17 Legit Ways To Get Paid To Listen to Music (2024)

I always find myself curating a playlist that fits a task before I embark on it. Music helps boost my productivity. 

If you’re a music enthusiast like me, you could easily turn this hobby into a money-making opportunity. 

Whether driving to work, chilling after a long day, or doing your early morning workout routine, it’s the perfect time to listen to your favorite tunes for free cash and gift cards. 

This post covers 17 legit ways to get paid to listen to music. I’ve explored most of them, so rest assured they’re the real deal. 

Regardless of your preferred genre, whether rock or hip hop, or you simply enjoy a good beat, this article is tailored to your needs. 

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The Best Ways To Get Paid To Listen to Music

Artists and music producers often reach out to their listeners to gain insight into tailoring songs to their audience’s preferences and tastes.  

These sites and apps allow you to contribute to your favorite artists’ work. The best part is that this side hustle is easy to start, needs low upfront capital, and requires no educational background. 

You only need a smartphone and a good internet connection to get started.  

1. Slicethepie

Slicethepie is among the leading review sites out there. It’s worth a try if you want to get paid to listen to music.

Simply sign up and hit play to make money on autopilot. From there, you must rate the song and submit a review, commenting on what you like and dislike about aspects like vocals, rhythm, lyrics, and instrumentals.

Slicethepie requires that you listen to a track for at least 90 seconds to submit a review. Payment is based on your review’s quality and overall rating compared to other reviewers. 

On average, reviewers earn about $0.02 per song. However, you can make more by submitting detailed, error-free reviews.

Besides music, Slicethepie also pays you for your opinion on fashion products, commercials, and accessories. 

Slicethepie processes payments on Thursdays and Tuesdays through PayPal, and the withdrawal minimum is $10. You’ll receive your amount within five working days since the site has to review your submissions before paying you.

While the payment per song is low, I recommend this site because they have an extensive music variety, thus offering more opportunities to make money.  

2. RadioEarn

Do you enjoy listening to the radio on your way to work? RadioEarn pays you to do exactly that! Simply sign up for a free account, and you’re good to go.

You don’t have to worry about paying for premium subscriptions – the platform is entirely free. Plus, it’s a worldwide website, so you can access it from anywhere. 

Listening to songs on the online radio earns you points, which you can redeem for Amazon gift cards, Bitcoin, and bank transfers if you reside in the US. 

Expect about 0.25 points for every 15 minutes. The amount is relatively low, but the app is worth it since you don’t have to work for the extra cash. 

Simply turning on the radio is enough. You can leave it running while attending other activities. 

RadioEarn lets you embed your Radio-API on your website and earn a 5% commission when people click the link.

Although it has a low-income potential, RadioEarn is a decent app for getting paid to listen to music. 

3. Music Gateway 

Music Gateway’s decent income potential makes it perfect for this list. If you spend most of your day listening to music, why not get paid for it? 

Music Gateway hires music curators who listen to songs and categorize them according to genre, instrumentation, feel, and vocals. 

This platform pays based on the number of submissions you make. Here’s the site’s earning model:

• 0-199 submissions: £0
• 200-499: £100
• 500-999: £200
• 1000-2499: £400
• 2500: £800

You’ll need to listen to hundreds of songs daily to make a decent amount on this platform. Therefore, it only makes sense if you have much time to spare. 

Plus, having a deep appreciation for different genres is critical to making the perfect playlist. You must be open-minded, as you’ll not be listening to your favorite genre alone. 

You must also have a substantial social media following to succeed as a music curator. You can work as a streaming curator for platforms like Spotify, a radio curator, or a commercial curator. 

4. Current

Another way to get paid to listen to music is through the Current app. The mobile app is available as Current for iOS and Mode Earn app for Android. 

The app lets you tune in to over 100k radio stations to make extra cash. You’ll earn points for every song you listen to. These points are redeemable for gift cards, PayPal money, products, and donations. 

Current stands out for its broad music variety, making it an excellent option regardless of your taste. Here, you get paid to play what you enjoy. 

According to Current’s site, you can earn up to $600 annually if you spend 20-30 hours a week listening to music. 

5. Playlist Push

Playlist Push is a chance to earn free money as a curator. If you enjoy creating playlists and have one with a substantial following, this money-making idea might work for you. 

