How I Made $3,000+ Selling AI-Generated Music on Spotify & YouTube — Step-by-Step Guide

The music industry is changing fast, and AI is making it easier than ever to become a music creator — even if you’ve never played an instrument in your life.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how I made over $3,000 by creating AI music, uploading it to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and promoting it via YouTube.

The best part? I didn’t even compose the music myself — AI did the work.

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The Simple Blueprint

Here’s the process in a nutshell:

1. Use AI to create music → Build a collection of original tracks.
2. Distribute your tracks to Spotify, Apple Music, and more via a distributor.
3. Compile a playlist on Spotify.
4. Create a YouTube channel and upload long music mixes that include your AI-created songs.
5. Promote your Spotify playlist via your YouTube videos.
6. Earn money from both Spotify streams and YouTube ads.

💡 Earnings Example: 1,000 Spotify plays = $3–$5 in revenue (and it scales with volume).

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Step 1 – Create AI Music with AIVA

We’ll use AIVA, a powerful AI music composition tool.

How I kept costs low:

• Paid $50 for 1 month of AIVA.
• Created 300 tracks in that month.
• Cost per track: ~$0.16.
• After that, I didn’t renew — I just used the library I built.

How to create a track:

1. Click Create → Composition.
2. Select a genre.
3. Choose Major scale for a happy vibe or Minor scale for a sad/emotional tone.
4. Set the track duration.
5. Hit Create.
6. Listen and download (optional: tweak in AIVA’s editor).

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Step 2 – Distribute Your Music with DistroKid

DistroKid is my go-to music distributor.

Why DistroKid?

• Speed: Upload to Spotify in ~24 hours (others take 3–7 days).
• No strict rejection rules like some competitors.
• Unlimited uploads for $23/year.

Steps:

1. Go to Upload Music in DistroKid.

2. Select all platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.).

3. Pick a unique artist name.

4. Choose your genre.

5. Create a copyright-free cover:

   • Use sites like Pexels or Unsplash.
   • 3,000 x 3,000 px, square crop, no text.

6. Add your track title & upload your music file.

7. Enter Songwriter Details (use your legal name).

8. Mark as Instrumental if no vocals.

9. Agree to terms and submit.

⏱ In 24–48 hours, you’ll get an email confirming your music is live on Spotify.

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Step 3 – Promote via YouTube

1. Create a YouTube channel for your music brand.

2. Upload 1-hour long mixes of your AI-generated music.

3. Include your Spotify playlist link in the description.

4. Earn money from:

   • Spotify streams (via DistroKid payouts).
   • YouTube ads (via the Partner Program).

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Monetization Breakdown

• Spotify: Streams × payout rate (~$0.003–$0.005 per stream).
• YouTube: Ad revenue based on video views.
• Scalability: More tracks → more streams → higher passive income.

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Why This Works

• Full copyright ownership: AI-generated music from AIVA belongs to you.
• Low cost: One-time creation + yearly distribution.
• Multi-platform monetization: Two income streams from the same music.

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Final Thoughts

With AI tools like AIVA and distributors like DistroKid, you can:

• Build a large music catalog in weeks.
• Publish globally without a record label.
• Generate passive income from multiple platforms.

If you want to start today, my advice is:

• Invest one month into creating as many tracks as possible.
• Distribute them smartly.
• Promote through YouTube to drive organic streams.

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💡 Pro Tip: When uploading to YouTube, use eye-catching thumbnails and SEO-friendly titles like:

• “1 Hour of Relaxing AI Music for Study & Focus”
• “AI-Generated Chillhop Mix | Work & Relax Beats”