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How are singers making a living?
What kind of practical advice can be given to a music student that wants career direction and to build experience?
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6 answers
Updated
Rondell’s Answer
As someone who's navigated the music industry through multiple lanes (live performance, studio engineering, music direction, international gigs, and media production), here’s some practical advice to help you gain career direction and build real experience:
Explore all areas of music, even beyond your current interests.
Build experience by saying yes to small gigs, projects, and volunteer work.
Learn your tools — from DAWs to live gear and basic video editing.
Collaborate, show up consistently, and build real relationships.
Create locally but think globally — and have an online presence.
Keep leveling up with courses and certifications that match your goals.
Explore all areas of music, even beyond your current interests.
Build experience by saying yes to small gigs, projects, and volunteer work.
Learn your tools — from DAWs to live gear and basic video editing.
Collaborate, show up consistently, and build real relationships.
Create locally but think globally — and have an online presence.
Keep leveling up with courses and certifications that match your goals.
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
Joining a band that regularly performs is a great way to start building up experience and confidence! Your band mates make great accountability partners who will help you step out of your comfort zone and push you towards becoming a strong, confident singer.
Career wise, in today’s world you’ve got a lot of great options and tools to help you along the way! Besides a performance based career, you can increase your earnings by singing for things like jingles and ads, or even creating sample vocals and loops which are often times in high demand!
Career wise, in today’s world you’ve got a lot of great options and tools to help you along the way! Besides a performance based career, you can increase your earnings by singing for things like jingles and ads, or even creating sample vocals and loops which are often times in high demand!
Updated
Erika’s Answer
Building a strong social media presence is essential. It helps you get noticed, grow a fan base, secure brand and sponsorship deals, and connect with other singers. Having multiple income streams is crucial for singers to thrive.
Thanks Erika! I hadn't thought of the necessity for social media presence but that makes sense.
Rachel
Updated
Idris’s Answer
This will be a layered answer. For a singer to make money in the world, regardless of where you are, you need good songs, and exposure.
Crafting a good song looks different to different people, but what I would recommend is to work on your craft as much as possible, get really in tune with yourself and your art, making sure that each song is growing with you as a person. Test them out, listen to your own music. This may sound a little egotistical, but you should be listening to your own music all the time. If you aren't making music you want to listen to, then you know where to start.
Exposure. Having exposure can arguably be more important than having a good song. Getting in front of viewers and listeners every chance you get is incredibly valuable. If you have the opportunity to play somewhere, play there. This puts you in front of more people, and some of them inevitably will be great connections, helping you along your journey.
If you're trying to sing for someone else, or for a different sort of career, it will definitely be about exposure. Auditioning for roles or bands, playing your own originals, going to social events in that circle, those will all be integral to your growth.
Crafting a good song looks different to different people, but what I would recommend is to work on your craft as much as possible, get really in tune with yourself and your art, making sure that each song is growing with you as a person. Test them out, listen to your own music. This may sound a little egotistical, but you should be listening to your own music all the time. If you aren't making music you want to listen to, then you know where to start.
Exposure. Having exposure can arguably be more important than having a good song. Getting in front of viewers and listeners every chance you get is incredibly valuable. If you have the opportunity to play somewhere, play there. This puts you in front of more people, and some of them inevitably will be great connections, helping you along your journey.
If you're trying to sing for someone else, or for a different sort of career, it will definitely be about exposure. Auditioning for roles or bands, playing your own originals, going to social events in that circle, those will all be integral to your growth.
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. I believe there are many income sources as a singer or musician.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Performance - You perform in event, shows, functions, etc. If you can act and dance, you can also consider to become musical artiest
2. If you can write songs, you can be singer song writer. You can compose songs for other singers.
3. Record your performance on Youtube or Sportify
4. Teach music and singing for children in school or education centres
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Performance - You perform in event, shows, functions, etc. If you can act and dance, you can also consider to become musical artiest
2. If you can write songs, you can be singer song writer. You can compose songs for other singers.
3. Record your performance on Youtube or Sportify
4. Teach music and singing for children in school or education centres
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Rachel!
I agree with the comments already here, especially creating a social media or online music presence, and joining a musical group whether it be a band, choir, or working with producers or engineers. There are lots of examples of singers who have built a following online that can draw advertising revenue from the service you're on - such as YouTube / YouTube Music, Amazon Music, etc. An example is Lainie Gardner who made a cover song video in bedroom of "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac. Her video went viral (57 million views) and she was hired by the Jonas Brothers dad for a record deal, recorded an album, and now is out on tour in her 20's.
