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It’s now possible to get paid to listen to music, thanks to several reputable apps for watching music videos. Payouts might be small, but this is still a fun side gig for music enthusiasts like you.
This guide shares nine simple methods to make money through music listening. Continue reading below to learn more.
1. SliceThePie – Get paid to write song reviews
SliceThePie pays you to review music, videos, and games. For example, you’ll write a review on new music before it is released.
If you enjoy writing and listening to music, this is a fun way on how to increase income.
How SliceThePie works:
Sign up and confirm your email to start.
Pick a music category you like and listen to a track for at least 90 seconds.
Write a short review, with details on vocals, beats, and production.
Submit your feedback, get approved, and earn cash.
More details on SliceThePie:
Realistic payout: The pay starts low, usually at 2 cents per song review.
Effort required: Medium effort
Pros: Make money listening to music and help new artists grow.
Cons: Low payout and inconsistent work volume.
Unique tip: Write detailed reviews to boost your Star Rating. Higher star ratings could lead to higher payouts per song.
Get rewarded while your music plays
Honeygain runs in the background and includes a $2 starter gift when you join
2. Mode Earn App – Stream radio and earn while multitasking
Mode Earn App pays you to listen to music from radio stations. It’s one of those legitimate passive income ideas that rewards you with cash or gift cards while you cook, drive, or work.
How Mode Earn App works:
Download the app and create an account.
Select a radio station based on your preferred genre and keep it playing in the background.
Earn points for every song or minute listened. However, there is a daily limit for how much you can earn in a day. When your “time bank” runs out, you can keep listening, but you stop earning until the next day’s reset.
More details on Mode Earn App:
Realistic payout: You can earn between $10 and $40 per month, depending on how many songs or minutes you’ve listened to.
Effort required: Very low effort
Pros: Get paid to listen to music passively, even while you’re doing your routines or errands.
Cons: Streaming radio stations could drain your phone’s battery quickly.
Unique tip: Combine the benefits of passive income in this app with another passive income source, like Honeygain. Honeygain pays you to share unused internet bandwidth, something that you can just passively run in the background of your devices.
3. Music Xray – Earn extra cash for short listens
Music Xray sends you new songs from independent artists who want reviews. You provide feedback on their music and get paid for it.
If you want to listen to music for money while also helping indie artists, Music Xray is a good choice.
How Music Xray works:
Sign up as a “Music Fan” (not an artist).
Build a simple taste profile that includes your preferred genres.
Wait for “Fan Match” notifications to appear in your dashboard or linked email account.
Listen to the track for at least 30 seconds.
Rate the song, provide a brief comment, and earn rewards.
More details on Music Xray:
Realistic payout: You get paid around $0.10 per song, which is relatively higher than the various platforms listed here. However, the number of songs you can review could be limited.
Effort required: Low effort.
Pros: Decent pay-per-song rate.
Cons: Inconsistent work volume, as you could go a few days without “Fan Match” notifications.
Unique tip: Turn on email alerts. You don’t want to miss out on a Fan Match opportunity, as it comes and goes.
4. Playlist Push – Make money curating Spotify playlists
Playlist Push pays Spotify playlist owners to listen to new songs and review them. If you love curating playlists, this app allows you to get paid to listen to music on Spotify.
However, you need at least 1,000 real organic followers on your current Spotify playlist before Playlist Push approves your account. You need to create popular playlists first, but that’s not a problem if you always use Spotify to listen to music, podcasts, and videos.
How Playlist Push works:
Apply as a Spotify curator and connect your Spotify account.
Once approved, you’ll get matched with songs in your genre.
Review songs sent to you and leave honest feedback.
Decide whether to add the song to your playlist or decline it.
More details on Playlist Push:
Realistic payout: Qualified streaming curators can earn around $1.50 to $10 per song reviewed.
Effort required: High effort at first, as this app requires an established following on your playlists.
Pros: Pays arguably the highest rate per review, while also helping you discover new music sounds.
Cons: You need to do the groundwork first by establishing at least 1,000 playlist followers.
Unique tip: Focus on a niche genre and attract dedicated listeners.
5. SoundCampaign – Alternative for playlist monetization
SoundCampaign works much like Playlist Push, as you also need a real Spotify playlist to apply as a curator. You could earn money writing short reviews and adding tracks that fit your playlist.
If you need help writing feedback and publishing faster, you can explore the best GPT sites for support. These sites offer tips on how to keep your notes organized or draft playlist descriptions.
How SoundCampaign works:
Apply as a Spotify curator and link your playlists. Your playlist must have at least 1,000 followers, 20 tracks, and active listeners.
Wait for the approval, then get matched with songs that fit your playlist.
Choose to add or skip. Don’t worry, SoundCampaign will pay users for the review, not for forced playlist placements.
More details on SoundCampaign:
Realistic payout: Depending on your playlist followers and engagement, you could earn around $1 to $10 per review.
Effort required: Similar to Playlist Push, this app requires high effort initially in building your Spotify playlists.
Pros: Dedicated Spotify playlist curators can use this app to earn extra money from their passion.
Cons: The entry barrier of 1,000 playlist followers means that it’s not for everybody.
Unique tip: Combine with Playlist Push to potentially increase the number of earning opportunities across the two platforms.
Music on, rewards on
Earn passively while listening, plus receive a $2 starter gift after installing Honeygain.
6. Cash4Minutes – Get paid for unused phone minutes
Cash4Minutes pays you for using unused phone minutes to call access numbers and listen to internet radio broadcasts. It’s a unique setup for people with unlimited monthly phone plans on their mobile or VolP accounts.
