Support Yourself Financially as a Producer

I can’t tell you how important it is to hold down a full time job (career) when learning to make music.
This video talks about my experience as an electrician while learning music production.
It allowed me to make a good income, and reach my financial goals (with lots of time in between to learn beatmaking):
What Jobs are Good for Music Producers?
As a music producer, you want to try to find a job that has a consistent schedule.
This means NOT WORKING RETAIL.
Retail has horrible hours, which totally messes up your sleep schedule.
In addition, because retail often tries to restrict people from working full time (so you don’t get benefits), your pay check is no where near a normal career job.
In my experience, I was an electrician (view my electrician blog!).
These were the best construction jobs to have as a music producer:
- Construction
- Electrician
- Plumbing
- HVAC
Taking A Break from Music
Another huge benefit of working a job that doesn’t require a computer is it gives your body a break.
If you’re always on the computer, your body will eventually suffer from always sitting down. It can be hard on your eyes, and repetitive motion on your fingers, knuckles, wrists, and elbows will eventually start bothering you!
When I switched over to teaching FL Studio full time, I’ve noticed these happen to my body fast.. because I’m always on a computer..
Additionally, working a job, especially when in your 20’s, you’ll learn more about the world, people, different industries, and it truly makes you a much wiser person.
When I do my music production podcast, there’s a lot of information I share unrelated to beatmaking and FL Studio.. because I feel the information is very important for us as humans to advance, see success, and still be happy.
Wrapping Up: How to Make Money as a Producer
Most of you who want to make money online as a producer probably already know these:
- Sell Beats
- Sell Sound Packs
- Sell Mixing/Mastering Services
But there’s A LOT of competition in these industries, and it requires a lot more knowledge than making beats. You’re now into the marketing and advertising side of things.
What’s common between this list is PASSIVE INCOME, which is ultimately your goal as a producer to have time to make music.
I hope the video inspired you to find a good job which has stable hours. This allows you to have your weekends, while still having a predictable schedule.
During the week, I always tried to prepare to have my full weekend off to make music. I’d go grocery shopping on THURSDAY so that I had food all weekend, and during most of the week, so I could focus my time efficiently.
I’d also try to cook dinners that would last 2-3 days for lunches/dinners.
You can do it!
The music is incredibly competitive. And yes, you can do it full time, but the thing is, if the music industry changes, and they don’t like your horrible “Trap Beats” anymore.. you better know how to play piano as a producer to adapt to the new music trends.
LISTEN: #025 – Play Piano as a Beatmaker
A full time job allows you to be mentally healthy, bring in decent money which allows you to buy your music production equipment when you want it, and you can even reach your goals of buying a home one day!