How Musicians Make Money in 2019

“Sixty-one percent of musicians said that their music-related income is not sufficient to meet their living expenses” (MIRA).

Musicians are no longer able to make a solid income selling albums and mp3s. With the advent of Spotify and streaming, musicians today make very little money selling their music. According to the Creative Industries Journal, “both major stars and smaller independent artists [are] publicly criticising the low levels of royalty payments such services have thus far generated.” (Lee) In 2018, the majority of musicians make money from performances, music lessons, and performing in religious services.

Performances

Performances are the top source of income for musicians. According to the Music Industry Research Association:

• 81% of musicians earned income from live events in 2017.
• Performances accounted for 42% of the average musician’s music-related income.
• Median amount of income earned from live events, for those who reported receiving income from performances, was $5,428.

Music Lessons

Music Lessons are the second most common form of income for musicians. According to the Music Industry Research Association:

• 42% of musicians earned income from giving music lessons in 2017.
• Music lessons accounted for 12% of the average musician’s music-related income.
• Median amount of income earned from music lessons, for those who reported receiving income from music lessons, was $4,000.

Church, Choir, Other Religious Services

Religious services are the third most common form of income for musicians. According to the Music Industry Research Association:

• 38% of musicians earned income from giving music lessons in 2017.
• Music lessons accounted for 16% of the average musician’s music-related income.
• Median amount of income earned from music lessons, for those who reported receiving income from music lessons, was $8,000.

Comparison to Our Class

Ohio musicians are supplementing their existing musical income with voice technology. Artists such as TrigNO, Spirit of the Bear, and Ladies Love Launy use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to promote their next performances. October Jonez and TrigNO use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to promote their music lessons. None of the artists from Columbus Voice Bootcamp: Musician Edition currently leverage voice technology to assist in Church, Choir, or Other Religious Services. When leveraged effectively, voice technology not only increases exposure to existing musical income sources, but establishes a new channel for fans to discover musician services.