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by Jim Button November 17, 2021 4 min read
Live music is gradually returning to venues large and small following a hellish 2020 and 2021 for the music and events industries. Whether gigging is a hobby or a full-on career path, things have changed and musicians have had to adapt. So I've brainstormed the many ways musicians can make a living in 2022 and beyond. I hope some of you find it useful.
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 Guest Author February 14, 2022 9 min read
by Jim Button October 09, 2021 4 min read
by Jim Button October 03, 2021 4 min read
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Best prices on the net, in stock and fast delivery. Would buy again. Great sounding pedal and exactly as I had hoped. This one should be on my board for a while!
Really like this pedal. Good fun and easy to use and well made. It has a really hypnotic tone and feel to it. It is very reminiscent of old tape echo units.
Really personable service with exemplary communication and swift shipping.
Had a few vibes, absolutely loving this one, check the YT demos, lovely satisfying vibe with all the swirly goodness you could hope for. Beautifully made and reasonably priced. Highly recommended - and Jim at Boost is a top guy
I came across the Formula B Fuzz Rangers via online demos on Youtube, and they all sounded so good that I had to get one. Looking online I found the Boost Guitar Pedals website via the Formula B website as a listed UK stockist. Jim was excellent and the pedal arrived when he said it would and it was perfectly packaged. I would have no hesitation in buying any other product from Boost.
As for the Fuzz Rangers, it is a great pedal. I had to work at it a touch to get the sounds I liked from it, but it seems to react really well to different guitars and different amps with adjustments to volume and tone on the guitar and different amp settings. I found it works best into a slightly cranked amp, and volume roll-off on the guitar offers a great variety of sounds from clean to classic fuzz. Thoroughly enjoying the pedal. Well done Jim, great website and a great selection of interesting brands and pedals..... Which one next????
Having used a number of univibe clones over the years this one truly nails the sound for me, it comes with some clever additions in a pedal board friendly size and is excellent value for money. If you want the true sound of the original this pedal delivers.Special thanks to boost Guitar Pedals for putting this deal together so quickly..
I'm still working my way through all the sounds, but so far I'm loving them all.
Each time I think I've got a fav sound I flip the diode switch and there's another one. Great value for a four-in-one fuzz pedal!!
Not writing a long review but this is the best vibe I’ve owned. Do yourself a favour and get one on your board
Both modes really useable. The first can get a wooly or starved/wolly sound or more nasally raw sound depending on how you dial it in.
Mode two can be more mid focused and with both switches down it's just a real nice deep, warm wall of fuzz. Great stuff.
Awesome pedal. Does everything from short slaps, to long endless delays, or echo-verb. The infinite delay feature on the button hold is interesting, though if you need a certain sound out of it like that, you have to be okay with the sound that those settings create when the infinite hold feature is off. I’m sure it will be great for recording some interesting textures, but I don’t think I’d use it live, as the infinite hold sounds glitchy and cuts off very quickly at some of the shorter, more subtle delay settings that I use. The art on the pedal is nice, and the build quality is solid. Comes with a carry bag, for some reason, but I can’t complain. A great unit by any standard, but especially good quality and features for the ticket price.
Well made and sounds exactly as advertised
Brilliant service, great pedal.
Delivery was fast, packaging was great. Only used at home at the moment, but does exactly as I hoped - BOOST!
This pedal is simply fantastic.
Great fuzz with a good sweep of control with the guitar volume pot. Cannot get an unlikeable sound through any pickup selection single coil/humbucker.
Added benefit of the Rangemaster included is just lush. I am preferring boosting into the fuzz and use the boost into other drives along the chain.
I am praising this as 2 great pedals in one comfortably sized housing. Amazing!
I have held myself back from purchasing a vibe for years now but I took the plunge on this and I am extremely happy.
The size of the unit is great on my board and pairs with my drives and fuzz amazingly well. I am preferring the flavour of keeping it pre-gain stages on the board.
Simple controls with the added benefit of 2 speeds.
I highly encourage anyone else who was on the fence like me, go for this!