There are many to make money and passive income from the music industry. One lucrative way is through ghostwriting music for musicians, rappers, and artists. According to Vice, both popular and upcoming artists rely on the services of ghostwriters to create as well as produce some of their music (source). With the right content, you can earn an income ghostwriting music.
Can you earn passive income ghostwriting music? You can earn passive income with ghostwriting music. So long as you have a passion for writing music, create authentic content, and use the right strategies to market your services and get clients, you can earn a decent passive income as a music ghostwriter. The idea is to identify the right music genre, create authentic and good music, and connect with willing artists.
In this article, we uncover the music industry and highlight a few ways you can earn a passive income as a ghost audio content creator within the industry. We share what we know about ghostwriting music and the various factors to consider before you get started. Just remember, like any other passive income idea, ghostwriting music requires passion, dedication, creativity, and hard work. Let’s get started.
Ghostwriting Stats and Projections
Ghostwriting music services have existed as long as music has. In fact, most of the music celebrities don’t know how, or don’t have enough time to write their own music. Many renowned artists like Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Beyoncé, Drake, Chris Brown, etc. have relied on the services of ghost writers and audio content producers to create content on their behalf (source).
Unlike before, the industry has become more transparent and songwriters receive better rates and credit for their work (source). Moreover, with an increase in the number of upcoming artists and music sharing platforms, ghostwriting music has never been this lucrative (source).
Deciding if Ghostwriting Music is for You
Let’s face it! Songwriting is not for everyone. Even some of the greatest music celebrities have to rely on songwriters to compose their music. Before you decide to start offering ghostwriting services for musicians, you have to consider whether it is an idea you want to pursue. Some helpful considerations you need to make include:
- Are you passionate about songwriting?
- Do you consider yourself an innovative songwriter?
- Are you willing to write songs that you might never get recognition for?
- Are you willing to be rejected (possibly multiple times) but still pursue this passion?
If you answered yes to all the above questions, you may want to get started with ghostwriting music. With the right strategies and content, you can offer your services directly to clients or indirectly through sites like Fiverr and earn an income you can eventually make more passive. Still interested? Keep scrolling and find out how you can start earning money passively in a few steps.
Identify Your Niche Within The Music Industry
Identifying the right niche for you can help you stand out from your competitors, beat the competition, and ultimately improve your returns. As an audio and music ghostwriter, your initial step should be to identify a niche or music genre you intend to write about. You should definitely choose a genre you are already passionate about or are willing to explore further. Some of the questions you might want to ask yourself include:
- Who is your target market?
- What are music fans within the niche looking for?
- What are the fans missing from existing content?
You can therefore go deeper by:
- Identifying your competitors weaknesses
- Talking to music fans and identifying opportunities
- Reading forums in your niche to identify opportunities
Once you have identified a niche, you can start music ghostwriting services fairly easily and eventually earn a passive income while at it.
Budgeting to Ghostwrite Music
A good budget goes a long way in helping you manage your business and sustaining its profitability. Before you get started with ghostwriting music, compile a budget of the costs and revenues to determine its workability and profitability.
Definitely carry out prior research about the operations of ghostwriting music. What are some of the starting and running costs? Are there any applicable fees? You can also look up information from reliable online sources including some of the legal requirements you may need to meet depending on your jurisdiction. But a good thing is, ghostwriting music does not require a huge investment like other passive income ideas like starting brick and mortar businesses.
Equipment Costs
Ghostwriting music does not require a large investment like other passive income businesses. All you need to get started is mostly a laptop and internet connection. With the right content and workable strategies, you can start offering services online independently or through ghostwriting platforms like Fiverr.
Promoting Your Ghost Writing Audio Services
Once you launch your music ghostwriting business, you may need to promote it to grow your customer base. Creating a well written profile and offer on Fiverr can help you get your first sales, but it may not be enough. You may need to promote your services on social media. A great place to do so, and make extra income, is YouTube. We have a full YouTube passive income article on our site here.
If you want to take things further, you could try print media, word of mouth, or offering free services and giveaways to new customers. When creating hype, you should consider things like what makes you stand out as a ghost music or audio content writer. Sometimes it is only by promoting and marketing your services that you will grow your clientele and boost the amount of income you make when starting out.
How Much Money Can You Make From Ghostwriting Music?
The amount of money you make as a ghostwriter depends on factors like the number of clients you serve and the quality of your content. Platforms like Fiverr pay ghostwriters between $10 and over $100 depending on the content and length. At 5 clients a month and $100 per song, you could make $500 per month. If you can grow your clientele and offer your services directly, you can be sure to make more income by “cutting out the middleman” as a music ghostwriter.
How Passive is Ghostwriting Music?
Ghostwriting music can be a highly passive idea. If you request to be paid in royalties and write what becomes a hit song, you can make excellent income! But keep in mind that’s not the case for everyone. When starting out, you can offer your services during your free time or weekends from your working schedule. So long as you are disciplined, organized, and dedicated, ghostwriting music can be a very lucrative and great way to earn a passive income.
Scalability
Ghostwriting music can be a scalable passive income idea if you work with other ghost writers. Its scalability depends on the quality of your content and the ability to grow your clientele and delegate. You can start with a single client, grow your client base with time and request getting paid in royalties. The more successful your songs are, the more passive income you earn.
Start-Up Costs
Unlike other passive income ideas and businesses, ghostwriting music requires minimal capital to start. You can get started with a laptop and internet connection. Free software can be a good place to start to begin creating your work.
Difficulty
You will experience a few difficulties like writers block at the beginning, but you can minimize these challenges, by doing prior research on the idea, identifying the right niche, and choosing the right strategies. However, entrepreneurs experience similar difficulties with other business ideas as well. Make sure to understand your customer’s needs and serve them correctly.
Time
Your idea might take a couple of months before things pick and become profitable. You may have to promote your work more, or improve your listings and offers. You may even need to adapt or change niches. However, once you find your spot and establish a reliable customer base, your sales can grow until you break even and start making money. Don’t forget to actually make your business passive if that is your goal (by choosing more passive ways to be paid ex. royalties).
Return on Investment (ROI)
Ghostwriting music can offer a high ROI if you are paid with a creative, more ongoing means (like with royalties) and your music is successful. If you are paid an hourly rate, it may or may not not yield a high ROI depending on your costs and expenses. Your initial investment probably will not be big since you mostly need a computer and internet to start out.
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Related Questions
Is ghostwriting music a viable passive income idea? More musicians continue to come up and music production continues to grow exponentially. There are numerous opportunities for creative writers to offer their services and earn a decent income from it.
How can I earn more passive income ghostwriting music? The secret is to grow your client base by providing high-quality content. Moreover, you can earn more income by promoting your business on social media and other social platforms.
How long does it take to start earning passive income as a music ghostwriter? It depends on your dedication and the strategies you choose. If you can dedicate your time to offering your services, you can start earning a passive income in a short time.
