When picking a side hustle, people’s priorities vary. One third, 34%, of hustlers prioritize a gig with a flexible schedule, according to an October 2020 DollarSprout survey of 500 people with side gigs, while 20% prioritize compensation.
But by far what matters most is enjoying the work, which 42% say is their No. 1 priority.
People’s hobbies and passions vary. If you have a creative flair and are looking to turn it into an income stream, there is no shortage of platforms to try. If you love making music, for example, consider offering your services on sites like Fiverr or Twitch.
Here are three people who’ve turned their love of making music into moneymaking hustles.
Sereda has made $4,500/month streaming on Twitch
Sereda, who performs under her first name alone, spent years meeting with label executives in Los Angeles hoping to find representation to jump start her career as a songwriter. “I came to L.A. with a dream, and I basically failed,” she previously told Grow.
In May 2019, a friend told her about livestreaming platform Twitch, historically dedicated to video game streamers, and suggested she start livestreaming her songwriting and producing process. Her work was a hit. Sereda now boasts 275,000 followers on her channel.
“It’s drawn an audience of people who love that magical eureka moment when the perfect melody hits the perfect instrumental,” she said.
Twitch enables users to monetize their channels in multiple ways, including paid subscriptions and sponsorships. As of September 2021, Sereda’s hours of streaming and devoted fanbase helped her bring in as much as $4,500 per month.
Nick Ortega has brought in nearly $200,000 on Fiverr
Nick Ortega, 26, started playing music as a kid. He took piano lessons for 10 years and learned to use music production software while still in high school. In college, he formed a synth pop duo, PRXZM, and the band began to tour immediately upon graduation in 2017.
Ortega had just moved to Los Angeles in February 2020 when the pandemic hit. He’d created a Fiverr profile in 2019 and picked up some producing gigs, but with live performance ― a key source of income ― coming to a halt, he decided to spruce his Fiverr profile up. He hoped to use it to make up for the loss in touring money.
Nick Ortega.
Courtesy Nick Ortega
“From there,” he previously told Grow, “the orders just really started rolling in.”
Over the last few years, Ortega has been able to pick up production gigs creating music for DJs to YouTubers to companies like Hermes. As of March 2022, he’s grossed nearly $200,000 from the site altogether.
Michael Burton brings in up to $9,000/month on Fiverr
Michael Burton, 37, was always a rapper. “I was actually cut from the basketball team in 10th grade,” the native Texan previously told Grow, “and I had just a semester to do nothing. So me and my cousin were like, you want to try to rap?”
Throughout high school, college, and various jobs at call centers after college, Burton was always rapping. “That’s still what I’m doing in my breaks, on my free time, on the weekend,” he said. “It’s never stopped.” But he didn’t know how or if he could make a living doing it.
Michael Burton.
Courtesy Michael Burton
Burton created a profile on Fiverr in 2015 to try to offer his services as a rapper. It took a few years to figure out how best to write for people’s various needs, but by 2017, he was bringing in $3,000 per month from the site.
These days, Burton writes bars for a variety of asks, including birthday raps, cheerleading raps, and even raps for Netflix show “Dogs of Berlin.” As of March 2022, these various gigs help him bring in between $7,000 and $9,000 per month doing what he loves.
More from Grow:
