In 2021, the possibilities of making money from royalty free music are much greater than they were over 20 years ago. The growth of the internet has resulted in the creation of many online services called music stocks (other names are: music banks, music libraries), which allow aspiring artists to sell their music around the world.
In fact, all you need is a free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with a basic package of VST plugins and free samples to start your adventure in the virtual world of background music.
If you have already completed the stage of learning about the possibilities of your music program, you have collected the right number of your favorite VST instruments and you know how to use them, this article is for you.
Be patient
I have two messages for you – good and less good. 🙂 The less good news is that currently the production music market is heavily saturated, the number of musicians trying to make money from their tracks is very high.
The good news is that this “music cake” is still big, it’s getting bigger all the time and everyone can still “bite” a piece out of it for themselves.
It does, however, require patience. It can take several years to reach a level of income that satisfies you. Why so much?
Because the process of gaining skills, especially in a field like music creation, takes time. You can speed up some elements like mixing, composition, arranging by watching tutorials on youtube or buying paid courses. But it takes time to get to the right level. In order not to discourage you too much I’ll say that at the end of this road there is a „cherry on the cake” – once you create a good song you can be sell it again and again. And once you start getting more and more of these tracks, your earnings will start to increase as well. You will start earning money from music that you have already created and that can still sell.
This is the reason why you should be patient and follow this path with persistence.
Inspirations
Where to get inspiration from? Listen, listen to a lot of music. Both – production music and artists you like. Good sound can inspire you more than watching another tutorial on Youtube.
Want to create corporate style music? Start listening to it. Try to pick up the characteristic elements of the genre. Pay attention to the tempo, chords, and sounds of these songs. E.g. many typical corporate songs use electric mute guitar, acoustic guitar, synth plucks, piano and beat on 4/4:
Once you’ve done that, try “copying” your chosen track. Your first few tries may be a little off before you get a feel for a particular style. But as they say, practice makes perfect. So listen and try. Each next song will get better and better.
Artistry vs usability
When I started making background music, I often tended to smuggle in elements that can be heard in “regular music”, such as solos. It was my “artist soul” who wanted to diversify the foundation and add much more than it should. Therefore, remember my advice. A good royalty free music track has a greater chance of selling itself more times than a track in which a soloist plays a crazy solo. As the name suggests – you create production music, background music that is supposed to fill the background in an advertisement, movie or tutorial on Youtube.
Too high sounds, complicated melodies can be distracting. If you still want to put a crazy solo in your song, do a version without that solo as well.
Promote
In the era of social media, it is easier to target listeners. Look for Facebook groups where you can post a link to your music. Create an account on Soundcloud, Instagram. Create your own Youtube channel with royalty free music.
Prepare a few of your best tracks in several styles and start sending cooperation proposals to music banks. Some stock banks allow you to register and sell your music for free on their sites.
Many other music libraries already have their own composers and it takes time and a good level of quality to get accepted.
Type in Google search terms: “stock music”, “royalty free music”, “background music”, “production music” and submit your music to the sites of your choice. Most won’t respond, but don’t be discouraged, it will work out in the end.
What I have written before – be patient and even persistent in your efforts.
Your mind and your body
The profession of musician, composer is one of the professions where the word “unsuccess”, “failure” is a constant element. But don’t focus too much on the negative meaning of these words.
Treat each failure as another chance, an opportunity to improve your skills.
I remember that every time I felt that something didn’t work out, that there was a crisis in my work, after some time I experienced a jump up, I started to mix better, compose better.
So treat failure more as a signal that you need to stop for a moment, take a step back, think about what is going wrong. When you feel a lack of energy, keep on creating, even if the sounds that come out of it seem weak and bad to you.
Go for a walk, change your scenery for a while, meet up with friends. Constant sitting in your own “musical cave” causes creative burnout from time to time. Lack of exercise affects our thinking very strongly.
So, change your perspective for a moment and take a break from music. You will see that when you come back to music your mind will be fresh and full of ideas.
I hope my article helped you a little. I wish you every success in the world of royalty free music.
