MusicLovers Review – Can You Get Paid for Listening to Music?

Paid online surveys aren’t the only easy and relatively interesting activity that can bring you some money on the side. On the contrary – these days you can turn almost anything into money. Of course, if you know where to look, what to seek out, and what to avoid. For example, you can make money or get rewards just for listening to music. One of the panels that will let you do that is called MusicLovers.

But before we dive into the bits and pieces, let’s get one thing clear. With most get-paid-to platforms, you won’t get rich overnight. Heck, you won’t get rich at all! All you can expect is getting a few cents, gift cards, or other petty rewards. Even if you combine multiple platforms, don’t plan for them to replace your day job. If you count by the hour, the rates are measly most of the time – even with the best platforms. And it’s only natural – if they paid regularly, all of us would have quit our jobs before long!

So, as unprofitable as it generally is, we are here to determine whether MusicLovers are worth your time or not.

Company Overview

The company behind this panel is Music Research Consultants, Inc, founded back in 1974. That’s almost half a century long experience. But even more impressive is the list of labels they have worked with: Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, EMI Records, RCA, Virgin, Warner Bros. Records, etc. And take a look at just a few of the artists who ran their projects by them: Annie Lennox, Aretha Franklin, Blondie, David Bowie, Elton John… If you want the whole list, head over here.

So, I guess these lists have already swept away all talk of legitimacy and scam. Yes, of course they are legit. But don’t rejoice just yet. It still doesn’t mean they are good for you.

Let’s see how they work. For the first few years, they used to invite consumers like you and me to their studio in South California. They would have them wear special sensors so as to track their listening experience more accurately. Wait… sensors? But what’s the point of it?

Gone are the days when a bunch of gifted young musicians would assemble in a garage and just launch whatever ideas they have into the world. In fact, I would be surprised if those days ever existed at all. Even today, in the digital era, you have to feel the pulse of the crowd before you bring your dreams into existence. And that’s why there are companies like Music Research. They assemble a relevant number of recipients, collect feedback from them, so the performers would know where they are. I suspect they can also pull some strings with some of the labels if they really, really want to.

How Does It Work?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to travel to Cali or wear some weird gizmos.

Today, you can simply register online from wherever you are. Well, not exactly wherever – you need to be in the US or Canada. Then, listen to selected music, provide your opinions, and collect your prizes.

For starters, head over to the bottom left-hand corner of their homepage and hit “Join Now”. Your first step is to fill out a short form. Apart from your contact information, you need to provide your birth date, gender, and ethnicity.

Next, you need to tick your favorite genres from a longish list divided into Adult, Americana/Folk/Country, Classical, Latin, Rock/Pop/Rhythm, Sacred, and Urban categories. Naturally, they are after people who are really into particular genres, and not just random listeners.

Finally, choose your username and password. Oh, and tick a checkbox if you’re open to getting music surveys by phone. And that’s it!

Well, congratulations. By filling out this form, you’ve just earned a sweepstakes entry.

How Much Can I Earn? Wait… Did Anyone Say a Sweepstakes Entry??!

Yep, you heard that right.

But don’t worry – sweepstakes are not the only thing you can get for listening to music here.

Before we make it to other rewards, let’s just say a word or two more on the process.

As soon as I filled out the form, I was presented with my first survey.

I was supposed to listen to the entire song and answer a few general questions. They were very simple: whether I have heard it on the radio, whether I liked it and how much (from 1 to 10 stars), and the likes. There is also a field to enter some “thoughtful comments” about the song or artist. Note that you should definitely listen to the entire song before proceeding to the next page. And save your breath with the comments, since they will throw more questions your way on the next page.

And they do require some thinking. You need to say how that song makes you feel. Then, you need to compare it to some artists or songs that you already know. Finally, you need to determine TV shows and movies, brands and products, and Internet sites that it would be a good fit for.

It doesn’t take more than five minutes, and it got me my first 25 points. Yay! Or not yay?

There was not much I could deduce. How much is 25 points? What can I redeem them for?

I couldn’t infer anything from the website itself. But I found elsewhere that you can actually get free MP3 downloads as soon as you accrue enough points. 

Advantages

• If you like music, you will have loads of fun. And if you like unknown, independent artists who have not taken to fame yet, you will enjoy even more.
• You get to contribute to the music scene, with many artists recording for major labels. If you’re only after rewards, feel free to disregard this advantage. But if you are a music geek who likes discovering new nooks, it’s definitely a huge pro.

Disadvantages

• No cash! The only rewards you can get are sweepstakes entries and free MP3 downloads. Not very enticing, you have to admit.
• It appears that you can only earn rewards from US and Canada. From what I’ve seen, it seems that you can join from wherever in the world. But the rewards are exclusive to the left side of the pond.

Final Verdict – Are MusicLovers Worth Your Time?

The answer to this question actually depends on your taste and priorities. This definitely isn’t a good platform for those of you who are looking for any side gig to help them rack up some pocket money.

However, the panel can be rewarding for music lovers, just like its name suggests. Music Research is definitely an interesting company, and you might get to make some real impact, for what it’s worth. If you like earning actual cash while listening to music, take a look at SliceThePie.