In 2019, in the UK alone, the music industry was worth a huge £5.2 Billion! Music is a humongous industry and the variety of jobs is endless. This can be both good and bad, it’s amazing if you don’t really want to stick to one specific field and you want a choice, the sky is the limit! However, if you’re a little unsure it can feel very daunting. It’s not always being unable to decide what sort of music job you want to find that’s confusing, but rather where to find music jobs!
Hopefully, this article can give some insight and direction on where to look for music jobs and tips for how to land them.
Music Jobs
It’s always a good idea to have some sort of idea about which sector of music you’d like to go into as that makes your job search much more manageable and less overwhelming. Do some research around each area and see what takes your fancy!
Finding the right music job for you isn’t always smooth sailing because there are so many different types! Aside from live music, being a musician and trying to get gigs, or even landing music teacher jobs, there are lots of music business jobs to get your hands on! That’s what we’ll focus on here. Within different sectors of the music industry, there are thousands of different jobs, here are just a few of those sectors:
Promotion
Promotion is a really important job in the music industry because once the music has been created, it needs to be heard and seen! People who work in music promotion work very hard to find new and exciting ways of getting music out there for the world to enjoy. Promotion jobs include advertising, music videos, music distribution, social media as well as art-based jobs such as; photography, cover art etc!
Publishing
The words ‘music publishing’ most simply refers to the business of song copyrights. Publishing includes admin jobs such as sorting copyright and filling in forms, collecting royalties and exploitation.
Some other jobs include artist management, working for a record label, sync licensing, working in radio and so many more!
Live Events
Live events are hugely important in today’s music industry as this is where most artists make the majority of their revenue! Working as part of the crew in live events can be exciting and you get to see some of the world’s best venues if you end up going on tour. Look out for booking agent jobs, music festival jobs and tour assistant jobs. The world is your oyster!
Producing
Music production is the process of managing and overseeing the recording and production of a track – from writing the first lyrics and melodies to mastering the finished track. Aspects of being a producer include songwriting, recording, editing and mixing amongst others! Working in production, you will spend a lot of time in a recording studio! We don’t usually post too many music production jobs on this page, but if that’s what you’re looking for then you should check out our global music industry marketplace for collaborative and paid jobs.
How To Get A Job In The Music Industry
Although there are thousands of jobs out there, it can be quite difficult to land a job in the music industry because it’s very competitive. Some jobs require a lot of experience which isn’t always easy to obtain. But there are ways to get your foot in the door without years of experience! Sometimes it’s not always ‘what you know’ but ‘who you know’. Explore your connections, family and friends, it can be a great way to break into the music world through getting on board with someone you know who is already working in music. If you don’t have those connections, don’t worry! Here are some tips on other ways to get your foot in the door.
Networking
Networking is vital to furthering your career – whatever your role. Going out and meeting people who can help with your music or teach you more about the industry could be the decider in being successful in music.
Having more connections means more opportunities to get recommended or hired for jobs. You don’t always get a job directly from networking, but it can lead to other opportunities and insider’s info. You might find out about jobs before the general public or even learn about jobs that aren’t ever added to music jobs sites. Both of these give you an advantage over anyone else simply searching ‘music jobs near me’ every week. There’s really nothing to lose!
Events
There are tons of networking events that you can attend! In the UK, many are in London but there are opportunities everywhere. If you’d like to learn more and find events to go to, check out this article.
If you’re looking to collaborate with someone and there aren’t events available, Music Gateway can help. You can use our Marketplace to network and create a project. Read about how our members have met and success stories on our success page.
It’s extremely important that you plan ahead of networking events and that you’re fully prepared. There’s often a lot of people there and you want to make sure you’re feeling fulfilled when you leave. Thinking about what you want to get out of the event, why you’re there and most importantly what you want to ask or say. It’s also great to take business cards, that way you can’t be forgotten! Following up can sometimes feel a little awkward, but it’s essential that you do it, people respect perseverance!
Social Media
With social media these days, networking is easier than ever. There are hundreds of music-based Facebook groups and pages for like-minded professionals. Lots of these groups share paid and unpaid job openings or one-off opportunities and not only that they can offer a huge amount of support and advice.
Volunteering/Interning
The pay packet for some jobs in music can be extremely attractive. Although unfortunately, it usually takes time and experience to work your way up to earning a lot of money! A great way to get on the ladder is by volunteering. Lots of smaller companies may not have a big enough budget so pay all of their employees, and a lot of the time they’re looking for eager volunteers. Just getting yourself in the rooms where it all happens is so beneficial, you’ll be meeting lots of people who have a presence in the music industry. Working really hard and being someone people can depend on is a great way of being remembered, it can even lead to employment if the company decide you’re indispensable.
Internships are favourable because you get a real feel for the role that you’re in and they look great on your cv! Music internships aren’t as common as volunteer work especially if you’re not studying in a music-related course.
Where To Find Music Jobs
It’s not always clear where exactly to find music jobs, there are so many different sites with different jobs, it’s hard to know which ones are worth investing your time. Life would be so easy if all music jobs were all in one place. Unfortunately because of the sheer amount of jobs, this isn’t possible. You can search ‘music jobs near me’ on Google each day but this can be strenuous and time-consuming.
We hope to make your life easier with our music jobs website, regularly posting Apple Music jobs, Sony Music jobs and Warner Music Group jobs, you won’t miss a thing! If the larger companies aren’t for you, we post opportunities from lots of smaller, independent companies as well, so there’s something for everyone. Jobs posted will be worldwide so you don’t need to worry if you’re not based in the UK! For regular updates, you should follow us on LinkedIn, we post music jobs every day at 1 pm GMT.
We Hope You Find A Music Job!
We hope this article has made looking for a music job a little less intimidating and a little more reachable. There are lots of options out there for people will all levels of experience and expertise. There’s so much you can do to make sure you’re the best person for the job, reaching out to others for guidance and support can only better your career and meeting like-minded, talented individuals in the process can only be a bonus!
