Pop Musician Finds Success in Low-Fidelity Music Production Side Hustle
Michael Turner, known for his pop music under the name PLVTINUM, has discovered a lucrative hustle in a genre called lo-fi music. This type of music is characterized by its low production value and is meant to be listened to passively as background music. Turner, along with guitarist Mike Bono, formed Bonsai Beats to produce lo-fi tracks that have brought in an extra $33,139 over the past year.
Producing lo-fi music is ‘much simpler than people realize’
Turner’s venture into lo-fi music production stemmed from his early success with internet virality. With a video of him singing and playing his original song amassing over a million views, Turner was hooked on the potential of internet fame. He discovered that lo-fi music can also be popular, as evidenced by the staggering number of subscribers and views of popular lo-fi streamer Lofi Girl.
Bonsai Beats has managed to attract 12,000 monthly listeners with their 53 lo-fi tracks, with one track boasting over 300,000 streams. Turner and Bono’s music production process is surprisingly simple, using just a guitar, keyboard, and music mixing software like Apple’s Logic Pro or GarageBand.
‘This is a really exciting time in music’
While the income potential for lo-fi music may not match that of mainstream artists like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, Turner sees the democratization of music thanks to streaming platforms as an opportunity. Other musician friends of his have also found success with lo-fi music. One friend made nearly $100,000 from 20 million streams with a track designed for relaxation, while another sold the rights to his music catalog for $1.68 million. Turner’s optimism led him to establish his own record label, Rebellion Records, with a mission to assist emerging artists.
The simplicity and accessibility of lo-fi music production make it an attractive side hustle for professional and casual musicians alike. To distribute their tracks, Turner uses TuneCore, enabling his music to appear on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The potential of recurring income from streaming is also drawing attention from traditional investors, turning lo-fi music into a serious space for serious profits.
As Turner looks to the future, he’s excited about the prospect of turning his production skills and digital marketing knowledge into a new opportunity to help emerging artists through his record label, rendering this an exciting time in the music industry.
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