So you want to make a living as a musician? Or maybe just bring in some extra money?
You come to the right place.
In this article we’ll even cover part-time jobs you can start right now, with no experience.
We’ll also cover quite a few that do require experience and some education, but are still great options.
Remember: Making money as a musician can be difficult…..but not always impossible.
In fact, there are some people making serious bank as a musician right now. Even part time.
Quick note for current students: Many of these jobs will also give credit for college. Keep this in mind when browsing.
#1 Teach Guitar Lessons. (Differently)
FIRST, ditch your mindset.
Teaching guitar lessons doesn’t HAVE to be about driving from one city to the next to collect only $15……..
for a 30 minute or even an HOUR long lesson.
In fact….
Many people will pay you SUBSTANTIALLY more per hour…
You can easily make $50-$300 per hour as a guitar teacher.
but…
I want you to forget about that.
The best way to earn money by teaching?
Teach them in groups.
Many people can’t pay 15-30$ a lesson, but TONS of people can shell out 10$. All you need is 10 students to pay 10$ and that’s 100$ an hour.
A win-win-win scenario.
Don’t believe me? It’s easier than you think.
Many people out there find their group clients simply by posting on Facebook groups nowadays.
Also, believe it or not Old school flyers work wonders.
When doing this, it’s best from what I’ve seen online with other people’s success to target children as your clients.
Bonus points for throwing in special deals.
Some instructors bonus’s are genius.
My favorite is one where the children will be able to perform on stage at the end of their classes.
When I was a kid I actually went to one of these classes and my mom paid a whopping 30 bucks every time I went.
(thank you mom bless you)
And they were making BANK.
There was actually more than 20 kids in our class.
20×30 = 600$ not bad at all.
Unfortunately however our teacher wasn’t exactly that good, so our performance at the end was kind of a disaster. Don’t follow in her footsteps! I’m pretty sure some parents actually asked for refunds.
#2 Sell a course!
I was shocked to learn just how much money some of these people touting courses are making online.
It’s actually a six-figure job for these guys to sit down……….record a video or two to YouTube a week……….and then eventually sell you a course. Making them a serious paycheck.
If you Google it you can find a lot of proof of people making a small fortune just making these videos.
Even courses I saw on udemy some people were making 10…20…….30 Grand off just one of their courses. Just one.
And usually they put out way more courses throughout the year. Would you stop at one if you made 10k? No way I would.
(Of course this is not limited to just guitar, there are tons of different courses on just about anything……drumming….sound production…..miramba……..You name it it’s out there.)
Unfortunately though…..
Say you teach something with a smaller audience….
For instance maybe a harmonica course.
Small audiences equal less money.
Less customers – Less money.
But, sometimes you can command a higher price because of this.
Just keep this in mind.
Gig at some weddings and make up to 15 grand PER GIG
Guess I’ll start this with a disclaimer….
Most people DO NOT make that much.
Usually a band is getting paid about $1500.
DEFINITELY not bad if you’re splitting that up between four people.
If you don’t think that’s a good chunk of change for a part-time gig well…..I’m jealous.
I personally think this is the ultimate gig for musician hands-down.
No doubt about it…….
But……….Seriously…….just imagine…
You get to go play music to a crowd – a live audience.
You get paid pretttttty well.
Seriously, even bands that aren’t very good still make a decent chunk of change for playing.
In comparison to other ways to make money as a musician……..there’s just absolutely 100% no doubt this is the best way. (Personal opinion of course).
So many more upsides than the other methods.
Number one, You don’t have to really deal with annoying clients.
If you want to you only have to go and deal with the client during the wedding.
And Remember….
It’s not on a recurring basis so if things get bad you can simply just cut them off.
Number two, Since you’re not taking small payments and you’re getting paid for playing in one big lump sum…..it makes matters even easier
Number 3, You get to practice not only as a musician, but performing in a group.
This is so valuable to me, being able to work well with a band was really really hard for me in the beginning. Getting to practice with a group helped a lot. It really shows you the areas you need to improve.
Number 4, Making great friendships that will last a lifetime
I don’t know about you, but every single time I’ve played in a band with someone they’ve become a lifetime friend. In fact, most of my best friends have at one point played in a group with me.
On the flipside, kicking out a member can turn pretty ugly.
Number 5, You usually get to hit the open bar and food
You can’t beat free food. You can never beat free food.
Number 6, I actually can’t list all the ways
I’m sure you can think of some more, I thought of about a dozen before I figured that most of them were obvious. So I’ll leave you to decide!
Okay so we talked about upsides….
So now let’s talk about the downsides…
Yes, there are of course downsides to playing weddings….just like anything else.
And there are disaster clients out there. It’s like any other job……It just can’t be perfect.
But……..
I’d say this is as close as you can get pretty much.
If you go look up other people‘s experiences, you’ll see that a lot of people had a BLAST doing this.
Quick note:
Like I said earlier……but I just want to say it again……very few people will make the 15 grand benchmark. Maybe don’t think you’ll get rich off this, but just see it as a well paying side-gig.
#3 Fixing and reselling music equipment
Are used to do some of this and honestly it’s absolutely unbelievable how little some kids want for the Guitar that they’re rich parents bought them
Especially if it’s broken some type of way sometimes they will literally take a 10th of what it’s worth you
The interesting thing about this and also the hard thing is that you’re constantly running across stuff that you’re going to want to keep this can be a good thing though especially When you run into something you were looking for anyways
A bit of a fair warning though if you try this unfortunately some people will try to sell you stolen equipment This never happened to me but it has happened to others pretty frequently so if something feels off definitely call your local PD and see if they have any information.
#4 Start a studio – even if it’s in your basement.
Starting even a small, home based studio can be ABSURDLY lucrative.
I remember the first guy I paid to track and produce three songs was in his parents basement.
I paid him 450$.
Me and my bandmates sweated over a BUNCH of lawns (and building a weird rock wall for an old guy) for that money.
Took all of ten hours, but I’m sure for him it was well worth it.
The crazy thing, was it was all recorded using pro tools and a basic audio interface.
So he honestly didn’t even have to spend much at all to get started.
You might be thinking – dude you got ripped off.
And maybe?
But we were SO stoked, and so were other people who recorded with the guy.
Honestly, receiving the tracks to my email was one of the best moments of my life.
But anyways…
This is a GREAT option to consider.
If you’re really serious about it…
You can make THOUSANDS of dollars daily doing it.
Hell, if you end up with one of the big big studios you can literally rake in the millions….
I’m NOT saying it’s easy…
But it’s totally possible.
If you’re interested, the only course I’ve seen online that actually looks decent for beginners is ________.
All the others are a stupid ridiculous amount of money, and I don’t see how they’re really all that different.
Do I sound cheap? Oh well. I like to save my money. I figure most people do to (or should!)
#5 Write music for video games
This one………VERY hard to get rich doing. I’ll be straight with you, this is definitely the hardest one.
BUT, if you love writing music….
