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by Jim Button November 17, 2021 4 min read
I've brainstormed the many ways musicians can make money using their talents and a bit of business nous, from livestreaming and recording new music, to offering mixing services and tuition.
There are so many options out there these days, the only limit is how much time you wish to put into your passion!
Livestreaming your set is a great way to not only keep you sharp but also reach out to new or existing fans and even generate a modest income from virtual ticket sales. Whether you use Zoom, Facebook or Google Chat, or use a dedicated livestreaming music platform, there are options to play live music even when venues are closed.
If you've set up a YouTube channel for your band already then that's great! If not, now could be the time to get that particular ball rolling. Not only will it become a platform for your content (think new songs, behind the scenes etc) but you can also earn revenue from ads and royalties. Perhaps most importantly, it is also an excellent way to find and engage with new fans.
There's also the possibility to set up a different YouTube channel focussing on another aspect of the music industry: how about reviewing guitar pedals (I would say that, wouldn't I!) or discussing landmark albums in detail? Go for it!
You wouldn't be the first musician to go down this route, but it makes sense to record new material if you have time on your hands. You don't need to visit a studio for excellent results these days, so just make sure you have an area at home with all the essentials for recording and away you go!
Read: How to Get the Best Guitar Sound at Home
Read: Recording With Guitar Pedals: 101
Distributing your music to streaming services is a great way to diversify your revenue streams. You won't become a millionaire off the back of it (well, you never know...) but a number of small incomes adds up. There are numerous avenues to getting your back-catalogue online and in people's ears. Check out DistroKid, Amuse, Landr, CD Baby and TuneCore for starters.
If you're lucky enough for one or more of your songs to get airplay on the radio or television, you may be owed royalties. Sign up to various royalty collection companies and distributors, who will be able to check back up to two years on your behalf. Start with Bandcamp, Breaking Tunes, Amazing Radio, IMRO and PRS.It goes without saying that this is an ongoing effort, so any future royalties will also be collected for you too.
If you have a good, technical ear then consider offering to mix and/or master tracks for other bands. Note that this is not for the faint-hearted and there's a steep learning curve, but if you already have some experience and the gear required (a DAW and good monitors at a minimum; ideally some studio-quality outboard equipment or studio-quality plugins) then this can be an extra little earner.
Depending on how established your band is, merchandise could be a lucrative revenue stream. Think t-shirts, hats and yes, even masks! Not got a website yet? Build a simple site using Shopify, Wix or Squarespace, set up a devoted merch section and direct your fans and followers there.
It's widely acknowledged that email is the most effective marketing channel. Forget Facebook, Google, Snapchat and Tiktok ads - focus on building your email list and market directly and personally to them. What a great way to introduce your fans to your latest videos, music and merch!
Consider setting up a Patreon page and encouraging your fans to subscribe for exclusive content - be that a special video series, exclusive recordings, livestreams or even tabs to your songs. Assuming you have enough fans, this is a fantastic way to earn some fairly reliable cash month on month, but be sure to keep them engaged with plenty of new content.
Why not setup a music tuition business? Whether you focus on guitar, bass, vocals or something else, use your existing networks to find potential clients and put your skills to work!
Lastly, you can always shift some gear that's sat around gathering dust. Do you really need all five lunchbox amps, and is that vintage banjo absolutely necessary? You could even consolidate your pedalboard, selling off pedals only used for one section of one song, or that you haven't used in a while.
While I wouldn't recommend starting by culling your pedal collection, if you need some cash rather than an income then it's a good place to find some readies. And if you just fancy a change, you could always sell to acquire...just don't tell your other half ;-)
by Jim Button April 18, 2023 12 min read
by Guest Author August 26, 2022 3 min read
by Jim Button June 24, 2022 5 min read
I’ve just taken delivery of this beautiful pedal.
To get a first impression I’ve put it through a Simplifier DLX and straight into a FRFR speaker. Delightful.
I’m a guitarist in a Christian Church worship band, so I’m always looking for O/D that is both subtle and musical - that makes a statement without the darkness. The Forest Song, with its rich range of driven tones delivers.
