Earning a living in the music industry: How is it done?
Earning a living in the music industry: How is it done?
What questions would you ask your guest?
What do they do?
What training did they need?
Do they have any tips or advice for you or your classmates who might like to follow a similar career path?
Watch some of the videos below. Each of the videos introduces a different way in which people are able to make money through music.
Above: A guide to setting up your own Radio Station.
Below: A short film about the most important things to consider if you would like to become a DJ.
Right: A video about how much money you can expect to make as a busker, by a professional US busker named ‘Skeet’.
Right: A video by Tom Hess, who coaches music teachers. He speaks about technical skills, being inspirational, financial consideration.
Below: In this video, Tom Hess speaks more generally about building a career in music.
Talent Agents: A video about finding a talent agent with many useful pointers about the profession.
An advert for a website that aims to help aspiring rappers/hip-hop artists.
David Kelly speaks about some of the equipment music producers need to start off their careers.
How many of these musicians did several related jobs (e.g. being a composer and a composition teacher)?
The majority of musicians face financial difficulties, and have ‘portfolio’ careers. What is a portfolio career?
Making money out of music is not just about being a good musician.
You also need hard work, and you need to demonstrate perseverance, knowledge of the industry and a clear understanding of your market (the people that you want to pay you or buy from you).
This means tailoring your abilities, products and marketing in a way that will get an audience interested – and willing to pay for what you are offering them.
How to become a music producer: a clip about David Kelly, who started playing the guitar, joined a band, went to study music at college, started working on film music, then became a music producer.
In groups of three, research one particular music-related job. Consider the following:
What skills are required for the job?
How could I develop these skills?
What should I be doing now?
In addition to music, what school subjects should I specialise in?
What equipment is necessary for this job?
How long will it take me to succeed in this profession?
how much will training/equipment cost?
How much money will you need to start out?
How much money can you expect to earn?
Who could help you?
Who is your target market? How can you make sure you respond to your market?
How can you be different? How can you launch yourself?
Where could I work with this job? Could I travel? How does this job vary in different countries?
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