Being an independent musician brings its own challenges. One, being, finances. Here are some side hustles that could help you earn something extra each month.
It’s hard to earn a substantial amount as a music artist, meaning often you’ll need a second income. This isn’t always easy to come across because when you’re wanting to invest so much time into your art, you don’t always have enough free time to be flexible enough to pick up a variety of shifts. Meaning, you need your second income to be just as flexible.
Where do you find this type of income? Side hustles. That’s what they’re typically known as. For everyone, too, it’s not just music artists that often adopt a side hustle. Anyone needing a bit of extra income could pick up a flexible job. Here are 5 different suggestions we have tailored towards music artists. Have you considered any of them yet?
Write for music blogs
If your passion for music lies with more than just the beat, why not consider writing for some music blogs. You could keep it completely casual by agreeing on an amount per article rather than a salary or timebase payment. That way, you could pick up more work as and when needed. It could benefit you and the blog owner.
They may have more work one month than another, and as long as you both agree on this, you won’t face any concerns. Of course, with this, you can’t ever be completely sure how much you will earn each month as it could vary. But, you will know you’re topping up your income somewhat and this could make a huge difference.
Tuning musical equipment
If you have the skill and talent of being able to play an instrument, why not charge others to get theirs sounding right? Many beginners will rely on music tuners to correct their sound so they can learn how to play without any hassle. If you have the ability to tune instruments, then set up your own little business doing so.
You can charge per instrument. Perhaps even reach out to music companies, or schools that have a large collection. You might be able to strike up a deal which suits both of you. Perhaps even a regular side hustle. The more instruments they have, the more work put your way and in turn, you earn extra money from a skill you have.
Music tutor
Another fantastic way to earn extra money as an independent musician is by teaching others. If you have a passion for learning about music, why not inspire others? Whether it’s beginners who want to learn an instrument, those who want to improve their vocals, or experienced musicians that are looking to expand their skill set.
This is a really rewarding way of earning extra money. A side hustle which rewards more than just you. You can earn while you pass on your passion to another budding musician. No matter what your skill level, you could teach somebody what you know. Plus, tutoring is a secure job because it will be regular income.
Beat production
Why not create beats and sell them online? It’s simple enough to do. If you know how to make beats, and it’s something you do on a regular basis anyway, why not turn this into your side hustle? You could earn per beat and depending on the complexity of each beat, it might not take you that long to prepare each one.
Not only that, but it gives you practise over and over again. Ensuring, when you’re not creating your own music, you’re still playing around with the music world. It could improve your own skills, and also be a nice little money earner. There are hundreds of websites you could sell your beats on, so why not give it a go?
Busking
Finally, the last suggestion is of course possibly an obvious one… busking. Many will have tried it already, but there will be a lot of independent musicians who haven’t given it a go yet. If you haven’t, you should because you could earn a lot of money depending on where and when you busk. It does take a lot of commitment and your own free time, however.
With busking, there is the issue of not knowing how much you will earn each time. Of course, you could earn a lot during busy periods, but then, when it’s cold out and people are short of change, you will find yourself with much less. It’s a brilliant side hustle for those wanting to improve their stage presence and confidence, though.
These are just five different ways you can earn extra money through a side hustle. Perhaps even try out a few of these at once. The best part is, they’re flexible, so you can pick most of them up and drop them when needed. Meaning you can work around your music making with that being your main priority.
