Music and Audio evidence: 13 quotes from 3 creators
Every quote, figure and source behind our music and audio guide: 13 quotes from 3 creators, grouped by claim, with the full source list.
Every quote, by claim
Accepted figures: each is backed by the creators quoted under it, verbatim and linked to the moment they said it.
Common pitfalls: Most tracks never reach the Spotify 1,000-stream royalty threshold
“And I think it's at 87% of all tracks on Spotify fall below the 1000 stream minimum threshold to earn any royalties at all.”
Typical hours per week: 1–20 hours/week
“I do think you could be working on a podcast one to two hours a week or 10, 15, 20 hours a week.”
Ongoing cost: $10–$20/month
“sueno costs like 10 or 20 bucks a month”
Single reports, not yet confirmed
What one creator said, before a second independent source backs it. Not used as a fact anywhere on the site.
Monthly earnings, part time
“on a bad month, I'll do about $200 in revenue, but I've done up to like 2 grand in a month.”
“It does a on on a bad month, I'll do about $200 in revenue, um but I've done up to like two grand in a month.”
“there's some other case studies where it's like, oh, I'm making $3,000 a month. I'm making $5,000 a month.”
Startup cost
“Let's say we're sitting at about $30,000 retail of gear in here.”
“Let's say we're sitting at about $30,000 retail of gear in here.”
Ongoing cost
“sueno costs like 10 or 20 bucks a month”
Typical hours per week
“I do think you could be working on a podcast one to two hours a week or 10, 15, 20 hours a week.”
Common pitfalls
“And I think it's at 87% of all tracks on Spotify fall below the 1000 stream minimum threshold to earn any royalties at all.”
Equipment
“Now it is Suno and ElevenLabs and about fifteen minutes.”
“I bought two Blue Yeti microphones with the intent of starting a podcast.”
Employee pay in the related job, nationally and by state
BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation, not side-hustle income.
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% | People employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music Directors and Composers | $35.44/hr ($73,710/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $39,880–$165,760/yr | 12,540 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | $35.16/hr ($73,130/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $37,570–$137,370/yr | 13,080 |
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $42,250 |
| California | $93,090 |
| Colorado | $88,460 |
| Connecticut | $77,070 |
| District of Columbia | $84,040 |
| Florida | $57,830 |
| Georgia | $67,100 |
| Hawaii | $74,570 |
| Illinois | $49,270 |
| Indiana | $77,270 |
| Iowa | $61,740 |
| Maryland | $64,300 |
| Massachusetts | $78,620 |
| Michigan | $59,400 |
| Mississippi | $62,240 |
| Missouri | $61,670 |
| Montana | $51,530 |
| New Jersey | $122,750 |
| New York | $82,930 |
| North Carolina | $63,380 |
| Ohio | $61,380 |
| Oklahoma | $54,250 |
| Oregon | $60,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,160 |
| Tennessee | $79,640 |
| Texas | $65,570 |
| Utah | $82,570 |
| Virginia | $59,050 |
| Washington | $75,060 |
| Wisconsin | $78,690 |
All sources
- The Side Hustle Show, 742: $60k/mo Selling Baby Sleep Masks, the $72k “Secret” Detailing Business, $500k in Print on Demand Candles, and more (podcast, 4 Jun 2026, at 35:22)
- Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles on the Doug.Show, Building a Lifestyle Podcast Agency: SimplePod Studios & Financial Independence - DS624 (podcast, 6 Jul 2026, at 37:37)
- Chris Koerner, Stop Buying Things. Start Buying Assets that Pay for Themselves⏐Ep. #281 (podcast, 10 Mar 2026, at 32:30)
- Chris Koerner, Stop Buying Things. Start Buying Assets that Pay for Themselves (YouTube, 12 Mar 2026, at 33:00)
- Chris Koerner, The Most Overlooked AI Side Hustle Of 2026 - Ep. #328 (podcast, 21 Aug 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, 31.0.
All data
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Common pitfalls | Most tracks never reach the Spotify 1,000-stream royalty threshold | The Side Hustle Show, Jun 2026 |
| Demand trend | stable | BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| Typical hours per week | 1–20 hours/week | Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles on the Doug.Show, Jul 2026 |
| Nearest occupation | Music Directors and Composers | O*NET 31.0 |
| Nearest occupation | Sound Engineering Technicians | O*NET 31.0 |
| Ongoing cost | $10–$20/month | The Side Hustle Show, Jun 2026 |
| Median hourly wage, employees: music directors and composers | $35.44/hr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Median annual wage, employees: music directors and composers | $73,710/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual wage, 10th percentile: music directors and composers | $39,880/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual wage, 90th percentile: music directors and composers | $165,760/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| People employed: music directors and composers | 12,540 jobs | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected employment change, 10 years: music directors and composers | 1.2% | BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| Share self-employed: music directors and composers | 24.7% | BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| Median hourly wage, employees: sound engineering technicians | $35.16/hr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Median annual wage, employees: sound engineering technicians | $73,130/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual wage, 10th percentile: sound engineering technicians | $37,570/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual wage, 90th percentile: sound engineering technicians | $137,370/yr | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| People employed: sound engineering technicians | 13,080 jobs | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected employment change, 10 years: sound engineering technicians | -3.1% | BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| Share self-employed: sound engineering technicians | 11.8% | BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |