How did Medieval and Renaissance musicians make a living?

He sang and played a lute amongst many other instruments, such as a hurdy gurdy, Dulcimer and cittern.

He or sometimes they also were like a newspaper (which hadn't been invented) and took stories from one place to another, and put the story to music. This way Lords and Ladies as well as the common folk learnt about the scandals of the day, an entertainer had to be very careful though what was said as they could be arrested for what they said.