How to Make Money as a Music Producer (15 Best Ways That Work)

If you want to know how to make money as a music producer doing what you love, you will find this comprehensive and helpful article very interesting to read.

It reveals some of the very best ways you or anyone else can make money as a music producer, whether you have any prior experience or not.

 

Can You Really Make Money as a Music Producer?

Of course you can!

But first, an analogy…

It’s always amazing to me the time and energy needed in preparation of a delicious meal.

In the kitchen, the following of an involved recipe in the creation of a wonderful meal doesn’t just happen.

For the meal to deliciously come alive it takes the gathering together of the right ingredients, the blending of those ingredients, perhaps time to marinate, etc.

The whole process could take hours to actually cook the meal and almost in less time that it takes to say amen the meal is enjoyed, eaten and finished.

So, it would seem that this is the process for a number of things that are enjoyed by individuals.

Another creation that takes time in preparation to be enjoyed by the human senses is in the area of music.

With the average play time of the song being anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes, the production of that song would take, on the average, one hour of production time for every 1 minute of music that is produced.

In other words, to produce a three-minute song it would take a minimum of 3 to 4 hours in production.

Additionally, this process can take even longer if it requires overdubs and use of vocals.

Consequently, the production of a song could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

And yes, you can definitely make money as a music producer as you will learn from the rest of this article.

 

What Is a Music Producer?

The broad definition of a music producer is a musically talented individual who brings together all aspects of a musical composition to create that song or album.

Their specific creative duties include the selection of the various songs created, backup vocals, instruments, and mixing or blending the sounds together to produce the finished product.

They are like a chef in the kitchen who utilizes all of the food ingredients to create a masterfully cooked meal.

In this case, a musical creation for the enjoyment of the listening audience

In addition to the specifics of the creation of the song, other aspects of a music producer include the planning of the musical session, preparation of the studio, bringing in of any backup singers as needed, etc.

 

How Much Money a Music Producer Make?

Payment for music producers is based on royalties.

In other words, the more that the record or album realizes in sales the greater the music producer will receive in royalty fees and extra income.

Other options of how a music producer gets paid include the charging of a fat flat fee per song.

A novice music producer can earn anywhere from $0-$3,500 per song.

If the music producer has a greater amount of experience and a corresponding good reputation, they can command a range of $3,500-$7,000 per song.

The top tier of the music production page skill would range anywhere from 10,000 $15,000 per song.

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15 Best Ways to Make Money as a Music Producer

 

1. Royalty Free Music

Recently, a big surge in the music industry, as it relates to music producers, is the creation of “type beats.”

These beats are made available and sold to a variety of recording artists, rappers, and independent singers.

An example of a type of beat could be a rock beat, rapper beat, disco, etc.

The beauty of producing income from the production of beats is that the income is fairly passive.

Once the beats have been produced, they are then listed on the music producer’s website and are sold accordingly.

Generally, a music producer will produce 10 to 20 of these beats’ files for different artists and then move on from there in producing other music or additional beats.

A music producer can command anywhere from $19 on up per musical track.

 

2. Use YouTube

A music producer can also earn an income stream by having their own YouTube channel.

Day in and day out, the music producer will devote time to their channel and produce music on a continual basis.

Through the YouTube channel, the music producer can also make available their type beats recordings.

The goal of any YouTuber is to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and accumulate 4,000 views in order for there to be a return on their channel.

Once these milestones are reached, then the money will begin to accumulate for the YouTuber.

Read This for ways to make money getting sponsored on YouTube.

 

3. Use Patreon

Another platform that a music producer can utilize his or her music on is Patreon.

Patreon is a platform that is membership based and offers a variety of tools for creators in the administration of their business.

It is also a subscription content service and provides an opportunity for a variety of artists to start working on relationships and provide unique content to their subscribers or patrons.

The system can be likened to a fan club that is exclusive to subscribers only.

Consequently, a fan will provide their subscription membership fee so that they may receive this special membership content.

Consequently, for subscriber, the content you these to be unique and interesting for this membership base to increase.

 

4. Sell Samples

The music industry, like any other industry has their uniqueness.

As it relates to music, some of that uniqueness includes the honing of certain sounds created by a drum or other musical instruments.

Consequently, if the music producer has a particular talent for creating a specific sound design, this uniqueness could be a moneymaker for the music producer.

Therefore, the music producer can create a sampling of these different types of sounds and market those sounds on their website.

Unique types of sounds could include splice sounds or ADSR sounds.

Also See: How to Get Money In Minecraft.

 

5. Offer Producing Services

A quality music producer will most likely have the talent and experience of being able to mix sounds together to create the desired music and recording that is intended.

Therefore, a quality music producer will be in high demand for a variety of artists including those who are established as well as those who are just beginning their music career.

A music producer can offer their talent of professionally mixing and mastering sounds together to create the next hit record

 

7. Freelancing

Music is a powerful medium.

Music is in great demand as many companies in both the business and entertainment world are looking for the power of music to increase sales and their customer base.

An additional way for a music producer to earn money is to do freelance work.

There are a number of freelance websites available through the Internet in which employment opportunities are offered for a music producer.

Two such websites include Upwork and Fiverr.

Once the music producer has registered on these types of sites, they can build their resume and portfolio and begin to search for opportunities in which individuals are wishing to hire a music producer.

