How Music Producers Make Money: My Experience & What Works

Being a music producer isn’t just about making great music—it’s about navigating multiple income streams to sustain your career. Over the years, I’ve explored several of these, each with different results. Here’s my honest take on eleven proven ways producers can diversify their income, based on my own journey.

1. Selling Beats & Instrumentals

One of the most common ways producers make money today is selling beats online through platforms like Beatstars, Airbit, or personal websites.

Personally, I haven’t ventured deeply into beat-selling and find it tricky to gauge how well beats actually sell. If you’re active in this area, I’d love your insights—feel free to drop your experiences in the comments.

2. Mixing and Mastering Services

Offering mixing and mastering is a steady way to monetise your technical skills.

This has actually been a big part of my income since I began. Most of my clients have come through word of mouth, and it’s consistently provided me with regular work.

Tip: Prioritise relationship-building—happy clients naturally bring new ones through recommendations. If you’re just starting, creating a solid portfolio can help kickstart this process.

3. Royalties (Streaming & Sales)

Royalties from streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music), direct sales (Bandcamp, physical releases), and rights organisations (MCPS, PRS, PPL, ASCAP) can offer continuous passive income.

Royalties have been a consistent, though variable, source of income for me throughout my career, heavily influenced by the popularity of my releases.

Tip: Make sure all your metadata and publishing details are accurately registered with a music distributor or rights organisation relevant to your region (e.g., DistroKid, TuneCore, MCPS/PRS, PPL, BMI/ASCAP). Accurate registration ensures you collect royalties globally.

4. Sync Licensing

Sync licensing—placing your music in films, TV, commercials, video games, and online content—can be highly lucrative.

I’ve secured a few sync deals over the years, but honestly, I haven’t actively pursued it as much as I probably should. It’s an area my label and I are aiming to focus more on in the future. If you’re experienced here, please share your tips in the comments.

Tip: Connect with music supervisors and sync agents who regularly place music similar to yours. Platforms like Musicbed, Artlist, or Songtradr can help you find opportunities that fit your sound.

5. Sample Packs & Sound Design

Creating and selling sample packs or sound presets can generate strong passive income.

About 10 years ago, we created a sample pack for CR2 Records. It took about a month of dedicated work, but it was worth it—it’s still available today and continues to earn passive income for the label. Once it’s done, the potential to earn indefinitely is real.

Tip: Sell your packs on popular marketplaces like Splice, Loopmasters, or ADSR.

6. Educational Content

Offering courses, tutorials, and mentorship can become a rewarding income stream.

This is the area I’m currently most passionate about. With 30 years of experience, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned through this blog and my Patreon. For me, teaching what I know has become an incredibly satisfying way to both earn and give back.

Tip: Platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, or Patreon are perfect for building community and monetising your expertise.

7. Ghost Production

Ghost production—creating tracks anonymously for other artists—can be controversial but also very lucrative.

This has been one of my main income sources over the past decade. I see ghost production similar to the traditional studio producer’s role—guiding the vision of a track without necessarily having to be the face or name attached.

Tip: Maintain professionalism and discretion. Trust leads to repeat clients.

8. YouTube Monetisation & Content Creation

Monetising content via YouTube or Twitch through ad revenue, brand sponsorships, and affiliate marketing can be highly rewarding but tough to crack.

I’ve been working at this for years through our label, Deli Records, and honestly, it’s still a work in progress. It’s a long game, but the potential for sustained income is there.

Tip: Stay consistent and build quality content to grow loyal subscribers.

9. Merchandising & Physical Products

Creating merchandise—clothing, vinyl, or gear—strengthens your brand identity and provides additional income.

Personally, I love merch. I’ve produced tees and caps several times throughout my career and dream of eventually having my own clothing line. It combines passion and profit in a way few other things do.

Tip: Limited-edition or seasonal releases help drive demand and value.

10. Live Performances & DJing

Performing live or DJing is a traditional but reliable income source for producers.

For the first 20 years of my career, I was constantly playing out as a DJ. Over the past 15, I’ve focused almost entirely on the studio—honing my engineering skills and doing sessions. Performing has always been a major part of my income, but more than that, it feeds the creativity I bring back into the studio. The energy and insights from the stage directly shape the music I make.

Tip: Cultivate relationships and consistently deliver memorable performances to secure regular bookings.

11. Remixing

Creating remixes for other artists can be a lucrative and creatively rewarding income stream. Labels often commission producers to reinterpret tracks, which helps expand your audience while bringing in upfront payments and royalty shares.

I’ve done many remixes over the years—some became significant earners, others opened doors for future projects. Remixing keeps things creatively interesting and builds strong relationships with artists and labels.

Tip: Build connections with labels and artists whose sound aligns with yours. A strong remix portfolio can become a powerful calling card.

Final Thoughts

The truth about how music producers make money today is that successful producers rarely rely on a single income source. Throughout my career, I’ve found that combining multiple avenues—no matter how small individually—adds up significantly, keeping things creatively interesting and financially stable.

It’s quite an independent world out there now; producers are thriving by building careers from multiple micro-streams of income, rather than relying on a single big payday. Embracing this approach can lead to long-term success and sustainability.

What strategies have worked best for you? Are there any income streams you’d like to explore more? Let’s talk about it in the comments!