How to Make Money as a Rapper (25 Best Ways & Tips)

Yes, you can indeed make money as a rapper- talk about the best of both words – doing what you love and making good money!

This article reveals the secrets to how it works, the best ways and tips to help you earn money rapping.

 

Why Try to Make Money as a Rapper?

Why not, right?

Especially if you really love rapping just for the fun of it.

Thankfully you can do what you love and make very good money doing it!

First things first, rapping or not, music is important in our lives.

Music can be entertaining, can create moods, and cause us to be nostalgic when we hear it, and sometimes our memory cells are flooded with various events that occurred in our past when that music was first played.

Music is also powerful as it relates to the social issues of our day.

A case in point would be in the 60s and early 70s when the music that was sung protested various events that were happening around the world during that particular timeframe.

Music is a medium or platform to voice our concerns, endeavor to bring about social change, and also reflect various cultures.

 

Importance of Rapping 

Another case in point in which thinking and culture are reflected in the music is through rap music.

Rap music or sometimes called hip-hop music was birthed in the United States by inner-city African-Americans.

It is music that has a significant rhythmic style to it and the lyrics or the speeches of the words of the song are set in such a way that it gives a specific tone and rhythm to it.

In addition to the importance of the rhythm and the beat and the syncopation is the importance of the words that are being rapped.

The words can be “in your face” but the message is real and an accurate reflection of the culture, language, and sometimes the anger that is felt.

Additionally, rap music is big business and money can be made.

 

Personal Story 

A few years back I endeavored to go back to school to earn my business degree.

Some of my previous credits were accepted by the school that I was attending, and some were not and I found myself starting over in many instances.

During my first semester back, I took one of the courses that I needed and then was required to take a course that really had no bearing on the degree that I was trying to achieve.

Often, I guess these courses are called basket weaving courses.

This course was entitled the history of music.

The course took us from the early beginnings of music as early day monks chanted, on through Renaissance music to the various symphonies that were created by composers on up to significant American composers such as Gershwin.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course along with the instructor’s style of teaching.

The course not only what is instructional but inspirational as well and reflected the importance of the role of music from generation to generation and how the music continued to evolve to reflect the thinking of the day as well as what was important as it related to the message that needed to be conveyed.

 

25 Best Ways & Tips to Help You Make Money as a Rapper

 

1. Know More About Rapping and What It Really is   

Rap music is a genre of music that was developed by a disc jockey in the 1970s and inner-city black performers.

The music can be defined as a specific beat pattern that provides the background to the words that reflect the lifestyle of the culture that rap represents.

Often, the lyrics or the words are said in a rapid fashion, with heavy use of slang, and often incorporates a boasting rhyming pattern that pits one rapper against another.

 

2. Need Capital 

Although rap music is a venue in which an artist can express their feelings, thoughts, and their culture, if wishing to earn money through their talent, they need to realize that it is a business as well.

Therefore, being a business, capital is required.

Capital is the money that the rapper needs to rent a recording studio, pay for musicians, other employees, etc.

Without capital, it is difficult to earn additional money because of the need for a team of support around you.

Capital can be achieved through investors, both official and personal, recording studios, etc.

 

3. Album   

One of the primary ways that a rapper can earn money is through the sale of their albums.

Although albums can be a revenue-generating product, the reality is that there has been a decline in the selling of CDs and digital albums over the last 10 years.

Despite the decline in album sales all of the top-earning rappers receive significant revenue from the selling of albums.

 

4. Tours   

Another revenue-generating stream of income is realized through live performances and tours.

These performances can be a good revenue-generating opportunity for rappers as music festivals are drawing more crowds previously and these concerts are getting bigger every year.

As a performer with a tour, you would get a percentage of the ticket sales as per the contract that you negotiate.

 

5. Streaming   

Another primary source of earning money as a rapper today is through streaming services.

With the ease of the Internet and downloading songs, the rapper can earn money for each downloaded production.

According to Spotify, the musicians are charged a small amount of money for streaming downloads while other streaming services such as Apple and Google Play charged a higher percentage.

The fortunate reality is the more well-known you are as an artist the higher will be your income stream and as you become more well-known and your music becomes more popular, then the possibility of earning more money through streaming services increases proportionately.

 

6. Advertising   

Another opportunity that presents itself to musicians, including rappers, is the money that can be earned by advertising.

By utilizing your notoriety and your talent, you can contract with an advertiser and promote their product.

This can be done in a direct fashion by actually doing a promotion for the company or sometimes the actual rap music incorporates the names of products in their music.

