1) Come Up With a Clever T-Shirt: Sure, not everyone can be as Internet famous as Amanda Palmer (or real-life famous either), so you might not be able to make $19,000 in 10 hours using Twitter and sell more than half of that from merch alone. However, people like buying band t-shirts. At your next gig, make your t-shirt more than just your name—make it clever, funny, or even shocking. Whatever it is, make it memorable.
2) Sell Track Stems: If you’re a DJ and you have a following, or even if you’re a rock band with fans looking to morph your music into a new sound, try selling the stems of your music on sites like Beatport. This way people can get a hold of separated tracks of your songs and can much more easily remix your music.
3) Fan-made YouTube Video Contests: Have your fans upload their own music videos for your song. Since you, the artist, owns the rights to the music you can make money on advertising showed before each video (see more info about licensing here).
4) Raise Money Online: Use crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, IndieGogo, or PledgeMusic to help bring family, friends, and your online following into the mix (pun intended).
5) Create an Interactive App: Know someone who codes? Make an app or use OneSheet Mobile to have an on-the-go app to promote at your shows. Collect fans and try to up-sell fans whenever you can.
6) Teach: Know how to sing, play guitar, or even DJ? Don’t think it’s below you to teach some cool kids how to do what you do. Keep yours creativity going and funds your next tour or album! With apps like BANDHAPPY, you can even teach from the road.
7) Sell the Rights: Have some music that would fit well in a commercial but not on your next album? What about something perfect for an indie soundtrack? Lend your music or take part in recording sessions for some extra dough between gigs.
8) Give Yourself Away: Time isn’t scalable. You only have so much time in a day, but if you want music to be your job, then on occasion you should look for music-related gigs outside you main duties as an artist. Keep money flowing in along with your creative juices.