5 Ways Musicians Can (Realistically) Earn In 2025

My journey into the music business started in the late 2000s, when the industry was literally a no-man's land. The rise of file-sharing platforms earlier that decade disrupted the business model that kept the music industry going for decades, and no one really knew how to “make it” as an artist anymore.

Fast forward to 2025 and, despite the music streaming revolution, social media and crowdfunding platforms, we’re just as lost as we were two decades ago. Obviously, there are artists who achieve stardom every year, but their paths to get there are as diverse as they can be.

And what about an indie artist? How can they create a reliable source of income without a record deal or spending thousands of dollars in marketing?

The good news is that yes, it can be done. Whether your goal is to make $100 or $10,000 a month, you have all the tools at your disposal to achieve that. All it takes is a diversified revenue stream, a long-term plan, and probably years of hard work.

If you're serious about making a career out of your passion, here are the five ways to earn money with your music, all scalable and adjustable to your talents and needs.

Let’s dive in.

1000 Loyal Fans

“A thousand customers is a whole lot more feasible to aim for than a million fans.”

I still remember when this essay by Kevin Kelly came out in 2008. It was so ahead of its time that it’d still take a few years for the technology necessary to make it viable to flourish.

I suggest you go ahead and read the whole essay, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s what it suggests: find 1000 people in the world who will support everything you do and buy everything you produce. These people are called super fans: they’re deeply loyal, support your work regularly, and will help you spread the word about your music better than any paid marketing campaign.

Of course, in order for this to work, you need to have something to offer fans in return: exclusive albums, merch, one-on-one chats, private gigs, etc. The list is endless. What's important is that you create a system that gives value to your fans and that's sustainable for you in the long run.

Do it in three steps:

Step 1. Open your Bandcamp page and have all your music and merchandise there.

Step 2. Create a subscription program: on Patreon, Ko-Fi, Bandcamp, or anywhere else, so long as it offers monthly or yearly subscription options.

Step 3. Plan a series of releases and posts to publish across these platforms and social media to promote your music.

Exploit The Gig Economy

Personal story here. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it was a hard time for my label and me personally.

We had a big concert in London at the end of 2019 which didn’t go well, but we had a few gigs planned for 2020 and I was hoping to recover the loss. We had good artists, reliable sponsors, and a seasoned team to make it all work.

Obviously, the world came to a halt, and so did we. We lost all our sponsors, and the concerts were postponed indefinitely. The artists and collaborators we were working with were relying on me to come up with something, anything, to keep going.

So we evolved. We stopped organizing concerts and instead released more albums. We also started offering mixing, mastering, and music copywriting services to artists and companies (which is also when I started writing.)

Diversifying our revenues allowed us to stay afloat, and now that musicians can tour again, we’re stronger than before. Whether you’re a touring artist, film composer, or sound engineer, I suggest you do the same.

The gig economy offers an entry point to anyone who wants to offer services to others, and it can be a great way to test your skills in the global market. There are dozens of platforms where musicians can offer their services: SoundBetter, AirGigs, Twine, Fiverr, Upwork, and so on.

Use these platforms not only to leverage your existing skills, but also to see what the market needs, and what you can learn to meet those demands. The music ecosystem is constantly evolving, and so should you if you want to stay in the business long-term.

This doesn’t mean that you have to stop making art. On the contrary, you’re using your creative skills to sustain yourself, while learning new things that can be extremely valuable in the long run.

Do it in three steps:

Step 1. Think about the skills you have, and what you can offer to other people. Have you mixed and mastered your latest album? Maybe you can do this for others too.

Step 2. Open an account on one of the platforms mentioned above. Choose the services you offer wisely: be specific, and show proof of your previous works.

Step 3. Grow slowly. Look for small projects to get an idea of what you can do and how long it takes you. Work hard to satisfy your early clients and make sure they’re happy. If you’re good at what you do, more job opportunities will follow.

Sync Licensing

Sync licensing is when you get your music featured in TV shows, movies, commercials, video games, and trailers.

When one of your songs is used, you usually receive a one-time payment, which can be anything from a few hundred bucks to $10,000 or more. On top of that, you might also earn royalties every time your music is played.

