As a fellow music lover, I‘m excited to share how you can actually get paid just for listening to music!
With the emergence of listen and earn platforms over the past few years, now anyone can earn money by streaming songs or providing music reviews. While it won‘t make you rich, these sites provide an effortless way to earn extra cash on the side – especially for music enthusiasts like us!
In this detailed guide, I‘ll break down exactly how listen and earn platforms work, the top sites that pay, how much money you can expect to earn, tips to maximize your cash, and everything else you need to know to start making money listening to music. Let‘s dive in!
Why Listen and Earn Platforms Pay You
Before we look at the top listen and earn platforms, you may be wondering — why do these sites even pay people to listen to music in the first place?
There are a few core reasons platforms are willing to pay users just to stream songs or engage with music content:
1. Discovery of New Artists
A major priority for many listen and earn platforms is helping new, independent artists get discovered and build an audience.
By paying people to listen to lesser-known music, it provides a powerful incentive for users to check out artists they wouldn‘t normally come across.
According to Soundcharts data, over 60,000 tracks are uploaded daily across leading streaming services like Spotify. So it‘s harder than ever for new artists to stand out. Listen and earn platforms help cut through the noise so emerging artists actually get a shot at being heard.
As a listener, you play an important role in providing exposure for under-the-radar talents. Your streams and engagement signal to algorithms like Spotify‘s that a new artist deserves to have their music promoted.
2. Enhanced Music Data and Recommendations
In addition to artist discovery, listen and earn platforms leverage their paid users‘ listening data to improve music recommendations.
By better understanding what you and other listeners engage with, these platforms can find patterns and serve users more personalized music suggestions.
For example, if you frequently stream pop punk or emo artists from the early 2000s, Spotify can pick up on that taste and recommend you check out newer bands aligned with those genres.
So in a sense, you help train the algorithms powering major music platforms by providing additional listener data through listen and earn sites.
3. Promotional Opportunities for Brand Partners
Some listen and earn platforms allow brands to sponsor playlists, music videos, or radio stations. By paying users to engage with the branded content, it provides a powerful incentive.
For example, an energy drink company may sponsor a workout playlist on a platform like Swagbucks. By paying listeners $0.25 to stream the playlist, the brand gets their music in front of target users.
Brand-sponsored content allows listen and earn platforms to generate revenue. So it‘s a win-win — you earn cash listening to music, and the platform profits from promotional partnerships.
4. Driving Listener Engagement
At their core, listen and earn platforms aim to boost listener engagement. The more users stream music or engage with playlists, the more the platforms can boost metrics to attract artists, advertisers, and investors.
Paying listeners provides an incentive for consistent engagement. A user is more likely to log in daily and stream music if they earn cash rewards for doing so.
Greater engagement also builds authority with other music platforms. For instance, a listen and earn site that can point to their user base streaming millions of songs per month holds much more weight than one with minimal activity.
So in summary, listen and earn platforms pay you to:
- Help new artists get discovered through streams
- Provide data to enhance music recommendations
- Engage with brand sponsored content
- Drive platform metrics and engagement
Now that you know why these platforms pay, let‘s explore the top listen and earn sites and how much you can profit!
Top 9 Listen and Earn Platforms for 2023
I‘ve compiled the top listen and earn platforms available in 2023 based on user experience, variety of earning opportunities, and profit potential.
The top sites include:
- Current
- Napster
- Swagbucks
- RadioEarn
- FeaturePoints
- Voloco
- Musicxray
- PlaylistPush
- Slide The Pie
I‘ll provide an overview of how each platform works, their earning opportunities, and user profit potential. Let‘s get started!
1. Current
Current is one of the most popular listen and earn apps available today. Since launching in 2019, it has paid users over $9 million to listen to music!
Current is available as a free app for iOS and Android. Their model is simple — you earn points called "Currents" for listening to music and engaging with sponsored content.
Here are the main ways to earn with Current:
- Listen to Partnered Stations – Select your favorite genres and listen to earn
- Engage With Sponsored Songs – Get paid more for branded music
- Watch Sponsored Videos – Earn for viewing short ads
- Complete Challenges – Bonus Currents for special activities
Current listen and earn app – Image source: Current.us
I especially like Current because it requires minimal effort. You earn just by listening to your favorite tunes and engaging with an occasional sponsored song or short video.
