Didn't it surprise you that some songwriters become insanely popular in just a few days, while others, being incredibly talented, remain unknown? The main difference between the two groups is that the former know how to sell their work, while the latter do not. Add to this the fact that now this industry is simply overflowing with talented and competitive authors. It is not enough for you just to pay attention to yourself, you also need to stand out from countless other talented authors and mainstream movements. This article will teach you how to overcome all these obstacles.

Steps

Part 1

Write a song with a strong emotional message.  Although all modern music is somewhat similar, there is no single right recipe for writing a song. A great song can contain countless points of view and the whole spectrum of human feelings. Some songs are funny, others are filled with fury and hatred. Some songs let you rest and relax, while others make you feel stressed. Some are of great importance to the author himself, while others have no purpose at all. However, all songs convey emotions in one way or another. If you are a beginner in this business, then just try to convey those feelings that you feel for a particular topic, event or person who is important to you. In the lyrics you don’t have to specify all this, but you can certainly do it.

• Let's look at this with two pieces: Between the Bars by Elliott Smith and Swimming Pools (Drank) by Kendrick Lamar. Both songs tell us about alcohol addiction. You may notice that the authors have a different approach to this topic: Smith leads a third-person story, while Lamar uses a more personal approach. However, both songs paint a very emotional picture.

1. Give the song a form. So, you have already been able to write down things that cause strong emotions in you, and gave them the form of verses. This is a good start. Now it is time to give them the form of a real song - to decide which words will be used in the verses, which in the chorus, and so on. The lyrics of many popular songs have a rhythm. If you want to give your poems a certain rhythm, then you have to think about a rhythmic pattern.

   Compose music for your song.  After you have written the text and turned it into a song, you need to think about its sound. Here, again, there is no single ready-made recipe, but it will be easier for you to first make an instrumental part, and only then move on to the vocal. It will be easier for you to shift the vocals to ready-made instruments than to select the instruments themselves for the vocals. Try to choose the music so that it matches the emotional component of the text.

   • The instrumental component of the song is divided by sound and intensity. Some create an all-consuming “wall of sound”, others can be almost inaudible companions of the text. For example, you can compare “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine and “Polly” by Nirvana. They both came out within a month of each other, but are completely different in sound. In “Polly” you can only hear the acoustic guitar, a little bass, drums and the voice of Kurt Cobain. In “Only Shallow” you will immediately plunge into a sea of \u200b\u200bcompletely different sounds that fill the entire space.

2. Add text to the music.  In most popular songs, the main role is assigned to the vocal part, while music is only an accompaniment. Now that you have the lyrics and music for the song, it's time to put them together. Make a melody for your text, or rather “melodies,” since most songs use different melodies in a couplet, chorus, etc. Although some artists use the divergence of vocals and the main melody for greater effect, you better keep them together.

   • You can also gain popularity by creating only chapels (songs with only a vocal component) and instrumental recordings. For example, “If I Ever Fall in Love” by Shai, which was just a cappella, has long been second in all US music charts. And the latest fascination with electronic dance music makes the recordings consisting only of instrumental parts more and more popular. However, most popular songs still include both vocal and instrumental parts. Writing such songs will allow you to capture a large part of the audience.
   • Note that if you write songs in the style of Rap, then you can pay less attention to the melody, since “pure” rap means performing without any accompaniment at all. Nevertheless, some hip-hop artists arrange their songs as a mix of rap and regular songs. For example, you can listen to “Juice” from Chance the Rapper.

3. Pay particular attention to the chorus.  Many popular songs with slurred verses, mediocre instruments and ridiculous lyrics were saved only with the help of a surprisingly strong and good chorus. Try to make your chorus make up the most moving, emotional and concise lines. Since usually the refrain is the most memorable part, you should try to make it the hallmark of your song. To compose a chorus, think about what the main idea is in your song. Gather all your emotions and put them on paper as chorus lines.

   Get carried away by what you do.  Among other things, when you write a song, you must be immersed in this business. Your songs should give you, as a performer, strong emotions - if they seem boring to you, then do not be afraid to start all over again. Music is both a craft and an art — perfection will take time and effort. The best way to motivate yourself to work on songs is to be passionate about creating them.

