“How do I budget as an artiste?” Here is how

By Ayorinde Williams

There’s a certain kind of pressure that lives inside a creative person.

It’s not always loud, and it doesn’t always show up as stress. Sometimes it just looks like procrastination. It feels like inconsistency. You are disappearing for months, then coming back with “new music soon”.

 

But deep down, the pressure is usually the same thing. Money.

 

Not even “big money”. Just money that can help you breathe. Money that can help you plan. Money that can help you create without feeling like every studio session is a sacrifice. And the truth is, a lot of artists don’t have a money problem. They have a structure problem.

Because if you’re using one budget to run your life, fund your music, and still try to grow as a person, you’ll always feel like you’re behind. One pocket cannot carry your whole dream. That’s why every artist needs three budgets, no matter how little the money is. And the best time to start is not when you blow. Not when you get signed or when you “start earning”.

Now!

 

Why Most Artists Feel Broke Even When Money Enters

Let’s be honest, sometimes money comes in. Maybe not consistently, but it does. A gig payment here, a feature payment there, a small brand job, a random client work or even a relative sending something. But the problem is, it enters and disappears like it never existed.

And that’s because the money has too many responsibilities.

You want to use it to pay rent, buy food, sort transport, buy flowers for her, send something home, settle one or two things, and still record, mix, shoot content, promote, and look “serious”. So the money gets overwhelmed. Then you get overwhelmed. Then you start making emotional decisions.

And once money becomes emotional, your career becomes unstable.

You see, music is a whole ecosystem, not one thing. The music itself is one part. But behind it is planning, branding & marketing, content making, relationship building, tools & learning, and sometimes, just survival. So if you’re serious about building, you need to stop treating money like one bucket.

You need three.

 

Budget 1: Personal Budget

This one is simple. This is the budget that keeps you alive. Your personal budget is what handles things like your food, rent, transport, family support and basic lifestyle. Because whether you like it or not, your life is the foundation of your career.

If your personal life is unstable, your music life will suffer. Some artists try to “sacrifice everything for the dream”, and it sounds noble, but in reality, it’s dangerous. Because you’ll start resenting the dream. And when your dream starts feeling like punishment, you’ll stop showing up for it.

So yes, you need a personal budget, and it must be respected. Even if it’s small.

 

Budget 2: Music Budget

This is the budget that funds the actual music. Not vibes or motivation. I’m talking about the real expenses. Your music budget covers things like recording sessions, mixing and mastering, beat purchases, content creation (even if it’s just phone + tripod), promo support (small ads, blogs, PR, playlist pitching), rehearsals and performance costs.

This is where many artists struggle because they don’t separate it. They record when money comes, then stop when money disappears. So the career becomes “on and off”. And the industry doesn’t reward “on and off”. Consistency is expensive. But inconsistency is even more expensive because every time you disappear, you restart from scratch.

So what’s the solution? A music budget that you build slowly.

Even if it’s ₦5,000 a week or ₦30,000 a month. The goal is not to have millions but to build a system that doesn’t collapse.

 

Budget 3: Growth Budget

This is the one most artists don’t think about. But this is the budget that changes everything because your growth budget is what turns you from “talented” to “investable”.

This covers things like learning tools, branding, networking, and building assets.

This is the budget that makes you better. Sometimes, the difference between you and the next artist is not talent. It’s that they were in rooms you never entered. They had materials you never prepared. They invested in growth while you were just trying to survive.

Your growth budget is how you escape survival mode.

 

The mistake is that a lot of artists take music money and use it to settle life problems. And it makes sense, because life is real. However, the issue is that once you keep doing that, your music never grows. Your music budget becomes emergency money. So you’re always stuck in the same loop: hustle, record, drop, survive & repeat.

That’s why the separation matters. Because if personal problems keep swallowing music funds, your career becomes a side hustle forever.

One thing creatives don’t talk about enough is mental load. When your finances are mixed up, your mind is noisy. You’re constantly doing calculations in your head: “Should I buy food or book studio?”  “Should I promote this song or pay my bill?” It becomes exhausting.

But when your budgets are separated, you stop fighting yourself. You already know what each money is meant for. So you move with less guilt, less confusion, and more confidence. And confidence is a business advantage.

If I could tell every emerging artist one thing, it would be this:

Stop trying to fund your life, your music, and your growth from the same pocket. That’s why you’re tired and why you feel like you’re trying, but nothing is moving. Earn money. Then, split the money. Give each part of your life its own respect.

Your personal budget keeps you alive.
Your music budget keeps your career moving.
Your growth budget keeps you improving.