This is definitely a great path for you…
Music blogging!
Maybe not RICH, rich….
But you can still find many people that need writers for their blogs that pay up to 300$ per article.
Also, if you’re curious…..no I do not get paid like that. In fact, I barely making anything off this blog. Oh well! Still fun. I eventually want to start a magazine. This is my outlet to get better at writing.
So, if you’re good at writing…..
Try it! You can find tons of listings on Upwork and other similar websites.
#6 Play in concerts! 150-2000$ a gig
Plenty of ensembles are looking for musicians. Guitarists, drummers, bassoonist…….. try indeed.com
Sometimes these only play seasonally (such as during Christmas time) which honestly sounds nice because then you’re not stuck playing the same thing over and over.
#7 Play for non profits –
Tons of non profits use musicians as way to help raise money. The Salvation Army hires them every year during Christmas time.
#8 Booking agent 6 figures –
Many of these guys make 6 figures, but this job can be GRUELING for some. You really need thick skin for this business.
Also, you usually need to be hired as an intern to start out. There are some people who just start out by starting a booking agency right off the bat. If you’re able to do it, all power to you. That’s hard.
But yes, there are many people who do this part time and earn a decent chunk of change. Tons of perks that come with the gig to.
Best perk?
Being on the road a lot meeting with artists.
You can see why this is a dream job for many.
Also, consider a commission job versus salary pay. There’s sometimes more money to be had.
#9 Voice teacher -100$-300$-multiple thousands
I’m putting this in a separate category from regular music lessons.
Why?
Because if you’re good, you can make SUBSTANTIALLY more as a vocal coach with simple one on one teaching than with most music lessons.
In fact, the cheapest one in my area was 90$ an hour.
That’s some serious cash. People go to school for years and work their whole lives and never even get close to that.
It’s really phenomenal you can get paid like that to do what you love. Absolutely incredible.
But, it’s REALLY REALLY hard to become good at singing. I really envy the people out there with natural talent.
Oh, also the best thing about this one….is you can simply apply for a job and make bank. You don’t have to do any of the marketing at all. Just apply, show up, and make bank. (Provided you pass the interview)
#10 Festival manager
Only slightly part time, this one is questionable.
It is easy to get out there and get these jobs, but they come with a lot of work for a week or two and then nothing.
There are some out there that are full time however.
I’m gonna say, this one is the worst on the list. Still saw plenty of job listings out there for 900+ a week however. So that is hard to beat!
#11 Street musician – there’s a right way to do it to make a fortune
Hop on down to Vegas or New York City or even in small towns you’ll see these guys everywhere
But did you know some of them are making $1000 a day
And honestly I bet some clearer even more
There is a trick to it though you really have to put on a performance
Just sitting around and playing some tunes doesn’t exactly make people usually want to hand out their hard-earned money
One day I actually sat down and watched close to 100 videos on people doing street performances after me and a buddy earned a pretty good size chunk of change by the local bar on a Friday night unfortunately we were kicked out but I was kind of entertain that just playing like I do at home was able to earn me better pay then when I did Telemarketing.
I learned some wild tricks in these videos
The best of the best seem to all have a small routine
First they crack gather a crowd
Then they start becoming a little familiar with them
Bonus points if they can include someone in the audience in the show
Then after they’ve gotten a small crowd they start out slow and then end with a huge banger
My favorite videos to watch are the drummers because they are exceptionally good at making the ending pretty unforgettable
Make no mistake these are some talented people
After they do that they put out their hat almost kind of guiltin the crowd into putting some money in
Yeah I know some people see you it as sleazy
But I think if you spent the time to become a great musician by all means you should be paid well for it no different than anyone else he works hard at what they do
Watch a master at work here
Note I once was flag down By some girls in New York City they wanted $20 as a tip for all of five seconds of work at one Picture a minute those girls would’ve made $1200 that our so if they deserve that I say a musician deserves twice as much
#12 Become a luthier – (guitar maker) – (0$-Millions)
Many guitar companies, started with a hobbyist who simply loved to make guitaris….
Spending an hour or two after work….
And eventually becoming a huge business…
Many of these Luthiers STILL only work part time on their businesses…
And rake in LOTS of cash….
Watch the story of (find a guitar maker to watch) here
But, even if you don’t dream of making it big someday with a huge name in the industry….
There are several small time Luthiers who make a very nice side income creating GORGEOUS guitars…..
Check out this one – (insert a beautiful guitar here made by a Luthier you like)
Or this one (do the same thing, maybe a separate aff link so you can make more money)
So, how do you get started?
Fortunately, getting started is very easy.
There are tons of free lessons online, and if you want there are courses from some of the worlds best Luthiers.
You’d be amazed at who teaches these courses and the absolutely stunning guitars they make. There is some next level craftsmanship involved. It’s a really impressive skill to learn.
If you’re still interested, watch this work of art created from beginning to end.
#13 Small time DJ – depends on how popular you are
If you’re into this scene, this can be an absolute BLAST. When I was younger, I was all about this……nowadays I like to spend my nights just relaxing and strumming away on my guitar while watching Netflix.
Some Djs are making some pretty serious cash to….
Even the not so well known ones…
Check out this video below if you’re interested.
#14 Making music videos –
I’ll admit not knowing much about this, but from what I do know…..
There are people making some pretty good cash doing this.
Even people just doing smaller videos for bands can make a few hundred dollars a video. Not bad even if it takes a day to make the video.
The well known larger video producers charge tens of thousands however. Starting your own business in this could be a great idea.
#15? Rehearsal accompanist for dance or vocal lessons –
Many vocalist and dance professionals need pianists, guitarists, and sometimes other professional musicians to practice with.
While this isn’t the best paying gig usually, there are a rare few who get paid well for this. You usually have to prove yourself to be extremely good and network to get to the higher levels (from what I’ve read online) maybe it’s not that hard!
There are sometimes job postings like this on indeed.com
#16 Music store staff –
Many stores are looking for part time people.
While you won’t become rich going this route, it’s not a bad way to make money at all!
I’ve never personally worked in one, but I’ve heard that it can be a blast.
Downsides? People usually playing Sweet child o mine over and over.
Just like other jobs I’ve posted on here, you can find listings on indeed.com
But I definitely don’t suggest just looking there. Try craigslist and even directly messaging local stores. A lot of smaller stores don’t think to put up job listings on large sites, and many of them do need help.
#17 Music photographer –
This one can be done by either working directly for an agency or actually going to shows and concerts yourself and taking pictures to sell to magazines, websites, and other people who need them.
Being in this industry requires a really really good eye.
Not just for taking pictures but also when and where to snap some pictures of the band.
The more unique usually the better off you’ll be.
Most of the time you don’t end up making a ton of money for the pictures but in some instances you can make a pretty good chunk of change
Here’s one instance…..When I used to run a metal blog I paid for an image once that was only three dollars but I noticed that within only a day over 100 other people also bought the same image
That’s honestly pretty decent money especially if more people bought the photo which I imagine happened
Another instance I’ve noticed people getting paid big, is when you capture a scene that is basically going viral
When something wild happens on stage or say a band is coming back that hasn’t been around for a while, it does look like those are some instances where people are getting paid substantially more for their photos.
