Niche of the Week: Music Affiliate Programs

I know this week's Niche of the Week is a bit surprising. I was a bit surprised myself, when I first started researching this niche. I know there are affiliate programs for the musically inclined (such as Jamorama and Singorama), but I didn't really think there was such an abundance of music affiliate programs. Then again, if there are affiliate programs for coffee  and makeup, then I suppose affiliate programs for the music industry aren't all that strange.

The music industry includes the record companies, sound engineers, composers, performers, music teachers, vocal coaches, even musical instrument manufacturers. Music is a billion-dollar industry with much of its revenue coming from record sales.

The digital age has brought a huge change to the music business. According to an article published on CNN Money back in 2010, sales of music records have fallen on average of 8 percent per year since 2000. Apparently, the iTunes Store is now the largest music store in the US. Music and video streaming where one can listen to music and watch music videos have given music aficionados freedom to access their favorite tunes whenever and wherever.

So what does this have to do with an average affiliate marketer such as yourself? These numbers translate into commissions from several potential music affiliate programs.

Musical Keywords

"Music" as a keyword is too vague. So is "download music." Despite the fact that it has high monthly search values and medium competition, it's just too broad a keyword.

If this is the route you want to go, It would help to have a specific music genre in mind. Picking out several music products to promote would also help, so make sure to have these before you hunt for keywords. Knowing which group of music lovers you're targeting and which products you're going to promote will dictate the keywords you'll look for and pick. For example, if you're into ABBA and all those great '70s songs, then your keywords would contain either the performer's name, the actual song, or the genre. Phrases such as "download Dancing Queen ABBA" are more targeted than "download music."

There are other markets to target, too, such as musical instruments, or as I've found out, software that you can use to create and mix music. There are specific product keywords you can use too. If you're recommending a particular brand of guitars, then you can target keywords with buyer intent, like "buy rhythm guitar"

The search results bring up several different keywords, with "buy guitar" having high competition. You can choose to target just "rhythm guitar." It has more monthly search values, but lower competition. I would definitely target the keyword with lower competition, but I also look for a good balance on my list: keywords with high buyer intent mixed with information or how-to keywords.

Music Affiliate Programs

As mentioned early on in this article, there's Jamorama and Singorama. These music affiliate programs are both found in ClickBank, along with several others.

Jamorama

Jamorama teaches guitar through online video lessons. Affiliates receive 75 percent commission on new subscriptions, with each subscription giving a further 25 percent commission from recurring fees.

Rocket Piano

Rocket Piano is similar to Jamorama, but it focuses on teaching piano.  Like Jamorama, Rocket Piano gives affiliates 75 percent commission for each download edition of Rocket Piano and 25 percent for each physical copy.

PianoForAll

PianoForAll is another learn-to-play-the-piano course. The lessons are a combination of eBooks and audio and video lessons. The affiliate commissions are slightly lower, at 60 percent for each sale.

Singorama

Singorama is another popular music affiliate program in ClickBank, providing singing lessons online. Affiliates receive 70 percent of each sale.

Superior Singing Method

Superior Singing Method is another affiliate program in ClickBank that offers online singing lessons. Affiliates earn a 75 percent commission for each sale.

BTVSolo

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The music industry is not just made up of performers. There are also music producers who like to create electronic music from within the comfort of their homes. BTVSolo offers software that turns your computer into a music studio. BTVSolo offers affiliates 60 percent to 70 percent commission.

Dr.Drum

Dr.Drum is another beat-making software, similar to BTVSolo, but offering a higher commission at 75 percent per sale. Dr.Drum has a lot of resources for affiliates and even offers a course for affiliates free of charge.

The music affiliate programs I've mentioned so far are all found in ClickBank. There are other affiliate programs in this niche that you can become part of, too. Some of them are as follows:

iTunes Store

The Apple iTunes store is the biggest music vendor across the globe. It started out as a music download site where you could purchase and download songs. It now offers films, apps, and television programs along with music downloads.

Apple runs its own affiliate program so you need only fill out the sign-up form on the site. I am unable to locate information about the commission affiliates receive, though.

eMusic

eMusic claims to be the "first digital music store." eMusic began in 1998 and has grown its music collection to 13 million downloadable tracks in addition to a wide selection of audiobooks. eMusic has an expansive compilation of indie albums and stock releases for music aficionados.

You need to be a Commission Junction affiliate in order to promote their website. As an eMusic affiliate, you will get USD $6 for each new free trial sign-up. Even better is you get to keep this commission even if the trial member does not renew his or her subscription.

Musician's Friend

Musician's Friend has an extensive store of musical instruments and accessories, with international shipping and prices displayed in the user's local currency. The affiliate program is run through Commission Junction, too, and affiliates earn 6 percent commission for each sale.

Ways to Let Your Sound Be Heard

The following are some link-building methods you can use to create links to your site and drive traffic to it. Your site may still be in its initial stages, but having at least a rough strategy of how you'll go about building links to your site will help save time later, when you actually start the process.

Blog and Forum Commenting

There are numerous blogs and forums relating to music that you can participate in. This also means plenty of competition, but participating in forums and commenting on these other websites helps even it out. Make sure you read and follow the terms of use for the forum you're posting on. Always aim to add to the discussion, and when applicable and possible, link back to a related post on your own site.

Blog and forum commenting can be tedious but it's a strong, solid ways to build your reputation within the niche. It's important that your comments are helpful and add value to the discussion. Keep in mind that the people you're interacting with may be your site's future visitors and customers.

Social Media Marketing

News and other content travels fast through social media sites. If you want to go "viral," then make sure your content is shared repeatedly on social media sites. It's important for businesses now to have a Facebook page or Twitter account. The same is true for websites. If you want your site to be seen and heard, then make sure you do plenty of content-sharing through major social media sites.

Like blog and forum commenting, social media marketing is a great way to get traffic to your site while building your site's reputation. Don't share your content exclusively; share links to entertaining articles or interesting videos that you find, too.

Reverse Engineering

This has to be one of the easier methods of building links. You use SEO tools such as Traffic Travis or Affilotools and check the sites your competitors have built links to. You can then go to these same sites and create backlinks to your own site. This method can sometimes lead to you finding better links. At the very least, you're using the same sources as your competition to outrank them.

Music and Marketer: Perfect Harmony?

This is one niche where skill is not necessary: You don't need to know how to play the guitar, or how to sing. You just need to like and be interested in music.

If you do want to master the skills, you can even make a blog about your own progress. You can recommend products, and track your progress on your blog. You're earning online and learning something new at the same time.

The competition could be a problem, so it's important to have a game plan early on. The commissions may not seem much, but over time, you can earn considerable income from this niche.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Niche of the Week! If you did, use the Share buttons below to pass it on. Let me know what you think and leave a comment!

AffiloBlueprint has some great lessons on link building and inbound marketing. Check it out!