Many people have little knowledge of the vast career choices music has to offer. Skills of all types can be applied to earn success in the music industry. There are careers in all facets including music education, music therapy, music production and engineering, composition, and more. (“Limitless careers for music lovers,” 2009).
It does take a level of skill and a business mindset to enter into the music Industry. One must have knowledge of the industry, have professional and business skills, and must be good at communicating and making connections with others. With these basic skills and personal talents one can find a multitude of relatable jobs in the industry.
Career Profiles
BOOKING AGENT
Responsibilities: Schedules concerts artists/acts; Forms agreements with concert venues to free up dates;
Arranges travel for acts (optional); Negotiate artist contract; HELP ADVANCE ARTIST CAREER
Salary: An agent’s yearly salary can range from $20,000-1,000,000+. A booker receives income by commission which includes 10-20% of ticket sales
Hours of Operation: Booking agents work the traditional 9-5 because most business is conducted through phone and email, but they are always on call. If an act is late does not show or has questions the night of the show the agent must be available to resolve these problems.
Clientele: at a large agency, bookers are assigned clients, but at smaller companies agents seek their own acts and in some cases artist seek out agents. They do this by attending events or using social media and music sites like SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or MySpace. Clients can also be referred to booking agents.
Contracts: Basic contracts between agents and artists include agreements on performance, payments, merchandising, taxes, promotion, parking, security, stage/equipment, and recording. “With big acts, the contracts are very involved. They get into things like limo pickup, hotel rooms, food, and requirements for their equipment,” said booking agent, Butch Lazorchack. CONTRACT EXAMPLE
Education: There is no required education to become a booking agents, but education is always stressed. Getting a background in business can be helpful. In this case experience and contacts in the music industry are what matter most.
“Agents find both job and personal satisfaction in booking dates that result in success for an artists, enthusiastic response from the crowd, and profit from parties involved,” states K Green, Author of Working
off stage: Careers for nonperformers in music"
Responsibilities: Schedules concerts artists/acts; Forms agreements with concert venues to free up dates;
Arranges travel for acts (optional); Negotiate artist contract; HELP ADVANCE ARTIST CAREER
Salary: An agent’s yearly salary can range from $20,000-1,000,000+. A booker receives income by commission which includes 10-20% of ticket sales
Hours of Operation: Booking agents work the traditional 9-5 because most business is conducted through phone and email, but they are always on call. If an act is late does not show or has questions the night of the show the agent must be available to resolve these problems.
Clientele: at a large agency, bookers are assigned clients, but at smaller companies agents seek their own acts and in some cases artist seek out agents. They do this by attending events or using social media and music sites like SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or MySpace. Clients can also be referred to booking agents.
Contracts: Basic contracts between agents and artists include agreements on performance, payments, merchandising, taxes, promotion, parking, security, stage/equipment, and recording. “With big acts, the contracts are very involved. They get into things like limo pickup, hotel rooms, food, and requirements for their equipment,” said booking agent, Butch Lazorchack. CONTRACT EXAMPLE
Education: There is no required education to become a booking agents, but education is always stressed. Getting a background in business can be helpful. In this case experience and contacts in the music industry are what matter most.
“Agents find both job and personal satisfaction in booking dates that result in success for an artists, enthusiastic response from the crowd, and profit from parties involved,” states K Green, Author of Working
off stage: Careers for nonperformers in music"
MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Responsibilities: Required to have a vast knowledge of music in all genres and music laws such as licensing and copyright law; Gathers music to be used as a soundtrack for TV shows and films; Secures the licenses for the music gathered.
Salary: On average a music supervisor can make $2,000-$500,000 per project depending on the budget of the show or movie
Hours of Operation: There are deadlines to meet when working on a project and many there are within in a short time span. When working on a big project a music supervisor can work up to 12 hrs a day searching for and licensing music.
Contract: For every piece of music used in a production a synchronization license must be signed. this contract includes the name of the song owner and the company who is getting access to the song, cost of song, time span song can be used, and small details about song use and rights. Essentially this contract serves as a waiver for the piece of music. CONTRACT EXAMPLE
Education: An education is not mandatory but suggested. Like most jobs in the music industry knowledge of the business is implied and connections are essential to starting and moving up in the industry.
Responsibilities: Required to have a vast knowledge of music in all genres and music laws such as licensing and copyright law; Gathers music to be used as a soundtrack for TV shows and films; Secures the licenses for the music gathered.
Salary: On average a music supervisor can make $2,000-$500,000 per project depending on the budget of the show or movie
Hours of Operation: There are deadlines to meet when working on a project and many there are within in a short time span. When working on a big project a music supervisor can work up to 12 hrs a day searching for and licensing music.
Contract: For every piece of music used in a production a synchronization license must be signed. this contract includes the name of the song owner and the company who is getting access to the song, cost of song, time span song can be used, and small details about song use and rights. Essentially this contract serves as a waiver for the piece of music. CONTRACT EXAMPLE
Education: An education is not mandatory but suggested. Like most jobs in the music industry knowledge of the business is implied and connections are essential to starting and moving up in the industry.
TOUR MANAGER
Responsibilities: Managers are in communication with venue managers, promoters, sound and light engineers, band members, road crew, tour accountants, and more. Tour Manager David Norman says that his “day consists of moving the Artist and the band from city to city. Along with my Travel Agent, booking flights, ground, hotels, etc. Doing day sheets (info on what your day will be like including departure times, show times, soundcheck times, travel after the show, etc.)” Tour managers are required to deal with all aspects of a tours and must be in communication with numerous people at a time.
Salary: According to Forbes, tour managers on average make $25,000 - $125,000+ depending on the fame of the artists and the size of the tour.
