Imagine having money coming in during your next vacation. This is possible with the right affiliate programs for musicians.
I’ve been using affiliate marketing for years. While it’s never made more than my freelance work, it’s grown slowly over time, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Read on to learn about the best programs you should join.
But first, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.
Amazon Associates
One of the best affiliate programs for musicians is Amazon Associates. This is the program that Amazon runs for its own website. It’s not associated with any affiliate networks, so you have to join it separately.
However, it’s a lot easier to join compared to other affiliate programs. You don’t need to have a certain number of monthly website visitors or social media followers, so you can start as a beginner.
Another thing I love about this program is that you can link to anything on Amazon. And you’ll get credit for any sale you generate, even if a customer buys something you didn’t directly link to.
Amazon is great for promoting music books to your private students. As a blogger, of course, I use it to promote my favorite tech products and other things I use.
You can also link to instruments on the site. Just make sure you avoid promoting the super cheap instruments that will break within months.
I’d also recommend reviewing the program rules closely. Amazon is pretty strict, and they can kick you out if you use your affiliate links in the wrong places, like emails and social media DMs.
WWBW
Woodwind & Brasswind (WWBW) is another excellent affiliate program you can join as a musician. You’ll need to join through their website or through the Impact affiliate network.
Then, you can create affiliate links for any of the products on the site. I’ve linked to instruments and music books. You can also promote accessories or anything else they sell.
WWBW is a nice alternative to Amazon. You might not feel comfortable directing your students or readers to random Amazon sellers. But you can feel safe knowing that WWBW controls the product listings.
Guitar Center
Maybe you promote guitars, keyboards, and microphones. The Guitar Center affiliate program is an excellent option for you. It’s under the same network as WWBW, so you can even join both at the same time.
While I haven’t bought anything through Guitar Center online, I have shopped there in person. It’s a great place to find a lot of music tech stuff. So if you teach audio recording, you can send these affiliate links to your students.
Unfortunately, you’ll only get credit for the sale if they buy something online. But it doesn’t hurt to share specific links, especially if you want your students to buy a particular model or piece of equipment.
Sheet Music Plus
Whether you’re a music teacher or a composer, I’d highly suggest becoming an affiliate for Sheet Music Plus. SMP is a massive online sheet music store where you can find digital and physical sheet music.
You can link to any page on the website and generate commissions when someone buys music through your link. I like how as you generate more sales in a month, your commission rate will increase.
The program is nice for linking to music you can’t find on Amazon. I’d also recommend it for composers and arrangers. You can publish your music to SMP through ArrangeMe, and you can share your affiliate links to increase your earning potential.
Sheet Music Direct
Sheet Music Direct is another great website for affiliate marketing. They sell only digital downloads, so you can receive your music right way. It’s also part of the ArrangeMe distribution system.
So once again, composers and arrangers can self-publish their music. Then, they can use an affiliate link to share music on their website or social media.
What I don’t like about the program is it doesn’t yet have an online dashboard. That means you won’t know if you made any commissions until the end of the quarter when they send you a piece of physical mail with your statement.
Nicole Riccardo
Nicole Riccardo is a coach and course creator. She offers a few different programs for creative business owners, including musicians. I’ve taken her courses such as Create Your Career (CYC) and the Instagram Marketing & Sales Academy.
After you go through those programs, you can become an affiliate. Compared to the prior affiliate programs for musicians, Nicole offers an amazing commission rate.
You can make 20% to 30%, depending on the specific product you promote. If you like her teaching style, you can share the courses with your audience. Of course, this is best if your audience includes other music professionals.
SiteGround
Another one of the best affiliate programs for musicians is that of your website host. I use SiteGround, so that’s the hosting service I use and recommend.
However, you may want to become an affiliate of the host you use. That could be Wix, Bluehost, or any other number of services. Every program will be a bit different and pay more or less.
With SiteGround, you can earn $50 per sale that you generate. The dashboard makes it easy to grab your affiliate link when you need it. Plus, you can track link clicks and other data in your dashboard.
Teachable
More and more musicians are looking for ways to increase their income and to make money online. If you like teaching, you may want to create a course or coaching program with Teachable.
