Earn money by listening to music 2021

Listening to music is fun. But do you know there are a few ways to get paid to listen to music? If you're surprised, so was I. Let me share a few examples of how to make money while listening to music.

Are you looking for ways to make easy money online? Well, luckily for you, you can get paid to listen to music. Imagine a side hustle that lets you make money listening to music. You can get paid to listen to Spotify or even the radio.

Sounds like fun, doesnt it?

However, its not just about fun or making extra money. If you listen to music and get paid, youre gaining experience in the music industry. Those trying to make it in the music business may find this to be an excellent learning opportunity.

But lets backtrack for a second. How exactly does one get paid to listen to music?

Lets find out.

How to Make Money Listening to Music

Firstly, lets establish how listening to music can be more than an enjoyable pastime. In sum, you must join different online platforms via apps, websites, and music programs.

These platforms do things like:

• Perform market research
• Test out new music
• Promote individual artists or bands
• Promote radio stations

Whatever the specialization, such online platforms are always looking for people to help out.

What's more, extensive knowledge of musical compositions is unnecessary if you have a love for music. Any other skills can be learned through experience.

As mentioned, these sorts of jobs are ideal for amateur musicians. If youre interested in singing, songwriting, or producing music, these are excellent opportunities for you to get some extra income while enhancing your resume.

10 Best Ways to Get Paid to Listen to Music

In this section, I describe ten ways to get paid to listen to music. Under each one, I've also mentioned the relevant online platforms.

If you want to maximize your income, its better to use more than one method [and online platform]. Dont worry, though. All these online platforms are free to join, without any sign-up fees.

Now, lets get started.

Create a Blog About Music

Blogging is the most challenging way to get paid to listen to music, but also the highest-paying. Are you thinking of creating a music blog? You should know that a successful music blog requires a lot of time, capital, and resources.

Firstly, you must narrow down the genre and objectives of the blog. Are you more interested in writing about local music, international music, or both?

Similarly, do you want to review music or simply discuss different topics related to music?

Moreover, you must select your target audience. This step is the most significant because it determines how youll market the blog.

For example, lets suppose youre targeting fans of country music. You must focus outreach on things like:

• Live country events
• Country music concerts/festivals
• Social media pages related to country music
• Local music joints

Connecting is an essential component. You must develop connections with local artists, music labels, and organizers of music festivals and events. This can lead to you beginning to make supplemental income from your blog.

If you manage to get a steady following, artists and record labels will pay for promotion on your page. You can earn up to $1,000/month with a successful music blog.

However, theres no exact way of gaining a steady following right away. You can study other successful music blogs like Buzzbands or DiscoBelle to get a better idea of what works well.

The good news is that creating a blog is simple and cost-effective. You can start a blog with Bluehost for only $3.95/month and get a free domain name along the way.

START A BLOG >>

Listen to Your Own Playlists

You can make money by listening to your own playlists as long as you use the right apps. For instance, Nielsen is an excellent app to make money listening to music.

Nielsen is involved in a lot of market research. If you download the app, you give Nielsen access to your musical activities. They will then compensate you for your participation in their research.

Dont worry about privacy, though.The app only monitors things like:

• What streaming platforms you use
• The kind of music you listen to
• What marketing schemes you respond to

Afterward, the app sells its findings to different companies, including music labels and music distributors. You can find the app on both Google Play and the App Store.

However, you can only earn up to $50 per year. While you do have chances to win bonus rewards throughout the year, the money isnt as high as other platforms.

At the same time, if you're interested in a straightforward, hassle-free way to make some cash, you can try out the Nielsen app.

TRY NOW FOR FREE >>

Rate Songs

Thirdly, multiple websites will pay you to rate music. Music Xray and Hit Predictor are the two safe and reliable options that pay you for rating songs.

For both websites, you simply have to listen to songs. Hit Predictor focuses on new artists and musical compositions. You get to rate songs by up-and-coming bands and singers. Each time you rate a song, you earn points.

When you reach a certain number of points, you can exchange the points for different things:

• Money
• Prizes [like concert tickets or backstage passes]
• Amazon/Xbox gift cards
• CDs
• DVDs

On the other hand, Music Xray has songs from all genres, so you can pick the ones you want to listen to. You will also get notified whenever a song from your selected genre pops up.

With Music Xray, if you listen to a song for 30 seconds, you earn $0.10. If you listen to the entire song, you can make $1.

Gradually, these payouts accumulate, and you can earn around $100-$200 per month.

See Related: 14 Ways to Get Paid to Surf the Web

Participate in Focus Groups

As mentioned, many online platforms pay you to participate in music research. Nielsen does this by monitoring your activities.

However, websites like SurveyJunkie and Swagbucks do this by conducting focus group discussions. Even Music Xray has extensive focus group discussions on its song categories.

