6 Side Hustles for Musicians

If you know how to read and play music at a high level, you can count yourself among the privileged of your society. Very few people ever learn to play music, though most people are very passionate about the music they like. Your skills are high-value and, if you know how and where to advertise them, people are willing to pay good money for access to them. Whether you are trying to support yourself as a musician or simply leveraging your musical talents to make some extra money, below are 6 side hustles for professional and amateur musicians alike.

Buying and Selling

If you are knowledgeable about a particular family of instruments and you know the resale market, there are plenty of opportunities to buy and sell. You might find something on eBay or Craig's List for a steal that you know you can resell at a significant profit on places like Reverb. This is a passive side hustle that, if you know what you're doing, requires minimal effort and can make you nice extra cash every month to help with the bills.

Musical instruments, especially high-quality ones, hold their value very well, so even if there is no immediate sale opportunity, if you spot something that you believe you might be able to resell at some point in the near future, either online or perhaps even to a music store, it could be worth your while to invest and hold.

Teaching

While you can absolutely learn to play an instrument for free with a little bit of searching online, people still prefer to learn from professionals. The internet is also a musician's friend in this regard, as the teaching opportunities online are virtually limitless. No longer are musicians restricted to teaching people in their own geographical area, but through Skype, Zoom and other programs, you can teach someone the guitar, piano or any other instrument while living halfway around the world from them. It is even easier to organize group classes online, not to mention cheaper, as there is no longer a need to rent out space for larger-sized classes.

There is a wide range of music teaching platforms online that connect learners with teachers, including SmartMusic, TakeLessons.com, Lessonface and others. Don't forget to collect student reviews while teaching online as social signals are incredibly important when it comes to establishing credibility and authority, especially given the intense competition you face.

YouTube Channel

You can teach and even talk about music without having to go the traditional teacher route. Plenty of amateur musicians have started YouTube channels that have grown into full-blown occupations with hundreds of thousands of subscribers and millions of views. These channel owners upload regular content, including songs, tutorials, history lessons and much more. This is something you can do from the comfort of your home, you don't have to deal with students (if you are not confident in your teaching ability) and, over time, it can morph into a real money maker.

Blogging

If you are passionate about the music and instruments you play, why not try your hand at writing about them. There are plenty of music-focused publications that are willing to pay freelance writers who have something to say about music. Whether you want to write about the music industry, music history, or a particular genre of music, there are plenty of opportunities for knowledgeable musicians out there who also have a knack for language. Finding the good-paying freelance writing jobs can be a challenge, but if you are looking for a chance to make a bit of extra money each month for a relatively small investment of your time, adding blogging to your list of side hustles is not a bad idea.

Freelance

Learning to play music and even composing your own is one thing, finding people who are willing to pay you to play it is another. There are, however, plenty of freelance sites musicians can use to get their name out there and land gigs. Some are exclusively focused on musicians, while others are more general freelancer sites. SoundBetter, for example, is one of the most popular places for freelance musicians and producers and advertises itself as a place where users are able to find vetted drummers, vocalists, producers, engineers and guitarists. Melody Nest and AirGigs are additional, similar services that connect musicians and those looking to hire them.

You can also always set up your own website to showcase your talents and use it as a portfolio to secure gigs. People always need musicians for weddings, birthday parties, corporate events etcetera and usually start their search on Google by entering in some keywords. Don't forget to localize your SEO if you are looking for this kind of traffic and work.

Busking

Buskers have always been a feature of cities around the world and good buskers continue to make impressive amounts of money just by playing on street corners or at the entrance to subway stations. Many more go completely unnoticed, but if you think you have genuine talent as a musician and you are able to get the necessary permits to play in public spaces, urbanites are always willing to drop some money into a guitar or violin case if you are good. Some buskers can make hundreds of dollars for a few hours of playing, depending on the location.

Conclusion

Whether you are a professional musician trying to make ends meet or someone with musical talent who wants to parlay it into a bit of extra money, there are numerous side hustles available to both amateur and professional musicians. The internet has opened up entirely new markets and possibilities, while also saturating those marketplaces and making it that much more difficult. Regardless of the opportunities and difficulties, one thing is for certain: there will always be a demand for music, musical instruments and music teachers as music is an undeniable part of the human condition. If you are looking to add one or more extra sources of revenue to your daily grind, keep the above side hustles for musicians in mind.