If you have stumbled across this blog trying to find an answer to the question “how do I make money from music?” then this might not be the place you find your answer as I haven’t actually found it myself yet. What this is, is a place to ponder the question and explore how many ways there are to get exposure as a musician. A place to ascertain if there is an answer to this question, is there a way to ‘break into’ this industry?
Currently, I’m a teacher. I teach music in a high school to students aged 11-16 so you could say I already earn a living from music, but that’s not what I imagined when I got my music degree. Like many, I want to do what I love and earn a living from it; so this year I’m going to try and ‘figure it out’. You could call this my New Years Resolution for 2019!
All too often you hear the same story. “I was living on a sofa bed with my cousins roommate from uni in London. I had no money and no where to live until one night I did this gig and was spotted.” I’m afraid I don’t have the time to try the ‘sofa hopping’ thing. I have a roof over my head with bills to pay and a job that demands an awful lot of work at home. There must be another way to do this. So to start off, here’s my three step plan.
Step 1 – Start With What You Know
I have got music that is published already however I have a lot more just sat on my computer that I never do anything with. This is where I’m going to start. How much music can I get published this year? More importantly, how much money will that bring in? I have two pieces published currently, and last year that made me £30… It could take a while.
Step 2 – Grow Your Skill Set
I currently spend my spare time writing and arranging music for brass bands. This is as good a place as any to start but to accomplish this goal, I feel that I might need a wider skill set. I’m going to try writing some music in different genres. There will be a place on this site to access some of this in time to come. I’m not promising amazing things from this but who knows, it could be a hidden talent of mine!
Step 3 – Spread The Word
As I was born into the world post-internet creation, I like to think of myself as “tech savvy”, I have however always avoided social media. During my degree, we were quite often told how important an online presence is especially in today’s climate. To this extent, I have created social media pages across a range of platforms (links can be found below) to help advertise both this blog and my music. Any follows/likes/shares etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Blogging will not be a daily event just yet, I will however update as I go, hopefully once a week. I know there’s no ‘quick fix’ to this and I don’t expect to find one. It’s a journey that may not be successful, but surely it’s worth a try?
Twitter – @Moneyfrom_Music
Facebook – @MoneyfromMusic
Instagram – @Moneyfrom_Music
Making Money from Music 