Sparkplug is one of the largest online marketplaces where you can rent out music equipment and studio space. Their system is beneficial for artists who want to produce music with a limited budget and for those who want to earn money with their equipment when it’s not in use. The equipment can be any music instrument including guitars, pianos, brass etc. You can also rent out your headphones, amps, monitors, lighting, staging etc. Sparkplug not only helps artists in terms of monetary benefits but also allows them to socialize with other artists and build relationships. In this guide we will be specifically talking about how to list your music stuff for rent and earn money from it.
Sparkplug allows you to list all sorts of music equipment for rent. They have made specific categories for all the types of stuff you can list. Those are:
- Instruments
Instruments can include Brass, Guitar and Bass, Pianos and Keyboards, Percussion, String, Woodwind and Packages. - Equipment
May include Amps & Heads, Microphones, Monitors, DJ equipment, Pedals & Effects, Live sound, Lighting, Video / Photography, Staging, Accessories, Studio & Recording. - Space
Music space can include Rehearsal space, Private event space, Studio space and others.
HOW TO GET STARTED
There are three main features that Sparkplug offers. You can rent music equipment, create listings for rent, open a renting shop if you are a professional business or a studio. We are going to focus mainly on creating free listings considering you’re an individual or small team of artists willing to list your stuff for rent and earn money. In a similar guide we have also shared how users can earn money by listening to music HERE.
We are going to explain the whole process step-by-step:
- First you need to signup and create an account on Sparkplug. You can signup through HERE. Click on the Signup button in the top-right corner.
- After creating an account you need to go to the Create Listing page. This is how it looks like:
- In the listing page you can select the type of music equipment you want to rent out. You can select from the three categories that we explained above. After that you need to name your listing. You can name it however you want, just make sure that it’s descriptive enough for others. Click on the “Continue” button.
- In the next step you will be taken to the Listing Overview page where you will have to add a brief description, instrument’s condition and Serial number (optional). here’s how it looks like:
- In the next step you will have to add the pricing details about the rent you want to charge. You have to enter two types of prices. First is the Value of the listed Item. It is the total value you want to give to your gear. When someone reserves your listing they are charged 30% of that value as a security deposit until the reservation has been confirmed for 24 hours. In case of any mishap the renter is responsible for the full amount of repair / replacement. The second is the Price per Day. Here you can select the price you want to charge your renter per day for your equipment.
You also have the option to add hourly, weekly or monthly pricing for your gear. You can also choose to set a delivery price for your gear or offer free shipping. Once you have selected the options click the “Next button.
- In the next step you have to add photos for your item. We recommend adding as many photos as you can. Customers usually want to see how the product looks before buying or renting it. Click Next.
- In the last step you have to enter your residential address. The exact location of your address is only visible to the renter after you confirm their reservation. It won’t be visible to others users who are viewing your listing.
- Once you have added your address you will be able to see the Publish button on the left menu. Click the button to publish your listing for public.
- Once you have published your listing you can view it by clicking the View your Listing link on the next screen. Here’s how your listing will finally look like:
When anyone tries to search for guitar listings in your area they will be able to see your listing. It will be visible and open to the public for reservation. You can choose whomever you want to rent your equipment to.
Please mote that there are specific countries where you can list your music gear. Currently they don’t offer listing services to all countries. Qualified countries include: United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, all Eurozone countries, New Zealand, Australia, and Hungary. The whole listing process is that simple. In a similar guide we have also shared how users can earn money by listening to music. We recommend that you read it too.
HOW DOES SPARKPLUG PAY
Sparkplug allows you to withdraw your payment 24 hours after the reservation has been made. All US based owners are paid via Direct Deposit directly to their bank account. International owners are paid via Paypal. After release it takes 2 to 3 business days for it to arrive in your bank account. For Paypal it takes 3 to 5 days. Please note that Sparkplug charges a small 4% service fee from your listings. The amount is not disclosed but they tell you about the exact amount of the service fee before confirming the reservation.
Currently, Sparkplug supports 6 currencies (USD, GBP, EUR, NZD, AUD, CAD), so listings are available in United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Hungary, Australia, and New Zealand, but Sparkplug members from any country can rent using Sparkplug.
If you have more than listings, you are qualified to set up your own Sparkplug shop page. Sparkplug shops have special benefits like custom URLs, easy package order, backline request forms, marketing tools (e.g., embeddable buttons for your websites), and more.
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