How To Start Working In The Music Industry

So, you think you can dance? Well, you need to learn the tunes first. Welcome to the music world. If you’re planning to work in the music industry, you’re not alone. To cut it short, here are great tips to get you started!

List Your Music Skills & Experience

Finding music industry jobs is really hard. The scene is already crowded and more are just as you looking. That’s enough reason for you to stand out. To begin with, you need to sort out your music skills and experience. There is so much talent already and, to break in, you really need to have something. Sit down at your desk and start noting down all your music credentials. Include your college degree, if relevant, and list all music-related activities. Include all instruments you can play, music events you’ve participated in and any courses you’ve taken. In short, get yourself ready as if you’re going to be interviewed tomorrow. Obviously, your resume, a cover letter and a portfolio, if available, should be handy. In an age of online recruitment, your professional profile should also be up and running. If you’re using, say, LinkedIn, make sure your connections are relevant. Once done, start looking. This might take you long (really long).

Be patient. This is how all careers in music industry have been created. While searching (and networking – more about that later), don’t sit like a duck. Practice and give your talent a voice. Come on! This is music. You’re supposed to be an artist – not someone looking for an office job! Keep a record of your recordings and freestyle auditions. You never know when someone approaches you over social media or in a community event for sample of your work. So, be always ready. If stuck, you can find great resume and career advice services at https://resumethatworks.com/cv-writing-service.

Focus On One Field

There is no a playbook on how to find a job in the music business. So, let’s admit it. You need to work on your own, at least at first. But, you should know that the music industry is like a closed club. So, you really need to work hard to break in. There are already so many fields and jobs within the music industry. Unfortunately, most of these are passed on orally. So, you’d not find some of the jobs you dream of, say, on job boards. Let’s say, you want to be singer.

(Who doesn’t?) If this already what you want to do, then you need to focus on the performance side. Thanks to social media, you can now practice, record and go live. But jobs in music are not only about singing. You might want to look for more music business jobs beyond performance ones. If anything, video & sound engineers and recording engineers are among the highest paid jobs in the industry. Well, this comes at a price. Of course, you’ll need exposure (much, much exposure) so you better understand the technicalities of sound engineering. At first, you should be really modest. If you think you’re going to work for a big label straight from college, dream on. A more realistic approach is you start looking for music industry internships. There are, in fact, many advantages in getting an internship in music industry. In addition to your chosen field, you’ll have the opportunity to connect to artists, sound engineers and more. That way, you’re adding up skills as you go – a very important thing in music industry. Fortunately, many music companies offer internships for students and grads. So, make sure you write an impressive application citing your skills and experience. If stuck, check https://perfectessay.com/buy-college-research-paper, an exceptional professional writing service, to help you apply.

Upskill

In an industry such as music, upskilling is inevitable. Whether you’re an intern or an experienced musician, you’ll always need to upskill. The pace and need for upskilling are, of course, different for each set of music professionals. A new entrant needs, for instance, to develop the tolls of the trade first before branching out. Now, in order to upskill, you’ve got many options. One most common option is to go to school. Well, before you do, you should know that school alone does not teach you how to be a musician. Practice (and networking) makes perfect in music industry. So, if you’re going for a performance job, perform, join a band or audition for a small company. This will help you upskill but also to gain more exposure to a diversity of talents and connections. Once again, social media and music apps have made a career in music industry more accessible for millions. There are loads of platforms and apps (e.g. SoundCloud and Spotify) you can use to upskill – and connect.

Engage & Connect

Networking and making connections have been mentioned many times now. This should tell you how important connections are in music industry. Indeed, the music industry, a creative one, it’s who you know that might matter most. Unsurprisingly, many jobs in music business are filled orally and based on connections. Miss no opportunity to connect as you look for a job, intern, or upskill. Stories of talent spotted in music events are all around. So, you never know where or when you might have your break. So, keep engaging and networking. The more you know – and who you know – is your ticket to career success.

Go To Open Mics, Music Performances & Community Events

As a kid, you’ve always wanted to be like that singer, guitar player or band manager even. Now that you’ve grown up (presumably), you know (or should know) better. Now, you’re simply asking, “why don’t I just play for this band?” As a would be professional in the world of music, going to open mics, music performances and community events is not just for fun. Yes, you can enjoy music, but you are there for music business. That’s why, you should connect to band members and event managers during breaks or after a concert. If possible, you can get their contacts in backrooms. If not, a paper writing trick could do. Try to write a white paper (seriously) about a band you really want to connect to. Everyone loves to have something written about them. So, you can put your online marketing skills into writing and promoting your band. You got the point. Make going to music events an opportunity to connect – not just to watch like everybody else.

The music industry is one of the hardest to land a job in. To break in, you’ll need to sort out your music skills and experience. You might also need to focus on one field or area to invest your time and efforts in. If you lack the right knowledge, then you need to upskill. And, definitely, music industry is about networking and connections. So, make the most of your search and music event activities to get in the loop.