Ways to Make Money Listening to Music

Everyone dreams of turning their favorite pastime into a paycheck. For music lovers, the idea of making money online just by listening to new music is almost too good to be true. But in today's digital world, there are several legitimate ways to earn while enjoying your favorite songs. 

Yes, you can, but it's important to manage your expectations. According to Quora users, you can definitely earn money online listening to music.This is typically a side hustle, not a full-time income. Platforms pay small amounts for listening to tracks and writing reviews, or for curating and promoting playlists. Some users combine multiple platforms to increase earnings over time.

This method appeals to people who already spend hours listening to music and using streaming platforms, discovering new music, or sharing playlists with friends. It's especially effective if you enjoy exploring fresh genres, listening to independent artists, or analyzing lyrics.

Most streaming platforms offer small payments per task, so while you're not likely to replace a full-time job, you can definitely earn extra money online. For example, according to user testimonials and online reviews:

The key is consistency and combining different platforms or methods to earn extra cash. If you're a music enthusiast looking for a low-effort side hustle, this could be it.

Thanks to the rise of innovative music apps, it's easier than ever for a music fan to get paid while enjoying what they love most. These platforms offer real opportunities to earn income by helping promote new tracks, sharing honest feedback, or curating a popular Spotify playlist. So, if you're casually playing music throughout the day or specifically tuning in to discover new songs, these methods offer ways to earn extra cash while you listen to music on your own time.

Here are the top platforms, how they work, and what they offer to anyone interested in turning everyday listening into income:

Slicethepie is a review site that lets you earn cash listening to music and by sharing your opinion on various things – and one of the categories you can pick is new songs. After listening to at least 90 seconds of a track, you can submit your rating and get paid to listen to music.

If you’re looking to get paid to listen to music with Slicethepie, keep in mind that you will have to write reviews, too – and do it well. The size of your reward depends on the quality of your review. Detailed, constructive and well-written reviews make more – plus, some categories are specified as paying more, so you can be aware of it when choosing what to review.

While Playlist Push is not technically a way to get paid to listen to music online, it’s still a great side hustle for those who enjoy discovering new artists. If you have a Spotify playlist with 1,000+ followers, you can become a playlist curator for Playlist Push, which means you would receive songs that fit your playlist’s genre to review.

This is actually great in two ways: not only do you get paid to listen to music and write reviews, but you can also find great new songs to add to your playlist and help your listeners discover independent artists and their new favorite music tracks. The amount you’re getting paid per song on Playlist Push may vary from $1.25 all the way up to $15 – it all depends on the size of your playlist and the activity of your listeners!

Music Xray is an amazing website for music fans all over the world. It offers an opportunity to not only discover new music but also to earn money by doing so. At its core, it is a platform for independent musicians and record labels to submit their music for review and feedback.

On this platform, you can earn extra cash by writing music reviews. As you review music uploaded by various newcomers to the music industry, you can earn 10 cents for each music clip that you blast on your headphones and write opinions on. Once you accumulate at least $20, you are good to go! You can request a payout to your PayPal account.

Music Xray gives users the chance to earn small payments for providing feedback on new tracks.

Spotify is one of the world’s leading music streaming services, and while it doesn’t pay users directly to listen to music, it offers smart ways to earn extra cash through playlist curation and content promotion.

For music lovers who enjoy discovering new artists and building popular playlists, Spotify can become a creative side hustle. The platform is widely used by influencers, bloggers, and curators to showcase their music taste—and monetize it through third-party platforms.

Radio Earn is another company that lets you earn points by listening to online radio – however, it works on your internet browser instead of a desktop or mobile application. If you have a website of your own, you can also integrate the player to it and earn when your visitors use it to listen to music – talk about passive income!

With Radio Earn, music lovers get points after every 15 minutes of listening, and the points you collect in a month get converted to USD. 

Radio Earn can barely be called a side hustle, since the earnings are very low: most users said they were making a few bucks a month. However, if you enjoy various tracks, why not take the chance to get paid to listen to music?

Beyond traditional review music and playlist platforms, there are plenty of other ways to make money online by listening to music, especially for beginners. These methods require little to no music industry experience and often just need your time, attention, and a decent internet connection. From passive income apps to creative content creation, these side hustles can be done independently or alongside your regular music streaming routine.

Getting paid to listen to music tracks is real, but it won’t replace your main income. Instead, think of it as a quick money method that’s fun and achievable. Definitely a great side hustle for students or teens, or anybody who’s always traveling. If you're already using music streaming services, curating playlists, or reviewing songs, you're halfway there.

To raise your earning potential, combine platforms. You could start reviewing tracks on Slicethepie, stream RadioEarn while doing chores, and run Honeygain for passive background income. The more simple tasks you complete, the more extra cash you can earn.

All you need to get started is a stable internet connection, a set of headphones, and a verified PayPal account. Explore fresh genres, build popular playlists, and start turning your passion for music into a small but steady source of extra money. 

No, Spotify does not pay you to listen. However, you can use it to grow a popular playlist and monetize it via Playlist Push or affiliate deals.

Yes, platforms like Slicethepie and Music Xray offer legitimate payouts for music reviews.

Most people earn between $10 to $100 per month, depending on time invested, streaming platforms and whether they combine tasks like playing games, listening, viewing videos, and passive earning.

Most are globally accessible, though some may have region-based restrictions on cash-out methods.

Yes, always research a platform before joining. Avoid sites that ask for upfront fees or personal bank details without verification.