As a musician working in the industry, most of us operate as freelancers. We tend to work on a wide range of projects for different clients. However, marketing our services can be a major challenge we face as freelancers. Whether you’re a session musician, songwriter, producer or in any other role in the business, finding clients who need your services can be a daunting task. But there’s a solution that can help – Fiverr.com.
In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at Fiverr, explaining how it works and how musicians can make money on the platform.
What is Fiverr?
Fiverr.com is a digital platform that connects freelancers from various creative industries with clients worldwide. While it initially gained popularity as an online marketplace for musicians and audio professionals, Fiverr has since expanded to include a diverse range of creative verticals.
On Fiverr, graphic designers, video producers, animators, proofreaders, illustrators, voice-over artists, programmers, and musicians can all list their services, which are called “Gigs” on the platform. Freelancers can showcase their skills, expertise, and portfolios, making it easy for potential clients to find and hire them.
Fiverr.com offers a user-friendly interface where buyers can easily search for the services they need. Whether it’s a logo design, a promotional video, an animated explainer, a manuscript proofread, a book cover illustrated, a voice-over recorded, or a software program developed, Fiverr has a vast pool of talented freelancers to choose from.
Moreover, Fiverr’s features and tools enable seamless communication, collaboration, and transaction between freelancers and clients. The platform provides secure payment processing, order tracking, feedback and rating system, dispute resolution, and customer support, ensuring a smooth and satisfactory experience for both parties.
How Does Fiverr work?
On Fiverr.com, freelance sellers can create a profile and list their services, which are referred to as “Gigs.” Sellers have the freedom to set their own prices for their services, and buyers can search the website for specific offerings. For instance, a trumpet player may offer to compose and record a trumpet part for a song, while a graphic designer may offer to create an artwork for an album cover.
Buyers can easily place orders from the available Gigs or message the seller to request a custom order. Once an order is placed, there is a predetermined timeline for delivery and a set number of revisions that the buyer can request. If additional revisions are needed, an extra fee will be charged. Once the order is completed and no further revisions are necessary, the buyer is charged for the service and the seller is paid after a 14-day clearance period. Fiverr.com earns its revenue by taking a percentage of the fee.
After the Gig ends, both the buyer and seller have the opportunity to rate each other and leave a review. These ratings and reviews can be taken into account by other buyers and sellers for future orders. Additionally, as a seller completes more orders and meets certain milestones, such as delivering a certain number of orders on time and maintaining a high average rating, they can progress through different levels of seller status from Basic to Level 1, Level 2, Top Rated, and ultimately Pro Verified.
As sellers move up the levels, they gain access to additional functionality and benefits. They can offer more than the standard number of Gigs, receive their earnings more quickly, and set higher prices as their experience and skills are verified. In summary, Fiverr.com provides a user-friendly platform that enables freelance sellers to offer their services and buyers to find the right talent for their creative projects, while also providing a secure and streamlined transaction process for both parties.
Why Should You Use Fiverr As A Musician?
So why is it important for you as a musician to use fiverr? Let’s find out!
It’s Where Customers Are
In the past, musicians had to rely on word of mouth, referrals, and networking to secure gigs before the internet became a dominant tool. This often posed challenges for musicians located outside of major cities and music hubs. They either had to relocate or commute to where music was happening, which required significant time spent networking with other artists and musicians to build their business.
However, Fiverr.com has made the process much easier by eliminating much of the legwork involved. The platform allows buyers from all over the world to search for services, view past work examples, and read reviews from other buyers who have previously purchased services from a specific seller.
For musicians, this means that finding clients to work with is much simpler, especially if they play an instrument that is less common. Fiverr.com provides a way for musicians to showcase their skills and easily connect with potential clients, regardless of their location or network.
Protecting Your Money
Fiverr.com provides a secure environment for both buyers and sellers to transact. One of the ways Fiverr.com ensures sellers’ protection is by charging the buyer’s card immediately after they place an order for a service. This guarantees that sellers will receive payment once they deliver the work.