You can even make money from your photos even if there’s really not much interesting going on in them. I knew a guy who used to upload daily to shutterstock and it actually worked out really well for him
Interested? I found this video that explains how to make money just uploading pictures online. Check it out
#18 Music Marketer –
A GOOD music marketer who can seriously promote music for a good price is a GOLDMINE.
Seriously, if you can help people promote their music you can make a small fortune.
Honestly, as someone who’s done it before…
It’s not very hard at all.
Here’s an example of a repeatable campaign I’ve been following…
Where people get MILLIONS of views on his music…
And in turn get 6 figures (minimum) just from being paid from online streaming services…
So what’s the campaign?
In a nutshell it’s a TikTok campaign formally known as musically it’s easier than ever now for people to go viral because of this app
In fact many artists are simply paying tick tock influencers to go and make dances to their songs forcing them to go viral and in turn get paid
Wow this may seem like a relatively new strategy it’s actually not at all
In fact many artist have known about this for a long time
Basically what you do is whenever a new platform comes out such as Snapchat or even when Facebook comes out
You go and hire influencers on these apps and try to go viral
Even if you just buy ads on their platform they will be substantially cheaper than any other platform because their new
If you’ve been around long enough like I have you’ll remember when Facebook‘s reach was big enough that fan pages on Facebook we’re making full-time living’s
Basically every time a new social media app comes out it’s possible to do this again
If you’re interested in this I’d simply Google viral marketing techniques there’s a lot of information Gary V has some interesting stuff as well about when he made millions using Snapchat when it first came out and no one else was
So how do you make money marketing Bands
Honestly it can be a grind most musicians simply do not have a lot of money
But if you can help them make some money marketing their music it becomes a lot easier for them to pay you
It might sound crazy but there really are pans out there that aren’t that big fat thanks to a music marketing specialist are making some decent money in the space
If you’re interested I definitely suggest googling around and looking at campaigns that other music marketers have put out.
#19 join a band – (Dont rule this option out)
Yes, making money in a band is hard.
I’m sure you know this already as a musician.
But I’m here to tell you that it is NOT impossible, more importantly it can actually be relatively easy………with the right help and advice.
I know right now, you’re probably full of skepticism
But hear me out
There are many bands out there (small bands even yes) who are making surprisingly decent money touring
How?
Here’s a small list –
Selling your merch
Selling your music
Session Work –
I find this to be one of my personal favorites all session work is it simply playing the instrument of your choice or singing for someone else’s recording for usually a flat fee. Many people who do session work charge quite a bit and sometimes not for very much work at all this is especially True for vocalist which can be hard to come by
Finding session work is surprisingly easy online there are tons of different places that advertise that they are looking for active musicians to play they usually put up how much they are willing to pay however I found many are willing to pay more for the right person
If this doesn’t appeal to you well I think maybe the money will there are plenty of people doing session work that can make a couple thousand dollars in a day you have to be highly highly skilled in order to get that kind of money but even mediocre musicians will make a pretty decent hourly wage this is especially true in larger cities I’ve also noticed if you can advertise that you can get the job done quickly that you can charge a little extra as well
So of course like any of the jobs I’ve listed there are downsides
Number one downside is that sometimes clients will simply ask you to perform a solo or small part and then decide over and over and over that they don’t like what you played of course everybody who has ever wrote anything knows that it can be very frustrating to figure out exactly what will sound the best unfortunately this problem can be multiplied even farther when you are working with someone else or even a group of other musicians to figure out the part
So it’s definitely advisable to take at least half of the money upfront in case they decide that you weren’t actually the right fit after all yes this sucks for everybody but at least this way you know for sure you’ll be getting paid some what sometimes bands are reluctant to pay the rest even though you deserve it because they feel like you didn’t perform your best when simply you aren’t a good fit for each other
If you’re really interested in doing this I suggest taking a little bit of time to read about people‘s experiences before starting there’s a lot of advice out there on the Internet that’s pretty damn useful
A quick tip to marketing yourself in this position if you really want to make some serious serious money definitely go play in a band people view already successful bandmembers even if only slightly successful as more valuable than your average musician I’m not sure why maybe they’re slightly starstruck
#20 Have experience already in the music industry? Maybe try speaking at an event
Yeah. This one honestly sounds awful. Last resort for me. (And apparently most people to, this is on many people’s worst fear list)
So what gives? Why can’t we just get over our fear of public speaking for the big bucks?
And seriously….big bucks…
Just look it up on indeed.com
Go and be surprised.
(No, you don’t have to be famous to land a gig.)
#21 Win a ASCAP award.
Think it’s hard?
Thousands of people receive awards, not only that but they have given away millions……so you’re not getting something small like a 10$ gift card or something like that.
I’ve always wanted to try it, since…..wouldn’t it just be cool to have won an award?
Also, if you’re not looking for part time work…..sometimes they are hiring. It’d probably be a lot of fun to listen to music and watch other performing artists and get to decide who you think is best.
#22 Transcribing music –
For those who are best working alone,
Transcribing music can be a great choice for you.
You can typically find jobs on upwork or similar sites, and just transcribe and then send them your work once it’s completed.
Relatively simple (if you know what you’re doing of course), after you’ve done a lot of transcribing it becomes a walk in the park. But it is very difficult at first.
#23 Make sounds for sampling/licensing –
Honestly, I don’t know enough about this to tell you much. But, there are job postings for this everywhere. Basically you just make different sounds.
#24 Do Marketing for local music stores
Most smaller music shops need help with their marketing and having someone who truly knows their customer can be very beneficial
Taking a few marketing courses online and then using your general knowledge of what musicians really want can’t really help the small business owner in making sales
Traditionally a lot of these smaller music stores by marketing from traditional marketing firms but in many cases this is simply not the best route local music stores need a special type of marketing in order to succeed especially in towns where there is a lot of competition not only from small music shops but also many of the larger corporations
One local music shop I saw the other day has a great ad targeted at parents who are interested in buying their children a guitar
It tells them how they shouldn’t just buy any old guitar online and have it sent to them for various reasons many people don’t know this they think they can buy their child just any guitar and it will work so the ad gives them valuable information and then tells them to come in where someone can help a system better so they can make a good purchase
A general marketing company would not be able to put this together they don’t know the customer as well as someone who actually works in the field this is where you can be a huge help
You can also charge quite a bit
#25 Direct response copywriter for music brands
This one kind of ties in with the last one
A direct response copywriter is someone who writes ads in order to make sales for a company
If you have previous experience in the music field you become extremely valuable to those looking to hire someone to make sales in the music industry
This job is especially good for someone who is a great writer already
This is probably the highest paying part time job in the world I met a guy just recently who charged $15,000 just to write one ad
If you’re really interested in this I definitely check out the story of – A Copywriter I admire and respect
#26 The impersonation business –
If you can sing like Dolly Parton or Elvis
And enjoy putting on a show
This one’s a good one for you
Famous impersonators like Shawn Klush will have thousands of people coming to their concerts…
At 40$ a ticket…..