It's by no means easy to get your music featured in a big-budget production, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try: it's an opportunity to make good money and reach a new and large audience.

Start by connecting with music supervisors. If there's a movie production company you like, look for the music supervisors who work in their productions, and find them on LinkedIn or other social media.

Get familiar with the most popular platform to share music ready for syncing. DISCO and Music Gateway are the ones I've used and they're great because they help you organize your tracks and submit them easily.

Most music supervisors I've dealt with used DISCO, for instance, but also make sure you check out other music libraries like Musicbed, Jingle Punks, and Tunedge.

Do it in three steps:

Step 1. Do your research: make a list of contacts in the movie and gaming industry you can contact to submit your music. Make a selection of your songs that you consider "syncable" (high-quality production and suitable to be used as a soundtrack).

Step 2. Create a profile on DISCO or any other music library specializing in music licensing.

Step 3. Go over your list of music supervisors and contact them, making sure you send a personalized email specifically for the project they’re involved in.

Live Shows + Merchandise

Playing live is still one of the best (and most lucrative) ways to make money with music. That’s because a live event has, in itself, multiple streams of income, aside from the ticket sales.

First off, the merchandise. In my experience, you can have merch sitting there for months in your basement, until the perfect gig comes, and it’s sold out in one night. So make sure you get your personalized T-shirts and tote bags ready before you hit the road!

Private events and house concerts are another great way to create a solid revenue stream, and these opportunities are often the result of people seeing you play live somewhere else first. Weddings can be a gold mine, but there usually isn’t much room for creative freedom in these kinds of events.

Finally, online concerts can be a great way to connect with your community worldwide, and give them a chance to interact with you in real time from anywhere. If you’ve never tried it before, I suggest you keep it intimate (20-30 people) so that you’ll be able to interact with them in between songs or after the show.

Do it in three steps:

Step. 1: Start local. Look for venues where they play your style of music. Connect with other bands in your area and see if you can organize a gig or mini-tour together.

Step. 2: Have your merch ready, and create a QR code people can use to follow you on social media or subscribe to your newsletter.

Step. 3: Diversify your live set. Have multiple live sets ready for any situation: an acoustic set, a heavier/more experimental set, a few covers ready to set the vibe, and so on.

Focus on Singles and EPs

The streaming industry revolutionized the game: now, not only you need to make great music, but you also need to be fast. Spotify even suggests you should be releasing new music every six weeks to build momentum and grow your audience.

Every day, thousands of artists are trying to grab listeners’ attention by publishing music as often as they can. That, and the fact that people’s attention span is getting shorter, means that you need to be extremely consistent to grow your online fanbase.

It’s virtually impossible to drop a full album that often, which is why singles and EPs are so important these days.

Singles are excellent when you want to promote an upcoming album, while EPs are a great option when you want to introduce your audience to a new sound or project and see how they react. Plus, they help you keep production costs down, while showing your fans you’re working hard to deliver new music regularly.

You might have heard of the waterfall release model: releasing songs regularly to make the most of Spotify's algorithm, get featured in playlists, and grow your audience. Singles are the perfect format for this, and so are the EP, which can contain remixes of singles, or a “Side B” to give a timeless feel to your release.

To achieve this level of consistency, a good release schedule and some smart planning are required. But if you can plan your releases for six months or a year ahead, you'll have a higher chance of making it into popular playlists on Spotify and beyond.

Do it in three steps:

Step 1: Set a clear schedule. Prepare all your promotional material, like a press release, an electronic press kit (EPK), and a pre-save campaign. Make sure to submit your track to distributors with enough lead time.

Step 2: Build anticipation for your release. Share regularly on social media and pitch your music to playlists, blogs, and radio stations.

Step 3: Release the single or EP and monitor the performance. Analyze engagement data, learn from your mistakes, and get ready for the next release!

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to make a living out of your music, or simply create a side hustle, I hope this guide will help you figure out a plan to make your dreams come true.

If you’re trying to speed up your creative workflow, make sure you check out the Sample Focus library. Here you'll find unique, carefully crafted samples that are ready to use, allowing you to spend less time searching for sounds and more time creating the music you love!