   Part 2

   Way to the music industry

   1. Perform live. Although some musicians (for example, the famous The Beatles) were able to distance themselves from live performances, working mainly in the studio, only a few, if any, were able to completely refuse to perform in front of the public. To become a true musician and expand your audience, it is important for you to perform live. To get started, consider speaking at local venues. Bars, clubs and cafes are the classic places to test budding musicians. But do not stop there. Any place where large groups of people gather is suitable for you. It can be weddings, birthdays, fairs and even street performances where you can gather the audience and sell your recordings.

      • Do not be afraid to start small - all the famous musicians started with such local performances. One such example is Lady Gaga, who, before her dizzying take-off, performed in New York's bars and nightclubs.

   2. Record your music.  All musicians have to spend time in the studio recording their songs. In a recording studio, musicians, with the help of a producer or sound engineer, create a product that suits their purposes. Recording music gives you the opportunity to distribute your recordings among fans (on CD or as files that can be downloaded). It also gives you the opportunity to send your songs to people who can help you sell them - to record companies and their agents. If you have not made any recordings, you can start with a “demo”. Demo - short (from 3-6 songs) works that give you the opportunity to demonstrate your talent and style, a kind of resume in the world of music.

      • Carefully  rehearse your songs before you go to a recording studio. Since the time spent in the studio is quite expensive, you better try to record songs with the least number of attempts. All errors and shortcomings will lead to an increase in time and, as a consequence, prices for studio work.
      • For the same reason, avoid unnecessary experimentation with sound when you are already in the studio. The place for experimentation is at rehearsals, do not let the producer persuade you, for example, to try out various guitar effects while working in the studio.

   3. Think about hiring a manager. Working with contracts, concerts, recordings and distribution takes a lot of time and requires certain knowledge and experience. Therefore, most musicians prefer to have a manager or agent who will take on part of the work related to the business. Although this requires some costs, a personal manager can help a novice singer to discover his potential and climb to the heights of show business. Make sure that your manager can be trusted and he has a good reputation - do not become a victim of a scam.

      Contact your record company.  After you got your first fans and you recorded a couple of demos, you can try to conclude a contract with a record company. Although large international companies sometimes enter into contracts with little-known, promising or experimental groups, you are more fortunate if you contact a smaller independent company. Find one that produces music of your style, and if their conditions suit you, send them your demos, photos, interviews, biographies and the like.

      • The best way to attract record companies is with innovative music innovations, stunning live concerts and a unique look. In other words, if you are able to become popular without the help of record companies, then they will find you.

   4. Look for unconventional sources to sell your talent.  Of course, you can perform your songs live, but there are other ways. You can work as a session musician, composer and so on - use all the opportunities to spread your music and gain fame.

   5. Create your recognizable style.  Competition in the music world is stronger than ever. With the development of the Internet, musicians have to compete not only with each other, but also with the stars of the past, whose records are as easy to find as modern ones. The best way to sell your talent is to stand out from the crowd of other contemporary artists. You do not need music that can be easily confused with someone else's. Instead, you should create your own recognizable image.

      • This advice applies not only to music, but also to your performances. You should be proud of the unique features that are present in your performances. Such famous musicians as Prince, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury and many others had an unforgettable and incomparable style of performance. Everything from how you behave on stage to your clothes will create your unique image - take the time and attention to create it.
   6. Some musicians produce their own music. For example, Kanye West and his neighbors in the hip-hop world are producing their own albums and songs. If you still do not know how to do this, then find yourself a professional producer who will help you in creating and processing your music.

4. Do not let the industry get the better of you.  Unfortunately, history knows many examples. Beware of dishonest managers, agents, business owners, promoters and so on. Never let little-known people drag you into signing a weird or vague contract. Do not agree to work for free in the hope of subsequent payment. Do not risk your reputation for glory. Do not allow the manager and other employees to make decisions without your knowledge. In general, in the music industry you need to always be on the alert. Although there are many good people in this business, a connection with just one “bad” can forever put an end to your career.

   • Conclusion of a contract necessarily. Verbal agreements, even with good acquaintances, cost nothing legally. Always insist on a written agreement. Before signing critical agreements, always first consult with an experienced attorney.

