How To Make Money As An Independent Artist In 2021

Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash

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With the start of 2021 just around the corner and the chances of returning to a pre-pandemic nightlife industry looking very unlikely. It’s time for artists to start focusing on marketing, branding and strategic partnerships.

This aspect of earning money holds great potential for artists because everyone is — essentially — starting at square one. Disruption breeds opportunity and right now is the ideal time to build, form relationships and better your position as an artist in the COVID-19 Era.

Economically, an assumption that is safe to make is that people will NEVER stop listening to music, even if the draw of a live experience has been taken away. There’s an opportunity for artists on all levels to connect with businesses — locally & nationally — that have a shared or similar target audience.

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!”

— Jay-Z

This famous Jay-Z lyric is impressive because it speaks to the opportunities that are created from operating as a business and treating your brand as such. As artists, you have a direct line to consumers that reach past television, advertising and even social media.

Focusing on marketing, branding and messaging shouldn’t take away from your creative process. Although, it should push you to examine your personal experiences with artist development and infrastructure. The key is to explore your target market and identify what businesses share the same audience.

The opportunities that come with sponsorship and strategic partnerships are effective because it is a proven method of growth for all parties involved. The whole idea of treating your content as a business is based on the simple fact that artists and businesses share similar objectives.

What do businesses care about the most? What do artists care about the most? For the majority, it’s marketing and branding with profits being a byproduct of your efforts. We all are looking to grow an audience and increase profits.

It begins with brand messaging and positioning your content next to companies that share…