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Alternative jobs in the music industry
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Alternative jobs in the music industry

News Desk
News Desk
January 31st, 2023
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You don’t have to be a musician to land a career in the music industry. Here are just a few alternative avenues that you can take that could allow to work with musicians and experience the buzz that the industry offers.

Record production

Taking a piece of music and giving it that finished sound quality often involves hiring a record producer. This job involves recording, mixing and mastering singles/albums for musicians. To work this role, you often need to have a vast knowledge of music and sound engineering. It’s possible to take a course in sound engineering and then try to land yourself a job at a recording studio. You can even consider setting up your own recording studio, or you could simply master the art of DIY mixing software and work from home. You can find lots of tips online on how to crack this corner of the industry – this article from music producer Steve Levine is a good example.

Live production

Those with a knowledge of sound engineering can also try working in live production. This involves handling the sound quality during live performances. Successful artists will often hire their own sound production team, whilst individual venues also hire technicians. Whilst record production relies on being thorough, live production relies more on being fast and being able to react to sound issues in real time. Get involved in live production at local gigs can often allow you to scale this career ladder.

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Songwriting

Not all musicians write their own material – many musicians hire songwriters to do it for them. This could involve writing lyrics or the music itself. Songwriters are often credited in the works, although some artists prefer to hire ghostwriters that remain anonymous. You’ll often need to be a proficient musician to make it as a songwriter and having strong links with producers and agents can help. Songwriter Jason Blume offers more advice on how to get into this career.

Copyrighting and law

Those with a passion for music and law could consider finding a legal niche in the music industry. This could involve handling claims of copyright or putting copyrights in place, or it could involve handling general legal issues that musicians face. For more information on this job, you can check out this interview with Helen Yu, an entertainment attorney who has worth with a number of famous names. You may be able to find a job at an entertainment law firm or you could start your own firm.

Journalism

If you love writing and music, you could try breaking your way into music journalism. This could involve writing reviews of singles and albums, reporting industry news and conducting interviews. Whilst printed music journalism is dying, online music journalism has continued to grow. Many budding music journalists start by creating their own blog and then writing as a guest writer for other blogs, building their portfolio up until they’re able to land a gig at a large publication. Of course, writing isn’t the only form of journalism, and many music journalists are now using platforms like Youtube to deliver video content as well as written content.

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Photography/videography

For those savvy behind a camera, you may be able to find a job in the music industry that involves photography or videography. Music photographers are often paid to shoot press photos that could be used in publications, on the band’s website or on social media. They may also take photographs at concerts. Music videography meanwhile involves shooting music videos, which has become big business now that Youtube has created an easy platform. You’ll need to invest in a good quality camera and recording equipment to get into this job, plus it could be worth mastering video editing software.

Artwork

Artwork is often needed for albums and singles – not just for physical music sales but for digital music sales to. If you have a talent for visual art but also love music, this could be a great path to explore. Most artists in this niche are freelancers who may get their first jobs by using platforms like Fiverr before making a name for themselves and then working with bigger artists. The more famous your name, the more you can charge.

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