This is a good opportunity for marketing companies to approach you as the rapper to be part of the promotional emphasis of their product.

 

7. Merchandise   

Another powerful way that a rapper can earn money is once they have established a name for themselves they can sell various types of merchandise.

Possibilities include the production of their own cologne or perfume, digital goods such as a limited song, e-mail subscriptions, and other material that is provided to subscribers on an exclusive basis.

Other merchandise can include hoodies, hats, sweatshirts, shirts, etc.

 

8. Crowdfunding   

Rappers that are just starting out or are independent and don’t have the backing of a studio, can utilize the crowdfunding revenue source.

Sites such as Kickstarter or GoFundMe can help support the rapper through a variety of contributions by individuals through these sites.

Rappers that have utilized these revenue-generating options successfully have included T-Box and Chilli.

 

9. Reproduction Rights   

When a musical artist sells a CD or makes available multimedia files for sale, they are afforded certain rights that translate into money earned.

One of these rights is reproduction rights and if a CD is purchased or an album from a store such as iTunes or Google Play, the copyright owners collect a portion of that sale as part of their proceeds.

Also, as part of the reproduction rights process, the artists are compensated when the music is played on sites that are classified as on-demand, played in companies and retail stores, and any other venue where the music is played for commercial reasons.

The amounts that are paid are dependent upon a number of factors including the terms agreed upon by the contract between the label and the seller as well as other parties involved.

 

 

10. Sync Rights   

Another artistic right afforded to the musical artist is known as sync rights.

This is when the music is utilized in a variety of other media outlets such as films, advertisements, TV shows, etc.

The synchronization is the use of this music as part of the presentation on these other outlets such as background music, introduction music, the end of the presentation, etc.

The payment through the copyright laws is charged before the presentation is released.

This is a great opportunity for up-and-coming rappers to make their way into the industry and be provided a monetary deal that may be quite profitable.

 

11. Composition vs. Sound   

When it comes to a song being produced, there is the possibility of two copyrights involved.

The one copyright relates to the composition or the individuals who write the lyrics as well as the melody.

The other copyright has to do with the sound recording.

These copyright laws protect the audio recording of the song and are owned by the artist that records the song as well as the labels that the song is produced on.

The reality is that the copyrights for both the composition and the sound may or may not be owned by the same individual.

Therefore, a rapper may earn money off of their copyright as it relates to the melody and lyrics of the song while the actual money earned by the producers of the sound may be a different entity.

 

12. VIP Packages   

One of the successful rappers in the industry is Chance.

He has an interesting business model as it relates to earning money for his skill and talent.

He does not charge for his music but gives it away.

He does, however, earn significant amounts of money by generating sales through the merchandise that he has available.

Also, as part of his revenue stream, he and his team package VIP opportunities for individuals to be involved, for a price, with his concerts.

The VIP package generally includes concert tickets and meet and greet opportunities.

 

13. Publish Royalties   

Because many affiliate associations in the record industry understand the value of protecting copyrighted music, an organization is known as Performance Rights Organizations such as ASCAP and SOCAN will collect royalties on behalf of musicians.

On behalf of the artist, they will collect public performance royalties, sync royalties, mechanical royalties, etc.

The only thing that the rapper needs to do is sign up with an applicable PRO and register the songs to get the money that is owned by the artist.

 

14. Digital Royalties   

Another aspect of collecting money through royalties is digital royalties.

The royalties that you earn through the playing of your music are collected by Sound Exchange.

This money or the royalties are collected every time your music is played on satellite radio, Pandora, or other streaming sites.

You can create a free account with them and once activated the collection of your royalties is provided.

Check out the following for more ways of making money with music:

• How to Get Paid as a Music Producer
• How to Get Paid as a Music Video Model
• How to Make Money from Music Listening
• How to Make Money from Music Promotion

 

15. YouTube   

Another option presented to a musician to earn money is through the uploading of music videos to the YouTube platform.

When this has been accomplished, you also can give permission for ads to be placed on your videos.

The more the video is viewed, the greater the following and therefore the increased potential of earning significant money.

The downside is that YouTube will keep a greater percentage of the revenue earned rather than you as the artist.

 

16. Podcast   

A powerful way to increase your following and customer base with the potential of raising additional revenue is to start a podcast to make money.

Your podcast can go in a number of directions where you can interview other rappers, help people learn how to rap, write or deliver the lyrics, etc.

Once your podcast starts to take off and obtains a considerable following, then you can approach companies for support through advertisement.

