Selling your beats and music samples can be personally rewarding and lucrative. Here’s some advice to get you going.

Get Started In the Industry

Platforms like StudioBook let you get paid when you’re booked for recording sessions. This makes it easy to make money as you’re getting off the ground as a musician; get paid to make music.

Focus on producing high-quality, original beats. Utilize Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software like Ableton Live, FL Studio, or Logic Pro to experiment with production. Find a genre or style that resonates with you and has a market demand.

Develop a name and logo that reflect your music style; consistent branding across platforms helps build recognition. Ensure your production is polished, export your beats and samples, and create a portfolio collection. Then, put yourself out there.

License and Sell Your Music

If you’ve spent any time on social media over the last few years, surely you’ve seen some variation of a podcast with a music exec or artist talking about “sync licensing.” 

Licensing means someone pays you for permission to use your music. Sync, short for synchronization, typically refers to your music being placed or used in advertisements, TV shows, movies, or other types of online media. 

You get paid an up-front fee for usage and in most cases also receive royalties on the back end every time the video is viewed. In most situations, you still retain ownership of the songs, meaning you can license the music to endless other people in the future (as long as you’re dealing with non-exclusive licenses).

If you’re overwhelmed with the nuances of making money with music, sync licensing is something you should consider. 

After you’ve set yourself up to profit from other people using your music, share your portfolio with the world. Websites like BeatStars, Airbit, and SoundClick allow you to upload and sell beats directly. You can also use sites like Bandcamp or Shopify to sell music.

Research what other producers charge for beats and the best samples for competitive pricing. Consider offering different pricing tiers for exclusive and non-exclusive rights. 

Market Your Brand

Create a branded website and utilize social media, music forums, and online communities. Promote your beats on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Build a following by interacting with fans and fellow musicians. 

Offer insights into your creative process, share tips, and respond to comments. Consider offering some free music downloads to attract potential customers.

Sharing your beats and music samples can be personally rewarding. You might even get commissioned work from musicians or content creators looking for custom beats or samples.

Make Your Money

By selling your music online, you might connect with artists, other producers, and industry professionals who could open doors for collaboration, live gigs, or other projects.

There’s power in knowing that your music could be a track on an album, a beat for a rap song, or a sample used in a film or game soundtrack. Allowing your work to contribute to someone else's creative vision helps reinforce the value of what you're doing.

Keep learning about music production and marketing trends. Continuously improving your skills and adapting to the market will help you succeed.