How to Monetize a Music Blog and Harmonize with Hard Cash

So, you've got your music blog up and running, and now it's time to make some money from it.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been at it for a while, these monetization methods will help you turn your blog into a full-time business.

Let's dive in and take a look at each method in detail.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the best monetization method for music bloggers because it hits the sweet spot between time investment and earning potential.

Affiliate marketing is a form of advertising where a publisher (the site owner) links to a product in their content and earns a commission from the advertiser (the affiliate program) if readers click on that link and make a purchase.

Also, since you can add links to your existing content, it’s the perfect method for beginners. You’ve already written content, so you’ve already done the hard part.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Music Bloggers

Some different kinds of affiliate products to recommend in the music blogging niche include:

• Musical instruments: Recommend musical instruments such as guitars, keyboards, or drums.
• Music streaming services: Promote music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal.
• Audio equipment: Recommend headphones, speakers, or microphones for music production and listening.
• Music merchandise: Promote music-themed clothing, accessories, and collectibles.
• Online music lessons: Recommend online platforms offering music lessons for various instruments.

Once you’ve identified which products will solve problems for your readers, you need to sign up for their affiliate programs.

You should start by joining the Amazon Associates affiliate program.

Most physical products in the music niche will be available on Amazon, and the conversion rate on Amazon is insane.

Yes, Amazon’s commission rates are rough, and they only offer a 24-hour cookie duration, but the conversion rate makes up for it. Plus, you’re nearly guaranteed to get accepted into their program.

For products that aren’t available on Amazon, just Google “[Product] affiliate program,” and you’ll find their program’s signup page.

To save you some time, here are a few of the best affiliate networks for music bloggers:

1. StubHub

   

   Commission Rate: 9% Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 30 Days

   StubHub is a very well-known event ticket marketplace, and that leverage helps to encourage your audience to click on your affiliate links.

2. Apple

   

   Commission Rate: 7% - 400% Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 1 - 30 Days

   Earn commissions on qualifying Apple Music memberships as well as sales of movies, tv shows, books, audiobooks, and more.

3. zZounds

   

   Commission Rate: 6% Per Sale

   Cookie Duration: 45 Days

   With zZounds, you get More for your Music: the lowest prices AND the best service in the musical instrument and equipment business. Period.

Once you’ve been approved for the product’s affiliate program, the program will give you your affiliate link, and you can start inserting it into your content.

How To Monetize A Music Blog With Affiliate Marketing

To add your link to your content, go to your post editor, highlight the relevant text, and insert the link.

Here are a few best practices for adding affiliate links to your WordPress blog:

• Add links where it’s helpful. Adding too many links to your blog posts is just like adding too many ads; it’s annoying. Add links to product titles, images, CTA buttons, and the first time you mention a product. That’s plenty.
• Disclose your links. Every blog post with affiliate links should have a disclaimer at the beginning, and every CTA or product image should also.
• Use direct sales language. When you are writing your call to action, be direct. It’s not rude to say, “Check the price” or “Buy this product today.” Being too passive makes you look unconfident.

Or, take it a step further by creating product displays.

You Can Double Your Affiliate Sales With Lasso Displays

You can create displays manually using the post editor to add links to images and buttons.

However, it can be time-consuming to create these displays and keep them updated if you’re doing it all by hand.

Luckily, monetizing your blog with affiliate links is simplified when you’re using a tool like Lasso.

Lasso makes it super easy to add links and product displays to your posts. You can add product displays to posts right from the post editor; no coding is required. It’s as simple as clicking your mouse three times.

You can also automatically import product info from retailers like Amazon. Just paste the link into the Lasso dashboard, and Lasso will populate the display with the product title, image, and price.

With all of this, remember to follow the guidelines in the affiliate program’s terms and conditions. Amazon, in particular, is pretty stringent.

But everything Lasso does is compliant with Amazon Associates’ TOS, so you never have to worry about being booted from the program.

That’s just scratching the surface of what Lasso can do to help you monetize your music blog. If you’re ready to start making a serious affiliate income from your music site, sign up for Lasso today.

Affiliate Marketing Pros and Cons for Music Bloggers

One of the biggest pros of affiliate marketing for music bloggers is the potential for passive income. By promoting products or services related to music, bloggers can earn commissions on sales generated through their affiliate links, even when they're not actively promoting them.

On the flip side, a major con of affiliate marketing for music bloggers is the potential for a negative impact on their credibility. If bloggers promote low-quality or irrelevant products, their audience may lose trust in their recommendations, leading to a loss of readership and influence.

Another advantage of affiliate marketing for music bloggers is the opportunity to monetize their passion for music. By partnering with relevant companies and promoting products they genuinely believe in, bloggers can turn their hobby into a source of income.

