Embarking on a side hustle journey as an International Sound Engineer not only allows you to flex your creative muscles but also offers a significant boost to your income. In this blog post, we’ve curated a list of the best side hustles tailored to your unique skill set. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, these opportunities provide diverse avenues for you to expand your horizons and financial portfolio.
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Travel Website for Sale | Potential Profit: 5000$/month
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Description: Fully Automated Travel Website – Hotels, Flights, Cars – $200/day Potential
Huge Profit through travel affiliate programs (Flight, Hotel, & Rental Car). Start an online business with this gorgeous, professionally designed, affiliate travel website. It is a powerful travel comparison website that allows users to find the best prices for hotels, flights, and car rentals. This type of website is currently very popular as more people try to save money when booking their next vacation.
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How to Start: You can build a website and online business from scratch or go with a readymade solution provided by Sitefy.
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Investment: 99$ to start the website.
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Skillset & Learning: No skillset required. Basic skills are required that can be learned in a couple of hours.
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Success Rate: Moderate to high, reliant on the monthly traffic to the website.
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Pros & Cons: It takes very little time to start this online business and ROI is the highest among all the businesses mentioned.
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Market Size: Globally, travel and tourism directly contributed approximately 2.9 trillion U.S. dollars to GDP
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Whom to Hire: You can hire developers, designers and marketing experts from different freelancing platforms or you can go with a readymade all-in-one solution.
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Where to Hire: Freelance platforms, specialized tech companies.
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Biggest Source of Marketing: Organic Traffic across the globe.
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- Podcast Production Maestro
- Description: Dive into the thriving world of podcasting by offering comprehensive production services. This includes audio editing, sound design, and mixing to help podcasters achieve top-notch audio quality.
- Earnings Potential: $50-$100 per hour.
- How to Start: Create a portfolio showcasing your skills, join freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, and market your services on social media.
- Investment: Minimal, only requires a reliable computer and audio editing software.
- Skillset: Proficiency in audio editing software (e.g., Audacity, Adobe Audition), excellent communication skills.
- Learning Resources: Online platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer courses in podcast production.
- Success Rate: High, as the demand for quality podcast production is on the rise.
- Pros and Cons: Flexible schedule, creative expression / High competition, variable income.
- Market Size: Expanding rapidly, with millions of podcasts across various niches.
- Hiring: Initially, work solo, then consider hiring freelance editors if demand increases.
- Live Event Sound Consultant
- Description: Provide expert advice on optimizing sound systems for live events, ensuring crystal-clear audio experiences.
- Earnings Potential: $500-$1,500 per event.
- How to Start: Develop a professional website, network with event planners, and offer your services for small events initially.
- Investment: Moderate, requires professional-grade equipment and transportation.
- Skillset: In-depth knowledge of sound systems, strong interpersonal skills.
- Learning Resources: Attend workshops, conferences, and online courses focused on live event sound engineering.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high, depending on your networking efforts.
- Pros and Cons: Exciting work environment, potential for high earnings / Irregular work schedule, equipment maintenance costs.
- Market Size: Significant, as live events are prevalent globally.
- Hiring: Consider partnering with event planning companies or hiring assistants for larger gigs.
- Online Mixing and Mastering Services
- Description: Offer remote mixing and mastering services for musicians and bands looking to enhance the quality of their recordings.
- Earnings Potential: $100-$500 per track.
- How to Start: Create an online portfolio, promote services on music forums and social media, and collaborate with independent artists.
- Investment: Moderate, requires quality monitoring equipment and software.
- Skillset: Advanced knowledge of audio mixing and mastering techniques.
- Learning Resources: Online courses and tutorials by industry professionals.
- Success Rate: High, with the rise of independent musicians seeking professional sound services.
- Pros and Cons: Flexible schedule, broad client base / Intense competition, variable workload.
- Market Size: Expanding, as more artists turn to online platforms for music production services.
- Hiring: Initially solo, consider hiring assistants as workload increases.
- Custom Sound Effects for Media
- Description: Create unique sound effects for video games, films, and multimedia projects, tailoring your skills to the specific needs of content creators.
- Earnings Potential: $50-$200 per sound effect.
- How to Start: Build a diverse portfolio, join online platforms like Soundly or Audiojungle, and reach out to content creators directly.
- Investment: Minimal, needs quality sound libraries and basic recording equipment.
- Skillset: Creative sound design, knowledge of industry trends.
- Learning Resources: Explore online courses on sound design and digital audio workstations (DAWs).
- Success Rate: High, as demand for unique soundscapes continues to grow.
- Pros and Cons: Creative expression, varied projects / Competitive market, occasional tight deadlines.
- Market Size: Expanding, especially with the surge in content creation across various industries.
- Hiring: Solo venture, but collaborations with content creators may lead to long-term partnerships.
- Virtual Reality (VR) Audio Engineer
- Description: Dive into the immersive world of virtual reality by specializing in spatial audio design for VR experiences and games.
- Earnings Potential: $50-$150 per hour.
- How to Start: Acquire VR audio software proficiency, build a portfolio, and connect with VR developers on platforms like LinkedIn.
