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10 ways to make money as a beatmaker
Having just one income source as a beatmaker is unlikely to get you out of a 9-to-5 job. You must be ready to diversify.
It can be tough to admit, as a creator and an artist, that if you’re making money from your music, then you’re just as much a business as the burger joint down the street. Maybe the process of producing and selling music isn’t quite as linear and predictable as fast food, but still, you need to be able to cover all your costs, including your time, and still make a profit.
Don’t be put off by thinking you need tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment to take the first step. And you can obviously level up your studio as you start to make money. However, you will need at least a minimum setup of quality mic and speakers, headphones, a laptop that’s good enough, an audio interface, and a DAW too. You won’t need to rent a shop, buy ingredients, or deal with many of the costs that bog down other small businesses.
Anxiety around finances is generally not conducive to creativity! Keep the worries at bay by taking consistent action. That means having a plan to exploit all the opportunities that are available to you – plus a set of priorities so you don’t try to attempt them all at once and get overwhelmed.
Here are the top 10 sources of income for beatmakers in 2024.
Don’t just stop at one!
The more doors you leave open, the more opportunities you will come across.
Just try not to start multiple projects and then not finish any.
Get one success under your belt, and the next ones will be that little bit easier!
It can be tough to admit, as a creator and an artist, that if you’re making money from your music, then you’re just as much a business as the burger joint down the street. Maybe the process of producing and selling music isn’t quite as linear and predictable as fast food, but still, you need to be able to cover all your costs, including your time, and still make a profit.
Don’t be put off by thinking you need tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment to take the first step. And you can obviously level up your studio as you start to make money. However, you will need at least a minimum setup of quality mic and speakers, headphones, a laptop that’s good enough, an audio interface, and a DAW too. You won’t need to rent a shop, buy ingredients, or deal with many of the costs that bog down other small businesses.
Anxiety around finances is generally not conducive to creativity! Keep the worries at bay by taking consistent action. That means having a plan to exploit all the opportunities that are available to you – plus a set of priorities so you don’t try to attempt them all at once and get overwhelmed.
Here are the top 10 sources of income for beatmakers in 2024.
- Selling or leasing your instrumentals
- Streaming
- Ghost production
- Selling new kinds of merch
- Monetizing your following on YouTube and Patreon
- Creating video courses on YouTube or learning platforms (e.g. Skillshare)
- Getting placements for your beats or whole tunes
- Selling sample packs
- Offer mixing and mastering services on Fiverr or Upwork
- Playing live and DJing
Don’t just stop at one!
The more doors you leave open, the more opportunities you will come across.
Just try not to start multiple projects and then not finish any.
Get one success under your belt, and the next ones will be that little bit easier!