How to Get Well-Paid Gigs as an Independent Musician

It’s the dream, right? To be a well-paid musician, making money as a full-time musician? It’s possible you don’t think those two things exist together, let alone by themselves, but let me tell you, as someone who’s been pursuing their music career for the last 17 years, it can, in fact be done.

Now let me clear up one cliche, right now. There is not just one level of being a “full-time” musician. Much like many other industries, there are several. Imagine the career people usually consider “typical.” You don’t get the CEO position right out of the gate, do you? No! You have to work your way up accomplishing new levels along the way.

So, while yes, there are the musicians who are living like the rock stars in the movies, there are far more who are living normal lives, making a decent living, as independent artists.

How do you get to that point?

Well first, you’ve got to hone your craft. If you want the high-paying gigs, you need to be worth the high-dollar price tag. If you’re just starting out, cut your teeth playing open mics and jam-band style stuff and keep up the practice. Once you’ve got your set down solid, then you can start looking for higher paying gigs.

A typical “cover gig” can be anywhere from 1-4 hours. With 1 hour being roughly 12-15 songs, you’re looking at anywhere from 12-60 songs. Do you have to know all of those by heart? Absolutely not but, you should know them well enough you aren’t glued to your sheet music the whole show. You’re there to be entertainment so you do actually have to do some entertaining. If they just wanted background music, they’d play the radio for free.

So how do you find the paying gigs in your area?

Start at your local coffee shops, book stores, or If you’re 21+, go to your local bars that advertise that they have live music. See what their set up is and if it would be a good fit, and then ask either the bar tender or wait staff for the contact information on who books the live music. You probably don’t want to do this during peak hours since they are, in fact, working however you should also remember that the staff there may potentially be your new co-workers (in a sense) so, be sure to be kind to them as well.

Once you get in contact with them, ask what their budget is for live music. A good base pay for a solo guitar + vocal performance is anywhere between $40-$100/hour plus tips. This varies on region. If you’re in a bigger band, take in to consideration how much you’ll have to rehearse, travel, and also how you’ll be splitting the final check.

If your first gig with that particular venue goes well, start booking regular appearances (if they’ll let you!) and start developing a reputation for being a reliable performer. Book yourself at other venues not only in your area, but your surrounding area!

Create a network for yourself.

So you’ve started getting established and you want to start seeing what else is out there? Use content from your previous shows to start pitching yourself to new venues. Hand out either business cards, have a scannable QR code, (feel free to get creative on this one!) to start letting people know they can either follow you or contact you for their private event or corporate party!

Corporate parties and private events are great sources of income, and often, if you make a connection with the event planner after doing a great job, they’re likely to call you back to another event.

There are also corporate booking agencies. I am personally with EVA, a woman-owned booking agency based in Nashville that connects corporate and private events with their diverse roster of entertainers.

Know your worth.

After you’ve gotten a few gigs under your belt and you feel as though you’ve “leveled-up” as an entertainer, don’t be afraid to raise your rates so that you are being paid appropriately for your time. Remember, just because a gig comes along doesn’t always mean it’s the right gig for you!

What your rates are, are up to you! You need to take in to consideration, practice time, travel time, and gig time on top of everything.

To sum up, to be a “full-time working musician” isn’t as unreachable as you think! You’ve just got to put in the work and know what you’re worth at every step of the way!