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9 Ways to Raise Money For Your Music Project

9 Ways to Raise Money For Your Music Project

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Are you an independent artist and ready to record a new album but currently don’t have funds to support your project? Or are you just a creative artist and looking for ways to fund your next project?

If so, I am here to tell you that it is possible to gain funding with a lot of hard work and dedication.  To raise funds, you need to make a plan and stick with it.  You have to figure out what avenues you’re going to take in order to raise the funds and also know all that is required of you to do so.   It is important to ask yourself these questions: How soon are you looking to raise the funds?  How much funding are you trying to raise?  What avenues are you looking into to raise these funds? 

Below are some ways you can raise funds that can help launch your career.  Keep in mind, that some of the funding may depend on where you are located, so make sure you check out the locations associated with each opportunity as well as look through all the rules and regulations.  

Now, let’s get to finding ways to help fund your album Yahooooo!

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 1. CrowdFunding

Crowdfunding is one of the fastest ways to raise funds for a music project. With the help of social media, people can raise anywhere from one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars and even more!  Many artists have successfully raised money on sites such as KickstarterIndiegogo, PledgeMusicPateronGo Fund Me, etc.  On these sites, you simply explain your project and request support from the public. This is one of the best ways you can fund a recording because the money you raise is actually revenue (rather than a debt you need to pay back!)  Yaaay, for debt FREE!

2. Government Funding & Grants

Grants for artists can provide support for projects and be an income source that allows artists to focus their attention on their current project. To increase your chances of being awarded funding, apply to multiple applicable grants. There are a ton of grants online, so make sure to do some research and find out which ones are the most suitable grants for you to apply for. The following are some online grant resources:

3. Gigs

Not only can doing shows build your fan base but it can also help with funding your next project. The more fans you have, the more possibilities for funding you can get from gigs.  Below are some sites that can help with finding gigs in your area:

4.  Sell your Merchandise

 Once you have your gigs lined up, having merchandise to sell is always a great way to gain revenue to fund your project.  You can totally sell your merchandise at different shows that you perform at throughout the month. You can also sell your merch online on places such as Facebook and Instagram. 

The key is to make sure you promote your latest merch by putting up posts and connecting with your audience via social media. 

Here are some sites that can help you create custom merchandise for sale at your gigs:

5. Pick Up A Side Hustle

Side hustle! Side hustle! I often get asked by my friends what side hustle should they pick up that won’t waste time. I always tell them it truly depends on what you love doing. Picking up a side hustle is a great way to make extra money pretty quickly.

Some quick side hustles that I like to do to make extra money are  survey and opinion sites such as the following legit ones below:

Another great way to make extra money if you have a car is through Uber! My husband is a music producer and often drives Uber to make extra money each week. He normally makes around $400 extra each week by driving Uber. If you are looking for more ways to make extra money this month read this post! It shares some of my all-time favorite ways to make money as a Creative!

6. Start a Music Blog

Are you passionate about writing about the music industry? If so, you can totally start a blog. There are a ton of ways you can make money from a blog and currently I make over $1000 extra a month from my business blog Arts and Budgets! Some of the ways you can make money from a blog are through affiliate marketing, ads, and products.

If you want more information on how to start a blog and how to make money from a blog check out this post on how to start a blog by clicking here.

7. Perform At Live Shows

Another awesome way to make money as an artist is through live gigs. Not only can you get paid to perform at different venues but you can also sell your merch at the live showcases as well, which can add to your overall income. You can sell items such as T-shirts, CDS, buttons, planners, booklets, and more at your live shows as mentioned earlier in this post.

A ton of venues are available for you to perform original music throughout the years such as bars, clubs, colleges, music festivals, and more.

You can also get paid to cover other artists’ songs as well. Such as performing at live weddings, private events, and corporate events. I have a friend who performs at local weddings every weekend and makes about $200 per show. He ends up doing about 2 shows every week so if you add that up that’s at least an extra $1000 + a month just by performing major recording artists’ songs at weddings. 

The payout for these events is normally pretty high averaging $200- 500 per night for covering 5 to 15 cover songs. If you are looking to book shows at parties and private events check out GigSalad! Gigsalad helps singers and performers find top-notch gigs in the USA and Canada. If you live in the UK you can check out Encore which hires musicians and music artists to perform at different events such as a wedding, private parties and more. Oh! Encore is FREE as well.  

8. Make Videos On YouTube

If you are into making videos then joining Youtube must be up your alley. There are a ton of ways to make money on Youtube for Creatives such as through advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and more! Getting started on Youtube can be as simple as applying to the Youtube Partner Program. 

To get accepted into the program, you need 1000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months. Your videos will also be monitored very closely to make sure the content isn’t inappropriate. Once you get accepted you can start to format a plan and pick which way to monetize is best for you.  If you are looking for more information on how to start making money from Youtube read this post!

9. Teach Music Lessons

Do you love teaching and connecting with new people? If you are great at playing a musical instrument or if you have a great ear for music you can actually teach for places such as TakeLessons. TakeLessons lets students take private or online lessons which is AMAZING.COM! So, you can actually teach lessons online and make extra money.  

The lessons are taught via video and you can be taught in the comfort of your own home. If you are a musician or singer who is always on the GO then teaching music lessons on TakeLesson might be a great way to raise money for your latest project. 

 

So, there you have it!  I hope the tips listed are helpful avenues that you can use to gain funding for your creative talents.  Feel free to explore the sites and links provided for more detailed information.  What other ways can artists fund their creativity?  I am interested in hearing your thoughts and stories about what worked for you. =)

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Bowser Li256

Wednesday 20th of October 2021

Everything i h've been trying to search on internet has been gathered as one. Thank you so much.

Latasha Peterson

Thursday 21st of October 2021

You're so welcome. Thanks so much for visiting.

Mary Burris

Wednesday 6th of July 2016

Love this! Full of great information. Thanks for putting the post together with all the resources in one place.

Latasha

Friday 8th of July 2016

Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary! :) & You are so welcome.

Kristin

Wednesday 20th of April 2016

LOVE this post! Wayyyy back in the day, my ex's band raised money for their group through friends - too bad Crowdfunding wasn't around :) But it was kinda similar (in an Indie way) - everyone got the CD for free haha.

I love that their are so many options for bands (and other startups) to make money! I'm so glad we are over the hump of having to do things traditionally :)

Latasha

Thursday 21st of April 2016

Wow! How cool! I am also glad we are over the hump of having to do thing traditionally. It's so many great options out there for artists. :)

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