Music streaming is an exciting topic, especially for upcoming artists. Many of them think of it as a means to get rich quickly, but unfortunately, making money through streams is not as easy as it sounds. Many new artists give up on their money-making dreams after trying to make money through streams and fail. However doing a little research, applying the proper strategy, and consistency will yield success in the long run. This article will discuss what streaming music entails from an artist’s perspective, and highlight some of the right strategies to apply in other to make money through music streaming.
What is music streaming? From an artist’s perspective, streaming music means making your music available for people to listen to online without downloading it. The audio version of your music is fed directly to the devices of listeners through music-streaming platforms where the technology that makes the music available is built. Such platforms include Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Pandora, etc. Before the era of music streaming, people could only listen to audio when downloaded as MP3 or other audio file formats. But with streaming services, people can listen through their devices or smart speakers without having a copy of the music in their hard drive. However, some paid streaming platforms also enable downloading as well.
What this means for an artist is that your music has to get to one of the streaming websites before it can be accessed by listeners. Also, those who want to listen to your music must do so through a device such as a computer or mobile phone and have access to the internet. Although some internet browsers play directly from streaming websites, listeners may need software media players like VLC installed on their computers for easy playing. Many streaming platforms have their apps for mobile devices. So software installation for computers and app downloads for mobile devices are also needed.
How Do Musicians Make Money Through Streaming? Music streaming platforms pay musicians by the number of streams their music generate. That said, there are many factors and dynamics to consider when talking about revenue from streams. Some of these factors and dynamics includes the listener’s country or location, the royalty rate of the artist, the value of the currency in each region, and the type of subscription listeners are using- paid or free. Again, there is no fixed rate for streaming royalties. Each music streaming service provider has a different royalty pay out rate. This makes it difficult to say exactly how much a musician can earn from a certain number of streams.
But this blog post provides a music streaming royalty calculator that enables you have an idea of what each platform pays for any number of streams you enter into the calculator. Just choose a streaming platform from the dropdown menu and enter a number of streams to see how much the platform pays. The figures you see there are specifically for the United States but it gives you an idea of how it works. You can see that the amount paid by platforms varies and the money can only amount to something reasonable only if you have a large number of streams. Tough right?
Can You Make Money Through Music Streaming? By now your hopes to make money through music streaming may have been dampened or your curiosity and desire to make it no matter what is heightened. Apart from the factors and dynamics discussed before, there are still a host of other issues to tackle before you can make money through streaming. How then can one actually make money through music streaming? The first thing is to understand the issues raised here, then find solutions. Now you know that music streaming involves technology-the use of computer, mobile phone, data, and the internet, you must then understand that music streaming will not work well in countries where people struggle with the availability of these things.
So it means your music will be mostly streamed in countries where these requirements are met. What does this mean for you? It means that your music aught to have a global perspective or acceptance so that people all over the world can stream it for you to get large number of streams especially when you live in a disadvantaged country. Knowing that different music streaming platforms pay different amounts in streaming royalties, you should target to get your music on the platforms that pay most and also put your music across on several of them. So, yes, you can make money through music streaming if you do the right things.
Things You should Do
Write and produce good music that appeals to audiences globally. This not only increases your chances of getting larger streams but also enables you earn from countries where the value of the currency is higher.
Do not feel discouraged because streaming royalties are small amounts. Work on producing music that has a global audience. The world has over six billion people in it. If you can get a good number of people to stream your music, your efforts will be well rewarded. Also, music streaming platforms get your music to new and current fans. This kind of exposure is one way to succeed in the industry. You never know the ear that will fall in love with your music and connect you to other ways you can make money from your music.
Learn the strategies each streaming platform is using to promote music. Invest more time and resources to get your music to more people. This may mean paying a little more to subscribe for special promotional offers various platforms have that will take your music to new audiences and special circles of people or interest groups.
Use your social media pages to drive traffic to your streaming websites. If you own a website like me, use it to send people to your streaming platforms. If you don’t know how to do it, engage the services of people who can do it with little charge to help you out.
Learn some important tech skills. There are many things you can do by yourself because you are just starting. You may not have money to pay for everything. For example, if you can build your mini website and run your social media pages, you will be at a great advantage. You need at least basic graphic design skills with Canva to create your graphics for your regular posts. You first create free content that attracts people to you. By so doing you create brand awareness and build your brand. Each post you do has a great impact on your audience and followers. This means you need to have content creation skills.
Be consistent in creating and crafting your music. Have a positive mindset. Work hard and work smart. God and nature will reward you without compulsory means. Think of what you are doing as a great thing. Breathe greatness into it because you are the creator.
Music streaming is tough. Oh yes, so is anything that leads to genuine success. You can make it! Remember I’m here for music, message, and money! I’m here to inspire! Let me get your comments.