Once signed up on the account, users listen to radio stations by calling an access number.
How Cash4Minutes works:
Create a profile and register the phone numbers you’ll use to make calls.
Choose a local or international access number from their provided list.
Dial the number and stay on the line to listen to online radio stations.
Accumulate units (or points) for every minute you remain connected to the broadcast.
More details on Cash4Minutes:
Realistic payout: Depending on your country and carrier, Cash4Minutes pays around $0.05 to $0.08 per minute.
Effort required: Medium effort, as you still need to manage access numbers, test calls, and reconnects.
Pros: You can easily turn unused phone minutes in your mobile plan into cash.
Cons: If you’re not careful, your provider might charge for these calls, and you lose money. Before making a call, ensure that your calling plan covers unlimited phone minutes.
Unique tip: Perform a test call first, making a 30-second call. Check your carrier’s real-time usage portal to identify any unexpected charges.
7. Groover – Provide feedback as professional music curators
Groover is a high-end music submission platform that connects independent artists with music industry professionals. As part of their pool of verified playlist curators, you listen to and write feedback on new songs.
On Groover, artists pay credits (called Grooviz) to pay curators to review their music. A music enthusiast like you can earn money while enjoying music from emerging artists.
How Groover works:
Sign up on Groover as a curator, and add links to your Spotify profile and other personal websites or blogs.
Set your taste profile so Groover can route music that fits your preferences.
Wait for the team’s approval. Once approved, you’ll receive targeted submissions based on your taste profile.
Listen to music and write your feedback. Typically, Groover gives curators up to 7 days to respond. If you don’t respond, the artist gets their credits back.
More details on Groover:
Realistic payout: Expect around $1 to $5 per submitted review.
Effort required: Medium effort, as you must actively listen to music and give feedback.
Pros: You get paid to listen to music, something that most people aspire to.
Cons: The application process is stricter than most platforms in this list. Groover ensures that only curators with high ratings can enter their pool.
Unique tip: Try to be a bit more technical in your reviews. This speaks volumes about your curation expertise.
8. RadioEarn – Run browser streams and earn in the background
RadioEarn is one of the passive-earning streaming platforms that pays you to play radio stations in your web browser. You just run it in the background, and you can earn points that convert to cash later on.
This is an ultra-passive income source, although the payouts might stay extremely small. Still, it’s worth a try if you have extra laptops sitting around.
How RadioEarn works:
Sign up, log in, and start a radio stream directly from your account.
Choose from available radio stations and keep the tabs open.
Earn points for every 15 minutes of active streaming.
More details on RadioEarn:
Realistic payout: You can earn around $5 to $7 if you run the stream consistently.
Effort required: Extremely low.
Pros: You can mute the tabs and still earn while running it in the background.
Cons: Extremely low earnings and slow payment timeline. Your points convert to cash the month after, usually up to 35 business days after request.
Unique tip: Put RadioEarn on your spare devices only. You don’t want to drain your battery in exchange for a tiny payout.
9. Earnably – Complete music-related offers for points
Earnably is a platform where you can get paid to watch movies and listen to music. Since music tasks only show up occasionally, you can stack this as a bonus platform and combine it with Mode Earn App or RadioEarn.
How Earnably works:
Create an account and navigate to the “Offer Walls” section.
Pick tasks in the music industry, including watching music videos or tuning into radio stations, to earn money.
Earn rewards or points and redeem them for PayPal cash or gift cards.
More details on Earnably:
Realistic payout: You can earn around $5 to $15 monthly by combining music listening with completing short tasks like answering surveys.
Effort required: Low effort.
Pros: Earnably’s payment threshold is only $1, allowing you to withdraw your earnings almost instantly.
Cons: Music tasks don’t show up daily. It’s recommended to stack Earnably with other streaming platforms where you get paid to listen to music.
Unique tip: Earnably processes gift cards faster than withdrawing your rewards on PayPal.
Key takeaways
Getting paid to listen to music and watch videos is real, but it pays small. The apps in this list work best as pocket-money sources, not a steady income.
You can opt for passive listening options (like RadioEarn or Mode Earn App) for multitasking during commutes or errands.
Or you can choose higher-payout options for extra money. Several apps like SliceThePie pay for review write-ups, while various platforms like Playlist Push pay for your playlist curation skills.
Listen to personal finance podcasts to pick up budgeting tips on managing earnings and other money-saving strategies.
Combine the apps in this list with ultra-passive platforms, like Honeygain, that let you sell internet data to earn money.
FAQs
Can I make money listening to Spotify playlists?
Yes, you can get paid to listen to music, but earnings stay small. You can monetize your Spotify account by curating playlists on Playlist push or SoundCampaign. You can also run the Mode Earn App (formerly Current Rewards) for passive income.
How do music curators earn money listening to songs?
Music curators earn by reviewing new songs for platforms like PlaylistPush, SoundCampaign, or Groover. They also grow a YouTube channel, build a wider network, and reach listeners around the world.
Can I get paid to review songs from new artists?
Yes, apps like SliceThePie and Groover pay for short reviews of new songs. You listen, write feedback, and rate hit potential. Match your comments to the station's format or playlist vibe for faster approvals and more invites.
How do platforms connect commercial curators with new music?
Platforms like PlaylistPush, SoundCampaign, and Groover match artists to commercial curators using genre tags, audience data, and playlist preferences. Curators receive submissions, review the music, and then add the song to their playlist if they see fit.