However, a potential downside is the time and effort required to research, test, and promote affiliate products. Bloggers must carefully select products that align with their brand and audience, which can be time-consuming and may not always result in significant earnings.

2. Display Ads

The second best way to monetize your music blog is with display ads. Ads are the internet's favorite monetization method, but they have severe drawbacks.

How to Monetize a Music Blog With Display Ads

Monetizing a music blog with display ads couldn’t be easier.

First, choose an ad network to join. Networks have traffic requirements, so here are the best ad networks to join based on your site’s page views:

• 100,000+ Visitors per month - Raptive
• 50,000+ Sessions per month - Mediavine
• < 50,000+ Visitors per month - Ezoic

Once you’re accepted to an ad network, follow their instructions to integrate their ads into your site. They will have documentation for every type of content management service (WordPress, Joomla, Ghost, etc.).

If your chosen ad network has a dedicated accounts manager, they will guide you through getting their ads on your site.

And… that’s it. Let the ads run and wait for your deposits to hit your account.

Display Ad Pros And Cons For Music Bloggers

Display ads can be a great way for music bloggers to generate income from their websites. They are easy to set up and can provide a steady stream of passive income. Additionally, display ads can be targeted to your specific audience, increasing the chances of them being interested in the products or services being advertised.

On the downside, display ads can be visually distracting and can take away from the overall aesthetic of your music blog. They can also slow down the loading time of your website, which can negatively impact user experience. Additionally, some visitors may find display ads intrusive and choose to leave your site as a result.

Overall, it's important to carefully consider the pros and cons of display ads for your music blog. While they can provide a valuable source of income, they can also have drawbacks that may impact the user experience and overall success of your website.

3. Digital Products

Selling your own digital products is a great way to increase your earnings per visitor in the music niche.

A digital product is anything you can sell on your music blog that the customer will receive via download.

List of digital products to sell on a music blog:

• Exclusive music downloads: Offer digital music downloads from independent artists or exclusive remixes.
• Online music courses: Create and sell online courses for musicians, such as instrument tutorials or music theory lessons.
• E-books on music production: Write and sell e-books on topics like music production, mixing, or mastering.
• Customized music merchandise: Sell digital products like custom-designed T-shirts, stickers, or posters featuring music-related graphics.

A lot of people search for simple checklists and guides related to different topics. They’d happily pay you for them.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Products for Music Bloggers

Selling digital products can be a great way for music bloggers to generate additional income. One of the biggest advantages is the potential for passive income, as digital products can be sold repeatedly without the need for physical production or shipping. This can provide a steady stream of revenue for bloggers.

On the downside, creating and selling digital products requires time and effort. Bloggers will need to invest in creating high-quality products that provide value to their audience. Additionally, competition in the digital marketplace can be fierce, making it challenging to stand out and attract customers.

Despite the challenges, selling digital products can be a rewarding endeavor for music bloggers. By carefully considering the pros and cons, bloggers can determine if it's the right strategy for their business and take steps to maximize their success in this area.

How To Monetize a Music Blog By Selling Digital Products

The first thing to do is create your digital product.

Look at which content your audience interacts with the most, and brainstorm digital products to help serve their search intent.

That’s what I did when I created our Ultimate Blogging Guide:

Then, create the product using whatever tools are at your disposal. For example, use Microsoft Word to create an ebook PDF, or Google Sheets to create interactive spreadsheets and checklists.

Next, you have to figure out how to distribute your product. The easiest way to distribute PDFs is by uploading them to your WordPress media library. Then you can give customers the link, and they can download the PDF from there.

Lastly, you’ll have to set up payment processing and order fulfillment. A plugin like Woocommerce can automate most of this, but you’ll have to tie it to a processor like Stripe or PayPal.

Woocommerce can even connect to an email tool like ConvertKit, so as soon as your customer finishes their checkout, they’ll get an email with a link to their download.

Barring any issues, you won’t have to do anything but watch your bank account grow.

4. Email Newsletter

One effective way to monetize a music blog is by creating an email newsletter. This method allows you to build a loyal audience and engage with your readers on a more personal level. Let's explore how to monetize a music blog with an email newsletter and the pros and cons of email marketing for music bloggers.

So, you've got a music blog and you're looking to monetize it. One great way to do this is by using an email newsletter. This can be a valuable tool for music bloggers to connect with their audience and promote products or services.

How to Monetize a Music Blog with an Email Newsletter

To monetize a music blog with an email newsletter, start by building a list of subscribers who are interested in your content. This can be done by offering a freebie such as an exclusive music download in exchange for their email address. Once you have a list, you can promote products or services related to music, such as concert tickets, merchandise, or music lessons. Additionally, you can offer sponsored content or affiliate products to your subscribers.

