I have my own YouTube channel where I discuss all things related to being a musician, including tips on how to become successful. Over the past few years, I’ve spoken about many different ways to make money online, and recently I’ve been focused on teaching others about ways they can monetize their skills. I decided to put together a comprehensive guide on the subject, including information on how to get started, the various options available, and ways you can make significant sums of money without any special training. Keep reading for the latest info on this topic!
1. YouTube Channel
YouTube is the number one destination for finding and watching videos, so it’s the perfect place for building an audience. If you’ve got a decent following on YouTube already, the opportunities for monetization are endless. You could create product reviews, educational videos, explainer videos, or anything in between. Once you’ve established yourself as an authoritative voice in your niche, the sky is the limit.
The main advantage of having a YouTube channel is that you can simply get to work and start generating content to post in the near future. You don’t need to go through any kind of lengthy process to establish yourself as an online entertainer. If you’re looking for ways to make money from home, this is an option you should consider.
2. Podcast
Even though YouTube is the best place to build an audience, it’s not always the best choice for content. Sometimes you want to hear something quickly and then have the option of listening to it again later. With a podcast, you create a permanent audio file that you can then post to various platforms like iTunes and Google Play. The beauty of a podcast is that you can put it out there and allow the world to discover you. Unlike a YouTube channel, you don’t need to have a large audience to make significant money from a podcast. In fact, you could be creating content for an audience of one and still make decent amounts of revenue.
There are hundreds of different podcast networks out there, including the venerable The Adam Schwarzian Network, which is the home of the “This Is Why You’re Poor” podcast. You can create a podcast on virtually any topic you choose. The key is to find a voice that resonates with people and then build on top of that. If you’re looking for ways to make money online, this is an option you should research and consider.
3. Amazon Mechanical Turk
Anyone can create an online marketplace and list products for sale, but not everyone can generate significant amounts of revenue from their sites. That is the case with Amazon.com, the largest online marketplace not named Google. You can create an account on Amazon Mechanical Turk and then use their Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program to list and drop-ship products for sale.
You get paid per item when someone buys something from your listing, so the amount of money you make depends on how much effort you put into your product range. A lot of people make decent revenue from Mechanical Turk, but it’s not the easiest option to get started with. You’ll need to create a product range that can command a good price and then find a way to generate interest in those products among the millions of people visiting Amazon every month.
4. Shopify Plus
Shopify is the best all-around ecommerce solution for both beginners and experts. If you’re looking for a way to make money online, this is the place to be. You can use their eCommerce Software to create an online store that you can then integrate with various platforms like Amazon, Google Play, and eBay to name a few.
You can use their built-in tools to create products, set prices, and edit the look of your store. If you want to test the waters with Shopify, you can create a free account and then use their demo products to launch your own store. Once you’re confident that Shopify is the right ecommerce solution for you, you can invest in a paid plan that will give you everything you need to grow your business.
5. Shopify Affiliate Program
The Shopify affiliate program pays you commission when someone clicks a product link or buys a product from your store using a given affiliate token. You’ll need to build a store first before you can get started with the affiliate program, but once you’re ready to take advantage of the platform, it’s an easy way to generate a steady stream of income. Just remember, you’ll need to earn at least $100 in ad revenue before you can even think about earning commissions. If you get paid every time someone buys a product from your store, why wouldn’t you?
You can use the Shopify app to connect your store with hundreds of different affiliate programs, from Amazon to eBay, Rakuten, and more. The key is to find a way to earn $100 a day just from organic sales (when an affiliate sale happens without a promoted or paid search term or keyword being used). Keep in mind that you must keep $100 of Amazon credits in your account to make a referral earn you commissions. You’ll need a paid API key to access this functionality.
6. Start A Blog
Blogs are an incredibly popular way to generate income online. The key is to pick your niche and build a small community around your blog. You can use your blog to post articles on a variety of topics, from personal experiences to tips and tricks to help others living a music life. You can use affiliate marketing to monetize your blog, getting paid when someone clicks a product link or buys a product from your site. Start a blog in your niche if you haven’t already and then use the platform to publish and grow your audience. Once you’ve got a decent following, you can explore various monetization options including affiliate marketing, paid press ads, and more.
7. Sign Up For A Monetization Course
Now, for the last and perhaps the most luminous way to make money online, you need to learn a new skill or take an existing one and monetize it. If you’ve never made a steady income from online marketing, you might want to consider taking a class on how to monetize blogs or other websites. There are numerous monetization courses out there, even for free, that will teach you how to make money using a variety of techniques, including some that aren’t mentioned here. Once you’ve learned the basics of monetizing a website, you can open up a variety of business options, including a merchant account on one of the biggest payment providers, like stripe.com or square bank. Once you’ve got a business account, you can open up a shopify store and link it to your web address. Then, when someone buys a product in your store using your linked credit card, you’ll get paid a commission.
There’s a ton of ways to make money as a musician online, but as you can see, not all of them are good for your health. This is a competitive field, and you’ll need to work hard to make sure you’re building a business you can afford to continue operating. From the preparation of music for various platforms to the listing and promotion of products to the creation of podcasts and blogs, you can make a living doing what you love most. Good luck out there!