Have you
ever noticed that you are completely surrounded by music? Whether you’re on
your way to work or from, whether you are at a party, whether you are in a temple,
your favorite restaurant or even in a movie theatre, music is everywhere.
Without even knowing it, you spend most of your day surrounded by music. It has
surrounded you to a point where life without music will seem uninteresting. In
fact, the most popular type of videos on the internet are music videos. Songs
like ‘Teri Galiyan’ have crossed ten million views on YouTube. Even average Hindi songs rake up million hits. Not to mention the thousands of covers from young musicians trying to make a name for themselves.
I myself was
an amateur music composer. Although, I’ve been lucky enough to know the
struggles of pursuing your passion in music while struggling to make enough money
for survival. Many of my musician friends underwent the same phase in life. A
few of them made it big, some other few are still trying and the rest gave up.
But during all these years, I have learnt one thing. It’s not necessary that you
become the next Sonu Nigam to make enough dough pursuing music. You can make
some good money selling music all by yourself.
If you compose
music for a hobby or if you are an amateur composer but are struggling to make
ends meet, then here are some useful tips for you.
CD sales
CD sales in
India have drastically come down in the last decade. While the overall music
sales keep skyrocketing, the total physical sales have been decreasing
continuously. Having said that, CD sales still make around a billion and a half
rupees in sales. If you think your music is good enough, find a producer,
record an album of 6-10 songs and sell them. Given that your album is marketed
well by your producer, you are sure to make a decent amount. You can also self-publish
but that involves too many hassles. There are better alternatives if you are an
indie artist.
Online sales
Whether you
are a programmer, graphic designer or a composer, having a website is
absolutely essential. Create a website to showcase your music and either stream
your music or offer purchases. Anywhere between Re. 1 to Rs. 100 is a good price for a song. If the music is good enough, people will not
hesitate to buy. Unlike the general public perception, a website isn’t a costly
affair. All it takes is a couple thousand rupees for hosting and domain name
and a few thousand more for development. A website also adds to your resume in
case a producer is looking for some fresh talent.
Stream music
There are
hundreds of music streaming platforms available out there. Make sure your music
is available on all those platforms. You can either stream your music or
display for purchase. Apart from adding to your bankroll, these streaming
platforms will help you get out there in the market. If people are looking for
music of your genre, these platforms will make sure they stumble upon your
music. Once the purchase is made, they get the commission (a smaller part) and
you keep the major chunk. It’s a win-win. Some good music streaming platforms
are: SoundCloud, Reverbnation, Gaana, GrooveShark etc.
Live
performances
Live
performances are the heart and soul of a musician. Many musicians are good at
composing but really struggle when it comes to live shows. In fact, the real
talent of a musician is judged by his ability to perform live. Live shows not
only help build the following among an artist’s fan base but also help make
some good cash. Make sure your manager strikes a good deal with the organizers.
Rs. 50000 is the minimum if your band already has a following. If you are
already popular in the music circles, sky is the limit.
Royalties
When you
create a piece of music, you own the copyright for it. Every time your music is
played in any part of the world, they are liable to pay you a sum of money. But
since it is a lengthy legal process, some companies like SoundExchange have
made it easy for beginners to collect royalties. Just make sure you open an account
on SoundExchange. Once you do, every time someone plays your music on platforms
like Pandora, Webcasters, SiriusXM Radio, Spotify, they’re bound to pay you
royalties. Although Spotify is not yet available in India, I would suggest you
to keep an eye on them. They’re going to be coming very soon.
Having said
all that, the key to successful music, just like any other work of art, is to
produce quality. The better the quality of music, better are the chances of your
success. So get your rear end working on some instruments today, because your music is going to fetch you some sweet cash.
If you have similar ideas, do not forget to write to us. Also, share and subscribe to the blog for millions of similar money making ideas without having to sell weed. Let's give India the financial independence it deserves.
PS: All images have been taken from Google. We do not claim the ownership of these images.
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