Furthermore, Fiverr.com offers a dedicated dispute resolution service to address any disagreements that may arise between buyers and sellers. In the unlikely event that a dispute occurs, Fiverr.com acts as a mediator to ensure that both parties reach a fair resolution.
This level of protection enables sellers to focus on delivering quality work without having to worry about payment or disputes. It also assures buyers that they are paying for a service that will meet their expectations, and they have recourse if the service falls short.
Overall, Fiverr.com provides a reliable and secure platform for freelancers to offer their services and for buyers to find the right professionals to meet their needs. The combination of payment protection and dispute resolution services ensures a fair and transparent process for all parties involved.
Analytics
Fiverr.com offers valuable insights to sellers regarding their gig performance, including daily impressions, clicks, and conversion rates. With this data, sellers can refine their gig descriptions and improve their chances of getting more orders.
Additionally, Fiverr.com recognizes and rewards sellers who excel on the platform. For example, sellers who experience growth in their orders and positive reviews can earn a “Rising Talent” badge. There is also a “Pro Verified” badge for sellers who are experts in their field and have demonstrated exceptional skills and experience on the platform.
By providing these performance metrics and badges, Fiverr.com encourages sellers to continuously improve their services and showcase their expertise to potential buyers. This results in a better experience for both sellers and buyers on the platform.
You Can Buy & Sell Services
In addition to withdrawing earnings to a bank or PayPal account, Fiverr.com allows sellers to use their Fiverr balance to purchase services from other buyers on the platform. This feature provides sellers with access to a wide range of services they may need, such as voiceovers, music composition, or video production, or Podcast Editing. By connecting with other sellers, users can find the services they need to enhance their projects or business, even if they lack the necessary skills or resources themselves.
Great App
The Fiverr mobile application offers various features such as responding to messages, submitting custom offers, managing orders, and checking earnings and stats. This is beneficial for sellers as it helps improve their response rate, which is an important metric on the platform.
How To Make Money On Fiverr As A Musician
Fiverr.com is a really great place to sell but there are some tricks and tips you can use to make your offering stand out and get more orders. Here are our top tips:
Provide Something Special
Having a unique selling point or offering can be a game-changer on Fiverr. With so many sellers offering the same services, it can be challenging to attract buyers to your gig. For instance, if you’re a guitar player, you’re entering a highly competitive marketplace where customers have a vast range of choices available to them. However, you can overcome this by thinking outside the box and offering something unique.
Instead of offering a generic “I Will Play Guitar For You” gig, try to think of something specific that you excel at, such as “I Will Play Fingerstyle Guitar For You.” This will make your gig stand out and attract potential buyers who are looking for a specific type of guitar playing.
Moreover, if you play a less common instrument, such as a harp or accordion, you have a higher chance of buyers selecting your gig. Thus, emphasizing your unique skills and expertise can make your Fiverr gig more appealing and help you gain more orders.
Pricing Your Gigs Right
Determining the right price for your services can be a challenge as a freelancer. You need to balance valuing your time and expertise, earning enough to sustain your music career, and presenting an attractive offer to your customers. However, some Fiverr freelancers make the mistake of either underpricing or overpricing their services. Setting a price that is too low not only diminishes your worth but also creates a culture where buyers undervalue your service, which ultimately harms everyone involved. On the other hand, setting a price that is too high may deter potential customers and make it difficult to compete with other sellers offering similar services at lower prices.
To avoid these pitfalls, it is recommended that you search Fiverr for similar services and evaluate how they are priced. Based on this, you can establish a reasonable price that is competitive with your peers. Initially, you may have to offer your services at a lower price to attract customers, but you can raise your prices as your reviews and seller level increase over time. In this way, you can establish yourself as a credible seller and build a loyal customer base on Fiverr, just as you would outside of the platform as your career progresses.
Give Alternatives
This tip builds on the previous one. On Fiverr, you have the option to offer different packages for your gig, which can be based on factors such as the complexity of the project or the level of quality required. For example, you could offer to compose a piece on strings for $20, or a whole orchestra for $100. Alternatively, you could offer higher quality audio or more revisions for a higher price.