Most users report earning around $3-5 per month using Current by listening 1-2 hours per day. You can cash out your Currents for PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards once you hit the $5 minimum threshold.
So if you‘re looking for a simple, passive way to earn money listening to music, Current is my top recommendation.
2. Napster
Napster offers a unique approach to listen and earn. Beyond just streaming music, it rewards you for being an active music fan.
You can earn rewards points ("Perks") on Napster by:
- Creating playlists
- Adding songs to your library
- Sharing tracks on social media
- Following Napster‘s official accounts
- Streaming sponsored playlists
- Referring friends
Napster listen and earn platform – Image source: Napster.com
Once you accumulate 500 Perks, you can cash out for a $5 Amazon gift card. Most regular Napster users earn $1-3 per month.
I like Napster for music fans who already create playlists and share songs socially. It rewards you for activities you likely already enjoy doing!
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a popular rewards site that pays users to complete various online activities — including listen and earn opportunities.
Music-related earning options on Swagbucks include:
- Watching music videos
- Taking surveys about music
- Listening to sponsored radio stations
- Streaming branded playlists
Swagbucks rewards site – Image source: Swagbucks.com
You earn points called "SB" which can be cashed out for PayPal or gift cards. Most users make around $5-15 per month on Swagbucks.
Swagbucks is great for those who like variety in earning activities beyond just music listening. You can earn SB from online shopping, playing games, taking surveys and more.
4. RadioEarn
RadioEarn takes a truly unique approach to listen and earn.
Their model — pay you for broadcasting radio streams on your website!
Here‘s how it works:
- Sign up and select radio genres to play
- Add RadioEarn‘s player to your website
- Earn $0.0005 – $0.001 per listen
- Get paid monthly when you hit $20
You can expect to make around $1 per 1,000 listens. Your earnings scale based on the amount of traffic your website gets.
While it takes effort to drive site visitors, it becomes passive over time as listeners continue tuning in.
So if you already have a website, RadioEarn is a smart way to monetize it with music streams. Just set it and forget it!
5. FeaturePoints
FeaturePoints offers a variety of ways to earn by engaging with apps, surveys, videos, and sponsored music programs.
You can make money listening to music on FeaturePoints by:
- Streaming branded playlists
- Watching music videos
- Taking surveys about songs or artists
- Referring friends to join
FeaturePoints pays out in gift cards, PayPal cash, or cryptocurrency. Most users earn around $2-5 per month.
It‘s a great option if you want diversity in your earning activities beyond just music listening. You can earn by testing apps, playing games and more.
6. Voloco
Voloco takes an entirely unique approach to listen and earn. It pays you to auto-tune your voice and lend your "talent" to help train its AI!
As a user, you can earn Credits on Voloco by:
- Singing or speaking into the app
- Having Voloco auto-tune and mix your vocals
- Submitting recordings to "teach" the AI
- Earn Credits based on recording quality
Once you hit 10,000 Credits, you can cash out for gift cards. Expect to earn around $1 per month by contributing regularly.
Beyond making money, Voloco is just a really cool app for singers and musicians to explore auto-tuned versions of their voice.
7. Musicxray
Musicxray calls itself the "YouTube of music discovery" and pays listeners to review independent artist submissions.
You can earn money on Musicxray by:
- Listening to song submissions
- Rating tracks on factors like sound quality, vocals, production
- Sharing your favorite new artists
- Writing reviews
Musicxray pays $0.25 per published song review via PayPal. Active reviewers report earning $100-200 per month.
So if you love being the first to discover new music and don‘t mind providing critiques, Musicxray can become a lucrative listen and earn platform.
8. PlaylistPush
PlaylistPush partners with brands to sponsor Spotify playlists and pays users $12 to review each sponsored song.
To make money on PlaylistPush:
- Sign up for an account
- Listen to full sponsored songs
- Rate songs and write a short review
- Earn $12 per completed review via Paypal
Expect 2-5 sponsored songs to review per month, earning you $24 – $60. Just 15 minutes reviewing music can make you up to $60/month.
PlaylistPush is perfect for music lovers comfortable critiquing songs. Just don‘t submit low-quality reviews or you may get banned from future opportunities.
9. Slide The Pie
Slide The Pie built their listen and earn model around reviewing unsigned artists.
