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Can Musicians Make a Living During a Global Pandemic?

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During this unprecedented time in world history, people in the entertainment industry are scrambling to find new ways to create and monetize content for fans to enjoy. In an industry where so many rely on live events to make money, professionals have been finding new and innovative ways to continue to make a living. If you’re an artist who is looking for new ideas to keep you afloat, consider checking out some of our tips on creating content and making money during the COVID-19 era below:

Livestream Concerts

With in-person concerts no longer being an option, artists around the world are turning to livestreams to bring live music to their fans. Livestream concerts not only offer a form of much needed entertainment to fanbases, but allows artists to create new content to promote and monetize. Livestream concerts are not only providing fans with a unique form of entertainment, but also allows them the opportunity to support the artists they love with monetary donations.

Beyond the financial reasons to host a livestream, there are also many other benefits that are worth noting. During a livestream session, artists can encourage fans to share their content and follow their social media pages. Scheduled livestreams also give artists valuable content to post about on social media during a time where content is scarce.

Writing & Recording

This may go without saying, but there’s no better time to write and record new material than now. Keeping fans engaged and happy with new releases is critical when there are no live concerts to keep them entertained. Utilize all the time at home to create new material, shining some positive light on the COVID-19 situation. One positive to come out of the Coronavirus situation we can all be sure of is an abundance of new music and art.

Online Lessons

With non-stop touring and recording schedules, many musicians never had the opportunity to fully utilize their talents in a teaching format. Thanks to modern technology, it’s never been easier to be a teacher from the comfort of your own home. Consider promoting 1 on 1 lessons with fans at an hourly rate. You can also host free group lessons as a livestream event and accept monetary donations from those who want to participate. Play2Fund is a perfect platform for you to try this! 

Virtual Collaboration

Whether it be with fellow musicians or organizations you care for, now is a great time to build new relationships and collaborations. Consider asking a favorite business or charity to help sponsor your livestream, with profits being split between you and the organization. In return, you can help your community and double your promotion efforts for the stream.

Beyond streaming, consider working on new songs or recordings with musicians you haven’t worked with previously. You never know what kind of great and unexpected art will come from a musical collaboration you haven’t explored previously, and if released you can potentially double your exposure by introducing yourself to another fanbase. This is a great way to instantly bring you more followers and fans!

Releasing Shelved Content

Are you sitting on any recordings or videos that have yet to be released to the public? Now is a great time to get that released! Fans would love the opportunity to hear unreleased live shows, or even studio demos that aren’t quite perfect. In times like these any content you can get out will surely benefit your musical brand.

When releasing shelved content, consider doing so as a live stream! You can stream a new album or past concert live and ask for tip donations. To add to this benefit, fans will love the experience of hearing something unreleased live for the first time with many other fans. A livestream like this will create a sense of community between the artist and fanbase.

Experiment With Other Mediums

Always wanted to make a music video but couldn’t find the time? What about a podcast or musical blog? Consider now to be a great time to broaden your horizons and explore new mediums to create with. Even if you aren’t the creator, you can look into being a guest on a podcast or other interview format to help reach a wider audience and introduce yourself to new fans. Plus, it makes for great content to share on social media!

The Coronavirus Pandemic has changed the way people around the world are living their lives. The entertainment industry has been forced to undergo dramatic changes that force artists to look at things from an entirely different perspective. It is critical that artists seize this opportunity to connect with their audiences in a unique way, shedding some positive light on the hecticness of the world today. Artists who use this time to thrive and grow will see an outpouring of support from their fans, and can be sure that they will have an audience that is ready to go out and support them once restrictions on live music events are pulled.

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