What Kind of Job in the Music Industry is Best for You?

When people think about the music industry, they often think about musicians. Did you know that there are lots of careers in the music industry to choose from? Here are some of the things you can consider.

Running a Label

When you decide to run a music label, you get the luxury of only working with artists and music you love. You will also be involved in every step of the music-making process, including choosing which music gets released, when it is released, promoting the music, planning tours and so much more.

One of the biggest downsides of running a music label is that it requires a huge initial financial investment. You might have to wait for a very long time before you realize any return on your investment. In many cases, you have to pay upfront for music released under your label and wait until sales pick up to recoup this money. This means that cash flow can be a challenge.

After the initial turbulence, though, this is one of the most lucrative jobs you could have in the music industry.

Independent Artist

Many artists who would not like to sign with a music label often establish themselves as independent artists. This way, they have better control of their careers. Many of them will expand their careers once they are better-established, at which time they will already know exactly what they want out of their careers.

Independent artists managing their own careers have to find ways to record their music without relying on other people to manage this for them. Independent artists in Los Angeles will usually look for an independently-run Los Angeles music studio which provides them with affordable spaces and all the equipment they need to finish their singles. Pirate Studios, with its new Silver Lake and West Adams studios, is an excellent option for independent artists who are looking for a simple recording solution. Their Los Angeles music studio is available every hour of every day, they have all the recording equipment an artist might need, and the studios are soundproof to avoid distractions.

Working for a Label

Artists who would not like to go solo will usually work with a label. Doing this gives them the opportunity to not take any risks themselves because their label does that for them. The downside is that you might not have a lot of say on which type of music you release, the release schedule, or even your tour dates.

Working with a label is a good way to learn how the industry works before going it alone. Although there might not be too much leeway, you still get the chance to discover what you like or do not like musically, which makes you better tuned to the type of career you want to have.

Music Manager

A music manager is involved in every aspect of a musician’s or band’s career. A good manager should have a good understanding of the music industry and business. Music managers have the advantage of only working with people who produce the music they love and in niches they enjoy.

Music managers can also help with finding and booking studio time for the artists or bands they manage. This allows the artists to create, write and compose music without having to stress about finding the right recording production studios.

Music Promoter

This is perhaps the most stressful option for music lovers. Your job involves arranging events for the artists you represent. Being a music promoter can be very expensive, especially if you work with smaller bands and new musicians. Promoting music is also very time intensive and you need good people skills.

Sound Engineer

A sound engineer is involved in the technical side of music. They are responsible for setting up the audio at shows. Some sound engineers can also work in other areas such as TV and radio stations.

When you work with musicians, you will always be in the middle of things and you might even get to go on tour with the musicians. The most stressful aspect of being a sound engineer is working with sub-par equipment and still having to make the result sound good.

Music PR

Running a music PR firm has a lot of upsides and downsides. You get to work with the media and are essentially responsible for getting an artist’s music played. You might have to put out some fires sometimes and explain something about an artist’s life. One upside of running a music PR firm is that you get to see the results of your work fairly quickly.

The downside is that you sometimes cannot get an artist’s song to be played on the radio or on any medium. The artists you are representing then get angry at you for not getting their new music out there. The work is also very repetitive as you might have to call the same people hundreds of times, resend samples and tracks, and do the same tasks over and over again.

There are so many different career options in the music industry. Most of them are great because you get to interact and work with artists and celebrities. Many of them are hard work and might require a lot of personal and financial input to get going. It would be best to choose one that works best for you and that also leaves other career options open.