1. Unleash your music expertise: teach
Teaching is a great way to improve your own technical abilities whilst earning that all important cash. There are always music students who want to improve their skills and people who want to learn how to play an instrument.
David Bennett secured his first few students by leafletting through doors in the local area and through Google Maps, where he can list himself for free so that people can find him. In terms of teaching, he says the key is to prepare plenty of resources, exercises, and activities before the lesson.
“There is nothing worse than running out of things to teach a student during a lesson. Planning and preparing your resources before the lesson will help you structure the lesson better and make you more confident and relaxed,” he says. “It’s always scary at the beginning leading a lesson all by yourself, but confidence will grow.”
Earning potential: £34 per hour on average
2. Unlock your musical brilliance: perform at events
Classical music is often sought after for weddings, bar mitzvahs, formal events, and parties. Keep an eye on these opportunities through social media and networking with event planners, wedding coordinators, and venue owners who can help you secure gigs. You can also find work playing for ensembles that form for a specific concert engagement or production, such as a music theatre show that requires a pit band, as well as recording sessions.
Having joined a function and wedding band in his second year of university, Bennett says that getting gigs is a combination of actively marketing yourself to potential venues and networking with fellow musicians.
The best way to get gigs is through another musician that you know. When they need a player for a gig, you want to be the first number that they call
David Bennett
“My band got our first few gigs at local bars and pubs just by approaching the venue. I also joined a few non-exclusive agencies who help you find functions and wedding gigs,” he says. “Often, the best way to get gigs is through another musician that you know. When they need a player for a gig, you want to be the first number that they call!”
Earning potential: from £147.00 to £196.00 per musician (single performance lasting at least 3 hours)
3. Showcase your creativity: compose and sell music
You can write something called library music or production music, which is recorded music that can be licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio, adverts, or games. Once your track gets picked up to be used in a show, Performance Rights Organisations will track usage and collect the royalties for you.
According to MusicRadar, a track used in a BBC1 prime-time show can pull in about £15. But in order to get picked by a show like this, you probably need to constantly produce works through the years.
Bennett, who writes a lot of library music, says it’s important to write a wide range and different types of music to make a profit. “I got into library music just by approaching a few music libraries that I found online,” he says. “Advertising agencies, TV producers, and sync agents browse these libraries, and then they might use your music, and you’ll get paid royalties,” he says. “The thing with library music is that many of your pieces won’t ever get used, so you have to create a lot of different music and hope that some get used.”
Earning potential: up to £15 for a top show
4. Captivate the digital stage: become a music Youtuber
It might not sound easy, but it’s a good way of earning some serious money. Bennett started his Youtube channel in 2018, hoping to add another income stream alongside performing, teaching, and composing. But within five years, his channel has earned enough to allow him to go full-time.
Starting YouTube is all about trial and error, experimenting with different formats and approaches to making videos until eventually, you find something that attracts an audience
David Bennett
“My advice to anybody who wants to start a YouTube channel is to treat it like a full-time job for at least an entire year despite the fact you are highly unlikely to see any money earned within that first year,” Bennett says.
“However, it is only with the dedication and persistence of treating it ‘like your job’ that you will be able to get traction on YouTube. Starting YouTube is all about trial and error, experimenting with different formats and approaches to making videos until eventually, you find something that attracts an audience, and then you can run with that!”
Earning potential: around £4 per 1,000 views and £14 per 1,000 ad views
5. Behind the curtain: usher for concerts and operas
As a classical music student, you will have attended many concerts. But how about ushering for one? Concert halls and opera houses constantly hire people to usher for the performances. You will be properly trained to actively engage with customers to provide them with an excellent night surrounded by beautiful music. By the time you finish your shift, you will have enjoyed the concert too.
Mei Li, an art student who has been ushering in many art performances in London, says that it’s an important and challenging job because the ushers are the first people the audience meets, and the quality will have an impact on the satisfaction of the audience.
“My advice to anybody who wants to usher in performances is to be familiar with the procedure of the performance first,” she says, “you are facing all kinds of people and can’t really anticipate what will happen in the next second. Good communication skills and the ability to deal with different circumstances are very important for this role, but don’t panic if you are facing something tricky during work. See it as an opportunity to improve your ability.”
Earning potential: £11 per hour on average
Read: The true cost of ‘pay per stream’
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