10 Best Ways Nigerian Musicians Earn Money (₦15m Monthly)

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10 Best Ways Nigerian Musicians Earn Money (₦15m Monthly)

So, you have been wondering how the richest musicians in Nigeria earn money daily, right? 

The truth is this, there are several ways through which the musicians in Nigeria make money that is not made known to everyone. 

That is why you see most of the upcomers getting frustrated and making a fuss about life. 

There is more money to be made from a music career than just singing and being known as one. 

How these people keep up with making money daily is what we want to talk about now. 

A lot of people think being signed to a record label is all that is needed to make money as a musician but that is far from being the only truth. 

There are several ways they make a full-time income without even getting signed by a label.

Top 10 Ways Musicians in Nigeria Earn Money Daily 

Here are the best ways Nigerian musicians make money daily:

1. Sell Music as Digital Downloads

One straightforward way Nigerian musicians make money daily is by selling their songs, albums, and EPs as digital downloads directly to fans. 

They tap into that music market by creating their online store using an eCommerce store builder like Sellfy.

Then they upload their music as digital products. 

2. By Streaming Music 

Streaming music is one of the best ways musicians in Nigeria earn money daily.

This is because most listeners these days get their music through streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. 

As such, they make up to 80% of the music industry’s revenue.

However, this is possible if they release a best-selling hit. 

Apple Music pays artists just one penny per stream in royalties, as such, you need hundreds of thousands of listeners per month to make a decent income.

3. Playing Live Shows and Cover Gigs

Gigging and live shows are a stable way for musicians to make money.

They rely heavily on this especially when they are just starting. 

They get paid by the organizer of the shows and reach a larger audience by doing so.

4. Collecting Digital Royalties

They also collect digital royalties if their music gets played on non-interactive streaming services like Pandora, cable TV music channels, and webcasters.

This is done when they sign up for a company like SoundExchange.

5. Ghost Production 

With ghost production, they produce a track for another artist, who releases it in his/her name and pays them for it. 

They earn a few hundred bucks per track as starters. 

However, they make good money if they are well-known in the industry and ghost-produce for top artists.

6. Collecting Public Performance Royalties 

Collecting public performance royalties is also one of the best ways musicians in Nigeria earn money daily. 

This means that they get paid when people broadcast their music on radio or television, or play it in bars, restaurants, nightclubs, stores, and other venues. 

Meanwhile, there are music companies out there that can help them facilitate this.

7. Starting a Record Label 

Some of the top musicians in Nigeria like Olamide, Davido, and Don Jazzy own record labels. 

With this, they record, distribute, and promote music from affiliated artists and take a cut of their earnings. 

8. Sponsorship Deals

In addition, some of these musicians have a large audience, and they could earn money through lucrative sponsorship deals. 

This is because brands frequently sponsor musicians and other influencers to maximize their reach and draw attention to their products.

9. YouTube

Musicians in Nigeria earn money daily from ad revenue through their YouTube videos.

They also monetize other people’s YouTube videos if they use their music without permission.

When someone uses their music, YouTube’s content ID system, copyright holders can automatically identify videos on the platform that uses their copyright-protected content such as the beats, music, and audio that they create. 

Once they find and claim the beats music or video, YouTube will place ads on it and collect the ad revenue on their behalf.

10. Selling Merchandise

Selling merchandise is another reliable source of revenue for Nigerian musicians. 

They sell it alongside their music through their own site, or at merch stalls at live events.

Conclusion

Musicians in Nigeria do not just earn money because they are musicians, they put in a lot of jobs to promote themselves and make money too. 

For up-and-coming musicians who think musicians make money just by singing alone, I hope this article has convinced you enough and has shown you what the top and musicians do to make money every day. 

Thank you for reading!

We hope to see you again for more informative articles.