Careers in Music: Which Music Job is Right for You? (1/2)

Last Updated on November 26th, 2019 at 10:54 am

Careers in music have an alluring quality. It makes sense, so many people are keen on music.

However, the music industry is known for being a competitive job market and it could be difficult to know what types of chances are available.

The great news is that it doesn’t matter what your skills are, you could find a role that works for you in the music world.

Whether you wish to be an artist, work on the business end, or be an educator there is a rising number of music industry jobs that need to be a great fit for your skills.

Of course, your skillset does not have to limit you to any one category.

Actually, you probably have skills that apply to every category. Plus you could always learn!

Here’s what you should know if you’re wondering how to begin your career in music.

1. Careers in music performance and creation

It’s simple to get caught up idolizing the careers of well-known artists and music celebrities when thinking about what a performance career looks like.

It’s definitely not impossible for you to find success with your music, however, dont forget that show business takes lots of hard work.

It could take years to get good at your craft, make connections with the industry, and build an audience.

That being said, there are so many methods to enter a career as a musical artist whether you wish to create, perform, or do both.

Plus with the help of the internet, finding a niche audience for your work and promoting your music isn’t as hard as it once was.

Here are some job descriptions for music performance and creation.

What’s a songwriter?

A songwriter is somebody who writes songs for themselves, for other artists, or for businesses. Normally, this person possesses lyric writing skills and is able to match words, emotions, ideas, and concepts to chords, rhythms, and melodies. Most songwriters have strong skills with a particular instrument, however, having a general knowledge of several instruments is much more useful.

Normally, songwriters make money from royalties earned by the songs they write. These payments are calculated based on radio plays, streams, and any commercial uses.

What’s a session musician?

Session musicians sometimes known as studio musicians are paid to play their instrument on a case by case (or session by session) basis. These musicians might be hired to perform in a live environment, or record in a studio. A professional session musician must possess a high degree of musical prowess and will usually hold a Bachelor of Music degree or higher.

These musicians most commonly work under a freelance model, they accept gigs and are paid by the hour or per session.

A session musician’s rate will rely upon their past work and degree of skill.

There are lots of gigs session musicians may take. Anything from recording in a studio, subbing in for an orchestra member, touring on a cruise ship, performing at a wedding, to playing in a mariachi band counts as session work.

The main point is being known for excellence in your musical field and building the relationships and contacts you should get work.

careers in music

What’s a composer?

A composer is somebody who writes sheet music for orchestral arrangements. Modern composers find most of their work writing scores for films and commissioned pieces for orchestras.

With the added degree of complexity that comes with arranging for bigger ensembles, it will be rare to find a composer that has not obtained a master’s level degree in music at the very least.

2. Careers in recording and music production

The recording industry is big.

Think about that behind every track you hear lies a team of recording engineers, producers, studio hands, mix engineers, and more. That’s lots of work!

Recording and production are both art forms that require dedication, trial, and error, learning, the ability to work with artists, and aptitude for technology.

Here are a few job descriptions you may think about when you select recording or production as a career path.

What’s a Recording Engineer?

Recording engineers work with artists in the recording studio. They understand how to use recording equipment and are experts in utilizing the proper methods required to capture and record high-quality sound.

Finding a job on the recording side of the music business usually requires some technical skills that you could pick up at college or university.

But I know quite a few recording engineers who’re self-taught and still are very great at their craft.

Many recording engineers get their first experience recording by building a portfolio with their own music projects, or by doing free or discounted work for local projects.

To become a full-time professional engineer you will most likely begin by finding lower-level work in a recording studio or eventually build your own recording studio when you have enough experience and clients.

careers in music

What’s a Music Producer?

Music producers handle the recording, writing, editing, mixing, of an artist’s track or album.

While many musical artists self-produce without the assistance of a producer, some artists enlist the help of a music producer to benefit from their technical and artistic knowledge. Typically, music producers are there to guide an artist via the process of writing and making a song or album.

To become a music producer you should build your reputation as somebody who’s able to create great-sounding records.

Normally, producers get their begin working on their own projects to build their portfolio. Once they’ve some recording experience they might start working on other artists’ projects.

To be a successful music producer you will need to wear many hats in the studio.

It isn’t uncommon to assist with everything from recording engineering, hiring session players, coaching the artist, liaising with the record label, and even writing and providing artistic direction to arrangements.

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