5 Best Freelance Websites to Hire Pro Musicians & Singers

There are so many freelance musician platforms to choose from, it can be hard to know which site is best. Only a few of them have large pools of professional musicians and even fewer offer talent scouting services. Some lack a serious vetting process, so they become a cesspool of scammers and unreliable freelancers.

I tested most of the popular freelance sites to find the best ones for hiring freelance musicians. I focused my attention on those that have a wide range of talent and the tools needed to quickly filter through a list of potential candidates. Buyer protection and the quality of customer support played an important role as well.

I concluded that Fiverr is the best option for most businesses. You’ll find a wide range of musicians for every budget, and can hire highly skilled freelancers for super-low prices. Fiverr also makes the search for the right talent easy by allowing you to filter musicians by instrument or genre.

What We Look For in the Best Freelance Websites for Musicians

• Low fees. Some sites come with expensive monthly subscriptions or high fees attached to them. I looked at those that don’t require yearly memberships or upfront payments to use their services.
• A wide range of musicians. I selected the platforms that offer different kinds of musicians, including singers and instrumentalists, so you can find precisely what you’re looking for.
• Freelancer portfolios. Anyone can claim they’re a musician. I looked for freelance sites that allow freelancers to publish their work history, music samples, and previews. That way you can quickly evaluate various musicians before interviewing them.
• Client protection. I only recommend platforms that protect your interests by playing an active role when there’s a dispute between you and the freelancer.

1. Fiverr – Best Site Overall for Hiring Freelance Musicians

Fiverr is one of the largest freelance websites where you can find thousands of musicians in various niches. You can filter the sellers by category and subcategory, as well as budget and delivery time.

When I searched for a musician, I could filter by genre and instrument. I also noticed you can filter by pro services and local musicians, which is great if you want to collaborate personally with local musicians.

Of all those I tested, I found Fiverr to be the easiest freelance platform to use. All I had to do was browse the gigs on offer and purchase the one that suited my project requirements and budget.

When you find a musician you like, you can check out their samples on their profile. If you like what you hear but aren’t yet completely sure about your choice, you can contact the musician for a brief chat about your project.

As the name of the site suggests, freelance musician jobs start from $5. This means there’s a wide variety of freelancers who can work within any budget. While it might sound too good to be true, you really can find talented musicians for super-low prices.

Features

• Custom offers: The gigs on offer won’t always match your requirements. Fortunately, you can ask freelancers to create and send custom offers based on your exact needs.
• Sellers are ranked: Freelancers are ranked based on their experience on the platform. You can clearly see who is a new or top-rated seller.
• Post a request: If you don’t have time to browse for services, you can describe what you’re looking for and set your budget. You’ll receive custom offers from multiple applicants in your inbox.
• Multi-currency support: Fiverr allows you to pay in other currencies, such as euros. Other platforms accept only US dollars.
• Fiverr Pro: If you’re willing to invest a little more money, I’d take advantage of Fiverr’s ‘Pro’ section. All of the freelancers here have been screened by Fiverr themselves and are verified professionals, so you can trust that you’re getting an experienced freelancer or agency for your money.

Read our expert Fiverr review for more details.

2. Upwork – Best for Finding Talent with Multiple Skills

With thousands of freelance musicians to choose from, Upwork is one of the largest freelancing platforms in the world. However, this can also be a drawback – you could easily spend hours or even days looking through proposals and lists of freelancers.

Many musicians are also jacks-of-all-trades instead of specializing in one field, which can be a good and bad point at the same time.

On Upwork, there are three options for finding a musician: Talent Marketplace, Project Catalog, and Talent Scout. You can search by “talent” using the search bar and the appropriate filters, or by project.

The downside is that you need to navigate to each freelancer’s profile to view their work samples because they’re not available in the preview.

Alternatively, Upwork’s team of recruiters can scout the talent for you.

