No, we are not talking the street terms. We’re talking about legit ways to make fast money so you can support your career. Because let’s admit it, talent and money almost never come in the same box. So if you’re naturally talented, chances are you’ve been given the short end of the stick when it comes to finances. Know that that’s normal and know that it is your God-given task to put your brain, knowledge, and ambition to work to elevate yourself. Here are 10 side-gigs for you, the upcoming musician, that will bring you money fast from the comfort of your home.
10. Formatting Amazon Ebooks.
It took us five days to learn that here at Blue Rhymez Entertainment. Five days (including cover formatting, size trimmings, bleed vs no bleed proportions, etc.) that for you will directly translate to paid gigs. When you go on the myriad of freelancer websites, there’s A TON of people looking to self-publish their books and 1. don’t know how to do it 2. are too old to get it 3. are too lazy 4. don’t have the luxury of time and would rather pay someone else to do it for them. Be that someone to do it! A good start is https://www.guru.com/ to find those clients.
9. Taking Photos.
No, not signing up on Getty Images or Shutterstock. Those platforms are filled to the brim with super professionals that got gear that costs more than your house at their disposal. Instead, go straight to the customers. If you got some decent gear and a good photography eye, do some Google searching and sign up on platforms that allow people to ask directly what they need. You will be surprised to see there are people willing to pay you $60 for a photo of coffee beans for their ebook.
8. Content Writing.
If you’re an avid reader with a good pen, which usually artists are, get into writing for blogs specialized in topics you’re already educated in. There is a myriad of online publications, magazines, websites, and even YouTubers, ready to pay for good content. Don’t randomly pitch your knowledge to big websites that have three generations waiting in line for a job. Again, go directly to the customer instead. On those same freelancer platforms, you will see blogs seeking articles about EVERYTHING. From sex education, keto diets, and sports cars, whatever interests you and you know a lot about, you can get paid for it. You just have to do your part of putting yourself out there. The payoff is not bad either. The standard US market rate is $0.03 cents per word.
7. SEO-ing Content.
Let’s say you’re not a great writer but you enjoy math, probability, and getting results fast. If you’re naturally curious and like the thrill, get into SEO. It’s not that hard. It abides by certain rules, logic, and algorithmic expectations. Then, as you’ve learned by now, head to the website where people are crying for help with SEO and get paid to apply your knowledge. You might have to help a friend or two for free to see if you can actually bring in results, but it is totally doable and it is a very solid skill that pays off instantly.
6. Creating Fan Videos.
Yup, just like you, there are MILLIONS of hungry artists, some actually desperate, to pay people to make it look like they got fans. And why not? It does help with credibility in front of both professionals and first-time listeners. So if you’re a hot chick able to twerk, jump on Fiverr, although we’ve seen some girls finessing the heck out of IG rappers, and offer to twerk on songs for a fee. You can also do all kinds of dances to all kinds of music. The prettier you are, the more money you’ll make. No, you’re not h*eing yourself, you’re a professional supporter for upcoming artists. The same goes for the boys.
5. Basic Video Editing.
It is phenomenally easy to get your hands on a basic version of some video editing software depending on the operating system you got. Heck, some people edit videos through Tik Tok only while some use Russian tips and tricks available with subtitles on YouTube (we can’t use the H-word as to avoid triggering Google into thinking we’re encouraging illegal activity). As we’ve become ridiculously visual as a society, where an announcement doesn’t mean jack unless it is accompanied by a video or a photo, editing footage is highly in demand. You’ve learned how to build a whole stage presence, you will learn how to cut, paste, glue, trim, flip, trace, etc. Companies and individuals needing help with editing their YouTube and social media videos are probably twice as many as you think.
4. Entering Online Competitions.
This one is such an undervalued market… You are an artist. You are creative. You got what brands need: people dedicated to bringing their product to the limelight without looking or sounding stupid. Go to Google and search: (name of your country/city) online competitions. You will be surprised to find out the massive awards, often monetary, that brands are willing to give to those able to level up their credibility. You could write a 30-second jingle for Magnum Ice Cream and get paid for it. Or you could get some exclusive merch and sell it on third-party websites.
3. Asking For Money.
We don’t like this one because it lowers your value, in our opinion, but we know artists who’ve left Tik Tok live sessions with $300 from their fans. And those fans were not even aware they made music. They just liked their looks and dropped that cash. It is insane that we’ve reached such vanity levels that you get paid for showing up pretty. But yes, you can totally do that. Whether you’re a man or a woman, young or old, if you can get to over 1k fans on Tik Tok, you go live and ask for money.
2. Self-publishing An Ebook.
One that’s useful that is. Or one that is highly fictitious (teen romance like Twilight is highly sought after). If you can pull all your life knowledge into a useful ebook that people will be interested in, you can pay ZERO dollars by self-publishing through Amazon thus having no upfront costs whatsoever. Then you can invest as little as $100 into paid advertisement on Amazon. Why on Amazon and not Google? Well because people scrolling through Amazon are ready to buy. Now it is a matter of who convinces them they’re worth their money. Jeff Bezos deserves a Nobel prize for this alone. For having created an entire independent self-published, self-advertised industry of authors that are making a living and a killing at it. If once upon a time being a NY Times Best Seller was the highest degree of recognition, now being an Amazon bestseller matters just as much.
1. Starting Your Own Blog
We left this for last as it is still faster to make money than being a musician but it is the most time-consuming gig of the 10 and dreadful in execution but… it is also the one that just might turn into a long-term income. Your blog preferably won’t be about music as you’re already too deep into it. If you live, breathe, write, and exist music, you will burn out. Plus, if you’re reading this, then you’re still struggling to make it so your authority on the matter is questionable at best. Write instead about a hobby you’ve had forever. Or start reviewing products that interest you. We find that female artists have a whole lot of makeup products at home so the easiest transition for them is to start a makeup blog where they take photos of themselves sporting those products and writing their opinion about them. As a woman, you’re already doing this. Put it into writing, add some shots, and get that advertisement money. You might also find yourself pitched by brands with PR packages (when they send you stuff for free in exchange for your review), and that’s a paid opportunity as well. Except that you have to take extra steps to sell that PR package afterwards on places like Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, etc. Seriously, most artists are so hungry to make it that they could establish entire empires to support them financially instead of blasting cover after cover on YouTube where millions are doing the exact same thing. Be smarter than that.
Did you know you can help upcoming artists significantly by donating your time? You read that right. By streaming the playlist below you will be helping a good 30 highly determined and ambitious artists that we’ve hand-picked from across the world. And their music is actually good.