Six Good Side Gigs For Musicians
The trick to building financial stability is to develop multiple sources of income. The “follow your passion” movement doesn’t have rules or formulas for this though, and art based careers require a lot trial and error to find something that works.
Don’t let it make you feel sapped—the most accomplished and famous have multiple gigs on the side of their main game. It’s a normal part of building an empire. Nobody relies on music alone to fund that mansion in Hollywood. It’s vital to both your brand and your future to learn to build new income streams and keep taking opportunities. It’s a never-ending journey.
Jimmy Buffet sells beer, blenders, t-shirts, and even runs a line of hotels in his name. Beyonce built a company called Parkwood Entertainment and creates music for film, in addition to her other investment gigs. Selena Gomez works with Netflix through her company, July Moon Productions. Dave Mustaine is involved in his family’s wine business, David Lee Roth launched a tatoo skin care line, and K.K. Downing has a fragrance line for men. You are not alone in your hustle for continuous financial sustainment.
6 Great Ideas For Your Next Side Hustle:
Voiceover work. Interest in this line of work takes a little hunting down, but that’s the definition of hustle, right? It’s not really that hard. Here are some tips. You can directly market yourself through emails to companies you choose, or join platforms like Filmless, Voice.com, Voice123, Snap Recordings, Envato, or Bunny Studio.
Event Promos. When you come across events or festivals, get in touch with coordinators and event managers. Offer your services.
Managing other musicians. If you feel comfortable in your experience, go forward and start working for other music groups or solo artists. You can manage, mentor, and promote. This opens you up to more opportunities through connections you’ll make as you do this.
Songwriting for others. Sync licensing, selling sheet music, or join a publishing company as a staff writer. (Staff writing positions take a little mojo.. you need to start building connections.)
Ceremonies and special occasion gigs. Weddings have always been one of the most lucrative ways to build both a finance stream and experience.
Record and sell sound packs. Whether you play an instrument or you’re a vocalist, you can record and sell music clips. You can also sell your music on royalty free websites like Epidemic Sound.
Those are only a few ways to get another income source coming in without leaving the entertainment/creative industry. The possibilities are endless, and you can always create your own job. People do it all the time. Celebrities and performers never put all their eggs in one basket.
Almost all artists are multi-talented, resourceful, and have a passion for pushing their goals further. That’s where the real success begins.