Hours of Operation: There are no set hours of a tour manage, but it is a very demanding job to say the least.
A full time tour manager can work nonstop for 7-9 months out of the year.
Education: To become a road manager there is not required education although an understanding of finance can be helpful. Experience is the best education to have when pursuing a career as a road manager, and networking is the best way in.
Norman says, this is a good career for “someone who’s patient, is proactive instead of reactive and is a forward-thinker and can multitask!”
Responsibilities: Managers are in communication with venue managers, promoters, sound and light engineers, band members, road crew, tour accountants, and more. Tour Manager David Norman says that his “day consists of moving the Artist and the band from city to city. Along with my Travel Agent, booking flights, ground, hotels, etc. Doing day sheets (info on what your day will be like including departure times, show times, soundcheck times, travel after the show, etc.)” Tour managers are required to deal with all aspects of a tours and must be in communication with numerous people at a time.
Salary: According to Forbes, tour managers on average make $25,000 - $125,000+ depending on the fame of the artists and the size of the tour.
Hours of Operation: There are no set hours of a tour manage, but it is a very demanding job to say the least.
A full time tour manager can work nonstop for 7-9 months out of the year.
Education: To become a road manager there is not required education although an understanding of finance can be helpful. Experience is the best education to have when pursuing a career as a road manager, and networking is the best way in.
Norman says, this is a good career for “someone who’s patient, is proactive instead of reactive and is a forward-thinker and can multitask!”
MUSIC PR/PUBLICIST
Responsibility: Publicist work as a liaison between labels/artists and media outlets/the public. Publicist are required to develop campaigns that can promote music related news to the media, brand artists, and inform the media on new business or social ventures. Publicist also deal with crisis management issues.
Salary: A career in music PR can result in six figure salary. The average ranges from $25,000-$200,000
Hours of Operation: Publicist on average work the usual 9-5, but when working on large campaigns and dealing with crisis situations hours can extend beyond that.
Education: It does not take a formal education to be a publicist, but it is highly recommended. Strong writing and verbal communication skills are mandatory if considering this career.
Options: There are few routes an individual can take as a publicists. One can work for a music PR firm (McDonald, n.d.) a record label, or privately for an artist. There is also the option to do PR for any type of music related company.
Jacqueline Akbarian writes, publicists are “smart, savvy, creative individuals who help create, and build an image of an artist…the main factor of the publicity team is to always keep the artist’s fans, asking and wanting more of the artist.”
Resources
12 music jobs that can pay six figures - Forbes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45ljhe/12-music-jobs-that-can-pay-six-figures/
Akbarian, J. (2010, October 8). PR is essential in the music industry - journalistics. Retrieved from http://blog.journalistics.com/2010/pr-essential-music-industry/
Green, K. (1997). Working off stage: Careers for nonperformers in music. Occupational Outlook Quarterly,41(3),16-25.Retrievedfrom http://ezproxy.wpunj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218509906 ?accountid=15101
McDonald, H. (n.d.). Music supervisor job description & career profile. Retrieved from http://musicians.about.com/od/musiccareerprofiles/p/musicsupervisorprofile.htm
McDonald, H. (n.d.). What is music pr? - Glossary Definition. Retrieved from http://musicians.about.com/od/ip/g/musicpr.htm
Music business: Limitless careers for music lovers. (2009, 11). School Band & Orchestra, 12, 16- 20.Retrievedfromhttp://ezproxy.wpunj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest. com/docview/224634282?accountid=15101
Norman, D., & Slayer, B. (n.d.). Become a tour manager | music industry road manager job description & salary |. Retrieved from https://www.careersinmusic.com/tour-manager/
Responsibility: Publicist work as a liaison between labels/artists and media outlets/the public. Publicist are required to develop campaigns that can promote music related news to the media, brand artists, and inform the media on new business or social ventures. Publicist also deal with crisis management issues.
Salary: A career in music PR can result in six figure salary. The average ranges from $25,000-$200,000
Hours of Operation: Publicist on average work the usual 9-5, but when working on large campaigns and dealing with crisis situations hours can extend beyond that.
Education: It does not take a formal education to be a publicist, but it is highly recommended. Strong writing and verbal communication skills are mandatory if considering this career.
Options: There are few routes an individual can take as a publicists. One can work for a music PR firm (McDonald, n.d.) a record label, or privately for an artist. There is also the option to do PR for any type of music related company.
Jacqueline Akbarian writes, publicists are “smart, savvy, creative individuals who help create, and build an image of an artist…the main factor of the publicity team is to always keep the artist’s fans, asking and wanting more of the artist.”
Resources
12 music jobs that can pay six figures - Forbes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45ljhe/12-music-jobs-that-can-pay-six-figures/
Akbarian, J. (2010, October 8). PR is essential in the music industry - journalistics. Retrieved from http://blog.journalistics.com/2010/pr-essential-music-industry/
Green, K. (1997). Working off stage: Careers for nonperformers in music. Occupational Outlook Quarterly,41(3),16-25.Retrievedfrom http://ezproxy.wpunj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218509906 ?accountid=15101
McDonald, H. (n.d.). Music supervisor job description & career profile. Retrieved from http://musicians.about.com/od/musiccareerprofiles/p/musicsupervisorprofile.htm
McDonald, H. (n.d.). What is music pr? - Glossary Definition. Retrieved from http://musicians.about.com/od/ip/g/musicpr.htm
Music business: Limitless careers for music lovers. (2009, 11). School Band & Orchestra, 12, 16- 20.Retrievedfromhttp://ezproxy.wpunj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest. com/docview/224634282?accountid=15101
Norman, D., & Slayer, B. (n.d.). Become a tour manager | music industry road manager job description & salary |. Retrieved from https://www.careersinmusic.com/tour-manager/
