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Get Paid To Listen To Music (2024 Guide)

Don't Work Another Day is reader-supported. We may receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own.
  By Forrest McCall | Last Updated:  January 7, 2022

Listening to your favorite radio station can be a great way to spend hours, but what about getting paid to listen to music? Is it possible to turn your passion into a career? Well, it turns out yes! You can earn money listening to music or reviewing music for pay.

There are a lot of different ways to get paid by the music industry, or work reviewing music and doing other things related to the music industry.

We'll take a closer look at the ways you can earn money from listening to music, how you get paid to listen to music, and everything you need to know about making money off your favorite music. Let's get started!

Get Paid to Listen to Music

Can You Get Paid To Listen To Music

Getting paid to listen to music sounds almost like a dream, so it's pretty incredible that you can get paid for one of your favorite tasks. But, it's real, it's true, and these are some of the jobs that will let you earn money for listening to music.

We'll talk about how some websites pay for listening to music, how you can earn more money listening to music, and the streaming platforms and other ways to make money listening to music online.

We'll also talk about jobs that are great for people who love to listen to music. These can be great for people who play music, who love listening to different radio stations, or people who just want to make their own playlists and listen to them for money.

There aren't really many ways to get free money, but it might feel that way when you get paid to listen to music or review music.

Apps That Pay You To Listen To Music

Below are some of the best apps that pay you to listen to music. 

SliceThePie

SliceThePie is a little less of a music app than most of the options on here, but it's still a great place to make money from listening to music online. Watching music videos, listening to an online radio station, or participating in market research are all fantastic ways to make money on SliceThePie.

You can even connect a Paypal account to make getting paid easier. Plus, SliceThePie is one of the highest-paying survey sites, which makes it easier to earn points.

Related: 50+ Free Money Hacks for Instant Cash

CurrentRewards

Current Rewards

Current Rewards is a great option if you want to get paid for listening to radio stations. You can choose the radio station you want to listen to, and can earn up to $600 a year in cash or Amazon gift cards just for tuning in. That's right. You can get paid to listen to music, just listening.

You can also earn points by watching short videos or completing online surveys on Current Rewards. Current Rewards pay users reasonable rates for market research and other activities on the site, making it a decent place to earn money online. Current Rewards pays out cash rewards via a bank transfer.

Related: How to Get Free PayPal Money Instantly

Play Push

Playlist Push

If you're a playlist maker you might be able to earn some extra cash listening to music online with Playlist Push. This playlist curation app lets you become eligible to earn income once you have active listening on online platforms like Spotify.

Once you have enough listeners, all you need to do is write music reviews to start earning extra cash. You can connect a Paypal account to start getting paid once you're eligible.

Playlist Push isn't a way to get paid to listen to music directly, but you'll need to listen to music to create your playlists and get paid.

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RadioEarn

If you enjoy online radio stations, RadioEarn might be a good option for you. You'll earn points on RadioEarn for every 15 minutes of music playing, and have a range of different radio stations to listen to, so you can even find a station you love.

Plus, RadioEarn has an API so you can install their music on your other online platforms.

That combination means that RadioEarn can be a good way to earn passive income, especially if you have multiple sites you can connect. Not only will you get paid to listen to music yourself, you'll also get paid for other people listening to music on your sites.

WeLocalize

WeLocalize is a site where you can earn money for transcribing music lyrics. This isn't an entirely hassle-free job, since you'll probably need to listen to each song several times before it's fully transcribed, but this can still be a great way to make money from music.

Typing speed and accuracy are a must for this platform.

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Research.FM

Research.Fm is one of the longest-running sites in market research for radio stations. They perform market research purposes by emailing listeners every time they qualify to write reviews of a music snippet or a specific song.

By writing reviews when you're eligible you can make money and help your favorite radio stations at the same time.

Music Xray

Music Xray is another app that lets you listen to music and start earning money. Music lovers will also appreciate that Music Xray focuses on new artists and new songs.

Listening to new artists helps keep your music library fresh, and you'll get paid for writing a short review for the new songs.

Right now pay is about 5 cents per song, so it's not a huge earner, but this is still a fun way to earn cash for doing something you love anyway.

Plus, if you're looking for new music, this is a great app to help connect you with independent artists and other brand-new music.

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Make Money with Music

Jobs For Music Fans

Of course, online ways to listen to music like Apple Music aren't the only ways to listen to music, or the only way to earn money listening to music.

Music programs can be a great way to earn money when you love music, but there are plenty of straight jobs that will let you earn money while listening to music.

Here are some ideas if you're looking to get paid to listen to music at work.

Music Podcasting

Music podcasting is one of the most common ways for a music lover to start making money online. Podcasts can function like curated radio stations or can be more focused on reviews or supporting new music, or as a kind of DJ's internet radio.

There are lots of options, and once you have enough listeners podcasts are relatively easy to monetize.

Music podcasting can be a good alternative to survey sites if you don't need a lot of income and are looking for a way to make money from listening to music.

Plus, podcasts aren't associated with record labels unless they want to be, so you have more freedom to listen to what you want to listen to.

