HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM MUSIC

There are many ways to make money in the music industry in Kenya. You can earn money on YouTube, live performances, digital sales, sponsorships or become a brand ambassador. 

You can work in the music industry as a producer, musician, record label or music promoters in Kenya. 

Therefore, if you are thinking of getting into the music industry, there are many opportunities and areas you can venture into.

*Lucrative Ways to Earn as a Musician in Kenya*

You could be wondering, how do Kenyan musicians make money? The following are excellent ways you can generate money through the music industry in Kenya.

*YouTube Channel*

You can earn extra income by uploading your music on a YouTube channel. If your channel becomes popular, Ads will be displayed on it.  Whenever people click on an advert on your channel, you earn a commission. 

There are many platforms through which you can use to collect the money you make through YouTube.

*Selling Merchandise*

Musicians can make extra cash by selling products associated with you. For instance, you engrave your name or brand on t-shirts, buttons, stickers and caps and sell them. 

To do so, you need to be popular and have significant followers. You can organize events and shows where you can sell your products. 

Also, whenever you go to perform in an event, you can carry those items and sell them to your fans. However, before embark on selling merchandise in large scale, make sure that you have a large customer base.

*Live Performances*

Live performance is one of the most common ways prominent musicians make money. Musicians perform on concerts and corporate events. You have probably come across roadshows by hosted companies with live performances by artists. 

Companies pay musicians handsomely to perform on events and company product promotions.

*Royalties and Licenses*

Lately, the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) has improved its operations. Kenyan musicians can get their dues for music plays on radios and televisions. Whenever a song is played on entertainment joints, radio and television, the musician is paid some money. 

The role of MCSK is to collect royalties for song plays on behalf of the musicians. Also, musicians get paid whenever their music is played on adverts. Many musicians earn from their songs playing on adverts. 

*Selling Songs in CDs and DVDs*

You have probably come across vehicles playing music and encouraging people to buy the songs. Selling CDs and DVDs is the other way musicians make money in Kenya. The musician can sell the songs directly or through the producer. The producer will then pay the musician the money he collects through sales.

*Digital Sales*

Many people listen to songs online. Kenyan musicians are making money for songs they sell online. You can sign up on platforms like iTunes so that for any downloads of your song, you get paid. People will have to pay a certain amount of money to download your music.

You can also set up your website where you can be selling songs. It will be possible for internet users to sample songs and buy them before downloading. Besides, many local sites are offering the same services that you can liaise with and start generating revenue from your music e.g Viusasa.

*Marketing Brands*

Kenyan artists are making money through brand promotion. This way, artists become brand ambassadors and promote products using their names. Since musicians have a large following, they can influence their fans to use a particular product. The corporate then pay the artists for their influence on their product.

*Ringback Tunes*

Safaricom and Airtel have Skiza Tunes and Hello Tunes products respectively. Ringback tunes are songs that entertain callers before the receiver answers the call. 

They have become excellent ways through which musicians can make money online. The more popular your songs are, the more you earn since you will have more fans using your song as a ringback tune. 

When you sign up for ringback tunes, you will get a unique code for a particular song. You will need to share the code with your fans to set your song as their ringback tune.

*Music Competitions*

There are many competitions organize for different music genres. You can make extra cash using your music talent. For instance, there was "Tusker Project Fame" organized by EABL that aimed to get the most talented artists. Winners got huge sums of money. 

By taking part in such competitions, you also increase your fans base. 

*Conclusion*

To make money as a musician, an artist should have diverse ways to make money from music. Then, you also need to market your songs and let your fans know the different ways you are monetizing your music. 

Making money in the music industry is important if you are aspiring to become an artist. To start generating significant revenues from music requires patience, hard work and creativity.