• Sing with all your heart and do not be ashamed to be who you are.
• Do not be afraid to change! The public is always hungry for variety. Follow your style or in the future you will be rich, but unhappy.
• Write for yourself and try not to adapt to someone else's requirements. Wealth is just a bonus on the way to self-realization through music.
• Enjoy making and selling music.
• To play songs, try to create a group of people you are familiar with.

Hello! In this article we will talk about how to make money on music.

• How much can you earn: from 15 000 rubles a month.
• Minimum requirements: talent and equipment.
• Is it worth it to do: if you are ready to devote to music from 6 hours a day.

General information about making money on music

Making money on your music is very difficult. While most of the top performers in Russia and the CIS can simply merge their albums into social networks, it’s unrealistic for newcomers to make money. This requires talent and tremendous work.

The first few years in music should not be taken as an opportunity for making money.

In 2015 - 2016, some famous artists had a certain claim to social networks, in particular, to Vkontakte. They were opposed to having their music illegally distributed within the network. Several lawsuits, a trial and a social network are beginning to actively ban tracks at the request of the copyright holder.

As a result, after some time, the performers who initiated this venture see the following picture: the number of tracks that are sold through services does not just grow. It is rapidly falling. That is, music that is not in the public domain is uninteresting. First I want to listen to the track, and if I like it - to support the artist by purchasing a licensed version.

In any case, your music will have to be uploaded to the public.

How to make money: 5 ways

I have prepared for you the 5 most interesting ways to make money on music without investments.

Music distribution through services

The easiest way to sell an artist on the Internet is to sell your own tracks and albums through special services, for example, Apple Music, Google Play, etc.

The method is suitable for those artists who have already gathered some kind of fan base, ready to support the purchase of tracks.

The algorithm of actions is approximately the following:

Keep in mind that if you are a no-name performer, there will be no guarantees that you will earn. And do not be limited to specific services.

Audio stock

This is a very cool way to make money for musicians.

The bottom line is:

1. You register in the service.
2. Take a little test.
3. Download tracks.
4. You get money when you buy them.

Having created a composition once, you can sell it several times.

It is very convenient for those who like to write to the table, or leave their music files halfway. It is enough to refine them, spend some amount of time and forget again. If this is really high-quality music, then periodically it will bring you a good income.

Ideal for guitarists and keyboardists: a huge variety of music in the absence of outside help.

DJs who make money on electronic music can both buy tracks for use and sell their compositions on such sites.

Custom Tracks

This earnings is suitable for more or less well-known performers who have gathered at least several thousand fans in social networking groups.

This method is actively used by government agencies. Before significant events, several little-known performers order tracks and pay rather large amounts (from 50,000 rubles).

I can’t say anything definite how large companies and government agencies select artists to order tracks. Even tenders are won by companies that then themselves find artists and offer them money. Therefore, there is a way to make money, but here's how to get it if you are an average performer - it’s still a mystery. And another, very important aspect:

Earnings on the fan community

This way of making money is mainly suitable for rap artists. Since this genre is now very popular among young people, you can use it. The essence of earnings is as follows:

1. You gather a small audience.
2. Make a stream (online recording).
3. Communicate with the audience, answer questions;
4. Speak and post periodically about collecting money to record tracks.

I myself saw how on a stream a little-known performer asked to throw 10,000 rubles to record tracks. And within a few days the amount was collected.

Now this is one of the most profitable ways to monetize your own audience for any, any media character. People are willing to invest money voluntarily so that the artist will please them with their new music. This method is similar to, only there is one cardinal difference:

The contractor owes nothing to anyone.

Mixing foreign music

This is the most stable way of earning from all that is presented in the article. There are really few good sound engineers, especially those who can qualitatively combine all the instruments and voice into one composition.

At the initial stage it will be quite difficult. Few people will contact you without a portfolio and recommendations, so you will have to work hard for a low fee.

For such a specific job, this is normal. Customers are, in most cases, recommended. Someone needs to reduce the track - they ask artists they know, they advise. It will be problematic to reach customers yourself, so you will have to spend a huge amount of time to show your qualifications.

But over time, such earnings will only begin to grow. The larger the artist, the more expensive he pays for mixing. Therefore, gradually you will come to a small amount of work with huge one-time fees.

These are all relevant ways to make money on music in Russia. Please note that all this is very unstable, and to realize your creative potential you will have to work a lot.

How much can you earn from music

It is difficult to name any figures on earnings for creating music. Therefore, I will give information exclusively on earnings on audio stocks and the work of a sound engineer.

Profits on audio stocks depend on the number of downloads and the number of tracks. At the initial stage, about $ 4 will be paid for 1 download. A beginner will have no more than 3–4 such downloads per month. That is, when loading one track, you can get 12–16 dollars a month at the initial stage. Tops of audio stocks receive per month from $ 20,000.

The average salary of a sound engineer in Russia, according to the Rostrud website, is 15-16 thousand rubles. Most receive in the Krasnodar Territory - 32,000 rubles per month, in Moscow - 20,000 rubles. But this is false information, because most sound engineers try to hide how much they work for. Real monthly wages - from 40,000 rubles per month.

As you can see, stability and high earnings in music do not even smell. Only the top stars who give concerts, release albums annually and are recognized by millions of fans, can.

Total

Making money on music, as well as on any work, is very difficult. You need to find your audience, keep it and constantly work on your performance in order to attract new ones and not push away old listeners. Most performers now say one thing: music is not a success. This is a constant, continuous work, and not what you hear every day from the townsfolk.

Many people believe that music cannot make a living, but they are deeply mistaken. As a matter of fact, if you think in this direction, then it is impossible to earn a living from any activity. It is important that the business you are doing now allows you to reach your potential. Many people who are far from an intelligent “hangout” have an opinion about art, but they would know that the whole world and technology came from art.

Music definition

Music originates from ancient times, there is even an opinion that the first people did not speak, but sang. The music itself is the embodiment of artistic images that are combined in a combination of sounds. Many living creatures perceive music in different ways, some are opposed, others become music lovers and always go with headphones or speakers.

Theory of music and the importance of music in human life

Music is inseparable from human history. Many festive, tragic, military events take place to familiar tunes. For example, at a wedding, most people hear Mendelssohn's waltz.

Music can motivate, calm, create the desired mood. But these are just hesitations. Science has found that listening to music causes a feeling of euphoria due to the release of dopamine in the striatum of the brain. So the musicians "add" people to music in the literal sense. Here's how to make money on music, incorporate more bits into the composition so that the song "downloads".

Positive changes are observed in people listening to music. In Japan, as the Japanese usually like, an experiment was conducted that showed that nursing mothers listening to the classics, the amount of milk increases by 20-100%, while those listening to jazz and pop music is reduced by 20-50%. Be careful with that.

It also affects other living things. For example, in fur-bearing animals, an increase in the heart rate is observed, the rhythm and depth of the respiratory movements decrease up to a complete stop, so be careful with animal experiments. Even in cows, milk flow is increased.

In addition to the positive effects, there are also negative ones. Strongly aggressive music increases the anger of the listener, but hardcore does not have such an effect on people with increased aggressiveness, but rather, on the contrary, releases anger by invoking positive emotions.

Music genres

It is very important to determine your musical genre, which you do best. Someone has an electronic style, someone has a classic, and someone has a downtempo. Fortunately, you can always listen to examples on the Web to accurately determine the musical direction.

Music Creation

When creating music, you need to understand what you are doing, get into the very essence of musical art, or try to repeat after other DJs and music makers. Most DJs provide loops that can be used as a base for creating music and learning.

1. FL Studio (top program for many music makers).
2. Cubase (shares first place with FL Studio).
3. Ableton Live.
4. Mixcraft
5. Magix Music Maker (formerly Sony Music Maker).

In fact, there are a lot of programs for writing and creating mixes, but we will highlight the main ones, which have an extensive base of tools and are easy to learn.

