Hi folks, I want to ask you about good ways to make money with music. Please forgive my bad english. Here's the story:

I always wanted to become famous and make a living with music. After few failures I finally grew out of the fame and now i'm left with these wishes: I like producing music and I like money. I don't want to work 9-5 as a programmer for the rest of my life to pay the morgage. My aim is to make about $3.000 a month to ensure my family a happy life with freedom.

I want the money to come from streaming and licensing and sells on bandcamp. I will make hit songs with music videos. Imagine the songs will be good and will be played a lot on Spotify and Youtube. I like all kinds of genres. What are the best genres to make money with on Spotify/Youtube etc? Where is the money - most listeners? Are EDM genres good for making money? What are your thoughts on this? Thanks for your opinions!

Assume that the songs I'll make will be top quality and highly likable and competitive - I understand my dream can't come true if the music is shit ofc. I'm simply asking you for a direction where to put my creativity to achieve best results in terms of money making.

Edit:
My current experience: I'm producing 80s synthwave. I have some singles on dedicated youtube channels and my songs are on some Spotify playlists. I'm also making sells on bandcamp. But I feel this is not the best genre to focus on for making money. Do you know what genre/style works best for that kind of money making?

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2020

You want to make $3,000 a month on a regular basis? With streaming?
Forget it!
Streaming platforms are tools to test how the public responds to a song.
Let me know when you have earned the money for your first Royal Burger with streaming.

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2020

Can you elaborate please? Why is it not possible. What you think is the way to make that money with music?

I'm making few bucks in 80s Synthwave already, but I feel that there's not big enough money and audience to make a living. I don't want to waste time in low-populated genre.

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2020

gone... ;) dude, it´s 2020

 

The money is in live music! You need an audience.
if you want to earn your living with edm for example, then produce edm. Get really good at it!
Publish a few songs on streaming platforms, analyze the public response, make contacts that will help you get ahead, send links of your best tracks to playlist curators to get into a playlist or get a deal at a small edm label to increase your reach, collaborate with other artists and get a job as a dj in some hip nightclub where edm is played to get your rent money in.

good luck!

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2020

They're selling sound/music again. And again, and again... They want!

 

the money is elsewhere...

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 4, 2020

Think of Streaming as extra pocket money rather than a main source of income. You have to rack up a huge amount of clicks to make even mediocre royalties.
The Pirate started an interesting thread about streaming revenue recently which will give you an idea.
Live shows/ gigs seem to be the most profitable sources of income these days. Ironically stadium DJ's playing other peoples music tend to be the big earners in the music industry these days.

 

I don't mind becoming a live DJ. So you're saying EDM dance music for clubs is the way to go?

 

Lol. It's more like the exact opposite is true. Look at what's trending.
To make money with the music, you only need two things:
1) Have it understandable for the masses;
2) Have a professional high-budget promotion.
The second one is actually the one making the difference, but they'll turn you down if you are too original or too thoughtful.
That's about it. Oh, and you'll have money not from your music itself, but from related activities. Live events, talk shows, merchandise, etc.
The people who have mone don't care about the music. The people who care about the music don't have money. This is how the world works right now.

 

Brand !
Merch !!
Money !!!

Selling a $2 t-Shirt for 20 $ just because of your face on it.
That’s the way.

Presets with your Brand without any costs (except for the synth) so nothing is better than ex nihilo money.
Same with samples.

Patreon now we're aiming for the big guns (You'll get literally money for nothing or nearly nothing ok some times you'll have to bring a song but that’s ok.)

Only making money with streaming is crap (and since COPPA it's even more )

All together. And you can Aim for your dreams.

 

I don't think it should be like that, "Where is the money, so i can bandwagon jump to it?" Not much Lebowski IMHO. There's more dignity in keeping programming.

 

Thanks for your replies so far. I got that streaming is not the only way. My main question now is about the genre. Where is the money? EDM?

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2020

you can make 3000....but you need to be up on every pltform...and connect every dot possible...use advertising...get sponsors if getting bigger etc

yeah but befor go into a season big brother or the hills on tv

 

The money is on building a community on video platform and social platforms by using your craft (making hit songs) and drag multiple layers of people:
1) Apprentice producers at first who will be amazed to watch you draft and produce songs >> This will get you in touch with Tier 3 companies who will approach you for product placement hence you will make a few bucks,
2) This audience will like your videos / shares and you will start to pop up into the front page of other people, if they like your music, they will start to interact with you, ask for more, this is the moment you get a "feel" for the audience's taste and you can produce more in that way >> This will get you in touch with Tier 2 companies for product placement, Interviews, salons and maybe little labels who want you to create / produce tracks.
3) The next level is mystery depending on the patch you chose previously.

The basic advice is: if you're really good at something, show it to the world and people will notice and bring more people. But for that you need to observes the likes of you and define a plan on what you want to bring to the table.

If you make bad EDM because you think it makes more bucks that Synthwave, people won't follow.
Produce what you're good at, build a community while learning what you aim at !

Cheers !
C.

 

For a guide as to what to expect from streaming go to https://audiosex.pro/threads/how-mu...ces-pay-per-stream-a-guide.51285/#post-457567

Everyone forgot rule number one: Never give up! Success is preceded by countless failures. Yet he only thing that is impossible is what you don't try to achieve.

 

I make a decent living from writing music for film and television. Enough to live in my own home and send my kid to a good school. The price? Self respect and dignity, some of the time. I write as per the requirements of the client. About 20pc is stuff that I quite like, the rest is music that brings me no pleasure. Ive often considered changing my job title from "director/composer" to "musical prostitute.

Still, it beats working.

 

What would be your advice on how to start this career? Make some sample compositions and send it to FILM/TV companies?

 

https://de.statista.com/statistik/d...kindustrie-umsatzanteile-der-musikrichtungen/

Sells Germany 2018
Pop 26,1% +3,9% German Pop
Rock 18,4%
Hip Hop 16,2%
Music for Children 10% (crazy)
Dance 7,1%
Other 4,9%
Schlager (no direct translation ) 4,2%
Audiobooks 3,9%
Classic 2,5%
Jazz 1,8%
Volksmusik (no direct translation ) 0,9%

USA

So a clear no to EDM with only 3,9%
If you like it do it
But most sells are in HIP-Hop, Pop and Rock