While often difficult, it is never entirely
impossible to make a sustainable living as a musician these days. In fact, the
Future of Music Coalition assembled a list of 42 ways that musicians can
potentially earn money in today’s music space – demonstrating the multitude of revenue
streams that today’s working musician must keep into account when venturing off
into the world as an independent musician.
SONGWRITER AND
COMPOSER REVENUE
1. Publisher Advance
2. Mechanical Royalties
3. Commissions
4 Public Performance (PRO) Royalties
5. Composing Original Works for Broadcast
6. Synch Licenses
7. Sheet Music Sales
8. Ringtones Revenue
9. ASCAPLUS Awards Program
10. Publisher Settlement
PERFORMER AND
RECORDING ARTIST REVENUE
11. Salary as Member of Orchestra or
Ensemble
12. Shows/Performance Fees
13. Record Label Advance
14. Record Label Support
15. Retail Sales
16. Digital Sales
17. Sales at Shows
18. Interactive Service Payments
19. Digital Performance Royalties
20. AARC Royalties
21. Neighboring Rights Royalties
22. AFM/Secondary Markets Fund
23. AFM/Sound Recording Special Payments
24. AFTRA Contingent Scale
25. Label Settlements
SESSION MUSICIAN
REVENUE
26. Session Musician/Sideman Fees for
Studio Work
27. Session Musician/Sideman Fees for Live
Work
28. AFM/AFTRA Payments
KNOWLEDGE OF
CRAFT: TEACHING AND PRODUCING
29. Music Teacher
30. Producer
31. Honoraria or Speakers Fees
BRAND-RELATED REVENUE
32. Merchandise Sales
33. Fan Club
34. YouTube Partner Program
35. Ad Revenue
36. Persona Licensing
37. Product Endorsements
38. Acting
FAN, CORPORATE
AND FOUNDATION FUNDING
39. Fan Funding
40. Sponsorship
41. Grants
OTHER SOURCES OF
REVENUE
42 Arts Administrator
Source: The Future of Music Coalition
—
Hisham Dahud is a Senior Analyst for Hypebot.com. Additionally, he is the head of Business Development for Fame House
