6 Best Music Related Side Hustles for Musicians (by a Musician)

Give Music Lessons ($30.00–$100.00 per Hour)

Musicians with one or two instruments at a competent level can start taking on students without formal teaching experience. Lessons work in person or online, expanding reach beyond local contacts.

Platforms like Fiverr and Preply are solid starting points for listing online lesson services. For a more scalable option, pre-recorded courses covering music theory or production can be listed on Udemy, generating passive income from a single piece of content.

Provide Voiceover Services ($20.00–$30.00 per Hour)

Musicians tend to have well-trained ears and strong vocal diction, which translates directly to voiceover work. A singing background helps, but it's not required — clear delivery and controlled tone matter more.

Getting started requires three things:

• A good microphone
• An audio interface
• A quiet recording space

Upwork and Fiverr carry a range of voiceover gigs. For audiobook narration specifically, ACX and Voices are the more targeted platforms. This work also overlaps with ways to earn money reading books for musicians who enjoy longer-form recording sessions.

Create Royalty-Free Music ($20.00–$150.00 per Month)

Producing royalty-free music lets creators use your tracks without licensing fees, and many donate to the artist voluntarily. Income builds gradually as the catalogue grows and more people discover the work.

Three things that accelerate this:

• Multiple pieces across several genres to widen the potential audience
• Distribution across more than one platform, not just one
• Actively promoting the availability of free-to-use tracks

Platforms like Audiio and Epidemic Sound are established starting points for publishing royalty-free music.

Start a Music YouTube Channel ($50.00–$1,000.00+ per Month)

Music channels built around ambient, lo-fi, or dub techno content are consistently popular on YouTube. Listeners use this kind of music for studying, working, and exercise, which means consistent loops and familiar sounds tend to hold attention longer than highly varied tracks.

A basic upload involves adding a static image, then uploading two to three hours of music. Tracks can be reused or built from similar loops. Channels like Essential Classics and Celine show how smaller creators build audiences through consistent study and ambient playlists. This format also supports passive income once a back catalogue is established.

Take on Weekend Gigs ($200.00–$2,000.00+)

Weekend gigs are a reliable side income for musicians, whether through connections or gig listings found online. They also build recognition alongside the earnings.

Several types of weekend gig are worth pursuing:

• Wedding performances: Couples increasingly book live musicians for ceremonies. Facebook Marketplace and local gig sites are common places to find these listings.
• Church performances: Local churches, particularly larger congregations, pay band members for weekly services. Most welcome musicians regardless of religious affiliation, and the sets tend to be straightforward.
• Joining a local band: Musicians at music school or with existing contacts can reach out to bands needing an extra player. Drummers and guitarists are frequently in demand.
• Fill-in roles: Offering yourself as a reliable substitute when a band member is unavailable builds connections and gets you in front of audiences even without a permanent slot.

Work as a Concert or Event Stage Hand ($15.00–$70.00 per Hour)

Stage hand roles suit musicians who want involvement in the live music industry without performing. Most opportunities come through word of mouth, but listings also appear on job platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor.

Event coordinators and large production companies hire stage hands regularly. Working in a major city helps, but musicians in smaller markets can explore ways to earn money listening to music in the meantime.