You can earn money on Slide The Pie by:
- Listening to 90 second song clips
- Rating tracks on factors like melody, vocals, and production
- Writing a short 1-2 sentence review
- Earning $0.05 – $0.20 per completed review
Reviews take just a few minutes each. Active Slide The Pie reviewers report earnings between $10 – $40 per month.
So if listening to unsigned artists and providing quality critiques sounds appealing, Slide The Pie is a great option.
Listen and Earn Earnings Potential
Now that you know the top platforms, let‘s discuss how much money you can realistically expect to earn listening to music:
| Listen & Earn Site | Typical Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| Passive Listening Apps | $1 – $5 |
| Music Review Platforms | $10 – $200 |
| Music Fan Engagement Sites | $2 – $15 |
As you can see, profit potential varies quite a bit:
-
Passive listening apps like Current and Napster payout less — typically $1 – $5 per month.
-
Music review platforms like PlaylistPush can payout very lucrative amounts upwards of $200 for active reviewers.
-
Music fan communities on sites like Swagbucks offer modest earnings of around $2 – $15 per month.
Based on user reports, here is the estimated monthly earnings for each of the top platforms:
| Listen & Earn Platform | Estimated Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| Current | $3 – $5 |
| Napster | $1 – $3 |
| Swagbucks | $5 – $15 |
| RadioEarn | $5 – $20 |
| FeaturePoints | $2 – $5 |
| Voloco | $1 – $2 |
| Musicxray | $10 – $200 |
| PlaylistPush | $24 – $60 |
| Slide The Pie | $10 – $40 |
For most users, total monthly earnings from 1-2 active listen and earn platforms fall between $10 – $50.
Dedicated users engaging heavily across multiple platforms report total monthly earnings of $100 – $200.
So while you won‘t get rich listening to music, sites pay out legitimate cash that can provide a nice side income. Plus, it‘s money made doing something enjoyable versus tedious online work.
How To Maximize Your Listen & Earn Earnings
Looking to earn as much money as possible listening to music? Here are my top tips:
1. Multi-task While You Listen
The key to passive listening apps like Current is maximizing your listening hours. Since they pay by track stream, more hours = more earnings.
Listen while:
- Driving or commuting
- Working out
- Doing chores
- Cooking meals
- Working a desk job
By listening during activities where you can‘t fully engage with your phone, you maximize earning hours.
2. Mix Passive and Active Platforms
Don‘t limit yourself to just passive listening platforms or active review sites. Use a mix!
For example:
- Earn $3 passively on Current while driving
- Make $20 reviewing 2 sponsored songs for PlaylistPush
- Listen to music videos on Swagbucks for $5
Combining passive earnings around $5/month with active earnings of $10 – $50+ per month maximizes your profit.
3. Promote Your RadioEarn Website
If you use RadioEarn, focus on driving traffic to your site with music streams. Methods like:
- Share your site on social media
- Run promotions to attract listeners
- Experiment with digital ads
More listeners directly translates to higher RadioEarn payouts.
4. Engage Your Audience
No matter what platforms you use, constantly engage any audience you build through reviews, playlists, or shares.
Post compelling reviews and recommendations that people actually want to read. Share playlists tailored to listeners‘ tastes.
Engaged audiences are more likely to follow your profile, boosting your authority and earning opportunities.
5. Refer Friends
Most listen and earn platforms offer referral bonuses. Take advantage!
It‘s free money since you earn a percentage of what your referred friends make. Share your favorite platforms via social posts and text messages.
Referrals can easily double your monthly earnings when first starting out.
6. Have Fun!
Most importantly, only use platforms that feel fun versus work. If you dread logging in, try a different option.
Follow genres and artists you genuinely enjoy. Think of creative ways to engage listeners.
It defeats the purpose if listen and earn feels like a chore versus an enjoyable hobby.
Start Earning Money From Your Music Passion!
Thanks for joining me on this in-depth look at how to earn money listening to music!
As you can see, listen and earn platforms provide a legitimate (and enjoyable) way to profit from music passion. While earnings vary across sites, typical users make an extra $10 – $50 per month.
I hope you‘re excited to dive in and start earning from your impeccable music taste! Based on your preferences, explore a mix of passive and active platforms to maximize profits.
Here‘s to making music pay! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions getting started. I‘m always happy to chat more about maximizing earnings from these listen and earn platforms.