Your playlist must meet the following requirements to qualify for Playlist Push:

• Have at least 1000 followers 
• Have a minimum of 1% active listeners 
• No bot followers or fake listening activity

The platform doesn’t accept the following playlist types:

• Specific album or artist 
• Focused on a particular decade
• Playlists with “follow me” in the title 
• Movies soundtrack playlists 
• Sub for sub playlists 

You can apply to Playlist Push if you have a playlist that meets their requirements. From there, you’ll get paid to listen to songs by independent artists and promote them on your playlist. 

Earnings range from $1.25 to $15 per song, depending on the number of active listeners. Playlist Push offers payments via Venmo, PayPal, and direct bank transfers.

6. SubmitHub

SubmitHub is another way to put your creative playlist-curating skills into practice while earning money. 

Generally, the platform helps promote artists by paying playlist curators to review their songs. It’s similar to Playlist Push.

The first step to becoming a curator on SubmitHub is curating a Spotify playlist. From there, you must promote your playlist to gain at least 1000 organic listeners. 

From there, sign up on SubmitHub to review songs for cash. Artists send you premium submissions to review and decide whether to add them to your playlist. 

SubmitHub pays you $0.50 per submission. Your earnings depend on the size of your playlist and the number of listeners. The more listeners you have, the more submissions you’ll receive.

The minimum cashout is $10, and payments are made through PayPal, SubmitHub credits, or bank transfers.  

7. Earnably 

Earnably is a get-paid-to site that offers money-making opportunities like:

• Completing surveys 
• Completing offers 
• Listening to music
• Watching videos
• Downloading apps
• Playing games

The more songs you listen to, the higher your earnings. Earnably pays you in points, which you can redeem for gift cards and PayPal cash.

Earnably doesn’t pay much. You may snag a few dollars in a month. However, it’s still a nice way to make money with little effort. 

One way of maximizing your income is through their referral program. Earnably pays you 10% of your referral’s earnings. You can invite as many people as possible. 

8. SoundCampaign 

SoundCampaign has over 1200 playlist curators on its payroll, and if you already like listening to music, there’s no reason you shouldn’t join this network.

Your role as a curator involves reviewing songs from independent artists to determine whether you’ll add them to your playlists. 

Independent artists work with platforms like SoundCampaign to get more listeners. 

The process is quite simple if you already have a Spotify playlist with at least 1000 active listeners. 

From there, submit your application on SoundCampaign. Once your application is approved, you’ll receive new songs that align with your genre and get paid per review. 

SoundCampaign pays up to $14 per song. Your earnings can increase as your playlists gain popularity and more followers. 

9. Become a DJ 

Working as a DJ is another way to get paid to listen to music. The earning potential here is higher than most music review sites.

Being a disc jokey involves curating combinations of tracks for different occasions like parties, radio stations, and concerts. 

You don’t need an educational background for this as long as you’re creative and have good music taste. You can utilize online tutorials, but trial and error is the best way to learn.  

You can kickstart your DJing career at clubs and events within your neighborhood. With more experience, you can work for entertainment companies and private events. 

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly income of a DJ in the US is $41.

10. Cash4Minutes 

Here’s a unique opportunity to make money on autopilot. Cash4Minutes pays you to use your unused phone minutes to listen to the internet radio. 

All you need to do is sign up, set up your profile, and add the numbers you’ll use to get started. This idea is perfect if you have unlimited phone minutes.

The best part is that Cash4Minutes is accessible globally, so you can make money from anywhere. 

According to their website, the GPT site has paid over £11m to over 200k users since its inception. 

You’ll earn $10 for every 83 hours you spend on a call with the radio broadcast. While this is a low payout, it’s still a fantastic way to get paid to do nothing. 

Cash4Minutes makes up for its low earning potential through its referral program. You’ll earn 5% of your referrals’ earnings and 1% of their referrals’ income. However, you’re limited to five referrals per day.

11. Media Rewards 

Media Rewards is another great passive income app that pays you to listen to the radio, answer surveys, watch TV, and watch YouTube videos.

The app runs in the background to collect data on the shows and music you watch. It’s accessible for free on the App Store and Google Play. 

You’ll earn points in exchange for the data the app collects. You can redeem the points for gift cards or use them to enter prize draws within the platform.

The prize draws range between $50 and $1,000, while surveys range from $5 to $10 based on the type and length. Media Rewards processes cash payments through PayPal. 

Like the other sites on this list, Media Rewards won’t make you rich. However, it’s a nice way to snag gift cards and cash. 

Extra Reading – Apps That Pay You To Share Your Data

12. Research.fm 

Research.fm conducts research to advise radio stations on the kind of music to play and tailor their programming toward user expectations. 

