Sound Money
Practical reading for the business side of making music
Short Notes that take one idea at a time, and step by step Guides you can work through. Six areas, the same six your Map shows.
Start here
Getting Paid Doesn’t Make It Less About the Art
Money and creativity don't have to be enemies. Building a sustainable life around your music can be one way of protecting the work you love.
Note
6 min
Money Visibility
Knowing what your music earns and what it costs, so the numbers stop being a guess.
Your Music Makes Money in More Ways Than You Think
A practical guide to managing multiple income streams as a working musician.
Note
6 min
A Simple Monthly Money Check-In for Musicians
A 20-minute routine for understanding what's coming in, what's going out, and what needs your attention.
Guide
6 min
Snug artists
Tax Readiness
Keeping records through the year so tax time is a morning of tidying, not a scramble.
The Gig Was $500. Not All $500 Is Yours to Spend
A practical introduction to the tax side of getting paid as an independent musician.
Note
6 min
Building a Year-Round Tax Recordkeeping Habit
A simple routine for keeping track of music income, expenses, and tax records before tax season arrives.
Guide
6 min
Snug artists
Pricing and Getting Paid
Setting a price, saying it out loud, and getting paid the agreed amount on the agreed day.
Before You Say Yes to the Gig, Ask These Questions
A few questions can make the difference between knowing the deal and hoping everything works out.
Note
6 min
What Belongs in a Simple Performance Agreement?
A practical way to put the important parts of a gig in writing before you play.
Guide
7 min
Snug artists
Cash Flow Readiness
Living on income that arrives in lumps: a baseline to cover, and a way to smooth the months between.
Your Income Is Irregular. Your Life Isn’t.
Your music income may change from month to month. Most of your bills don't. A little visibility can make that mismatch easier to manage.
Note
6 min
Finding Your Baseline Number
A practical way to estimate what an ordinary month needs to support when your music income changes from month to month.
Guide
7 min
Snug artists
Financial Systems
The structure underneath the work: accounts, agreements, and the habits that keep them current.
When Your Music Starts Acting Like a Business
You don't have to think of yourself as a business owner to benefit from putting a little structure around the money and work connected to your music.
Note
6 min
A Simple Recordkeeping System for Working Musicians
A practical way to keep the business side of your music organized without creating another job for yourself.
Guide
7 min
Snug artists
Growth Readiness
Looking past the next gig to the year after it, and what it would take to still be doing this.
Beyond the Next Gig
When your income changes from month to month, thinking years ahead can feel unrealistic. It can still be useful to give the future a place in your financial life.
Note
6 min
Thinking Longer Term When Your Income Changes Every Month
A practical way to make room for future goals when your income doesn't arrive on a predictable schedule.
Guide
7 min
Snug artists