Songwriting is a powerful means of artistic expression. The beauty of making money as a songwriter lies in the combination of personal fulfillment, financial rewards, artistic expression, and the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy in the world through the power of music. It’s a journey that can be both creatively satisfying and financially rewarding.
Making money as a songwriter can be challenging, but it’s certainly possible with persistence and a strategic approach. While the majority of songwriters don’t go in for the money and mostly because it’s something they enjoy, songwriters can earn hundreds, thousands, or millions of dollars from just one song alone, with some making hundreds to thousands a month.
In this quick guide, we’ll be going over how you can make money as a songwriter and some of the aspects that make songwriting a rewarding pursuit.
Stay until the end to learn all about fun ways to start making money as a songwriter and sell your music online!
7 Easy Ways to Make Money as a Songwriter and Get Paid for Writing Songs
1. Write hit songs
Writing hit songs that are produced and sung by
2. Music publishing
When your songs are performed, recorded, or aired on the radio, you may get royalties if you are the owner of the publication rights. You can collect royalties and manage these rights with the assistance of music publishing businesses.
3. Performance royalties
Performance rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC allow you to get paid when your music is played in public. When your songs are broadcast on the radio, at live concerts, in dining establishments, and other venues, these groups get the royalties on your behalf.
4. Sync licensing
Get your songs featured in movies, TV series, ads, video games, and other media by obtaining sync licensing. Sync licensing has the potential to be very profitable and result in high upfront costs and royalties.
5. Co-writing
Collaborate with other songwriters and artists. This can help you gain exposure and potentially lead to more opportunities for your songs to be recorded.
6. Online platforms
Upload your songs to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. While streaming income for most artists is relatively low, it can provide a steady revenue stream over time.
7. Music libraries
Submit your songs to production music firms and music libraries. They frequently give you the chance to have your songs used in different media projects, with the added benefit of receiving royalties for such usage.
Promoting Your Music on Social Media
In today’s digital era, many songwriters are finding it easy to promote their music online, making it their primary strategy for making money as a songwriter.
Use digital and social media tools like live streaming, social media challenges, contests, or posts to interact with your audience in
Here is how to use social media for musicians and elevate your music career!
Lyric puzzle challenge
Post snippets of your song’s lyrics as puzzle pieces on social media.Encourage your followers to solve the puzzle by rearranging the pieces in the correct order. Offer prizes or exclusive content to those who successfully solve the puzzle or share your posts.
Here are a few steps to guide you in the process:
- Choose a song and lyric snippet.
- Create the puzzle.
- Share the puzzle pieces
- Let your audience solve the puzzle and encourage them to share their process.
- Reveal the full lyric.
- Reward the winner.
This challenge not only engages your audience but also gets them interacting with your music and looking forward to your daily updates. It’s a fun and creative way to promote your songs and reward your fans for their involvement.
Collaborative songwriting challenge
Invite your followers to contribute to lines or themes for a new song.
Create collaborative songs where you incorporate their ideas into lyrics.
Interactive instagram/Facebook stories
Use Instagram and Facebook Stories’ interactive features like polls, questions,
Ask your followers to suggest song themes, titles, or lyrics through these features.
Podcasts and blogs
Start a podcast or blog where you discuss trending music topics in the industry, the songwriting process, encourage listeners to support your music, and strategically rely on advertisements or sponsors to make extra money from your blog or podcast.
Some creative podcast ideas include a podcast dedicated to discussing songwriting techniques, chord progressions, lyrics, or melody writing. Invite experienced songwriters to share their thoughts and advice. Invite songwriters to collaborate on a podcast episode, where they create a song from scratch and discuss the creative process. Review and recommend songwriting tools, software, and resources. Help songwriters discover tools that can enhance their writing process.
Songwriting webinars or live streams
Host a webinar or course session where you discuss the songwriting process. You can decide whether you’d like to charge for these or use them as a creative way to engage with your audience.
Mystery song teasers
Tease an upcoming song release with cryptic or mysterious social media posts.
Create a series of posts that gradually reveal elements of the song, such as the title, lyrics, or cover art.
Try crafting a cryptic caption with a teaser graphic to spark curiosity and interest from your audience.
Weekly songwriting challenges
Announce weekly songwriting challenges with specific criteria, such as writing a song using only three chords or within a
Encourage participants to share their creations using a dedicated hashtag.
The main takeaway is to have fun while connecting with your audience and using social media as a medium to generate income and get paid for writing songs.
How do Songwriters Make Money With Ecwid
Using a platform like Ecwid, you can set up an online store to sell your music, merchandise, and songwriting services.
This is how you can start making money as a songwriter with Ecwid:
Set up a free Ecwid store
Sign up for an Ecwid account and configure your store. You can customize the design, add your branding, and organize your products.
Sell your music
Upload your songs for sale as digital downloads. You can sell individual tracks or full albums. Make sure to provide
Songwriting services
Create product listings for your songwriting services. Clearly explain what you offer, whether it’s custom songwriting, lyrics, melodies, or collaborations. Set pricing and provide details about the process.
Subscription models
Create subscription plans for your fans. Offer exclusive content, early access to songs, or merchandise discounts to subscribers.
Collect and analyze data
Use Ecwid’s analytics tools to track your sales, customer behavior, and revenue. Adjust your strategies based on the data you collect.
Create a mailing list
Build an email list to keep your fans updated on new releases, merchandise, and special offers. Use email marketing tools in conjunction with Ecwid.
Whether you’re a seasoned songwriter or just beginning your journey with Ecwid, you can have a space or platform to sell your songs, goods, and songwriting services. By following these steps and actively promoting your music, you can reach a wider audience and generate revenue from your songwriting efforts, This is all while also maintaining a relationship with your fans and customizing your offerings to suit their requirements.
Let the music play, and may your songs resonate with many!
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