Music streaming is an exciting topic, especially for upcoming artists. Many of them think of it as a means to get rich quickly, but unfortunately, making money through streams is not as easy as it sounds. Many new artists give up on their money-making dreams after trying to make money through streams and fail. However doing a little research, applying the proper strategy, and consistency will yield success in the long run. This article will discuss what streaming music entails from an artist’s perspective, and highlight some of the right strategies to apply in other to make money through music streaming.
What is music streaming? From an artist’s perspective, streaming music means making your music available for people to listen to online without downloading it. The audio version of your music is fed directly to the devices of listeners through music-streaming platforms where the technology that makes the music available is built. Such platforms include Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Pandora, etc. Before the era of music streaming, people could only listen to audio when downloaded as MP3 or other audio file formats. But with streaming services, people can listen through their devices or smart speakers without having a copy of the music in their hard drive. However, some paid streaming platforms also enable downloading as well.
What this means for an artist is that your music has to get to one of the streaming websites before it can be accessed by listeners. Also, those who want to listen to your music must do so through a device such as a computer or mobile phone and have access to the internet. Although some internet browsers play directly from streaming websites, listeners may need software media players like VLC installed on their computers for easy playing. Many streaming platforms have their apps for mobile devices. So software installation for computers and app downloads for mobile devices are also needed.
How Do Musicians Make Money Through Streaming? Music streaming platforms pay musicians by the number of streams their music generate. That said, there are many factors and dynamics to consider when talking about revenue from streams. Some of these factors and dynamics includes the listener’s country or location, the royalty rate of the artist, the value of the currency in each region, and the type of subscription listeners are using- paid or free. Again, there is no fixed rate for streaming royalties. Each music streaming service provider has a different royalty pay out rate. This makes it difficult to say exactly how much a musician can earn from a certain number of streams.
But this blog post provides a music streaming royalty calculator that enables you have an idea of what each platform pays for any number of streams you enter into the calculator. Just choose a streaming platform from the dropdown menu and enter a number of streams to see how much the platform pays. The figures you see there are specifically for the United States but it gives you an idea of how it works. You can see that the amount paid by platforms varies and the money can only amount to something reasonable only if you have a large number of streams. Tough right?
Can You Make Money Through Music Streaming? By now your hopes to make money through music streaming may have been dampened or your curiosity and desire to make it no matter what is heightened. Apart from the factors and dynamics discussed before, there are still a host of other issues to tackle before you can make money through streaming. How then can one actually make money through music streaming? The first thing is to understand the issues raised here, then find solutions. Now you know that music streaming involves technology-the use of computer, mobile phone, data, and the internet, you must then understand that music streaming will not work well in countries where people struggle with the availability of these things.
So it means your music will be mostly streamed in countries where these requirements are met. What does this mean for you? It means that your music aught to have a global perspective or acceptance so that people all over the world can stream it for you to get large number of streams especially when you live in a disadvantaged country. Knowing that different music streaming platforms pay different amounts in streaming royalties, you should target to get your music on the platforms that pay most and also put your music across on several of them. So, yes, you can make money through music streaming if you do the right things.
Things You should Do
Write and produce good music that appeals to audiences globally. This not only increases your chances of getting larger streams but also enables you earn from countries where the value of the currency is higher.
Do not feel discouraged because streaming royalties are small amounts. Work on producing music that has a global audience. The world has over six billion people in it. If you can get a good number of people to stream your music, your efforts will be well rewarded. Also, music streaming platforms get your music to new and current fans. This kind of exposure is one way to succeed in the industry. You never know the ear that will fall in love with your music and connect you to other ways you can make money from your music.
Learn the strategies each streaming platform is using to promote music. Invest more time and resources to get your music to more people. This may mean paying a little more to subscribe for special promotional offers various platforms have that will take your music to new audiences and special circles of people or interest groups.
Use your social media pages to drive traffic to your streaming websites. If you own a website like me, use it to send people to your streaming platforms. If you don’t know how to do it, engage the services of people who can do it with little charge to help you out.
Learn some important tech skills. There are many things you can do by yourself because you are just starting. You may not have money to pay for everything. For example, if you can build your mini website and run your social media pages, you will be at a great advantage. You need at least basic graphic design skills with Canva to create your graphics for your regular posts. You first create free content that attracts people to you. By so doing you create brand awareness and build your brand. Each post you do has a great impact on your audience and followers. This means you need to have content creation skills.
Be consistent in creating and crafting your music. Have a positive mindset. Work hard and work smart. God and nature will reward you without compulsory means. Think of what you are doing as a great thing. Breathe greatness into it because you are the creator.
Music streaming is tough. Oh yes, so is anything that leads to genuine success. You can make it! Remember I’m here for music, message, and money! I’m here to inspire! Let me get your comments.