Have you got a passion for music but you’re not sure where to put it? Well, have you thought of the answer to every modern day problem: the internet?
But are you maybe wondering how you would go about that? Well, we have some ideas if you’re interested. We’ve got a list of ways you can use your musical talents to create content on the internet. Not all of them will gain you a place in SXSW but they can earn you a steady income if you do them right.
The disk jockey route
If you have the gift of gab and a love of music, have you considered being a radio host? Radio is killed? The video star did it? Oh right. Well, today is a brave new world, where podcasts are the ruler of the audio entertainment sphere, and music podcasts are in abundance.
And do you know what could really improve a music podcast? Some music. Your music. If you love scratching at vinyl, you could host a private rave, record it, and put it out for the world to jam to. Add as much of the personality side of radio work as you want. Maybe you’re here purely for the music, or maybe you live to tell cheesy jokes in between tunes.
The background music route
Copyright is an ever-looming presence on the internet. Sure, to the estates that own their work, it’s a godsend, but to the rest of the internet trying to make content, we just want to share the joy. Won’t you let us share the joy?
The good thing here is that there is a vacuum left that copyrighted music simply can’t fill. Content creators across the board, if it has an audio aspect, are looking for background music. It’s not the glamourous Grammy Award-winning career, but it can bring in a steady income and have you in high demand. The stuff that YouTube offers freely on the platform, for example, is overplayed and almost headache-inducing, and anyone who maybe isn’t going for the barely scraped together or comedic aesthetic is going to want original music to accompany their content.
So, stick “Commissions open” on your bio and put some feelers out there and before you know it, you’re putting a few notes together for a …deep dive into the lives of sea turtles or something.
The artiste route
The term “Soundcloud rapper” might have a touch of derision stuck to it nowadays, but hey, if it works, why wouldn’t you try it. A lot of big names started on Soundcloud, including Lil Nas X, Post Malone, KSI, Lizzo, and Billie Eilish.
If you have musical talent and something you want to get out there, there is nothing stopping you from starting up your Soundcloud and get donations for your work. Other options are Bandcamp, which is also donation based, and if you want to extend your marketing you can look to Spotify.
But you will need to polish up your sound first. Nowadays, renting a music studio is actually quite affordable, and you’ll find plenty in every major city. Book your music studio session here to get started. By the end of it you’ll have a clean and professional sounding piece that you will be proud to market to the masses.
The marketing aspect
Pretty much no matter what you’re doing, you will need to market yourself on the internet. The good news here is that social media marketing is the most affordable, accessible, and easiest way to get eyes on you. In fact, on the affordable point, you can even make money showcasing yourself.
What we’re referring to here is affiliate marketing. If you have a big enough following you could gain a commission for shouting out a brand’s products and services, showcasing yourself and the product or service in the same content. This is most lucrative if you start a blog, so if your love of music extends to writing about music, you can always start a music blog, showcasing maybe local bands, the biggest music celebrity news or anything else that’s relevant.
In the meantime, to get yourself and your music squarely out there, you can turn to various social media platforms. Live streaming is particularly useful here, so you might want to use Twitch, TikTok or Instagram.
Tap into the music trends of the moment. The good news here is that they are long-lasting genres that aren’t about to disappear anytime soon. People are looking for music to study to, to sleep to, to rave to, or to simply have a private gig with as though they were the only user in the stadium.
To really market yourself, you should take a look at fan platforms, like Patreon, Fanhouse, Ko-Fi, etc. allow your fans to subscribe to you and donate when they wish, as well as getting access to exclusive content.