The best thing I found about Upwork was its intuitive user interface and project management space. You can hire musicians on hourly or fixed-price contracts, communicate securely through the platform, and send files back and forth in real-time.

Features

• One of the best filtering systems: Filter freelance musicians using a wide variety of parameters, such as genre, instrument, job success score, location, rating, and more.
• Evaluate a freelancer with ease: Upwork helps you quickly determine the value and experience of a freelancer. Each freelancer has a Job Success Score that is calculated using the number of successfully completed projects and client feedback. Additionally, freelancers are rated with special badges, such as “Rising Talent” and “Top Rated” to give you an idea about their experience.
• Detailed freelancer profiles: Freelancers fill out their own profiles which include information about their education, skills, experience, employment history, and much more. The profile page also includes a portfolio and their Upwork history so you can get a better idea about their experience and interaction with other businesses.
• Direct access without upfront payments: Access is free – you don’t need to pay a monthly membership fee to be able to post jobs or browse through the available talent. Instead, Upwork takes a small percentage when a project is completed and paid for.

Read our expert Upwork review for more details.

3. Guru – Best for Team-Building

Guru is a flexible platform where you can either browse through a list of potential candidates or post a job and wait for the applications to come in. What I love about Guru is that you can also manage multiple musicians working on the same project. There are WorkRooms available where you can build a whole team.

The site is easy to use, and it reminds me of Upwork when it comes to its design and filters.

The filtering system is simple. You can downsize your list of potential candidates by choosing freelancers that have portfolios and a certain degree of experience. You can measure that experience through filters like “Largest Employer” or “All-Time Earnings.” You can also filter musicians by their location.

Guru hosts musicians of all skill levels. The downside is it can take some time until you find the right talent. Freelancers aren’t thoroughly vetted before being allowed to offer their services.

Features

• Browse or post: You can filter through a list of freelancers or post a job for free. You can also select the “Featured Jobs” option to boost the visibility of your post.
• Free access: You don’t have to pay anything to get started – you can create your account for free and start hiring immediately. There’s nothing to lose if you decide to change platforms.
• Low fees: Guru charges a 2.9% handling fee that you can avoid if you use an eCheck or wire transfer to pay for the freelancer’s services. Another fee is paid by the freelancer.
• Arbitration service: If there’s a conflict between you and the freelancer, you can request arbitration. A team will review the work agreement, transferred files, and communication log to establish a fair distribution of funds.

Read our expert Guru review for more details.

4. AirGigs – Best for Finding Genre-Specific Musicians

AirGigs is a freelancing platform where vocalists and instrumentalists are categorized by their genre. For example, you can specify whether you’re looking for a classical guitarist or a country singer.

That said, what I love the most about AirGigs is that singers can also be selected based on their vocal ranges. The search system will save you a lot of time.

Another interesting feature is the play button at the bottom of each musician’s preview window. You can listen to a freelancer’s audio samples without having to navigate to their profile. Using this in combination with the great filtering system allows you to quickly see which musicians’ sounds fit your requirements.

You’ll only find professional musicians on AirGigs. The downside is that you should expect higher rates than on other platforms. That said, unlike competitors like SoundBetter, AirGigs comes with a price filter. I found affordable pro musicians with rates going as low as $20. But remember, that on Fiverr, hiring a musician can cost as little as $5.

Features

• The 100% guarantee label: Some services are marked with this label, which means you can get a full refund if you aren’t happy with the work you receive. Not liking the final product is enough to make you eligible for the refund.
• Post your project: If you don’t have time to browse, you can post your project and wait for the right musician to come to you.
• Video uploads on profile pages: Get to know musicians and see them in action. A video can tell you more about a freelancer than a simple audio track.
• No subscriptions or upfront fees: Some platforms require payments in advance for the use of their services. On AirGigs, you can start your search for the right musician without investing anything in advance.

