WANT A JOB IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
Orchestra Musician
Showbiz these days is amongst the world’s top booming businesses of all times. One of the most attractive aspects of showbiz is the music industry. The music industry has so many opportunities that can earn you a six-figure income annually. Most people think it is all about being a singer, well that is not true. There are other professions within the music industry asides being a musician, which can fetch you a high pay.
Below are some high paying jobs in the music industry and how to get them.
1. Music Attorney:
Music attorneys are representatives of their clients (musicians). They often negotiate contracts like record label deals and live show performances on behalf of the music artists. Whatever music attorneys do, they do to protect their clients’ (music artists) rights.
Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in any major, a Juris Doctor degree from any accredited law institution, LSAT test to prove entry into law school, and Bar examination for acquiring a license.
Pre-law students who wish to become music lawyers may go for courses in music and music business.
Income: Music attorneys earn an average income of $136,260 per annum according to the data published by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015. Music lawyers are usually paid hourly but can also earn a small percentage from deals that they seal on behalf of their clients. Their average earning per hour was $65.51 according to the publication.
2. Music Therapist
Overview: A music therapist collaborates with his/her clients to solve issues related to emotional, physical, social and cognitive well-being using vocal lessons, etc.
Requirements: A graduate degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in Music Therapy, MT-BC (Music Therapy-Board Certified) certificate.
Income: Music Therapists earn on an hourly basis, and their salary is often paid through the companies that employ them. Their average annual salary is $50,000. The salary range can be anywhere between $25,000 and $135,000, and the earnings depend on education level, experience, and location.
3. Sound Engineer
These are the elements responsible for technical issues of sound during the process of recording, mixing and production. Record engineers are responsible for giving music producers and artists the desired sound for their music.
Requirements: To become a recording engineer, you do not really need a certificate. However, you need at least a high school diploma may give you an edge over others. The job involves technical and manual skills and training with audio recording equipment.
Income: According to BLS, sound engineers earn on the average, $56,000 per annum. Sometimes they are paid on hourly basis and that is about $27/hr. The median annual salary of sound engineers is $46, 750.
4. Booking Agent
A booking agent in the music industry is responsible for booking artists for gigs, or live performances and concerts. They negotiate with artists or their producers or booking reps to agree and schedule contract terms, fees and dates as well as plan tours for the artists.
Requirements: A degree in Music Business, advertising and marketing, public relations or human resources or internship courses related to agency jobs. You may also go for agent training programs at reputable agencies to boost your chances of landing a job faster.
Income: Booking Agents at large agencies make annual income that ranges from $75,000 to more than $1,000,000 if you work with a big star. At smaller agencies, booking agents may earn anything around $40,000 to $230,000.
5. Orchestra Musician
These artists mostly perform in opera houses. They perform in groups related to four types of musical instruments called woodwinds, percussion, brass and strings.
Requirements: This is a rather hard one, as you need at least ten years of training with a particular instrument that may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase.
Income: Due to the time and hard work put in by these artists to get to the top, they often get high pay. Orchestra musicians earn anything from $105,000 to $150,000 annually.
6. Road Manager
Bands often go on tour. The road manager or tour manager is responsible for the band’s timely arrival, making trips and hotels arrangements for each member of the band, advancing show dates, etc.
Requirements: A Bachelor’s Degree in areas that focuses on business and creative areas of the music industry and internships with music labels.
Income: Road Managers make as much as $64,200 annually and that value represents the median salary of band managers, according to the data from U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
7. Hit Song Writer
Hit songwriters often master the art of combining melody, harmony and lyrics to give us that hit song.
Requirements: Hit songs require desire and basic knowledge of guitar or piano. You must learn the basics of making a hit song like creating memorable verses and choruses, and understanding the structures behind hits.
Income: A hit songwriter gets their payment as ‘Mechanical Royalties’ for each copy of their song sold (be it a digital or physical copy). In the United States, a hit songwriter is paid $0.091 per copy of his song sold.
8. Session Musician
A session musician is hired by an established artist or a band to fit into a particular position during recording or touring situations for a particular track or song. This is so because the band or artist may not have anyone on the crew that can fit in that position and may need to hire a session musician.
Requirements: You do not need a degree to become a session musician. However, there are certain things you need to do. These include; advertising your trade, building an online portfolio, honing your skills and identifying locations where the industry is denser (there you can land the job quickly).
Income: Session musicians often earn between $40,000 and $50,000 annually. However, the top session musicians (famous session musicians) make six figures and sometimes more.