Through a bidding process and acceptance by both parties of the terms of agreement, working together can accomplished and paid through these websites by the individual who hires.

• Check this out for more tips on making money on Upwork.
• Check this out for alternatives to Upwork for freelancing.

 

8. Licensing

Another powerful way for a music producer to realize income is to be part of the TV and filming industry.

Music is an added component to the visual impact of the viewer through this music.

The music producer can submit a variety of their musical work to be placed into a musical catalog managed by the entertainment world.

Payment is made if a library pays for the musical production and if the music is selected then royalties will begin to be a steady stream each time one’s music is played.

For the music producer to add this is successful component to their revenue generation they would need to be aggressive and reach out to a variety of libraries that are available.

Two such libraries include Crucial Music and Marmoset.

 

 

9. Teach Music Lessons

To supplement the revenue-generating base of the music producer, the individual can utilize their talents by earning money through teaching others.

This is an especially useful opportunity for the music producer if their talent includes knowing how to play the piano, drums, guitars, or other musical instruments.

The beauty of teaching music is that it be done through a variety of venues.

Some of that venue could include the individual’s own recording studio, going to the student’s home, or even using a teleconferencing option such as Skype.

It would be important for the music producer to advertise this opportunity of service to his or her clients in addition to the other broad variety of services offered.

 

10. Sell Online Courses

It would be safe to assume that the music producer is well-versed in creating scores and most likely knows quite a bit about music theory.

These added dimensions of a music producer’s experience and learning can be monetized by offering online tutorials and courses to individuals who visit the individual’s website.

These opportunities to tutor and sell online courses can be done through videos that can be viewed through the website and can offer step-by-step instructions as well as written materials on music theory etc.

Also, if the music producer has time restraints there are third-party opportunities that the individual can take advantage of.

Two of those online platforms that will assist in marketing this aspect of the music producer’s services include Udemy and Lynda.

 

11. Market on Streaming Sites

Another way that the beat sounds can be marketed is through streaming sites.

Some of those streaming sites include Spotify, iTunes and Google Play.

Through these streaming websites, the intent is to create the music specifically designed for a fan base.

Consequently, the music that is produced is not intended to be utilized by existing artists or bands, but the focus point of the music is on the producer and their artistry.

 

12. Sell Merchandise

As the music producer begins to become recognized and identified as a leader in the industry, the next logical commercial enterprise would be the manufacturing of specific products capitalizing on the music producer’s popularity.

A sampling of merchandising that can be created could include wristbands, bobble head dolls, T-shirts, key chains, etc.

If the producer has a unique logo or design this can be incorporated on these types of merchandise.

 

13. Play Live Gigs

As a music producer, it is most likely the producer has their own studio.

This studio is constructed to enhance the musical sounds being created in a professional manner.

Also, a quality music producer will generally have the latest in technology as it relates to mixtures, song boards, speaker system, etc.

Another way that a music producer can generate revenue is to rent out their studios to other people

Read This for tips on how to make money as an audio technician.

 

14. Other Artists

As a music producer who has distinguished themself in the music production industry, many recording artists are looking for this quality service to maximize their recording sound.

Recording artists hire music producers to mix and create the sound that they want to have associated with their talent.

Consequently, a quality music producer can use their experience and talent to make all of that musically happen.

 

15. Club DJ

Being a DJ or disc jockey is another way that an individual music producer can supplement their income.

It would be a natural for a music producer to play this role as they would be in front of a musical appreciative audience and managing a mixer board all along with various other types of creative sound technology.

The gigs for a DJ could include a variety of nightclubs, working for a wedding or other parties of celebration.

 

Personal Story

During the holidays our organization would put together a video that captured services that were provided in our community.

Accompanying the visual scenes of that video was powerful music designed to set the tone and move the hearts of individuals to provide monetary support for those services.

One year, the marketing company that we depended upon to do produce this annual video decided that they could no longer provide that service.

So, the production of the annual video event fell upon me.

The jury is still out as to whether the presentation was effective or not and it certainly didn’t meet the standards of the professionals that had done this in previous years.

However, it did give me a greater appreciation of all that is involved to try and produce something that would resonate with the viewers.

The process of capturing the highlights of the video in concert with the selected music and words was a challenge.

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Ways to Make Money as a Music Producer FAQs

 

How Do Music Producers Get Paid?

Payment for music producers is based on royalties.

In other words, the more that the record or album realizes in sales the greater the music producer will receive in royalty fees.

Other options of how a music producer gets paid include the charging of a fat flat fee or simply charge the recording artist for the use of their studio.

This is often the case if a music producer is just starting out in the business and wishes to build their portfolio.

 

How Much Money Does a Music Producer Make Per Song?

A novice music producer can earn anywhere from $0-$3500 per song.

If the music producer has a greater amount of experience and a corresponding good reputation, they can command a range of $3500-$7000 per song.

The top tier of the music production page skill would range anywhere from 10,000 $15,000 per song.

 

Conclusion

When it comes to special events, entertainment, creating a special mood for a special celebration, music is a critical component to enhance the experience

Not only is the right song and music important but the way that it is produced and “mixed together.”

Queue the sound and enter the music producer.

An individual who not only has the knowledge needed in listening to music, but the technical skills required making the music even more impactful.