You can easily make extra cash by reviewing music on this platform. 

Research.fm will contact you if you’re eligible for surveys in your area or if a member refers you to the platform.

If you agree to take part in the research, the team sends you an email through which you can create an account. From there, they’ll send you audio and video surveys.

The surveys are easy to complete. You may be asked questions about your preferred music genre. You’ll earn Amazon gift cards for answering these surveys.

The only downside of Research.fm is they provide limited information on their website. Therefore, it’s hard to know what you’re signing up for before you join the program. 

This seems sketchy but I believe the site is legit since it has an A+ rating on BBB.

13. Transcribe Lyrics  

Consider music transcription if you want to listen to music for a living. Unlike reviewing music, transcription can be full-time if you establish yourself and get loyal customers.

Music transcription involves listening to music and typing or writing the lyrics in musical notation. 

You may need a formal education to learn how to read sheet music. However, this isn’t necessary as you can learn the skill yourself. 

As a music transcriptionist, you can work for companies or leverage freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. 

Most music transcriptionists on Upwork charge between $15 and $35 per project. You can make more with more experience and expertise.   

14. Start a YouTube Music Review Channel 

Reviewing music on YouTube offers potentially higher rewards and gives you more freedom to venture into different genres. 

The challenge lies in growing a loyal fanbase for your YouTube channel. Employing effective marketing strategies is essential to excel. 

You can start by choosing your target audience and determining the kind of music they resonate with. From there, produce high-quality, engaging content to appeal to your followers. 

Once you gain a substantial following on your music review videos, you can monetize your YouTube account through affiliate marketing, ads, and sponsored content. 

You can also work with artists and record labels to promote their music.

You must be careful to avoid copyright infringement claims on YouTube. Review any YouTube terms on the same beforehand to avoid legal implications. 

15. HideoutTV 

If you’re looking for a way to get paid for watching music videos, HideoutTV is a great option. The platform displays ads before, during, and after the music videos. 

Watching these ads earns you points redeemable for cash rewards. However, this site’s earning potential is meager. 

You’ll earn about $0.1 per video, which includes numerous ads. With that in mind, you’ll need to spend much time on the app to earn at least a dollar. 

Overall, HideoutTV may only be worth it if you stack it with other earning options in this list. 

16. CyberFM

CyberFM is an excellent option if you’re still seeking ways to monetize your music hobby. This online radio generally lets you earn crypto by listening to music. 

The platform has numerous radio stations offering a variety of songs from different genres. So, you can easily make cash regardless of your music taste. 

I also like that the platform is ad-free. This way, you can enjoy your music without any interruptions. Plus, the site offers live-streaming radio 24/7, so you can make money at any time from anywhere.

While CyberFM offers an excellent opportunity to supplement your income, it isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

17. Start a Music Review Blog

Like becoming a YouTuber, blogging has a higher income potential than most sites that pay you to review music. 

Your job as a music review blogger involves listening to new albums, singles, and concerts and sharing your thoughts with your fans. 

This is an excellent side hustle idea if you’re a music enthusiast with good writing skills. To widen your reach, you can focus on a specific genre, like hip-hop, or mix genres. 

Numerous music blogs already exist, so you must find unique ways to stand out and resonate with your audience. 

Social media is your friend if you want to grow a substantial readership on your blog. After that, you can monetize your blog through sponsored posts and affiliate marketing.

You can also work with artists and review music products like headsets. 

Tips for Getting Paid To Listen to Music

Here are some helpful tips as you find the best platform that aligns with your needs:

• Have realistic expectations: GPT sites that pay you to listen to music won’t make you rich. Keep this in mind to avoid frustrations.
• Stack different platforms: Using various sites simultaneously is the best way to maximize your earnings.
• Be patient: Most sites that pay you to review music have low income potential. Therefore, you must be patient to accumulate significant rewards.
• Research: Thorough research is crucial to avoiding scams. 

Extra Reading – Legit Ways To Get Paid to Sleep

Final Thoughts 

There are many ways to get paid to listen to music. Finding a site that aligns with your goals and expectations is the challenge. 

Simply reviewing music on GPT sites won’t cut it if you want a substantial income. Other options, like starting a YouTube channel or blog, have higher earning potential. 

Review a platform’s terms and conditions to avoid legal implications due to copyright infringement. 

Regardless of your music taste, I hope this article helps you find a way to monetize your hobby.