Drive For Uber or Lyft

If you're looking for a job that lets you earn cash while listening to music, driving for Uber or Lyft can be a good option.

That's because you get a lot of time to spend listening when you're driving back and forth, plus the income you earn from rides goes to your bank account quickly.

Plus, driving for Uber or Lyft can often give you more income than Survey Junkie or other ways to listen to music and earn.

All you need is a mobile device with money to keep listening.

Besides, good taste in music and popular playlists may even improve your driver rating.

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Food Delivery Driving

If you're looking for a way to earn cash that lets you spend even more time listening to music, food delivery driving might be a good option.

Any time you're driving back and forth on a delivery you can listen to music through Google Play or another music app.

And, since you won't have a passenger in the car, you can have complete control and freedom to listen to music.

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Become An Events DJ

A lot of people think that being a DJ is easy money, but that really isn't true. This is a great job if you're a true music lover, but event DJs need a lot of equipment and musical skill to really thrive in this industry.

But, if you have the equipment already, or are passionate about music and don't mind the investment, being a DJ can be a great option. Plus, a lot of freelancing and job boards will help you start getting gigs with a free account.

There's not really a better way to get paid to listen to music. Not only will you get paid to listen to music, but you'll be completely in charge of the music the whole time.

Work As A Bartender

Working as a bartender isn't a straightforward way to get paid to listen to music, but it's a better option than a lot of people think. Especially if you can find a bar or club that plays music you enjoy, working as a bartender can be a fun and profitable way to listen to your favorite music.

Transcribe Lyrics

The music industry has a wide range of jobs, and you might be able to get paid to listen to music even if you aren't able to work directly in the music industry. As a lyric transcriber you'll listen to new music and watch videos to write lyrics.

Youtube Music and other music services often need transcribers to help produce lyrics videos or karaoke videos. Publishers need transcribers to help them publish the lyrics along with the songs.

Become A Music Reviewer

Being a music reviewer takes more skills than just reviewing music. If you want to review music you need to be a good writer, good at analysis and have at least a little understanding of musical theory and how music creates emotions and feelings in listeners.

But if you have those skills, writing music reviews is one of the best ways to earn cash listening to new music. Plus you can review playlists, radio, soundtracks, and more.

Music Journalism

Another great way to earn money from listening to music is to become a music journalist. Journalists in music talk about band tours, artist news, new music and reviews, trends in music, and other music news.

This is for music lovers who want to find (and support) upcoming artists, who love a wide variety of genres and artists, and who want to do more than just listen to music. If you want to help shape the industry, this kind of writing is one of the best options out there.

Music Focus Groups

One of the invisible jobs in music that's critical for publishers and artists are music focus groups. Focus groups help publishers tell which songs are great on their own, and which benefit from being released in an album. They help measure which songs are going to be successful on the radio, or whether a song is even ready to be released, or if it still needs some work before it hits the online platforms and mainstream release.

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Music Lessons

Teach Music Lessons

If you want to earn extra money, teaching music lessons is a great option to grow your income. Teaching music can pay well. Some instructors can make over 6-figures annually from their job.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of ways to make money from listening to your favorite music, but there are also a lot of questions about making money from music. Here are some of the most common questions we get about making money this way.

Will Spotify Pay You To Listen To Music?

Spotify doesn't directly pay for listening to music. They focus on paying artists for their songs rather than paying listeners, but that doesn't mean you can't monetize the time you spend listening to Spotify.

Instead of looking to get paid by Spotify, look for other platforms like Playlist Push that will pay you for playlist listeners. Reviewers and transcribers can also often use Spotify to make money.

Will Your Local Radio Station Pay You To Listen To Music?

There are a few rare situations where your local radio stations will pay you to listen to music. Most of the time though, you'll only get paid if you have a connection in the radio industry and get invited to focus groups and other listening events for pay.

The only other way you can get paid by radio stations is if you participate in listener contests and giveaways. But those contests are usually rare and have a lot of participants, so it's not a very consistent way to make money and shouldn't be considered a reliable source of income.

Is There A Way To Get Paid For Watching Music Videos?

Watching music videos usually isn't a great way to make money, but there are a few ways you can get paid to watch music videos.

For one thing, you can review videos when they come out. Reviewers usually need some knowledge of music and trends in music, as well as dance choreography, pacing, and how to tell a visual story. Not every musician wants their videos to tell a story, but reviewers should be able to tell the videos that do from the ones that don't.

Music videos also sometimes go through focus group testing and editing phases before getting released. Being a focus tester or video editor can be a good way to get paid by the industry for watching the latest videos and listening to the most recent releases.

Final Thoughts On Getting Paid To Listen To Music

Getting paid to listen to music might sound like a dream, but hopefully, this article helped you feel more confident that it is possible. There are a lot of sites and career options out there that will let you get paid for listening to music.

So, don't give up on your dreams, and think about which options suite your skills and what kind of music listening you enjoy most.

Forrest is a personal finance, entrepreneurship, and investing expert dedicated to helping others obtain life long wealth. He has a Bachelor's degree in business and has been featured in many popular publications including Forbes, Business Insider, Bankrate, CNET Money, and many others. To learn more about Forrest, visit the About Us Page for more info.
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