5. SoundBetter – Best for Finding Industry Professionals

SoundBetter is a freelance musician website that is focused entirely on the music production industry. This is a place where you’ll find thousands of talented singers, vocalists, and instrumentalists with experience and credits to their names.

The site allows you to filter freelancers by category, niche, and instruments. Once you select the category you’re interested in, you can apply additional filters, like music genre, to narrow down your search.

If you aren’t quite sure what to look for, you can use the handy “sounds like…” option. If you want musicians who sound like Justin Bieber, you can easily find them.

SoundBetter is also pretty user-friendly. You can easily form a list of candidates, listen to their audio samples straight from the search pages, and check their previous work credits. These features can save you a lot of time.

SoundBetter is a site for vetted professional musicians. As a result, the rates you’ll find are quite high. This could be a major downside for some businesses.

However, you can work with musicians who worked on multi-million dollar ad campaigns for companies like Nike, or who’ve collaborated with rock stars, indie sensations, and everything in between.

This platform is ideal for important projects or businesses that don’t have to worry about a restricting budget.

Features

• Copyright protection: The platform keeps track of any file exchanges between you and the musician for future reference. Copyright infringement claims are handled seriously.
• Clear ratings: All freelancers are clearly evaluated using a five-star rating system. Additionally, you can see which reviews are verified by SoundBetter. Verified reviews are from the clients that paid through SoundBetter, so can’t be faked.
• Request proposals: When you don’t have enough time to search for musicians, you can request proposals for free. Describe the kind of work you need, upload sound files, and wait for freelancers to contact you.
• License premade tracks and beats: If you need a track, you might not even need to hire a freelancer. You can buy an exclusive commercial license for your favorite track and use it to create your own song.

Are You a Freelance Musician Looking to Sell Your Services on Fiverr?

If you’re a freelance musician, you can get a lot of work through Fiverr, as long as you have the right tools and tips on how to use Fiverr as a freelancer. You don’t need experience to start selling, and making a profile is 100% free. Plus, Fiverr protects your billing information and ensures you get paid by handling payment from the buyer before you deliver your work.

Thankfully, signing up for Fiverr is super easy! To get started, head to Fiverr’s homepage and select “Join”. Be sure to register your email too, as that’s required to sell gigs.

Congrats, now you have a buyer profile! To start selling on Fiverr, you need a seller account, which takes a few extra steps. Click on your profile picture at the top right of the page, and select “Become a Seller”.

You’ll be taken to a form to enter your personal and professional info. Now’s the time to pick out a great profile pic to show off your niche and really sell your musical talents in your bio. You also link your social media accounts and set up account security here.

Once you’ve filled out all your information, you can immediately post your first musical gig – it’s that easy. To give you the best chance at success, we’ve put together our top tips on how to post a successful gig on Fiverr. Fiverr has room for all walks of life, so you can easily carve out your niche if you offer specialized music or play a unique instrument.

Conclusion

There are many freelance websites where you can find talented musicians, and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on your project requirements, budget, and the amount of time you can spend searching for candidates.

In my opinion, if you’re on a tight budget but you have time to try out a few candidates, Fiverr is the right choice for you. I recommend it due to the large pool of talent, budget-friendly options, and easy-to-use interface.

FAQ

Where can I find freelance musicians?You can find freelance musicians on many of the popular freelancing websites, including Fiverr, Upwork, Guru, AirGigs, and SoundBetter. However, there are large differences in pricing and types of services provided by these platforms. My personal recommendation would be Fiverr for its ease of use and the fact that you can hire a musician for as little as $5.What types of musicians can I find on Fiverr?Fiverr has a “Music & Audio” category where you can find almost any type of musician you need. Among them, you can find singers, vocalists, pianists, drummers, violinists, guitarists, and many other session musicians.What is the typical hourly rate for a musician?That depends on many factors, including the freelancing website you’re using. For example, on Fiverr, you can find musicians that charge less than $10/hour as well as more than $60/hour. Some charge per project or milestone instead of having hourly rates.