Alexander Duverglas Jr.When someone wants to work in music, that usually means they want to be a recording artist, making albums and acquiring wealth using their voice.
Whether that comes by singing, rapping, spoken word or beyond, a recording artist may be the most obvious and sought after job in the industry. It’s the kind of job kids dream of achieving and making a living off of.
While many dream of being artists, not all make it to that end goal which may leave them with a choice, do something else entirely or look at other roles you can play in this musical landscape. Lucky for those looking for other occupations in the industry, there are many.
Today we will look into some of those possibilities.
One of the routes in the music field that one may choose to go down is a management position. Artists need managers every day to help organize their lives both professionally and personally.
With more and more artists springing up all the time, there’s a need for assistants as well. Musicians, and even managers, also often have assistants to help with more day to day or smaller tasks for the individuals in question.
The assistant position can often lead to other jobs in the future through the connections you form as you’re working up the ranks on a daily basis.
Working with artists is one choice, another would be working for those that sign the artists to record deals. Record labels have tons of jobs and are always looking for new faces.
Jobs ranging from digital marketing, advertisement, public relations, content development, booking agents and beyond. If you have a knack for identifying talent then an A&R role could be great for you.
A&Rs, which stands for Artists and Repertoire, are responsible for talent scouting and the development of the artists they bring onto the label’s roster. A&Rs can also act as managers for artists on the company’s roster, especially if they are the one that brought them on board.
There are different forms of artistic expression that go beyond just recording music in the industry. The industry always needs creatives like photographers, graphic designers, engineers and more.
Producers are possibly the closest job to recording artists without actually being one. You work hand in hand with artists and can create projects on your own as well.
Working on music-based events is another opportunity someone could work on outside of being a traditional recording artist as well. Being an event curator is a viable job, with so many festivals, tours and surprise shows happening all the time.
In many cities, artists and labels need someone to handle the planning of an event to bring it all to life. An event host is also a growing occupation.
These live shows need someone to control the crowd, keep the flow of the show and make sure the night runs smoothly. That’s where the host comes in.
Venues have job opportunities for ticket sellers, security, event bookers, and more. There are so many jobs in this field that are waiting to be filled by the next generation of talented creatives.
Creativity is expressed in so many different ways and in so many different roles that if recording music isn’t the route you end up taking, you can find another lane for yourself to be successful in. Do your research, find the role for yourself, get out there and put yourself where you want to be.
Before you know it, you’ll be in the position you were meant to fulfill.