- Investment: Moderate, necessitates VR audio software and compatible hardware.
- Skillset: Proficiency in spatial audio techniques, understanding of VR technology.
- Learning Resources: Online courses on VR audio production, workshops, and community forums.
- Success Rate: Moderate, with the potential to grow as VR technology becomes more widespread.
- Pros and Cons: Cutting-edge technology, niche expertise / Limited market size, evolving industry.
- Market Size: Growing, as VR applications expand across entertainment, education, and training.
- Hiring: Independent venture initially, but collaboration with VR development teams may lead to ongoing projects.
- Corporate Training Audio Specialist
- Description: Offer your expertise in audio production to corporations for creating high-quality training materials, ensuring engaging and informative content.
- Earnings Potential: $75-$200 per hour.
- How to Start: Develop a professional website, reach out to corporate training departments, and network at industry conferences.
- Investment: Minimal to moderate, requires good recording equipment and editing software.
- Skillset: Clear communication, ability to simplify complex concepts through audio.
- Learning Resources: Explore online courses on corporate audio production and effective communication.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high, as companies increasingly prioritize quality training materials.
- Pros and Cons: Consistent demand, opportunity for long-term partnerships / May require adherence to corporate guidelines, project-based workload.
- Market Size: Significant, as companies invest in employee training and development.
- Hiring: Initially solo, consider partnering with instructional designers for comprehensive training projects.
- YouTube Channel for Audio Production Tutorials
- Description: Share your knowledge and skills through engaging video tutorials on YouTube, targeting aspiring sound engineers and music enthusiasts.
- Earnings Potential: $500-$2,000 per month (ad revenue, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing).
- How to Start: Create a YouTube channel, produce high-quality tutorials, and engage with your audience through comments and social media.
- Investment: Minimal, requires a good camera, microphone, and video editing software.
- Skillset: Effective communication, video editing skills, in-depth knowledge of audio production.
- Learning Resources: Improve video editing skills through online courses and tutorials.
- Success Rate: High, with consistent content creation and audience engagement.
- Pros and Cons: Passive income potential, global audience / Requires consistent content creation, time-consuming.
- Market Size: Large and growing, with a vast online community interested in audio production.
- Hiring: Initially solo, but consider collaborating with other content creators for cross-promotion.
- Remote Sound Design for Mobile Apps
- Description: Work with app developers to create captivating soundscapes and effects for mobile applications, enhancing the overall user experience.
- Earnings Potential: $50-$200 per app.
- How to Start: Join freelance platforms specializing in app development, create a portfolio, and showcase your previous work.
- Investment: Minimal, requires access to a variety of sound libraries and basic recording equipment.
- Skillset: Creative sound design, understanding of mobile app user experience.
- Learning Resources: Online courses on sound design for interactive media and mobile app development.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high, as the mobile app market continues to grow.
- Pros and Cons: Creative collaboration, diverse projects / Competitive market, occasional tight deadlines.
- Market Size: Expanding rapidly, with millions of new apps entering the market.
- Hiring: Independent venture, but forming relationships with app development teams may lead to repeat business.
- Custom Ringtones and Notification Sounds
- Description: Cater to the personalization needs of smartphone users by creating unique and customizable ringtones and notification sounds.
- Earnings Potential: $5-$20 per sound.
- How to Start: Set up an online store on platforms like Etsy, promote your creations on social media, and offer customization options.
- Investment: Minimal, requires access to a variety of sound libraries and basic marketing materials.
- Skillset: Creative sound design, understanding of smartphone audio formats.
- Learning Resources: Online courses on sound design and audio format compatibility.
- Success Rate: High, as individuals increasingly seek personalized audio experiences on their devices.
- Pros and Cons: Creative outlet, passive income potential / Low individual sale value, market saturation.
- Market Size: Steady, with a consistent demand for personalized audio content.
- Hiring: Independent venture, but consider partnering with graphic designers for custom branding.
- Sound Therapy Specialist
- Description: Explore the therapeutic side of sound by offering personalized soundscapes and meditation audio for individuals seeking relaxation and stress relief.
- Earnings Potential: $50-$150 per personalized session.
- How to Start: Develop a website, offer free samples, and market your services to wellness centers, yoga studios, and individuals.
- Investment: Minimal to moderate, requires recording equipment and a platform for distributing personalized sessions.
- Skillset: Understanding of therapeutic soundscapes, empathy, clear communication.
- Learning Resources: Online courses on sound therapy and meditation techniques.
- Success Rate: Moderate, with potential growth as awareness of sound therapy increases.
- Pros and Cons: Fulfilling work, potential for long-term client relationships / Niche market, variable demand.
- Market Size: Growing, as people increasingly turn to alternative therapies for stress relief.
- Hiring: Initially solo, consider collaborating with wellness centers and therapists for broader reach.
These side hustles not only leverage your international sound engineering expertise but also provide avenues for creative expression and financial growth. Choose the side hustle that aligns with your passion and skills, and watch as your income and professional satisfaction reach new heights. As the world continues to appreciate the importance of high-quality audio in various industries, your skills as an International Sound Engineer are more valuable than ever in the expansive realm of side hustles.
