2020, what a fucking year! A year marked by the virus, the lack of shows, quarantine, etc. But not everything was bad. More than ever we have seen artists emerge in the midst of adversities, thinking outside the box, doing stuff instead of crying “Why me?”
This is what 2020 taught me: where there is determination, there is always a solution! Next, I will show you 5 ways where you can apply your art and your music project, and make some extra money that will allow you to put food on the table, even without shows. Remember: we are living this pandemic situation but these tips will be useful even when, in the future, you go through a bad moment in your career where shows are scarce. Let’s do it!
1. YOUTUBE CHANNEL
The proof that YouTube is a great source of income is youtubers. Nowadays there are thousands of content creators who live their lifes and pay their bills just by using this platform, and music artists are no exception! In the end, we are also content creators. We make music. I’m not getting into much detail on how to create a successful channel but you can follow the tips I wrote in my post “7 ESSENTIAL WAYS TO GROW YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL (FOR MUSIC ARTISTS)”, by clicking the button below.
2. MUSIC RELEASE (SINGLES, EP’S, ALBUMS)
When COVID-19 exploded, the big question DJ’s started asking was: “What can I do right now?”
The answer is: record music at home and put it out.
Don’t underestimate your work, seriously! You can make more money on Spotify, Apple Music and Beatport than you might think. Obviously the numbers need to be big enough so you can have a proper income that allows you to live exclusively from that, but it can be a great help.
There are other factors involved besides the quality of your tracks: the way you release your songs, the labels involved, the promotion & marketing plan, etc. I advise you to study a lot about marketing and promotion, especially in the music industry.
Because here’s the painful truth: the success of your project depends a lot on the way your work is promoted. 50% music quality. 50% marketing & branding.
If you want to feat your track on my Spotify playlist “Played by Hozho”, send email to contact@hozhomusic.com to discuss further details.
3. MASTERCLASS VIDEOS
Just a fancy name for tutorial videos. But certainly we saw many well-known artists during this pandemic offering their knowledge to anyone who wants to learn more about music production: ANNA, Victor Ruiz, Alex Stein and Khainz, to name a few.
Obviously you need a certain knowledge and technique to create this kind of content but if you feel good about yourself and you have the confidence that your work is really good and your music has quality, here you have a good opportunity to make some extra coin.
4. MERCHANDISING
Currently, there are several online platforms where you can sell your products (physical and digital) without any initial investment. How does this work?
At Teespring, for example, if someone buys one of your products, you receive a percentage and the company receives another. The great advantage of using Teespring is that you can associate your products with your YouTube channel and increase your exposure. Take some time to learn more about design and Photoshop, or talk to a friend that knows how to do it so you can create unique designs that people really want to buy.
“But Doc, why would I sell merch if no one cares about me?”
Well, work your ass off, make music, keep learning and make yourself recognized. There is no magic formula for success. In fact, the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
5. CREATE A LABEL
How about a way to make money on other artists? You need a great knowledge about the music industry but creating a label goes beyond that. It involves a great entrepreneurial spirit. This is something I’m still learning, that’s why I haven’t created my label yet, but it’s definitely one of my plans for the near future.
Some things to keep in mind when creating a label:
– Find your niche: what is the musical style? What is the philosophy of your label? What makes it unique?
– Know more about distribution: distribution platforms, royalties, contracts, etc.
– Be trustworthy: pay the artists what was agreed in the contract and in the right time, you don’t want to be famous for being an asshole who only thinks about money. You need 100 positive reviews to give credibility to your project but sometimes a negative review is enough for you to lose everything.
If you are a music producer and your style is Melodark / Melodic Minimal Techno / High Tech Minimal, send your promos (unreleased tracks) to contact@hozhomusic.com
I’m selecting tracks to play in my upcoming sets and maybe release them on my future label, with a release scheduled for 2021.
Remember: you are doing this for the love of music! Income is just a consequence of your good work. Keep grinding 💪
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