homework at least I did before Covid i’m part of a musical group of retired musicians from all kinds of backgrounds who donate our time for three and we get so much more back it is such an experience I would recommend everybody did it
Nice video!
Thanks!
On care homes: I always recommend the documentary Alive Inside. Beautiful film about the links between music and memory.
Hi. I have a lot of instrumental music i've recorded over a period of 30 years. Never really done anything with it, just a hobbie. But i'd like to know how i would go about getting to use this as Library music - where do i go to get started with this? Many thanks. Found you by chance and love your clear and precise explanations - now subbed :)
I knew a musician some years ago that got regular royalty checks. He was pretty sure a TV station someplace was using a piece of his for a news transition. It was probably the sort of thing that plays under "...coming up next is Dave, with sports..."
I wish this video would have been available 30 years ago. I hope this gives some young people hope that they can be musicians and not starve.
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This is so kind.
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What music library do you use for publishing your productions? That really sounds thrilling to me.
Thanks for the good work! ❤️
Yes, this I'd like to know as well! David pleaassseeee
I WANT THE ANSWER TOO ! His website looks good, and I didn't find it on Google, based on how it llooks on the video
I know you meant, "100, 200, or 1,000 pounds" but they way you said it made me chuckle. Sure, a couple extra hundred thousand pounds to tide you over until next month.
Unless he has really expensive taste.
Yeah, I'm actually saying "£100, £200, £1000", but I admit it was not clear! 😂😅
Excellent info David. Which music publisher do you use?
9:20 Ouch. I played in a care home back in the 70s as part of a group from the local University. While the pianist was doing his bit, one of the residents shouted out, in quite a loud voice, "HE CAN'T PLAY, CAN HE!"