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Careers in the Music Industry By Heather Watt  |
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 Not everyone can be a Celine Dion or a John Mayer. You don't have to be a prodigy or have perfect pitch to find a job in the music industry. From promotion to production, there are many opportunities for those passionate about music.
The key is to find the avenue to which you can best use your talent and/or creativity. Most jobs in the business require starting at the bottom; but the bright side is that you don't have to practice five hours a day or tour nine months of the year. If you are passionate and hard-working, you will be recognized and jobs will open up.
Tanja L. Crouch labels four necessities to advancement in the music business in her book, 100 Careers in the Music Business (2001). They are: education, networking, internships, and mentors. A college degree is always an advantage, but "self-education" can be just as valuable - read up on the industry through trade magazines and study important people and companies. Having connections is also very important. By gaining some experience through an internship you will create a name for yourself and gain contacts.
You can work for artists individually, touring groups, venues, record labels, magazines, newspapers, and radio stations. Possibilities are endless. There are 6 main categories for careers in the music business:
Creative development: Working for artists and agents on developing an artist's image. These people are responsible for everything that the public sees, from print to video. Part of this is the artist's physical appearance including hair, makeup, and style, so you may personally handle these aspects or communicate with stylists and photographers. The other image is the CD cover and advertisements for it. You may also work with songwriters and give feedback on their work.
Production: Making recording schedules, planning budgets, sound engineering, mixing tracks, and handling technology. This can be done in the studio or on tour.
Management: These positions are earned by having experience and knowledge of the many facets of the music business. More accessible than being the CEO is working in human resources, dealing with hiring and salaries for staff. This may entail some travelling, and fluency in another language is an advantage.
Media: Marketing, publicity, and promotion may include booking tours, interviews, radio airplay, and writing press releases. You can work for a record label or as an agent for an individual artist or group. Another avenue is critiquing music through reviews or by deejaying at a radio station.
Legal: Negotiating contracts, obtaining copyrights, selling song rights, dealing with "royalties" and licenses.
Sales: Including finance and distribution, retail
Resources:
American Federation of Musicians of U.S. and Canada
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Film Music Network
Recording Industry Association of America |
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