What are focus groups? Well, think of them as a group conversation. You chat with people with similar musical tastes and discuss the songs youre listening to.

There will be a moderator in the group chat, guiding the discussion.

The moderator will ask everyone specific questions:

• What do you like/dislike about the song/artist?
• Why do you generally prefer this genre?
• Does the artist measure up to your expectations of the genre?

You just have to share your thoughts on the questions.

Focus groups pay more than other forms of participatory research. If youre looking for more money, join as many focus groups as you can.

Complete Paid Surveys

Apart from focus groups, you can also complete online surveys. Websites and apps like LifePoints, Pinecone Research, and InboxDollars conduct surveys related to new songs and artists.

With these websites, you can earn up to $350 per month. All you have to do is listen to songs or watch videos and complete survey panels about them.

The websites will regularly email you different surveys. Therefore, you just have to keep a regular eye on your inbox to avail yourself of these paid opportunities.

InboxDollars is another top money-making app that can yield quick cash for little work.

Listen to Certain Radio Stations

You can also get paid to listen to radio stations. A lot of online music companies have affiliations with online radio stations.

Earnably, for example, is affiliated with RadioLoyalty, an online radio station. The payment system works in points; you have to accumulate points to get paid.

Moreover, Earnably has multiple cash incentives throughout the month, offering you money to tune into specific radio programs.

FusionCash is a similar online forum where you can listen to music on the radio. Every two weeks, you make a minimum of $25. You can read more about the site in this FusionCash review.

See Related: 12 Ways to Get Paid to Chat

Review Music

Of course, if you can get paid to rate music, you can also get paid to review it. Websites like Hit Predictor and Slice the Pie pay handsomely for music reviews.

After signing up, you get a list of songs, and you must review each one. If youre writing more reviews in less time, you get bonus rewards like Amazon gift cards.

Hit Predictor generally pays $1 for every three reviews. If youre writing longer reviews, you can earn even more.

However, with this method, you must have adequate writing and research skills. Quality reviews critically analyze the song, detailing the good and the bad.

So, if you dont know much about musical composition, you should be able to effectively research the topic and provide proper feedback on the song.

Transcribe Lyrics

You can find multiple online transcription jobs that include lyrics transcription. If you use an iPhone, you can transcribe lyrics for apps like Welocalize and earn around $4 per transcription.

Although Welocalize is a popular transcription service, it is only compatible with iOS users as its music database is on iTunes.

To join their team of transcriptionists, you should download the app and make an account. Then, watch the introduction video to get started.

You can pick your genre preferences and only listen to songs you like.

Listen to Music Without Skipping Ads

Everyone hates ads. They disturb the momentum of a song or video, ruining the listening experience. However, if you knew you could make money by watching ads, would you still skip them?

The answer is a no, for sure.

In the music business, there arent many opportunities to earn money by watching ads. However, online services like RadioEarn pay listeners a slight portion of their ad revenues to generate buzz [and consequently, get more listeners].

RadioEarn is an online radio station, which you can access via their website. All you have to do is sign up on their site and tune in to the station.

The ads play every few minutes, but listening to more ads means more money. You earn points every 15 minutes, which can eventually be redeemed for cash or gift cards.

They pay you through PayPal or bank transfer, so you dont have to worry about complicated transactions.

See Related: How to Make Money on TikTok

Help With Promotion

Lastly, you can aid websites with their promotional activities and earn money.

Earnably, Music Xray, and FusionCash pay you to refer friends to their websites. Moreover, if you share their advertisements and information, you can earn bonus points.

For instance, with FusionCash, you earn around $5 per referral. If youve invited ten friends to join the site, you make $50.

Therefore, if youre active on social media and have a relatively large following, you should take advantage of it to promote these websites.

See Related: 13 Simple Ways to Make $20 Right Now

3 Things to Consider

With that, youve learned all ten ways to make money listening to music.

However, there are three things you should keep in mind:

• If youre a beginner, remember that these gigs dont pay as well as regular jobs. You can use them as a side hustle but not as a primary source of income.
• To maximize income, sign up for multiple sites.
• Listen to all songs for at least 60 seconds. In this way, the website can track your activities without cutting pay.

Conclusion

All in all, there are many ways to get paid to listen to music. If youre a music lover, you should check out these ten ways to make money listening to songs. While it may sound unbelievable at first, with the right resources, you can eventually make a living listening to music.

From being a successful blogger to a part-time transcriptionist, you can do it all. If you love it, making money listening to your favorite music becomes a passive income stream.

By gaining experience, you also accumulate knowledge and skills about the business, making it easier to earn more with time.

Related Resources

• 8 Ways to Get Paid to Play Games
• 9 Ways to Get Paid to Read Emails
• 20+ Best Side Hustles Earn Extra Income

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