Indeed, high gain plus low volume is an interesting musical mix in this pedal. It works. My complements to the DB development team, and to Boost for supporting them.
This Pedal is easy to use and has many sweet spots! Perfectly tuned combination of two legendary circuits! Highly recommended!
super fun trem, decent sound, huge volume. havent spent a lot of time messing about with it, but did have a play with the slide and drift feature which are a nice bonus. cant wait to have more time to play around with it.
Boost Guitar Pedals are great as always, fast delivery
been playing it a few days now, and have it set up so it works with with whatever i thow at it. its in my chain after OD but Before Distortion. feedback dial is great and can have it very far clockwise before it sends you in an infinity loop, mix is a bonus, i haven't messed about with the shapes much yet because i found a dreamy setting i dont want to change. would highly recommend isolated power suppy, it did not like daisy chain or cheap single wall one, but works smooth with isloated brick
Boost Guitar is great again to got it within 24 hours of shipping
Perfect for that traynor amp growl on bass. There’s a lot of scope with gain and EQ controls (which sound ace wherever you dial them in). Had the Tronographic Rusty Box before this which I regrettably had to sell; this is a perfect (and smaller, less power hungry) substitute.
I spent months searching for an affordable vibe pedal that actually sounded authentic.
Not only does this have the very sound that I was after, without a ton of tweaking, but it is priced reasonably too. It is not at the cheap end of the market, but for a hand-built pedal with dual speeds this is unbeatable.
The sound is spot on. Warm and rich with the throb missing from many of the lower-priced pedals. The second speed makes it easy to switch between chord and solo settings.
The delivery was amazing too - ordered in Friday afternoon and delivered on Sunday morning!
I can’t recommend this highly enough to anyone looking for the best univibe around.
add another 5 stars, im no pro but i know what sounds i like and the Bloom is the sound i like. ive had Boss BD2, donner dumble drive, Tumnus and Tumnus deluxe but to me The Bloom tops them all. its a well built easy to dial in. having full gain is so clear and not nosiy. only tried with my strat single coils atm. the distortion isint the best but im comparing it to the Drunk Beaver Batv2 and have a feeling that its a layer distortion for another distortion pedal. fuzz is lush. the chip and fat switch really bring it to live and gives you more options for sound. i cant believe this is made by 1 guy. To me Drunk Beaver are up there with the best pedal makers. could send hours going on about the great things. and im only useing a boss katana mk2 no tube amp but you can get some faux tube headroom with the right switch. if you like the demos, well i got good news, it sound way better in person
Boost Guitat Pedals are great too, fast delivery, great communication. couldnt ask for a better store
Bone white Davies 1611
The Bleak District Tapescape is one of the best delay and ambience style pedals ever invented. The controls are all intuitive but highly flexible, the sounds are rich and detailed, the modulation can go from dreamy to nightmarish very quickly, and all of that inside a small footprint with a low power requirement. It's difficult to get a bad sound out of it, honestly.
Add in that Boost shipped it out quickly and it arrived with a nice note written on the invoice, is there anything else you could ask for? Definitely will be buying more from both Boost and Bleak District in future.
Part came as described. Website was easy use.
very cool pedal
Awesome service and communication all along!
Will gladly order again
I ordered a set of strings from Boost, that did not initially turn up. After contacting Boost via the website they immediately sent out another set (no questions asked). Both sets arrived a few days later (Thanks Royal Mail!). Boost were prompt in dealing with the issue (gave) me a set of strings and got things sorted out. Highly recommend you use these guys.
My favourite strings, at a great price! Very reasonable postage rates and speedy service. My first purchase from Boost, but will definitely not be my last. Hassle free, excellent...
Jazzmaster happy🙏
I didn’t know that particular manufacturer from Italy, but I definitely recommend their "Vintage Vibe”. It’s simple, intuitive, it looks awesome, the build quality seems impeccable, and most importantly, it sounds fantastic.