How to make money on music

• First you need to get copyright. You can do this manually using sites like safecreative, or automatically when posting to services promoting and selling music. Usually they assign an ISRC number to your composition. They can do it for free or have to pay.
• Merch sale. This includes all sorts of knick-knacks and household items: t-shirts, mugs, hats, paper clips, covers. All this is cheap to manufacture and available for order on many sites.
• Direct sales over the Internet. Will have to try to get to the trading floors. It is simple but long. Taylor Swift managed to turn directly to iTunes support, but there are many other ways besides such an action - posting on special services such as Baby Dj, Promo Dj, FreshTunes and others. These services can take their commission.
• Personal sales. This method is not very suitable for busy or single musicians. Have to distribute the content yourself when buying a listener. Take advantage of the social network and sell using the "goods" column. This method includes the sale of discs.
• Social Media Marketing. VKontakte, Facebook, Soundcloud and other social networks - this is all your field of action. You need buyers. So become a seller for them.
• Sales through your own website. Here you can freely roam, because the site will be your property. You can put music for ordinary sale, for the sale of a license.
• Make an agreement with the label. This is the easiest distribution and sale method, and also the most difficult to implement. Labels need money, so if you are at the lowest level, it’s not a fact that someone wants to work with you.
• Streaming Use the Internet radio and create a YouTube channel where you can stream (live) music, and, if people like it, collect donations. Do not forget to set up donations and deal with broadcast programs.
• Writing compositions for other authors. An agreement with other singers and authors can be assured by a notary or negotiated face-to-face. Processing foreign music.
• Royalty-Free Music on audio stocks. Royalty-free license is a transfer of rights to use a composition for a specific project or reproduction in an institution, on streams, etc. There are many places where you can offer your music for licensing: Pond5, AudioJungle, 123RF and others. These two flows are considered must have in the field of Royalty-Free. There are other services that differ in download methods, withdrawal of funds, percentage of sales and other parameters. Personally, we chose Pond5. Easy registration, checking documents and tracks, a very cool system of automatic tagging for photos and music tracks. Also on such services there are referral links. And remember, you sell use rights, the copyright is still with you.
• Create a community around you. There are fundraising companies on the Internet for various projects. Patreon, Kroogi and other crowdfunding sites will help raise money to create special content.
• Online lessons.
• Freelance exchanges. AudioJob, Fl.
• Street performances and events.

You can start making money with music if you make enough effort.

Does someone need your music?

How to make money on music? You just need to start. And remember: you make music for the whole world, and there are more than 7 billion people, someone will definitely like it if it’s not slag at all, although there may be a buyer for this with proper marketing.

How to make money listening to music

First you need to understand that what you really pay is not for the music itself, but for watching ads on the site and clicking on banners.

1. Go through the registration.
2. Indicate musical preferences.
3. View the list of provided songs.
4. Listen.
5. Receive money for the specified payment service.

Earning while listening to music will not work much, you will have to distribute a referral link in order to increase revenue for invited users.

List of Services:

1. BeatDek.
2. Musicxray
3. Audio-planet.
4. Slicethepie and others.

Who will suit:

1. People who want to earn money without doing anything.
2. Pupils and students.
3. Music lovers.

But we repeat that without referrals, earnings are small.

Conclusion

In order to understand how to make money on music, you need to feel the rhythm, frequencies, choose the right instruments and understand the theory of music. In practice, all this can be achieved over time.

The principle of "listening to music and make money" is low-paid. It’s better not to torture your ears or somehow make people go on referral.

Everyone can create music, but not everyone is able to stay in his craft to the end and not everyone can keep his significance in the music world without practice or with a disregard for the matter. Of course, this applies to all cases, if you don’t like the case, you will have to change his attitude to him or completely change him.

The choice is yours. Making money is real, but you need courage and perseverance, as well as practice. Lots of practice. And try to avoid methods such as "easy, quick and easy to earn money by listening to music."

To write music is to bring a piece of your creativity into the sea of \u200b\u200bart. Someone waltzes notes for themselves, but for others it’s a way to earn money. More and more young musicians are promoting their work on the Internet. To sell a work, you need to make some effort.

Ruslan Batykov  © DJ Magazine 7minutes
Photo: from the Internet

For the sale of music on the Internet there are platforms called audio stocks. The mechanism of operation of such services is simple. After writing his work, the author pours it on the site. The exchange is looking for buyers. The peculiarity of such sites is that one composition can be sold constantly.

What kind of music to write?

Before you start any business, you need to develop a work plan. Need to decide which music is more profitable to sell? Today, authors who are engaged in writing music for commercial purposes are in great demand. Buyers at such sites are most often:

- Developers of various video games and applications. With the advent of the smartphone, the gaming industry is gaining momentum every day. Several new games and applications appear on the day. The chances of finding a buyer in this area are above all;

- creators of various commercials and art clips.

