Many of us dream of getting involved with the music industry. Some of us want to be the stars taking arena stages around the world, some of us would prefer to be behind the scenes, overseeing the artists, production, and of course, counting the money.
But while many of us would like to be a musician or a producer or a band manager, there’s a whole industry of jobs that are crucial to keep it a well-oiled and functioning machine. Take one piece out and the rest collapses.
The best part is that some of these less exposed careers are some of the most important and rewarding in the industry. In order to shine a light on some of these jobs, we’ve compiled a list of the 12 music career options you probably didn’t consider, but should.
Music Teacher
Being a music teacher is more than just giving recorder lessons to primary school kids. Music education exists at just about ever level of scholastics you can imagine, from pre-school right on through to post-graduate. There’s also many aspects to offering a musical education.
Some teachers are specifically geared towards music theory, while others are all about performance. Some teachers help students explore the history of music and its cultural significance, while instrument instructors can apply any number of different methods to their work.
Tour Manager
Many of you have probably thought about a career as a band manager. After all, they’re the ones who get to collect all of the cash, right? But bands and artists need someone to take care of everything when they hit the road – often the most lucrative aspect of their jobs.
Truth be told, this one can be a labour of love or a labour of luxury, depending on you find yourself working with. The role of tour manager involves such duties as arranging travel and accommodation and managing the band’s tour budget.
Sync Agent
For those unfamiliar with synchronisation rights, it’s a type of license granted by the holder of a copyright, allowing the licensee to “sync” a piece of music with some kind of visual media output. For example, using ‘Love Me Do’ in a film set in the ’60s would require a sync.
This is taken care of by synchronisation agents, who are similar to song publishers, but they work solely with songs being synced with visual media. A sync agent will regularly find themselves working with rights holders, filmmakers, music directors, and artists.
Audio Tool Developer
This is a rapidly growing industry and involves coding specific audio software, including apps and desktop programs, for different clients. This could range from video game developers and recording studios, to corporate clients and music software developers.
A project could be something as simple as creating a reverb plugin for an upcoming digital audio workstation or fixing buggy code, or it could run to complex high-end jobs where you’re developing analysis tools for a festival promoter or venue manager.
Film/TV Music Supervisor
This one is like the dream job you never even knew about, but hidden in the dense morse code that is film and television closing credits is someone who takes care of all the music that’s used in the project. That person is the music supervisor.
Basically, music supervisors select tunes to be used in motion picture projects and television programs. The job requires a broad and encyclopedic music expertise and a sophisticated knowledge of music licensing and negotiation.
Music Lawyer
Any band that’s looking to have a career in the music industry is going to need a good lawyer. Even simple things like looking over a contract usually requires an attorney to ensure everything is above board and to effectively translate the contract into English for the artists.
A music lawyer’s job covers all aspects of the legality involved in being a musician. This could be everything from reading contracts and overseeing an artist’s business activities, to taking legal action on behalf of the artist and protecting their brand and trademarks.
Booking Agent
While a band’s manager acts as their guide in navigating the often treacherous musical landscape and a tour manager takes care of them whilst they’re on tour, it’s someone else’s job entirely to actually get those gigs so that the band can, y’know, tour.
This is where booking agents come in. A booking agent secures gigs for their acts by having the right rolodex and top-notch negotiation skills. It’s in their best interest to get artists a good deal as they earn their income from commissions.
Radio Music Director
The Music Director of a radio station is the person who actually selects what music is played on the station. It’s one of the most important roles at a radio station, because you’re essentially determining the musical and aesthetic direction of the brand you’re working with.
The Music Director works closely with the Program Director of the station and together the two determine what listeners hear every day. Since there are all types of radio stations, you can find a role in a station that suits your tastes, whether pop, rock, jazz, classical, or anything else.
Instrument Maker
[include_post id=”434044″]Arguably one of the most underrated roles in music, but one of the most lucrative if the person is skilled and knows how to market themselves adequately. Everyone loves someone who can shred on a guitar, but they wouldn’t get far if they didn’t, y’know, actually have the guitar.
Instrument Makers, such as luthiers, who work specifically with stringed instruments, dedicate themselves to the creation of quality musical instruments. It’s a relatively rare set of skills, which makes good Instrument Makers highly sought after.
Grant Writer
Grant writers create research proposals that request funding from various agencies. They’re essential figures in many fields, with some working for universities, social service organizations, or in the healthcare field.
In the case of a Music Grant Writer, this could involve anything from a governmental role to a role within an important music advocacy organisation like Music Victoria. This is a role that’s becoming more important every day.
Merchandise Agent
It wasn’t until we spoke to Brian “BT” Taranto of Love Police and Duane Jackson 24HUNDRED during our Guide To Creating & Selling The Best Music Merch that we realised the important role that merchandise plays in the music industry and just what needs to be considered to make great merch.
As a Merchandise Agent, your role is simple: create great music merch and get people to buy it. You can start your own company, like Brian did, or align yourself with a popular brand or label, like Duane did. Either way, your salesmanship and eye for design are what’s gonna count.
Ghostwriter
Not every songwriter is looking to be a massive star. Some really are just in it for the art, but that art can result in big bucks if you make the right connections and work with the right artists. Just look at Australia’s very own Sia, a star in her own right.
The job of the Ghostwriter is to write marketable songs for other artists or collaborate with artists on their own songs to improve them or give them that extra push. You’re essentially a songwriting expert, called in consult with artists and labels on how to make a song a hit.
If you’re interested in kick-starting a new exciting career in the music industry, be sure to check out the MWT institute website for more info on their Certificate IV in Music www.mwtinstitute.com.au.
