Music Industry Job: Record Labels - Running a Label:
Pros:
- You never have to work with music you don't love or a band that drives you crazy.
- You can get a hand in every step of the process, from choosing the releases, picking a release date, planning the promotion, working on tours, and so on.
- Requires an upfront investment. Someone has to pay for that first release.
- It can be a very long time before you make any money - just as you get to have a hand in every part of a release, you often have to pay for most of those part, so juggling cashflow is a challenge.
- Requires good organizational skill, and you must be able to self motivate.
Music Industry Job: Record Labels - Working for a Label:
The Pros:
- Learning the ropes of record labels without taking any of the financial risk yourself.
- A chance to sample different aspects of the music industry, to help you figure out where your strengths are.
- The pay may not always be great, depending on the size of the label, but it's still better than footing the bill yourself.
- You don't get to pick the music, so you may not love every album you're working on.
- At larger record labels, you could essentially end up doing office work instead of working closely with music.
Music Manager:
The Pros:
- Get to have involvement in every aspect of a band's career, and thus, you get a hand in many different parts of the music business.
- You get to work with music you love.
- If you work independently for up and coming bands, pay day can be a long way off - and you may have to spend some money up front.
- Band/manager relationships can get dicey.
- Can be very stressful - managers shoulder a lot of responsibility, and when things go wrong (and they will), you're in the cross hairs.
- Requires organization, self motivation, and you have to be willing to speak up and ask for the things you want.
Music Promoters:
The Pros:
- Perfect job if you love live music
- Pulling off a great show is thrilling
- You get to work with bands you love.
- Can be pay well, depending on what kinds of shows you're doing.
- If you work independently, in small venues and with smaller bands, can cost you a fortune - breaking even can be a good night.
- Tons of responsibility - show day can be very stressful.
- Can be one of the most thankless jobs in music. To some bands - if the show is good: yay us! If the show is bad: boo you!
- Promo is hard work, and it could all be for nowt - you can't MAKE anyone write about the show or come to the gig.
Music Agent:
The Pros:
- Another good job for people who love live music.
- Gives you the chance to work with managers, bands, promoters, and labels.
- Let's you have a hand in putting shows together without being on the "front lines" like promoters.
- Can be hard to break into - it can take a long time to get established as an agent.
- Unless you get lucky and get a job at an agency right off the bat, you may have to work for little to no money while you're building a name for yourself.
- Requires good organizational skills - there are lots of moving parts when you're booking a tour.
- When a band is on tour, you're on call.
Music Distributor:
The Pros:
- Get to hear all of the new releases before anyone else and are always the first to know when new albums are coming out.
- Get to work closely with record labels and record stores.
- Can be a reliable paycheck.
- Often have to sell releases that you don't like
- Some jobs at distribution companies can far from the music - packing up boxes, dealing with freight companies, etc.
- Unless you have deep pockets, not a job for someone who wants to run their own music related business.
- Can be stressful - labels miss release dates, stores don't pay on time, and so on.
Sound Engineer:
The Pros:
- Get to take part in the excitement of live shows
- May get to go on tour with bands
- Great for people who like the technical side of music
- Pay can vary greatly, depending on what kind of shows you are doing
- You'll need to roll with the punches of working on the best sound desks to the worst and still make it sound good
- Like promotion, can be a bit thankless. If the band sounds great, they'll congratulate themselves. If the band sounds bad, they like to blame the sound engineer. (Well, not EVERY band, of course, but it happens often.)
The Pros:
- Get to closely with the media
- You get to see the payoff for your work quickly when something you're promoting gets reviewed or played on the radio.
- Can pay well.
- Very hard work - just getting people to answer your phone calls is a job in itself, and it can take a long time to build up media contacts
- Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can't generate any buzz for a record, which puts you in the cross hairs of the band/label
- Lots of repetitive work - calling X, Y and Z for the 100th time, re-sending promos you've already sent, and so on
Record Producer:
Pros:
- Get a hand in the creative process with lots of different artists.
- Get a lot of credit - great producers are recognized for their artistic achievements in the same way great musicians are.
- Can work for a studio or independently
- Can pay well, especially if you get points on a record that sells a lot of copies.
- Hours are long and irregular.
- Getting started can be tough - you may have to work for free for awhile to build up a reputation.
- Need to learn about studio equipment/recording techniques, so there is a time investment in training.
- Need to stay on top of new technology all the time.
Music Journalist:
Pros:
- Get to interact with some of your favorite artists.
- Always have the inside track on what new releases are coming up.
- Have a hand in shaping trends and a venue to share your thoughts about the music industry.
- Good for guest list spots!
- Hours can be long
- Lots of competition - you have to fight hard to get published and to be the one to get the interview, the story, etc.
- If you freelance, pay can be sporadic
- Need to be able to work independently and manage deadlines.
Cover Art Designer:
Pros:
- Get to play an important role in creating to overall "feel" of an album - great album artwork images are remembered as music as great music and help give an album an identity
- Get to work closely with musicians and labels
- Every job is different, so you get to experiment with different styles and techniques
- Easy to get ripped off - many designers see their images used in merch and without a good contract, they may not make a penny from those sales.
- Work (and pay) can be sporadic
- May have to spend some time working for free to build up a reputation
- As music goes online, artwork becoming less important
Of course, one of the biggest consideration in any music career is getting paid! Once you have spotted your dream music job, don't forget to make sure you understand exactly how your money will come in. This article will help:
-Heather McDonald
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