According to Fiverr’s statistics, having multiple options increases your chances of getting orders. You can start by offering a low-cost option to attract potential buyers and encourage them to explore your gig further. Once they are engaged, they are more likely to choose a more valuable option that better meets their needs.
Show Your Best Work
On Fiverr.com, you can create a gallery for your gig, which is essentially a portfolio showcasing your previous work to potential customers. It’s important to include your best work in this gallery so that customers can see the quality of your service. Keep in mind that the purpose of the gallery is to showcase your service, not to promote your band or music, so make sure that the work you upload is a strong representation of your skills and expertise.
Use Stats
Fiverr.com offers valuable performance statistics on your gigs, including the number of impressions and clicks they receive. These stats can help you improve your gigs and monitor the effectiveness of changes made to your pricing and descriptions.
Pay Attention To Your Levels
Your level as a seller on Fiverr is essential to your success on the platform. The higher your level, the more credibility you have and the more you can charge for your services. Buyers also tend to trust sellers with higher levels more. To increase your seller level, it is crucial to deliver your orders on time, respond to inquiries quickly and efficiently, and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. This will help you receive positive ratings and reviews from your clients, which are essential for moving up the ranks and earning more money.
Ensure Your Products Are Of High Quality
It may seem obvious, but it is important to emphasize the importance of delivering high-quality work as a musician on Fiverr. Even if you have exceptional musical skills, if you provide low-quality recordings, your reviews will suffer. Therefore, it is essential to have the necessary equipment to deliver high-quality audio files to your clients.
Are There Any Alternatives?
There are a few Fiverr competitors on the market.
Here we’ll make some headline comparisons amongst the main players in this space.
Fiverr Vs. Upwork
Upwork is an online marketplace that allows buyers to search for freelancers to complete specific projects. While Fiverr is not solely dedicated to musicians, it does have a strong focus on providing services for musicians. One of the main categories that buyers can search for on Fiverr is Music & Audio.
At first glance, it seems that Upwork is geared more towards professional services such as Development & IT, Writing & Translation, and Finance & Accounting. However, with a little searching, you can find that musicians and composers are using the platform as well. It does feel like music isn’t the main focus of Upwork’s offering, though.
Unlike Fiverr, which offers a flat service fee for a specific service, Upwork supports an hourly rate and timesheet approach. This means that musicians and composers could potentially be paid a fairer wage on the platform, assuming there are enough buyers placing orders.
Fiverr Vs. Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com has impressive statistics, with 52 million registered users and 19.8 million jobs posted. It differs from Fiverr in that users are first required to describe their product, and then freelancers are invited to quote. This system filters out buyers who are not serious about purchasing, but it also means there are more steps before seeing what’s available. Many users prefer the ability to browse without having to create an account, log in, or subscribe to mailing lists, so Freelancer may not be as user-friendly as Fiverr.
Fiverr Vs. SoundBetter
You may have noticed that SoundBetter’s font and branding looks familiar, and if so, you’re correct! SoundBetter was actually part of the Spotify family before it was bought back by the original creators of the platform. The platform is designed to connect musicians from around the world with the best professionals in the music industry. Their website boasts that you can “work with Led Zepplin’s engineer” and they mean it.
Through SoundBetter, artists can create a project and receive proposals from top professionals in the field. You can search for professionals based on their skills, credits, or even their previous work, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your project. If you’re willing to pay for it, you can work with musicians who have previously played with Taylor Swift or Biffy Clyro.
SoundBetter is an amazing site, but it has a more selective entry criteria than Fiverr. There are more hurdles to clear before you can start operating as a provider on the platform.
Now You Know
Fiverr is a valuable platform for freelance musicians as it offers an easy-to-use interface for managing sales and learning how to sell. It’s recommended to explore this platform for finding new clients and building your business. While some musicians use Fiverr as their primary source of income, it’s typically used in conjunction with other traditional streams, such as live performance fees and word-of-mouth referrals. Regardless, cultivating a presence on Fiverr can open up opportunities for new projects.
Have you tried using Fiverr as a musician? Share your experiences in the comments and don’t forget to tag @mellostudiobh when sharing this article on social media.