That’s a LOT of money.
Even if you don’t become big, you can always do impersonations at weddings and other events as well. Prices range from about a hundred bucks to a grand.
If I could get a grand to do a wedding as a Elvis impersonator, you bet I’d be doing that every day. Wouldn’t you?
And remember earlier when I said there’s a course for practically anything out there?
Check out “sing like the king” on amazon.
#27 Music therapist –
If you’re looking for a higher calling and really want to add purpose in your life and others
I highly suggest looking at this option
The people you will help their lives will be changed forever
Unfortunately you do need a degree for most of these jobs however there are some that only ask for musical ability and your job is to be an assistant to the music therapist
Music therapy isn’t just about helping people cope with past trauma which is what a lot of people think it is Music therapy can help with all sorts of problems and has shown incredible improvement for people with cerebral palsy and also autism
The research in this field is simply incredible this is actually a fairly new industry in some ways even though music has been therapy for many people for a long time Music therapy is only just now being considered for certain types of mental illness because of the extensive data and research being done on the subject
If you’re interested do some research but definitely go to YouTube first and watch videos on how it is change peoples lives you might have to break out the tissue box however
It really is crazy some people only after a few sessions become entirely different people this not only affects them but all others around them as well especially family members
This is a good one also if you’re interested in working part time not for money but just to give back to the community
#28 Write a book
This one can be kind of hard especially considering that you really don’t know if it will sell or not
But still it is a huge accomplishment to be able to say you’ve written a book and actually sat down and taking the time to improve people‘s lives through teaching
From what I’ve seen it’s best to write about subjects that aren’t written about a lot but still have a fairly decent audience for instance i’ve been playing guitar for over 15 years and I am not kidding this is slightly embarrassing to say but I cannot do pinch harmonics I have no clue why I have practiced for a long time and for some reason it just does not work out for me kind a like whistling I can’t do that either
So if someone even wrote a small book about how to do pinch harmonics I would be forever and eternally grateful to you if somehow you could show me some technique or trick that I swear people are just not showing me
Book writing the best thing about it however is that the money comes forever
Say if you write a book about slide guitar well as long as people are going to want to learn about slide guitar your book will sell
Even if it’s only $100 a month you make which would be extremely small a month over 30 years that’s 30 Grand
Writing a book is also extremely helpful if you’re going to become a music teacher you don’t really have to sell yourself as hard as at being good at guitar when you’ve written a book on how to do it
Same goes for YouTube videos if you’ve established yourself as a good guitar teacher online that same credibility will follow in real life as well the fuck are you doing
Also keep in mind that writing a book nowadays is actually easier than ever there are print on demand companies so you don’t have to buy a bunch of copies of your book in order to sell them you can just sell them whenever one is ordered or you can easily go the e-book route which can save you and your customer some money which is always nice
The biggest problem with writing a book nowadays is that a lot of information is already out there so yes it is harder to sell
Don’t think it’s impossible though many people like myself enjoy not only having a physical copy of a streamlined approach to learning something but also love buying books because it’s simply a faster way to learn it’s nice to be able to just follow a process rather than try to piece random bits of information together that you find on the Internet to learn something I know I’m not the only person who thinks this so I still
#29 Music teacher substitute
You just substitute whatever the other music teacher is not around not much to say about this one
#30 Government Grants –
This is usually only for music that has historic value and needs to be recorded so that it isn’t forgotten. Grants can be multiple thousand dollars.
This is honestly a pretty cool thing to get into or at least it sounds like it it would be fun to preserve music from older generations
#31 start a (small) music festival
Yes I understand that this is an exactly what normally qualifies as a part-time job
But it’s another one that I feel Should make the list
Small music festivals are actually not too hard to set up or Time consuming if you do it right
Doing it right means different things for different people though
A guy I used to knoe held a small festival at his property every year what he did and I thought it was pretty genius was he allowed to bands to play and make most of the money from the festival as long as they did the hard parts of putting everything together and setting everything up he basically was just the boss and was the ultimate decision maker
This worked out well for him and he essentially was only renting his land but he was making quite a bit more for it plus he got to go to a free festival
Now I personally wouldn’t have done what he did because I don’t think he had insurance in case anything happened on his property and quite a bit does happen at festivals
But still this is a great option to consider many festivals make an unbelievable amount of money each year
You can essentially host one or two festivals a year and make an incredible incomeEspecially if your festival becomes huge I can’t even imagine how much Coachella actually makes there are some figures online but I’m pretty sure it’s more than what’s stated
#32 Review instruments
This can be a tough gig To land essentially if you have a large following online thank YouTube or other large platform
What you can do as you can contact companies are sometimes they will contact you it’s happened to be before out here and I don’t even have barely any following at all at least on here and what you do is you simply review their product good or bad and share it with your followers
The best bonus is that you also get to keep the product for free
The biggest downside to doing this is that it is pretty hard to gain a large following online in fact I’d say it’s harder now than ever because of all the competition
That’s not to say it’s impossible plenty of people do it and of those people some of their content is not that great not that it’s bad it’s just not that good
This is no big deal right now on the Internet many people don’t need fancy content they just want a simple answer so they can move on quickly with their lives
So if you can make content like that you should be good to go
Gaining a following online can be lucrative in other ways as well not just getting paid to review products
Here’s another way you can make money with a following
Do shout outs
You’d be surprised at how much people will pay for you to shout out their brand simply on your Facebook profile
I’ve been paid $10-$100 seriously for making post about products that I like and it’s so easy now a days it’s ridiculous
Websites like shout cart allow you to post your bands or your own personal profile and people who want to pay you to shout them out will simply message you and pay
This can become insanely lucrative especially if your profile or your bands profile has a lot of followers
I’ve seen where people are getting $3500 a post from their profile before
So how are these brands making money
Well honestly they make a small fortune off of us
I once shared a custom guitar page on my profile who unfortunately has passed away and doesn’t make guitars anymore but he ended up with a close $2000 sale off the $20 post
If you can provide these companies with an audience they will gladly pay mini will pay over and over as well
But don’t get too greedy with this it’s easy for people
Also…
Yes I get that this can feel cringey.
Especially with all the hate surrounding “influencers”
The way to combat this, is honestly to just be a good influencer.
Don’t sell shit you wouldn’t buy.
Promote stuff you genuinely love and are interested in.
My best advice, is to love your audience the same way you do your friends.
If you would t recommend it to your best friend or your mom……don’t recommend it to anyone else
Also, don’t be intimidated by this if you’re older.
There are tons of older (wiser……usually) musicians out there that make great content to
It’s not only a young persons game
If you think you can bring value to someone’s life, then post it up!
#33 Rent your studio
Of course, you have to have a studio for this option.
