Steve Vai

From rock stars to jazz musicians, musicians are performers at heart. However, for most, music isn’t a very lucrative career at all. In the United States, the average musician earns only $35,300 annually from their music career, counting income from a variety of sources. For most, performing and teaching make up the majority of the amount and most need side gigs (or day jobs) to make ends meet.

However, for the lucky few, music is more than a vocation – and it does more than just pay the bills. It propels them to stardom and with the associated royalties and endorsement opportunities, they’ll have more money than they’ll ever need. Not only can they dress up in leather pants or skin-tight dresses and perform around the world, but they can keep earning money on every track they sell.

Yes, record labels can be tough and the changes in the music industry and the pandemic have hit musicians in the pocket. However, there are still many musicians with more money than they know what to do with. And, of course, fame gives them the opportunity to earn more through photo appearances and product endorsements, while licensing tracks for commercials and movies provide ongoing opportunities. And, due to royalty laws, musicians can keep earning money on their songs long after they’ve died.