While I’ve never officially launched anything with Teachable, I have played around with it. It’s easy to add content to your lessons and modules. Plus, the platform helps you create a high converting sales page.
If you’re an affiliate for WWBW or Guitar Center, it’s easy to become one for Teachable. You can join using the Impact affiliate network. Then, you can use the same dashboard for your various programs.
Later
If you want to use social media more efficiently, you should try Later. And if you like it, you can become an affiliate for the program. With Later, you can schedule your social media posts and build a content library.
That makes it really easy to decide what to post. You can even batch your content and schedule a week’s worth of posts all at once.
The tool works with Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and other platforms. That way, you can use it to schedule all of your content in one place. I love how you can even plan out your hashtags and save sets of hashtags for later use.
Canva
Next up in my list of top affiliate programs for musicians is Canva. If you want to run your music business online, you need a graphic design program. And I don’t know about you, but Photoshop and InDesign scare me.
Canva is free, but you can pay to create a brand kit and access more stock photos and videos. I use Canva to design everything from my blog graphics to certain social media posts. It’s even where I created my logo for Hannah B Flute.
Now, you do need to make a few sales before you officially join the affiliate program. But you’ll get a link that you can use to help track those sales when you sign up as an affiliate.
Easy Digital Downloads
Another excellent affiliate program for musicians is Easy Digital Downloads. I’ve used the plugin to sell sheet music and other digital products through this website, and it works great.
While you can use it for free, you can purchase premium extensions. As an affiliate, you can earn a commission whenever you help sell those upgrades to others.
Like some affiliate programs, this is best for music business coaches and other entrepreneurs who work with professionals. Still, it has a nice commission rate, which can help you make a decent amount without needing thousands of sales.
What to Look for in Affiliate Programs for Musicians
Before you join all of the affiliate programs you come across, you should consider a few factors. That way, you can make sure you join programs that make sense for you and your business.
Products to Promote
First, I’d make sure you can promote products that make sense for the business you run and your target audience. For example, if you’re a private teacher, you may want to join the programs for Amazon and various music stores.
Your students and their parents will be more likely to click on those links and buy the products you suggest.
On the other hand, if you’re a business coach, you can join programs for online courses and business tools. Then, you can share those links with your clients to help them even more.
I’d also look into whether your affiliate link will generate a commission no matter what the customer buys. This is the case with Amazon but not all affiliate programs.
Commission Rate
Next, you want to look for affiliate programs for musicians with a decent commission rate. While Amazon has a lot of options, it doesn’t pay very well. It took me years to consistently start making more than $10 a month from it.
Other programs pay close to or even more than half of the sale amount. Those programs can make it easier for you to earn a significant amount of money without needing a ton of traffic or sales.
If you want to make affiliate marketing a big part of your business, you’ll want to choose higher-ticket products and affiliate programs. Then, you won’t need as much volume to earn what you need to cover your bills.
Where to Promote
Another thing to keep in mind where you can (and where you CAN’T) use your affiliate links. Many programs are flexible, so you can use the links wherever you want.
However, Amazon is a major exception here. I haven’t read through their full terms of service, but I have seen other bloggers discuss some of the restrictions. For example, you can’t use Amazon links in emails, PDFs, or any other “private” link, so like DMs.
You also can’t mention the price of anything or incentivize people to click on your links. And regardless of the program, you MUST disclose that you’re sharing an affiliate link. That’s an FTC rule, not an affiliate program rule.
Choose a Variety
At first, it can be smart to join just one affiliate program, like Amazon. Then, you can learn how the program works and how to create links for it. But after a while, I’d suggest joining a couple more.
Being an affiliate for multiple programs offers a few benefits. First, you can offer options to your students or clients. They can buy the product or service that makes the most sense for them.
That benefit also helps you because it can increase your earning potential. You can link to, say, a flute book on Amazon, WWBW, and Sheet Music Plus. No matter which link someone uses, you’ll earn a commission.
Final Thoughts
If you want to increase your income, you should join a few affiliate programs for musicians. That way, you can make a bit of extra cash whenever you promote products to your clients or students.
Be sure to consider the products you find yourself sharing. Then, you can join the right programs for you.
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