But renting one out can be a great idea if you want to earn a side income without really doing much work.
I can understand though, it would be nerve racking not knowing wether or not I can trust people to be careful with my equipment.
Would definitely look into business insurance for this one.
#34 Lead worship or just play in the church band
Surprisingly, this is a legit job for many people.
I was sure that people just gave their time willingly, but turns out many get paid.
Not a lot, usually somewhere between 12-20$ an hour.
But still, that’s not half bad.
#35 Design for bands
While this may not be Directly related to musicianship I still felt like you deserved to be on the list
Many musicians are creative and creativity is probably the number one thing a graphic designer needs when working with a band
Honestly being a graphic designer is a pretty underrated job if you’re good at it you get to work relatively at your own pace depending on the amount of clients you decide to half if you’re a freelancer
Or you can find part time jobs online as well but I suggest you stick to the freelancer side of things
The cut that a lot of graphic design companies take is pretty large and being your own boss can be pretty cool in this field I’ve done freelancer work before and by far it is way better than having to work under a boss
Now not everyone feels the same way about this some people really don’t like to have client relations at all they’d rather just focus on their art which is totally understandable
But there are so many benefits to being a freelancer
Higher pay
Setting your own hours
Working with clients and jobs that you like
Being able to fire bad clients
Not having to answer to a boss
Making a name for yourself in this industry can lead to extremely high pay this is hard to do under a company
Getting more say in your art if a boss says you have to do it you have to do it but if you’re a freelancer you can decide to take a different job instead
More flexibility in terms of Vacations as well say you don’t want to work for a month as a freelancer this is totally acceptable but imagine telling a boss that yeah probably not gonna happen
Working from home is awesome no drive to work you can literally work in your pajamas
Talking to the clients can be fun especially if you get to work for a band that you love I had a job this would be the work of the salesman or the customer service representative sometimes you
Getting a clear picture of what the client wants when you’re a freelancer you get to talk directly to the client and can really get a feel for what he wants when you work for an agency sometimes the salesman or representative won’t ask the right questions that you need which can cause a hectic back-and-forth and it’s frustrating not only for the customer but also for you that’s an absolutely awful nightmare
Of course there are tons of benefits if you think about it from the opposite perspective as well
It’s definitely a 2 Way St.
Consider your choice wisely!
#36 Pedal your CDs the old fashioned way
This might be one of the strangest Waze to make money with music I’ve ever seen but if you’re really really willing to put yourself out there you can make quite a bit of money
The first time I encountered this was a New York City where this dude approached me and asked if I’d be interested in this album because of the shirt I was wearing
At first I was a little off but honestly even though I understand musicians struggle it just felt a little bit aggressive but after talking to him for about 10 minutes I honestly respected what he was doing more than if he was doing almost anything else
Basically his story the short version of it was that he had drug charges when he was younger and it forced him to get jobs that never paid him more than eight dollars an hour
Doing this he was able to make almost $100 an hour sometimes and he was able to feed his kid and make music
Plus it wasn’t bad at all it was actually pretty decent music
(Unfortunately I’ve lost his CD, otherwise I would plug him on this post)
So is this the right choice for you?
For most people I’d definitely say that it isn’t the right option.
Not only are there easier options out there, but safer as well.
Many people who do this get harassed, simply because others believe they’re being harassed.
But, for that person who will do anything to get their music out there…..
It’s not the worst idea.
Let’s move on to more conventional options…
START A CONFERENCE….
This may be a surprise to you, but there is an absolutely INSANE amount of music conferences.
Literally HUNDREDS of conferences/seminars every year.
Most of these are not small, however there are small ones. Especially in local areas that just support a local scene.
The great thing about setting these up, is that once you’re done you’re done. You can hold them one time a year annually, and then you don’t have to worry about it until the next year.
You also get quite a bit of money, really fast. Which who would complain about that?
But that’s not to say there aren’t things to complain about….
In fact, hosting a conference can be EXTREMELY stressful…
Just think about it….it’s all riding on one day, so the stress levels are VERY high
Mess one thing up, and everyone starts asking for refunds….
Your whole investment of time/money….
All down the drain.
If it’s a risk you’re willing to take though, go for it!
Have an exclusive membership for fans of your band
This is absolutely the best way to go about making money off your music if you have diehard fans
It takes very little effort if you already have a band to go the extra mile and make something special for the fans you have that either have deeper pockets or are just obsessed with your music
If you think of the band tool they did this recently with their album when all they did was hire a artist to add some extra graphics to go along with the CDs and they charge quite a bit extra for it
A lot of bands don’t realize that they’re hard-core fans are willing to pay and not only willing to pay but would absolutely love to pay for exclusive access or other special features
#37 Become a vinyl dealer
While you may think this is a hard thing to do many of the vinyl dealers I’ve talked to seemed to think that this actually isn’t very hard to do at all
It’s honestly super interesting how they do it
Most of them spend countless hours every day searching craigslist thrift stores books sales that include vinyl church sales garage sales
Just in constant search of vinyl
But selling vinyl is definitely an art
You’ve got to keep track of what is currently selling well and not only that but keep track of where to sell the vinyl as well
For instance one guy I met who sells vinyl at the flea market showed me that here only certain kinds of vinyl sell well
But online what Sell well at the flea market won’t do good there at all
Here’s why
Basically stuff that’s popular like safer instance you have a Pink Floyd vinyl album
Well no doubt that it sells a lot because everyone loves Pink Floyd but just because it sells a lot does it mean you’ll make any money
When a certain item sells a lot it drives the price down especially online because everyone is trying to compete with each other to make the next sale
Certain albums it’s almost impossible to make any money off because of this
But those same albums do great in local stores and flea markets
Now on the flipside of this
Say you have a rare jazz musicians vinyl
Well that’s the perfect type of thing to sell online
Since it’s rare you can charge more for it and other people won’t be able to bring the price down
Of coarse rare albums do take longer to sell but some of them sell for an insane amount
Check this out here’s a rare vinyl that not a lot of people would be interested in
#38 Piano tuning service
If you’ve ever done this I promise you it is absurdly boring
Like absolutely insanely absurdly boring
Think about tuning a guitar except now you do it with way more strings and that’s all you do all day
Just imagine a pitch in it getting a little higher in a little lower and that’s what you’re doing all day
On the bright side
It does pay pretty well
Realistically piano tuners make between $100-$500 an hour
Well that’s for their actual work
That doesn’t include gas getting back there and back since you’ll be in homes mostly
It also doesn’t include taxes or where in tear on the vehicle
The problem with this part time job though
Is that it’s absurdly part time
Not a lot of people need this service unless you’re in a very very large town and if you are in a large town you end up having to compete on prices
I’ve read on forums that people in small towns sometimes have months where they don’t even have any clients at all
But hey if piano tuning is your thing power to you! We need you out there!
