How to Make Money As A Songwriter
(How much do songwriters get paid?)

As a Singer / Songwriter you write lyrics, write and sing your melody, and look to find financial success as a live performer and music publisher.

This kind of music business is probably the most popular of all, but it also has been the most difficult to achieve partly because most aspiring music artists enter into the "record" business (as a recording artist) instead of properly entering into the "music publishing" business (as a singer / songwriter).

Singer / Songwriter Income "Signed" as a Recording Artist

Record companies require that the cash advance (which covers all of the expenses of the song) be paid back in full before paying the recording artist any profit to guarantee the company's return on investment.

Expenses an artist must pay back can include:

25% Studio cost
25% Packaging costs
10% Freebie/Promotional costs
35% Potential Returns (Insurance) costs

These costs do not include the deal you make with your music producer, manager and band mates (if you're in a band).

After the above expenses are covered, the signed recording artist is paid in two ways:

As Recording Artist: From sales of the recording (8-20% profit)
As Singer/Performer: Live Performances (up to 70% profit)

Royalty Income from Just Writing The Song

There's a royalty agreement split between the songwriter and the publishing company. These guys are the ones who provides the song to the public (traditionally not to be confused with record companies):

50% Mechanical Royalties - Whenever the song is copied for distribution
50% Performance Royalties - Each time the song is played on TV, radio, public venues, etc.

So Let's Summarize...

So we've learned there are three ways a singer / songwriter earns a living in the music industry:

As a singer (up to 70% profit), performing solo or with band mates for ticket sales
As a songwriter (50% profit), working with a publishing company for royalty income
As a recording artist (8-20% profit), working for a record company for record sales

Singer/Performer Pros & Cons:

Highest profit %
Smallest exposure to public (based on potential audience size)
Must keep touring to maintain performance income
Difficult to book shows without an agent, record company or having popular songs

Songwriter Pros & Cons:

Typically 50/50 split of profit %
Largest exposure to public (based on potential audience size)
Residual royalty income from distributions and publications
Must possess popular songs to publish for maximum royalty
Must access group of distributors and publishers

Recording Artist Pros & Cons:

Lowest profit %
2nd highest exposure to public (based on potential customer size)
Historically easy access to distributors and publishers
Must be signed to a record company
Must finish the number of songs/albums on your contract, even when you're not inspired

Which options would you want to pursue most as a singer / songwriter?

So Let Us Begin.

If you're still at the beginning stages of trying to learn how to write great songs then join my training group.

Let's first learn how to write great songs like your favorite hits from the radio and train to become a great songwriter in four steps, and then be guided though building your music business:

Download my free 6-step exercise manual to prepare your lyrical content for structuring. Having your song lyric fully fleshed-out before piecing it together is important.
Learn important skills and tips about each song section not taught in music theory class to learn how to structure your next song.
Follow audio & video songwriting lessons to complete your training.
Also, as a member get exclusive deals on all professional songwriting tools & courses offered on this website.

In a few weeks you'll have access to everything you need to start writing great songs. You've already taken the first step by searching for this info.

And reading this complete article proves you are passionate about entering the music business. So take the next step. There's no cost to join and no obligation to stay.

But you need to join now because space is limited.

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IMPORTANT: After you register, check your spam folder if you don't get a confirmation email within a few minutes.

Click here to continue

- Jeezy

Updated: April 4, 2020

What do you think? Do you want to be a singer / songwriter? Post in the comments.

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