Related: How Podcasts Can Earn a Lot of Money.

 

17. Tik-Tok   

A fairly new social media platform in which you can demonstrate your rapping ability and create a buzz is the app of Tik-Tok.

In addition, Tik-Tok is the new host of Musical.ly which was similar to Vine with the significant difference being that Vine was for lip-synching.

Tik-Tok, according to the well-known musical magazine Rolling Stone, has added an algorithm that enhances mobility and targets outreach efforts to ensure that the users are involved with the latest trends.

This all works together in your favor.

 

18. Selling Features 

As your brand grows and your rap music begins to resonate with a greater audience, you will bring a significant and higher value to the hip-hop community.

You can leverage this visibility by collaborating with other artists.

For example, you can compete or be featured on other rappers’ music and create considerable buzz and attention among lovers of rap music.

And of course, the reverse would be true in that other well-known rappers would want to feature you on their own releases.

 

19. Blog/Build Public Persona   

Another possibility of creating additional followers and potential revenue is to begin blogging.

A variety of subjects that you could talk about are the various ideas that you have and the way that your rap music comes to life, your particular philosophy as it relates to rap music, and teaching others about this powerful way for musicians to express themselves, etc.

 

20. Don’t Sell Music 

A strategy that may be effective in generating revenue is not to sell your music.

By providing your music at no charge, you will use other means of increasing revenue other than selling your actual music.

The rationale is if there is no charge, your music will become more noticed and will create a greater following for other ways to earn revenue.

 

21. Grow Your Audience   

No matter what business you are in, the larger your customer base or your audience the greater potential that you will have to earn money.

Being a rapper is no different and therefore, it is important to grow your audience.

This can be accomplished in a number of ways and especially by utilizing your social media sites.

Such sites would include Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

In addition to your music talent, perhaps you have a humorous side to you that can be utilized on social media platforms and even provide greater engagement of your fan base.

Whatever you can do to leverage yourself as an individual and as an artist can combine to grow your audience.

 

22. Concerts   

Another way to earn revenue is by being involved in live concerts.

Your performance could be the main event, or you could also be a warm-up act to engage the crowd in preparation for the main act.

This is not a bad thing as a performer needs to start somewhere and this would be a great opportunity for you to be involved.

You can work out in the contract a certain percentage of the ticket proceeds to be paid to you and any of your members of the group.

Related: How to Get Paid and Earn Money as a Dancer.

 

23. Use Other Talents   

As a rap artist, it may be safe to assume that you have other talents other than the performance of rap music.

Specifically, you may be adept at writing music or penning lyrics, and these can also be sold to other musicians for their use.

Additionally, perhaps you have learned some significant lessons along the way, and you can provide your service of consulting with other rappers to show them certain techniques and processes that you have found successful that they can utilize in their own careers.

 

24. Live Performance Royalties  

Another royalty that a performer can earn is through life performance royalties.

Again, going through PRO the royalties that you deserve will be collected and provided to you.

The life performance royalties are earned every time you perform any of your original material.

In order to collect any royalties that you have earned, you need to report your performance to your PRO and show evidence to them that you performed your material.

 

25. Social Media   

If just starting out in the music industry, the best way that you can earn money is to build your following or your fan base.

By collecting emails and other contact information, you can connect with your fans and develop a fan/artist relationship.

You can use this communication process to keep your fan base informed as to what is going on, any concerted activity in the near future, ways to download music, purchase merchandise, etc.

 

Making Money Rapping FAQs

 

Who Was the First Popular Rapper?

The first rapper to sign with a major label is Kurtis Blow.

Additionally, he was the first rapper to appear on a nationally televised musical program known as Soul Train.

 

Who Are the Top Five Richest Rappers?

The top five richest rappers are, from the richest downwards

• Kanye West
• Jay-Z
• Russell Simmons
• Sean Combs
• Dr. Dre

 

You Can Do It 

Being a rapper is more than just performing to the delight of listeners and audiences.

Being a rapper is about being a representative of a culture and being the voice of that culture with a significant message that represents a part of the population that has sometimes been silenced.

The added bonus is that there are people that will pay you for your talent and there are many ways that this can be accomplished.

 

Conclusion 

There are many styles of singing that are performed for a variety of reasons.

A talented singer can earn money due to their performances, the selling of their music, and a cadre of other means and methods.

The power of music is not only in the enjoyment that it brings to its fans and followers but the message within the music is a powerful way of conveying certain thoughts and ideas.

One of those powerful genres is rap music and its representation is not only a variety of ideas but of a culture and segment of our population.