#39 Piano moving –
I’m not gonna lie this one is kind of a weird one
Because people really prefer you to have experience with pianos in order to do this
In fact most movers will call piano moving companies rather than doing it themselves
But honestly there’s not a lot that goes into it if you do a little bit of research online you’ll find that these companies do a little bit more than your average moving company but not a lot
#40 Trumpet trombone and other brass instrument repair
Here’s another one people don’t usually think about but these instruments need servicing quite a bit more and you’d expect
Of course it takes quite a bit of knowledge and skill in order to do this but if you do in-home repair services for clients you can cut down on overhead that other music shops half and save the client some money and make some yourself
Some of the work I was watching on YouTube looks a little tedious so if you’re not the type of person who enjoys meticulous work this may not be for you
This definitely looks like something for someone who needs quite a bit of part-time work however many cities don’t seem to have a lot of people who work in this field this varies of course from city to city
#41 Music Gear Appraisal Expert –
This one is pretty simple, but seriously what a cool job.
Basically, you’re called in usually just to figure out a year of a guitar and it’s value based on condition.
BUT, sometimes you get to go and see extremely rare guitars. Some autographed or even known by famous musicians.
The Catch? Well, it’s not exactly easy at all in fact I’d say this one requires an absolutely almost unrealistic amount of work to get into this field just because you have to know so so much about guitars their history well I say guitars but really you have to know almost everything about every single instrument out there unless you decide to niche down and focus on a smaller area of expertise you could be the rock ‘n’ roll guitar guy or you can specialize in drum equipment or whatever you choose really
For some people this is just such an obvious option for them because they arty have all the information in their head because they are just that knowledgeable definitely consider becoming an appraiser there’s really not a lot of them out there and you can make a ton of money while doing what you already enjoy
Some take it to the next step and do what is the next option on this list
#42 Commissioned music gear sales
This is pretty simple basically what you do is you sell instruments for other people and take a commission for doing the work necessary
The work is pretty simple most of the time mostly you just Appraise the instruments value and then get it in the best possible shape it can be and then find the proper channels to sell it on most of the time this ends up being eBay
What are the cool things about doing this as you can end up with huge profit sometimes when people just want to get the instrument off their hands and will do it for relatively cheap
This option in general does require quite a bit of knowledge be aware of this if you start your own business doing this
Also be aware that this is a true hustle you really have to put yourself out there and talk to people who are already selling their instruments and convince them to let you help them sell the instruments lots of haggling lots of negotiating commission prices and also knowledge but it does pay off well for many people
#43 Start a newsletter or magazine
This one seems kind of far-fetched it used to be my dream to own a magazine but it is extremely hard
However you can start a newsletter and simply sell advertisements to your email list there are a few people I saw online doing this and making OK money not great but not terrible either honestly seems like a lot of fun and would be pretty cool regardless
#44 Mixing and mastering –
Basically this is when a band records something then they send it to you so you can make the final product
This requires knowledge of different digital audio workstation’s and a good year
When you mix and master just small bands you don’t get a lot of money for your work but if you make a name for yourself and get well known you can charge quite a bit of money
This is just a cool skill to have anyways you can record yourself at any time and know that you’ll be able to make it sound nice pretty sweet
#45 Make beats –
I was really hesitant to put this one on here because I know that making beads is kind of a hard way for a lot of people to make money because so so many people out there do you add that the price of beats has gone way way down but that does not mean you can’t make money producing your beats if you market yourself correctly and really make extremely high-quality beats you can still make a living doing this even part time there are very very few people that do keep in mind that if you’re interested in this most likely statistically it’s going to be insanely hard for you to make it
On the plus side making beats can be addictive rap is an even my music of choice usually but playing around in ableton can be a blast
Just know that this industry is hard I’ve even seen recently where people are stealing each other‘s beats and selling them that’s just absurd
#46 Recording studio designer –
This is something that I’ve honestly found to be extremely confusing
I have absolutely no idea how much these people make
Or honestly what they really do
You think what they do when you hear the name is that they simply help you on your way to soundproofing and making a great recording space and then charging based on a design fee
But these guys are kind of all over the place and even though they charge a lot I have no clue how often they are hired
Still it seems like a pretty cool job
There’s also not a lot of people at all that do it so chances are if you want to get in to the industry the barrier is pretty low
Some of these guys however are obviously extremely smart and know everything there is to know about acoustics so competing with them may be tough
#47 Recording studio consultant
Basically what you do is you fine people that don’t know a lot about setting up a studio or if they do already know quite a bit then you try to find the optimal conditions for them for their studio set up
Recording studio consultants are generally hi Paige earners with quite high consulting fees when working with one many people are looking to figure out their acoustics more than anything else because of this you’ll need to be very knowledgeable on the subject
From what I found online many of these consultants are hired for other reasons than just home recording studios many times they are hired for other situations where people need their acoustic set up to be perfect
The most interesting clients of these consultants definitely are soon of us it honestly seems like a pretty cool gig this maybe one however wear a degree will definitely help to build your credibility with the client
#48 Composer –
A composer is someone who not only writes music but also directions usually in the form of an ensemble
I don’t know much about the composing business but a quick search online shows that while most composers work full-time there are definitely part-time composers out there if you’re into classical music especially this could be your thing!
Sidenote arranging and composing is a very difficult task definitely not one of the easier jobs on this list
#49 Part time music professor
Surprisingly there are tons of jobs out there for professors that only wish to work part time
I honestly couldn’t believe it I always assumed most professors worked full-time hours possibly more with all the work they need to do to grade students and gather coursework material
Looking online it appears there are literally hundreds of openings at least currently and they seem honestly kind of desperate
Pay is more than reasonable of course for a job like this you will need some higher education so keep that in mind most job listings of coarse show what level of education you need
Not sure if this would be the most fun job on this list but it does seem kind of cool to be able to teach the next generation of musicians out there
#50 Composer consultant –
Once you’ve gotten decent at composing you can start consulting new or composers just helping them with whatever problems they might be facing this is probably not a good choice for anyone without quite a bit of experience in composing
#51 Band manager/tour manager
This is a pretty simple job your goal is to learn the best interest of the tour or band or simply just the artist and help them achieve their goals
You have to be constantly on the lookout for ways to help the artist with their career
I’m personally not very fond of being managers or tour managers unless the band our tour is fairly large they’re not really useful until an artist gets to a certain level this is my personal opinion and some people might say it’s a bad one if you’re more interested in this I found this really in-depth article on the subject here
#52 Freelance PR/Media promotions –
Doing this involves a lot of relationship building and in some ways creative thinking
What do you essentially do is you find ways to promote a band through different outlets and media channels basically you work with the band to figure out what about the band can be newsworthy and then you pitch the media outlets on making an article about The artist or band
This job can be brutally tough but if you love relationship building and enjoy getting music seen by other people this is a great job
Pay can very greatly based upon how long you’ve been promoting clients and your connections and based on past campaign success
I’m sure if you could get a band into the New York Times you could easily charge $10,000 an hour doing something like this though is the tricky part
Many PR freelancers that I’ve seen online focus primarily on small targets and hitting a lot of them this is most likely what you’ll be doing not going for the huge outlets because many times they are unattainable when you’re first starting out
There are other ways of doing PR and media promotion as well I definitely suggest reading this article if you’re interested in learning more
#53 Show Booking Agent –
If you’ve ever been in a band you know sometimes it can be pretty hard to get shows especially with pay to place games and everything else that goes on
On top of all this the worst part is always the venue owners man some of them are seriously just assholes yeah that’s a huge problem for just about anyone who plays in a band or is a solo artist
Show booking agents solve this problem pretty simply they establish relationships with venues either in a local area or in a larger area or even some go all across the continent and even worldwide your job is to get the gigs for the musicians and you do in fact take A pretty sizable check for your time sounds pretty sweet right
It definitely Canby but a lot of people that get into this industry find it to become a pretty hard grind and eventually want to leave pretty quick
So yes this job isn’t for everyone but it would definitely be great for say a musician who recently stopped playing gigs and wants to help out other musicians in finding their’s
#54 Talent Scout –
Talent scouts are honestly some of the bigger movers and shakers of the music industry almost all the big name artist or scout it at some point and this career continues to be very lucrative having an eye for talent however seems like A pretty big challenge especially if you’re not very used to have the music industry works
It doesn’t just involve finding the salad it also involves negotiating their rates of pay and all of the other terms and conditions when they go to sign with a label
The best thing about being a talent scout as you can definitely work part time applying for this job however if you’re going to work for a company you definitely need some type of music industry experience
A bonus to this career is that if you decide that you’re bored of the music industry you could always switch up to different industries there is a learning curve of course that goes along with that but It can be a nice change of pace
#55 Radio host –
This is a great opportunity for an extrovert by far if you become really popular you can charge quite a high salary as well
Of course I know most musicians are introverts so this isn’t a great option for everyone but there are actually some radio host that claim to be introverts as well I’m not sure how they got over their fear of public speaking but they did honestly that’s pretty cool
Now this might not be your normal part-time job but there are definitely part-time positions available in this space most however seem like they want you to go full-time eventually so if you want to stay part time tried doing a smaller time radio station try online even
#56 Podcast about music –
There are tons of great podcast about music out there and many of them are earning quite a bit of money actually turns out advertisers pay way more to be on a podcast advertisement then other forms of advertisement for whatever reason this is
This honestly seems like one of the cooler options mainly because you get to choose exactly what your podcast is about there are many that focus on just one genre of music or some that focus on interviewing bandmembers which would be my personal favorite there are others that focus on music marketing and just an absolutely insane amount of other angles
Even though there’s a lot of podcast it’s still not a very competitive space at least right now in 2019 other platforms like YouTube literally have hundreds of thousands of other bloggers we’re on podcast there’s only a few hundred that I could see and only a very small amount are really actually doing something significant
If you want to make a name for yourself and music this is probably one of the best chances you’ll ever get I’m not just saying that either it’s truly surprising how many people haven’t started their own podcast but are interested in blogging
I’m guessing most people think that they wouldn’t be interesting enough for others to listen to and I completely understand that it does take some work to figure out what your audience will really want and love to hear
#57 Music historian –
Music historians do a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t expect them to do some freelance ones just write books others produce full links documentaries and others write articles for magazines and blogs
Sometimes they do interviews sometimes they’re hired as consultants and sometimes they’re even called on to help with appraisals
That’s the story ends do you lectures and speak at events the easiest way to get into this field of course is To go to school for it however some just start researching and writing books to position themselves as an expert
#58 Start a Roadcase company
Musicians on tour need high quality cases to cart around their expensive gear, and will pay top dollar to make sure it stays safe.
Making this type of equipment is not easy however mini Road case companies do you have very high profit margin‘s if you can show that your cases are superior to the competitions are if you can cut a great deal to a musician who struggling you’re in business
This would be a great fit for someone who already has experience and craftsmanship
So just how lucrative is it While I found many cases going for thousands of dollars just check out this one here
#59 Making guitar pedals –
This is a super cool Field to get into most people in this field don’t make a Tonna money but some do most are in it just for the fun of working with electronics to make affects they want to have
It’s not terribly difficult to find information on how to make these panels even though the information is kind of scarce. There are forums online where people talk about their issues and help each other out as well so even going into this blind you should have some confidence that you’ll be able to pull this off
I looked into this for a while and I still want to do it eventually it’s one of those things that seem like it would be very cool to actually hold the finished product and be able to say this is mine I made it I don’t now seems pretty awesome to me
The nice thing about Starting a business like this is that fortunately if you make something really special word gets out among guitar players so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on marketing you just make a cool paddle start showing it off at some events and online and they can takeoff
Also if you’re interested in this don’t get too discouraged trying to figure everything out as many people will tell you online it’s not necessarily easy to do but it’s not as hard as you think
#60 Ghostwriter/lyric writer –
It may be a shock to you, but many rappers/singers/songwriters use them and even famous songs you might recognize were written by ghostwriters.
For instance John Denver’s famous “country roads” was actually written by two guys – Billy Danoff and Taffy Nivert…..and it was originally meant for Johnny Cash.
Here’s a small list of artists who’ve used ghostwriters – Elvis Presley, Dr. Dre, Drake, Elton John, Kelly Clarkson, Frank Sinatra…..
The list goes on and on….
So, how can you get into this field?
Honestly, it’s mainly a lot of networking. That’s really it. That, and writing good demos to send to agencies.
Yes, I understand the idea of networking might be hard for some people…..but it’s really necessary for this job if you want to get the really good gigs.
#61 Vocal tuning service –
Vocal tuning services correct your pitch to get your voice to sound the best it possibly can.
To get started in this field, take some courses on software and offer your services for free to start building your portfolio.
A good portfolio will go far in this field, especially since there aren’t many people who offer this service.
As a small bonus – you can also get jobs for commercials, podcasts, and other mediums where audio is needed.
#62 Drumstick tester –
Yep. This is a real job you can find part time.
What do you do?
You test sticks out by ear to make sure they’re top quality before being sent off.
If you’re interested in the really weird jobs like this go to indeed.com and just type in “music industry jobs.
#63 Work with statistics for the music industry –
I’ve only seen a couple jobs pop up for this field before online, so while opportunities are scarce……they’re still not unheard of.
So what do you do?
Your job is to collect data on the industry for different purposes – sometimes that’s to detect trends, other times it’s as simple as finding out who’s in the top 10 of a specific genre.
There are whole companies dedicated to mining this data. If you’re simply interested in reading the data try ifpi.org
Fun Fact: The music industry made 19.1 billion dollars in 2018. Digital revenue accounts for slightly more than half of that revenue.
Source
#64 Get a job at a streaming service –
There are tons of different jobs you can get at different streaming services but by far the coolest one would be the person who goes out and actually recruits and finds bands to join their service.
