Are you looking for work in the music industry? Would you love to turn your passion for music into a career? From music teacher to live performer, the music production industry has an endless variety of job opportunities. If you love all things music and are interested in working in the music industry, this guide will help you decide which area of music production is right for you.
Here is a list of the Top 10 Careers In Music Production:
- | Artist
- | Songwriter
- | Sound Engineer
- | Film Score Composer
- | Video Game Music & Sound Designer
- | Music Composer (Advertising)
- | Live Sound Engineer
- | Mastering Engineer
- | Teacher/Tutor
- | Foley Artist
Without further ado, let’s get started!
| 1. Artist
Being an artist is perhaps the most popular and sought-after career in music production. It involves composing, creating and promoting your own music as well as uniquely branding yourself from others within the highly competitive market.
Becoming a successful artist these days can be as simple as sitting behind a laptop and crafting songs using your favourite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Gone are the days where you need to spend thousands of dollars in a professional recording studio. Never has it been so accessible for eager musicians to make a living.
As a successful artist, there are a variety of ways to earn a stable income. This includes performing live shows, stream revenue (royalties), selling your music and selling merchandise. While it often takes time, talent and a lot of hard work to become a successful artist, there is no limit to the amount of money you can earn as an artist.
| 2. Songwriter
Songwriters are the creators of musical compositions who’s works can be licensed and sold to artists. Believe it or not, many of the most popular songs today aren’t created by the artist listed on the track. The most successful songwriters today compose tracks for artists such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, The Weeknd and Dua Lipa and have their name listed under a song’s credits.
Songwriters generally receive income by selling original compositions or lyrics to artists, as well as earning a percentage of sales and streams. While songwriters may not receive the fame or recognition that an artist does, there are no limitations to the amount of money they can receive. A career as a songwriter will allow you to compose and create, work with big-name artists and in some cases, travel the world.
| 3. Sound Engineer
Sound engineers make up some of the most essential members of the music production industry. They enable talented musicians to professionally record their work and provide them with a finished product ready for distribution. Sound engineers base themselves in a recording studio and are responsible for setting up and running recording sessions.
In order to become a successful sound engineer, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with common recording equipment and techniques, as well as mixing desks and accompanying software. The underlying responsibility of a sound engineer is to use their skills and tools at hand to present the best performance consistent with the artist’s vision
While bands and artists pay per recording session, full-time studio engineers can expect to earn an average of $55,000 USD per year. If you enjoy working with musicians and assisting in the process of music creation, a career as a sound engineer might just be for you.
| 4. Film Score Composer
Film Score Composers are responsible for the music found in Movies & Television Shows. Think back to some of the most iconic soundtracks in movies like Star Wars, Game Of Thrones, Interstellar or The Dark Knight. Three of the most famous film score composers of all time include Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Danny Elfman.
Creating an original score requires composers to work closely with the director and to create each piece of music to a set of timecodes and cues. Film score composers frequently work with other musicians and real orchestras in order to deliver the best result possible.
With a growing number of subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix, HBO and Hulu, the demand for film score composers will continue to grow. A career as a film score composer will reward you with an average of $64,000 USD per year.
| 5. Video Game Music & Sound Designer
From the famous Pacman noise to the Mario Bros. theme song, video games are filled with music and sounds. No matter the genre of game, video game music and sound designers are an essential part of game development. A job in this field would require composition, mixing and production skills, including professional understanding of a DAW.
A defining feature of video game music is the necessity for a song to loop and transition out of an in-game segment. Each player plays through sections at differing speeds and as a result, it becomes impractical for video game music to be synced to cues and checkpoints.
In general, music and sound represent between 5 and 15 percent of the total budget for a video game. A large portion of game music work is freelance but if you’re fortunate enough to find full-time work in this career path, you could be looking at an average wage of $71,000 USD per year.
| 6. Music Composer (Advertising)
With a growing number of people using social media around the world, the demand for online advertising is higher than ever. Whether it’s an advertisement for TV, radio or social media, music helps to enhance viewer arousal, assisting in the publicizing of a product, service or message.
Music also helps audiences quickly identify the product being advertised through the use of Jingles. A job in this field requires musicians to work to a set brief and understand how to provoke certain emotional responses through music. Musical compositions in advertising are often required to hit certain timecodes and cues.
Traditionally, music composers working in advertising are paid per job. Each project could take anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. On average, full-time music composers in this field earn an average of $52,000 USD per year.
| 7. Live Sound Engineer
A live sound engineer is someone who blends and balances all elements of live performances. This includes all microphones, instruments and pre-recorded material. They are responsible for managing and operating audio equipment in order to create a sound that accurately reflects the performance of on-stage musicians.
A live sound engineer is an essential part of any live performance. Without them, concerts and festivals wouldn’t function the same. A career in live sound requires skills including critical thinking, attention to detail, working under pressure and the ability to work in unfamiliar environments.
The most successful live sound engineers work with the biggest names in the music industry and put on shows in every corner of the globe. The average wage for a live sound engineer sits at $63,000 USD each year.
| 8. Mastering Engineer
Mastering engineers are responsible for putting the finishing touches on a song before it is released. They help make sure that a piece of music sounds it’s best when played on any speaker system. A mastering engineer works in a carefully curated room filled with professional sound proofing, mastering tools and a state of the art sound system.
Mastering engineers use a combination of hardware and software devices to apply effects including EQ, Compression, Limiting, Stereo Imaging etc. To accomplish a satisfactory product, mastering engineers will often use an already mastered piece of music as a reference to their current project.
While mastering engineers will generally charge clients per song, EP or album, the average annual salary for a mastering engineer is approximately $72,000 USD.
| 9. Teacher/Tutor
If you would enjoy seeing others experience the art of music the same way you have, a career in music teaching could be a career worth looking into. Whether it’s teaching music theory or hands-on skills in the studio, there are teaching positions available in schools and universities all around the world.
Any teaching role requires good communication and people skills, as well as the ability to teach curriculum and work with people of all personality types. Enjoy the flexibility of a teaching position with employment options including full-time, part-time and casual roles. Turn your passion into a career by sharing it with others.
While a job in this field may require a professional qualification, it also offers job security, noteworthy perks and a comfortable wage. On average, a music teaching position pays around $56,000 USD per year.
| 10. Foley Artist
To conclude our list, we have a career that steers clear of music creation. If you’re more interested in the sound aspect of film & television rather than music, a career as a foley artist could be for you.
Every day looks different for a foley artist. Their responsibility is to re-create sounds for movies, TV shows and other media that cannot properly be recorded on set. They commonly re-create everyday sounds like footsteps, glass breaking, wind or rain.
A foley artist would spend most of their time in a studio with recording equipment and dozens of unconventional objects. Being able to replicate particular sounds using objects at your disposal is a large part of this job. A career in foley requires attention to detail, creativity and a keen ear capable of mimicking sounds.
As the film and TV industry grows, so does the demand for foley artists. The typical wage for an experienced foley artist is between $400 and $450 a day.
Music Production
Want To Know More?
Here at Live Aspects, we have dozens of useful lessons and tutorials created to enhance your music production skills and help speed up the learning process. You can access our huge range of music theory lessons and production tips and tricks here.