Pros and Cons of Email Marketing for Music Bloggers

• Pros: Email newsletters allow you to directly reach your audience, promote products or services, and build a loyal fan base.
• Cons: It can be time-consuming to create and maintain an email list, and there's a risk of your emails being marked as spam.

5. Consulting and Coaching Services

Consulting or coaching is exchanging your expertise and time for a fee. Your customers need an expert, and you’ve proven yourself to be that expert.

As you become an authority in the industry, people will reach out to you with questions about topics they consider you an expert in.

Now, you don’t have to charge for being helpful, but you should place a dollar value on your time.

As a music blogger, you extensive knowledge of the industry. If a reader reaches out to you asking for help, you should get paid for that effort.

How To Monetize A Music Blog With Consulting Services

Monetizing a music blog with consulting services is similar to selling sponsored posts.

Put a “Coaching” option in your nav bar that goes to a landing page outlining your consulting services and your hourly rate. This will help head off some of the people looking for free advice.

Then, wait for requests to come in, evaluate them, and propose your offer. If the customer accepts, send them an invoice using PayPal or another payment processor, and schedule the call.

Pros and Cons of Selling Consulting Services for Music Bloggers

There are several pros and cons to consider when selling consulting services to music bloggers. On the positive side, music bloggers often have a dedicated and engaged audience, making it a great opportunity to reach potential clients. Additionally, music bloggers may be open to partnerships and collaborations, providing a platform to showcase your expertise and services.

However, it's important to consider the potential downsides as well. Music bloggers may have limited budgets for consulting services, making it challenging to secure high-paying clients. Additionally, the music industry can be competitive, and standing out among other consultants may require a unique approach and a strong personal brand.

Overall, selling consulting services to music bloggers can be a rewarding opportunity for those with a passion for music and a strong understanding of the industry. It's important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before diving into this niche market.

Music Blog Monetization FAQs

What Is The Best Way To Make Money From Music Blogging?

If you want to build a successful music blog, then affiliate marketing is the best way to monetize it. It’s the least intrusive way to make a lot of money from your site without much extra effort.

Can I Make A Full-Time Income From Music Blogging?

Absolutely! Some music blogs, like Rolling Stone and Consequence get hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors. That’s enough for a full-time income for a small team of people.

How Do I Start a Music Blog?

Learning how to start a music blog is the first best way to use your expertise to start an online business.

You need to register a domain, install WordPress, and publish great content. It's a lot of work, but totally worth it!

How Do Music Bloggers Get Paid?

Most music bloggers make money through affiliate commissions and advertising fees. Both of these monetization methods pay out one or two months after the fees have been generated.

Some music bloggers also sell sponsored posts, consulting services, or their own products. In these cases, a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe is necessary.

Is Music Blogging Easy?

Nothing worth doing is truly easy, but that doesn’t mean music blogging isn’t fun.

As a music blogger, you’ll get to go places, try new things, and meet new people. And it will be part of your business! What could be cooler than that?

Is It Worth Starting A Music Blog?

It’s absolutely worth it to start a music blog. Not only can you make a living from it, but you can also build a community and control the conversation.

Once you’re an established authority, people in music-related industries will take you seriously.

Final Thoughts on Monetizing a Music Blog

So there you have it - all the different ways to make money from your music blog, step-by-step. But here's one more tip for you:

Try using multiple monetization methods! Diversifying your income streams is key to ensuring the future success of your music blog.

By promoting affiliate offers, using display ads, and selling your own products, you can protect your business from potential setbacks, like commission rate cuts from affiliate programs.

With this multi-tiered approach, hard work, and careful planning, you'll be well on your way to earning what your music blog truly deserves.

Why You Should Trust Our Music Blogging Content

You may be thinking, "that's all great, but what does Lasso know about music blogging?"

Quite a lot, actually.

Here's why you can trust our process for building a successful music blog:

We've Built Wildly Successful Blogs

Lasso is built for affiliate marketers, by affiliate marketers. We're not gurus; we've walked the walk.

Our team members have built multiple blogs from the ground up, some of them earning over seven figures in revenue.

We put that experience into every guide we write, so you can trust we're giving you a process that works.

We Talk To Music Bloggers Every Day

Lasso's WordPress plugin is installed on over 8,000 websites, including a lot of music blogs.

Our team supports those bloggers every day as they create awesome content and earn lots of money.

These communications give us a bird's-eye view of what's new in the music industry. We take that information and use it to keep these guides as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

We're Super Nerds

We've put a lot of company focus into learning everything we can about blogging, affiliate marketing, SEO, and anything to do with online entrepreneurship.

We attend conferences, collect high-level contacts, read tons of books, and distill all of that information into our content. We pass information onto you that was previously only available to industry insiders.