A good way to build a career and make money with singing is with a gig on one or more the various online freelancing services out there, such as SoundBetter, AirGigs, Fiverr, Upwork, Guru, etc., all of which I use to audition singers. It's a way to build experience and get reviews for your work. There are lots of female singers on these sites selling their vocals for original or cover songs. A successful example is Liliia Kysil from Ukraine. She's been on Fiverr for the last five years and has completed over 2,600 singing jobs so far. At an average of $100 per job, that's over a quarter of a million dollars, or about $50K per year. She sings in English and Ukrainian, and pretty much any genre. She also offers songwriting services as part of her gig, and by now she has 10-15 years experience.
Being a freelance singer isn't easy, but if you have a good voice and are persistent you can build a clientele and repeat customers. On Fiverr alone, there are over 7,000 female vocalists from all over the world, and they charge on average from $50 to $150 per job. As a producer, I've paid up to $250 for a singing job which might include the Lead Vocal, a Lead Vocal Double, Ad Libs (improvisations), and harmonies (including stacked harmonies which are like multiple doubles of the same harmony to build a fuller sound).
The key thing about having an online singing profile is to have great vocal samples posted on your online gig, so buyers can get a good idea of your sound. Buyers who are auditioning singers for a job online have to be able to listen the quality of your voice and if it's a good match for their project. There are lots of singers on these online freelance services who shoot themselves in the foot by not posting any samples at all, having three samples of the same vocal, posting a picture of themselves at microphone with no audio, or not listing a price (instead writing an instruction to "contact for pricing". When buyers see these errors, they instantly go on to the next profile. So you need to take the time to make some great vocal samples, preferably in two or three genres, together with an instrumental that doesn't overpower your voice.
Being a singer online is one of the few areas of the music business where female musicians are well represented. But the music field really needs to be better represented by female musicians in every category (producing, composing, songwriting, session playing (with any instrument), as well as audio engineering. As an independent producer, I try to hire female musicians whenever I can - especial newcomers - to help them get a foothold in the business - and it's sometimes hard because there are so few; bass players, guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, and virtual instrumentalists come to mind. But the bottom line is to get yourself out there any way you can.
Best wishes on your journey - you're going to do great!
I agree with the comments already here, especially creating a social media or online music presence, and joining a musical group whether it be a band, choir, or working with producers or engineers. There are lots of examples of singers who have built a following online that can draw advertising revenue from the service you're on - such as YouTube / YouTube Music, Amazon Music, etc. An example is Lainie Gardner who made a cover song video in bedroom of "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac. Her video went viral (57 million views) and she was hired by the Jonas Brothers dad for a record deal, recorded an album, and now is out on tour in her 20's.
A good way to build a career and make money with singing is with a gig on one or more the various online freelancing services out there, such as SoundBetter, AirGigs, Fiverr, Upwork, Guru, etc., all of which I use to audition singers. It's a way to build experience and get reviews for your work. There are lots of female singers on these sites selling their vocals for original or cover songs. A successful example is Liliia Kysil from Ukraine. She's been on Fiverr for the last five years and has completed over 2,600 singing jobs so far. At an average of $100 per job, that's over a quarter of a million dollars, or about $50K per year. She sings in English and Ukrainian, and pretty much any genre. She also offers songwriting services as part of her gig, and by now she has 10-15 years experience.
Being a freelance singer isn't easy, but if you have a good voice and are persistent you can build a clientele and repeat customers. On Fiverr alone, there are over 7,000 female vocalists from all over the world, and they charge on average from $50 to $150 per job. As a producer, I've paid up to $250 for a singing job which might include the Lead Vocal, a Lead Vocal Double, Ad Libs (improvisations), and harmonies (including stacked harmonies which are like multiple doubles of the same harmony to build a fuller sound).
The key thing about having an online singing profile is to have great vocal samples posted on your online gig, so buyers can get a good idea of your sound. Buyers who are auditioning singers for a job online have to be able to listen the quality of your voice and if it's a good match for their project. There are lots of singers on these online freelance services who shoot themselves in the foot by not posting any samples at all, having three samples of the same vocal, posting a picture of themselves at microphone with no audio, or not listing a price (instead writing an instruction to "contact for pricing". When buyers see these errors, they instantly go on to the next profile. So you need to take the time to make some great vocal samples, preferably in two or three genres, together with an instrumental that doesn't overpower your voice.
Being a singer online is one of the few areas of the music business where female musicians are well represented. But the music field really needs to be better represented by female musicians in every category (producing, composing, songwriting, session playing (with any instrument), as well as audio engineering. As an independent producer, I try to hire female musicians whenever I can - especial newcomers - to help them get a foothold in the business - and it's sometimes hard because there are so few; bass players, guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, and virtual instrumentalists come to mind. But the bottom line is to get yourself out there any way you can.
Best wishes on your journey - you're going to do great!