Careers in the Music Industry

Careers in the music industry include: artists,documentation and maybe perform rough mixes and
engineers, producers, management and otherbalance settings on the recording boards.
behind-the-scenes people who are in the business ofMAINTENANCE ENGINEERS The Maintenance
capturing, recreating and marketing sound.Engineers make sure that the studio equipment is in
These professionals are experts in many fields suchtop condition, regularly aligned and repaired when
as; acoustics, electronics, production, broadcastnecessary. Large studios may employ a full-time
media, multimedia, marketing and business. Thesemaintenance engineer, but smaller studios often use
careers focus on turning a creative spark into a finalthe services of free-lance engineers and technical
product that in the music industry means a hit record.service companies.
THE ARTIST The overall quality of a recordingMASTERING ENGINEERS The Mastering Engineer
begins and ends with the artist. Careers as atweaks the final version of the recording in order to
recording artist have several ingredients that drivepresent the "master" recording with the best possible
the industry; charisma, technique, emotion and thesound for marketing purposes.
ability to command an audience. A carefully plannedSTUDIO MANAGEMENT and the SUPPORT TEAM
and well-produced recording will act as a frameworkAdditionally, there are other careers in the music
to showcase the talent and soul of the artist.industry that are support positions behind the scenes:
THE PRODUCER Of all the careers in the music· Studio Management, this person manages
industry, the producer's job is one of the mostthe people in the studio supervising the bookings,
important. Primarily, the producer helps the artist andaccounting and marketing.
record company create the best possible recorded· Bookings Manager, this person keeps track
performance and a final product for the buying public.of the schedule of studio usage and billing.
This involves guiding the artist through the recording· Support Staff, the assistants that keep
process, including; controlling the finances, selection ofeveryone happy and everything running smoothly.
songs, and maintaining the focus on the artist's vision.ARTIST MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, DJ's,
STUDIO MUSICIANS & ARRANGERS OtherINSTALLERS, DESIGNERS, ETC. The following is a
examples of careers in the music industry are foundpartial list of other careers in the music industry:
in studio musicians, back-up singers and arrangers.· Artist Management
Often times the services of these professionals and· Artist Booking Agents
sometimes even entire orchestras are called in to· A & R (artist & repertoire)
provide richness and depth to the performance of· Manufacturing of product
the artist or vocalist.· Marketing of product
ENGINEER One of the most technical careers of the· Distribution of product
music industry is the job of the engineer. Through· Web Development
the use of recording technology, the engineer must· Costume and Wardrobe Design
be able to express the artist's talent and the· Graphic Arts & Layout
producer's concepts. Actually the job of the engineer· Tour Management
is more of an art form, there are no magic formulas,· Live Sound & Lighting Technicians
the process is subjective in nature and it relies on the· Artist's Personal Assistants
tastes and experience of those involved. Simply put,If you are interested in the business of sound
the engineer uses their artful knowledge of recordingrecording, you will quickly find out that it can be
media technology to produce the best possibledifficult to get into. It may seem like a glamorous job,
sound, taking into account the intended customer andbut it takes a ton of self motivation, good
media used for sound recreation.networking skills, perseverance, talent and personality
ASSISTANT ENGINEERS An entry-level position forto get into the business. Even if you have a degree
an individual interested in careers in the musicfrom a recording school, sometimes it is who you
industry, specifically that of an engineer, is anknow, that is more important than what you know.
'in-training' or Assistant Engineer. Assistant Engineer'sHowever, if you are committed and willing to do
might assist in the placement of microphones andwhat it takes, there is a wide variety careers in the
headphones, run the tape machines, help with sessionmusic industry.