I was surprised to even find out that streaming services still use these but the smaller ones do they’re also people that approve or disapprove music for their service and many times these two jobs go together
Many of the jobs working for streaming services aren’t directly related to music however if you check out many of their websites you’ll be able to find a few that are directly related here in there
#65 Music researcher –
Not to be confused with a music historian A music researcher is someone who usually is involved in gathering information on current artist that can include interviewing videoing and a whole host of other work as well
Many companies are hiring music researchers for different reasons But be careful when looking for a position like this there are some that say they are hiring music researchers but really what they are hiring are people who go to businesses and fine them for using Music without paying royalties
#66 Playlist Maker (Music Curator) –
Honestly I have no idea what this job does entirely.
However I see it posted constantly on indeed so I figured I’d add it here
All I can figure out for sure is that you make playlist for large music recording labels (usually)
It looks like the reason for this is that The artist need to figure out what songs people would most like to hear at their concerts
Honestly I always thought that the artist would get a larger say in this than they do but I guess I was wrong
But honestly I might be wrong about this altogether these job listings are kind of confusing and don’t really go into much detail unfortunately, I thought about calling to find out more information but I’ll leave that up to you if you’re interested.
#67 Work at a concert hall or theatre –
Some of these have internships, so if you start by being a greeter – or working at the info desk – or even the concession stand…
This could end up being a great opportunity for you.
Yes, this one isn’t glamorous. But, it’s hard to break into this industry. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
#68 Social media manager –
This job is pretty simple basically all you do is you right post for bands and artist individually
Many of these artists and bands if there a larger doubt actually post them selves this is where you come in and be the voice for their band
You’re kind of like a ghost rider in the sense that no one really knows that it’s you except you and the company you work for
You can do this freelance especially if you’re willing to get off social media and do other work as well like writing press releases branching out can really help make the decision easier for a company to hire you
Be the all in one package
I am Magine this job would be stressfull however you’re managing the image of a person who needs to be viewed favorably it can kind of stack the odds against you
#69 Music programming specialist –
I’ve seen this job called other things as well. Essentially all it is is being able to understand programming at a high-level and music notation at a similarly high-level and putting your knowledge of both together.
With this level of knowledge you can be absurdly high paid. The compensation makes sense of course because of how much knowledge you’ll need.
I assume most of what you’ll be doing involves music notation programs like guitar pro or finale or something similar.
However, many of the job listings don’t say what exactly you’ll be workin on. Guess you have to get hired to find out!
#70 Music Engraver –
Hang with me here while I try to explain this to the best of my ability..
A Music in Graver is essentially just someone who is an absolute professional at notating music. You must be able to use different types of software programs in order to fill this position and you must also know the best ways to dictate your music piece (or whoever you’re writing the piece for)
This may not sound like the hardest job for someone who’s been to college for something similar but if you are the average individual who understands just a little bit about how to dictate music……
Understand that this is an extremely complex job and being able to perform well takes years of experience. It’s not as simple as writing in another language. (Which I’m not saying is simple at all)
So why are they called music engravers?
Well, turns out that years and years ago people used to actually engrave the music on metal. Not joking at all here’s how it looks
It’s actually now considered an honor to have written the piece that becomes so well-known that it becomes engraved. Honestly kind of cool.
#71 Copyright review agent –
This type of job is kind of confusing because what you actually do varies quite a bit depending on your employer
This does seem like a good way to break into the industry because quite a few companies are looking to hire people for this job
Similar to what I mentioned earlier you’re basically going around looking for people who are breaking copyright laws and using clients music without permission
With this position however you would still be doing that except your job is mainly to look for these people
Where ever they are no matter if that’s on social media or in a store or even sometimes in their own home (it does happen apparently)
Paid for this job can be part time even though it usually isn’t if you do part time it’s basically contract work where are you get paid a percentage other times they do pay hourly
#72 Music Contract Administrator –
I’m gonna be totally honest, I have no clue what this job really entails..
But…..
I really did want this list to have quite a few options for people feeling like it’s kind of hopeless to find a career in the music industry or a part-time job
So I’m keeping it on the list
Hint what I do know about this job is that it is not legal work which sounds like it is but it is it
Anyways like everything else here go check it out on indeed
#73 Make captions for TV –
Dead serious, this is a real job. You know those channels that just play music and pop-up little captions about it while you’re listening?
Turns out there’s a job entirely dedicated to making sure those captions are precisely accurate.
This is not a job that pops up often but I have seen it a couple times.
For months actually there was a listing for an opening for someone to do this for classical music, so if you know a lot about that you might have some negotiating room on your salary.
Honestly this seems like a pretty cool job sit back relax and read about your favorite musicians.
Not a normal gig for sure but a cool one.
#74 Quality Control Specialist –
Basically anywhere you work in the industry when it comes to manufacturing music equipment there’s always someone in quality control
Today you can find extremely high-quality and even some of the least expensive musical instruments
if you’ve worked a lot with a particular type of instrument and really have a keen eye for detail this would be a great job for you
Even smaller companies that don’t do you wholesale like to have an extra eye on their items this is where you can come in and really help them out making sure they’re not missing anything
You’re basically the guy on the front lines making sure but everything‘s been done properly so there can be a little bit of stress especially if you’re working with higher end items
Still seems like a rewarding and fun job also can pay pretty well depending on where you work
Site manager
Being a site manager or a coordinator requires more managerial skills than it does musical, however it does require both.
Basically what you do is pretty simple, your job is to make sure everything run smoothly and that all music teachers and other staff do their job correctly.
This does require a different skill set depending on the type of program however, if you’re managing a high-level workshop training for master class guitarist……. your work is exceptionally different from music classes for pre-K and kindergarten.
This can be a part-time or full-time job or even seasonal, however mostly this is a part-time evening job. Most people enjoy having their classes in the evening, and young children of course can’t do early morning classes because of school.
#76 PR assistant –
Sort of like a normal PR person, but you’re basically a paid intern.
If you’re really interested in breaking out into the PR field, this is a great way to do it. PR is of course a challenging industry with a lot to do, and being an assistant does mean that you have to do a lot of grunt work.
But you’re learning valuable info that can help you in the future, also many gigs can be part time. Even some work from home gigs, however you have to search pretty hard to find those.
Sometimes they are on upwork.com
#77 Choreography director –
Your job is to direct dance and movement, working with a director to make their vision a reality.
This involves a TON of knowledge. You need to know how to make people happy, multiple styles of dance, Lighting and camera angles, plus an assortment of other things.
Unfortunately, it is also VERY hard to get paid well in this profession. While you can work part-time……you’re not likely to make much.
The coolest part? You can get music video gigs for celebrity artists. Worst part? No set schedule, and long long hours.
#78 Music career consultant –
If you know a LOT about the music industry, or are interested in learning….this is the job for you.
Simply, your job is to guide someone through figuring out what exactly they’d like to accomplish. Knowing the ins and out of the industry and what it’s like to actually work in each job can be very beneficial to your clients.
The hardest part of this job is finding clients, since there’s not usually much repeat business.