It is worth noting that buyers will not appreciate sad, depressing music. Compositions that are aimed at decorating wedding clips are very popular. Music for young and active people. Compositions for sports and business subjects are in great demand.

Before starting sales, you need to work on creating several works of different directions. Paying customers choose quality material. Having a portfolio increases your chances of selling more. Healthy competition plays a significant role. You can set a goal for yourself - to become the best or take a place in the top ten ranking.

How to sell music?

- for non-commercial use. This right is granted for the creation of private videos. Greeting video or music card, etc. The price of such a work will not be very high;

- for commercial use. Such a license allows the buyer to use the work for commercial purposes, but in limited quantities. On commercial offers you can make good money. But in order to sell material for these purposes, you need to have extensive experience in writing works and navigate the musical preferences of customers.

Before you sell your work, you need to prepare a small “promo”. With this, the buyer, before purchasing this work, will be able to listen to it. To protect such a work from use, a “watermark” is set on the track.

After the work is ready to go on sale, you can proceed to registration on the site. After registration, it will be necessary to pass the tests that the content offers. This action is necessary. Thus, the site is convinced that the author correctly understands the operation of the audio drain. When all the necessary "formalities" are met, you can safely place a track for sale.

When placing the composition on the audio stock, it will be necessary to fill out the full track information:

• name of the composition. It needs to be approached creatively, the name should be striking and capacious;
• description. Buyers find tracks for this item. The description should be complete and contain the necessary information understandable to the customer;
• you must specify which category the track belongs to;
• format and duration of the music file;
• indicate which instruments are used in the composition;
• in conclusion, you can indicate what emotions the track evokes when listening.

After placement, the system will check your composition. It’s better not to cheat the system. Copyright must be strictly observed. If the tracks used works of other composers, the system will block the account.
  If the track has been moderated, then it is put up for sale. Now you can start creating new music. A good composition will quickly find its buyer. Like any exchange, audio stock will take its percentage from the sale. Profit from a work can be from 50 to 75%. If the composition has the right to be sold on only one site, then the revenue from each purchase will increase. If the track is hosted on several sites, then the price of the work remains unchanged.

Today I am starting a small but very informative series of articles on how to sell a song to our artists. This question sooner or later arises from any person writing songs "on the table." And since almost no one has the opportunity to fulfill themselves on stage, as a rule, all newcomers write songs for themselves. Nevertheless, the desire to sell the song to a “star” is not something completely shameful. Trying is a must. The main thing in this business is to have a lot of patience.

As you know, before you sell a song, you need to create it. Today, when there are more opportunities, writing a song becomes not such an impossible task. To do this, you need to be able to handle a sound editor and, most importantly, to have a hearing. In addition, someone should sing a song (it is advisable that the author himself do it, i.e., you). This is done to show the artist how the song that you sell him will sound in the end. To many, these requirements may seem excessive, and it is your right, however, I assure you that otherwise you will not be able to sell song. There is surely someone who will make the song in a more appealing light than you and in the end you will be left with nothing. Then what is the point of starting something?

Before you even take up this business, you must clearly understand that no one is waiting for you in this industry. There are a lot of such talents now. What eloquently speaks most of the mass of television projects: "Star Factory", "Factor A", "Battle of the Choirs", "Voice", "People's Artist". These shows do not have the goal of making you a "star", but they are an indicator of how many people who have completed musical education are sitting with a "broken trough". Many of them rave about music, and as a result, not having received the proper results at these competitions, they go in parallel - writing music for popular artists. Thus, 2 hares are killed immediately. The first is earnings, the second is the ability to be closer to the "stars". By the way, often this way is even more profitable than the one through the show.

When the understanding has come (and more often it is an indefatigable desire to just do any business) it’s worth sitting down for work. To sell a song, you need to work hard on it. This is a rather complicated process, which we will study in more detail in other articles. This includes many nuances that, at first glance, may seem delusional, but over time, a clear understanding of “what” and “how” will come to you. The people call this "experience." He will help you sell the song! The main thing is to believe in yourself. Without faith, all attempts are an empty occupation.