Hold the mic: This is how much money singers make

Perhaps you started out singing in the shower, went on to join the local community choir group, and are now ready to take it to the next level. We back that. If you have the talent, why not put it to good use?

If you’re just starting a career in the music industry, your head is probably full of questions. How do musicians make it big? What do I need to do to get my music out? And how much do music artists make, anyway?

We’re here to answer all these questions. We’ll even dish the dirt on how much some of the industry’s biggest stars make.

But first, the basics: Today, there are countless ways to make money as a performing artist, thanks to streaming platforms and social media. Even with the advent of technology making it easy for fans to listen to their favorite tunes whenever and wherever nothing compares to a live show.

So what does this mean for you as a singer? There's money to be made no matter what you prefer – live shows, studio recordings, leading a group or simply singing backup.

Read on to learn how to step into the limelight and start your career as a singer.

How much money do singers make?

The first step to understanding how much singers make is determining what kind of singers you’re talking about.

If you plan to sing live gigs as the front person for a group, you’ll likely be paid per event or concert. A wedding band, for example, may split a few thousand in earnings per show.

If you’re a backup singer, you may be paid per show or earn an hourly wage while on tour. And, how much do backup singers make exactly? That depends. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage for singers employed by performing arts companies, religious organizations, and schools is between $30 and $47. But salaries depend on how regularly you work. So, you could make anywhere from a fee for a single show to more than $100,000 annually.

If you plan to become a recording artist and stream or license your tracks using a distribution platform that teams up with apps like Apple Music or iTunes, you’ll earn royalties or licensing fees. These range vastly based on the artist’s popularity and presence on the apps.

And if your song shoots to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list, all bets are off. Not only will you secure a record deal, but you’ll also likely get approached by brands for sponsorships. The singer salary range for celebrities is in a completely different ballpark; in fact, it’s in a sold-out stadium.

Where does this money really come from?

Let’s go one step further. What exactly are singers getting paid for? In some cases, like for a wedding band, the answer is pretty clear-cut: You’d be getting paid to entertain a crowd with original tunes or covers. But other singers make a buck through any, or all, of these three ways:

1. Songs

Singers can provide backup vocals on tracks or record a songwriter's latest tunes for a demo. For this work, singers generally earn per song, which can be anywhere from $50 to $300.

2. Live shows

Singers in live shows (that aren’t major events) can earn a few hundred dollars per performance as a flat rate or a portion of the ticket sales.

3. Songwriting

Singer-songwriters can gig on their own and try their hand at selling original tunes. While they may love to provide the vocals on their own tracks, they stand to earn a lot if they sell a song to a big name. Songwriters earn upfront fees from recording labels who’ve commissioned a track as well as royalties every time that song is played or even remixed.

As one starts to gain some fame as a singer, they can also try monetizing their social media presence. They can partner with brands to create sponsored content and drive traffic to their merch site with a link in their social media bios. If you want to try this tactic, use a Linktree URL to redirect your fans to all of your content online – from your latest music video on YouTube, the streaming platforms your jams are on, and your e-commerce site.

Don’t forget that gigs and freelance work are still taxed. Be sure to read up on how to file your taxes or hire an accountant so you can focus on what you really love: making music.

What about the very (rich and) famous?

You may have heard your favorite rapper brag on a track about how much they make per show, and you know it’s not in the hundreds-of-dollars range. So how much do the highest-paid singers really make? A lot. Millions. But remember that a celebrity's net worth doesn’t just comprise royalties and performance fees. Stars endorse products, appear in ads, movies, and TV shows, and even earn revenue off real estate and investments – and a single concert can net them six figures or more. Here are some stats on a few of the world’s top-performing artists:

• Katy Perry: By 2020, this musician and TV personality were one of the decade’s richest singer-songwriters with a net worth of $530 million. She pulls in more than $20 million per season as a host of American Idol.
• Shawn Mendes: Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes grossed nearly $90 million on his 2019 tour. If that’s not enough inspiration to stick with your dream of making it big as a songwriter, we don’t know what is.
• Dolly Parton: Legendary country star Dolly Parton is still in the game, bringing in tens of millions per year thanks in large part to her stellar business skills – she’s rumored to own her own master recordings and music publishing, and her Dollywood theme park is a must-visit for fans all around the world.