How To Turn Your Music Streams Into Upfront Cash

Royalty Advances

Think you need to be an established artist signed to a major record label to get access to a royalty advance? Amuse has just launched a brand-new royalty advance service called Fast Forward, giving DIY artists access to up to six months of their future royalties now.

The automated platform analyses over 35 billion data points to automatically calculate and offer emerging artists access to their future royalties, enabling artists to accelerate and invest in their careers when it matters most; whether it’s buying new equipment, renting a recording studio, or marketing a new release.

Fast Forward is open for all eligible artists distributing their music through Amuse, and each offer is based on the artist’s streaming pattern — offering an advance in exchange of an individually based one-time fee.

If you’re already using Amuse, just log in to the app to see if you have an offer. If you’re not part of the Amuse fam yet, you can read more about getting access to a Fast Forward deal here.

Ticket Sales

As music becomes more available to listeners through streaming platforms and social media, dedicated fans are craving more intimate experiences with their favourite artists.

While your streams may only generate small payouts from the DSPs like Spotify and iTunes, live performances — be it tours, music festivals or local shows — are quickly becoming one of the most lucrative, money-generating spaces for musicians in the digital-music era.

Touring is also important for any artist because it helps you establish your brand in other markets, getting your music in front of new potential (long-term) fans.  

Merch

Selling merch products like clothing, posters and accessories has been a money-making strategy for artists for years, but artists now have a lot more ways to promote their products — from social media, to live shows, festivals and brand partnerships.

Outside of promoting your products on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, artists are now also starting to create custom channels of communication with their fans on platforms like Twitch and Kickstarter — where fans can donate or purchase merch direct.

Before you go and print a bunch of shirts with your logo on them, it’s important to take a step back to evaluate your brand, what you want to represent, and what defines you as an artist (you can learn more by reading our guide for building your brand here).

Consider designing your merch around different milestones in your career, like album releases, tours, or festivals and keep the production runs limited so they feel more special.

Record Deals

Getting signed to a record label doesn’t always mean instant cash — but, if you’re looking for a partner to support you with marketing, promotion, playlist pitching or music videos, a record deal might be right for you.

When looking for new artists to sign, labels look for artists who are actively trying to promote themselves. So, if your goal is to be signed, focus on building your brand, scaling your fan community and getting experience playing live shows. This is all part of the process for getting the attention of labels and A&Rs.

Did you know Amuse is also a record label? You can find out more details on how to get signed here.

Advertising

A growing revenue stream for independent artists is YouTube monetization, where artists get a share of the advertising profits that their videos generate on the platform. While there’s been no recent official communication from the platform on the current payout rates, YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen revealed in a blog post in 2017 that it’s payout rate in the U.S. is as high as $3 per 1000 streams. Other reports hint that you can earn anywhere between $1-$5 for every 1000 views you get.

Ready to fast forward your music career? Read more about our royalty advance service here.