If you are a music professional and are not quite ready or willing to launch your own business, you may be seeking music employment opportunities in order to enjoy a steady income stream while honing your talents. Unlike many career employment searches, looking for musician employment is far more challenging than just looking at music job openings on web sites or in newspapers.

Making the most of employment for music professionals means looking for jobs in non-traditional ways. While it is fine to respond to music job listings, relying on musician job postings alone will not yield steady work. If you are looking for consistent music industry employment, consider:

1. Join online forums to get an insider's view of musician job openings.
2. Browse music classifieds to find out who is hiring and what jobs for composers and other musicians are out there.
3. Create profiles on websites that feature musicians to increase your exposure.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Network online to find out about requirements for employment in music

Online music forums are a great way to learn about music job requirements, employers and musical employment opportunities not advertised anywhere else. These forums are also good ways to get to know potential collaborators and employers.

I recommend: MyAuditions has an active online community where community members can learn more about music employment requirements, discuss challenges and share audition opportunities. US Music Jobs has an online forum where musicians can view posted jobs, advertise their own availability and learn more about getting a job in the music industry.

Look at musician classifieds to find employment, music collaborators and employer requests

Musician classifieds list musical instruments for hire, clubs seeking gigs, bands looking for band mates, and employment options. They are a good way to find opportunities in your area and to learn what sort of musical presence is available near you.

I recommend: The International Musicians Trading Post is a place to post jobs, view gig opportunities and employment options and access helpful music employment resources. Learn more about how to connect music employers and use music employment classified listings at The Muse's Muse.

Create a web presence to attract employers looking to fill music job openings

An employer should be able to look for your name or a general search string for your area and be able to find you easily. An online web presence allows employers to find you and allows you to add links to your resume, which establishes you as media-savvy and professional. Online sites that allow you to list your information and samples of your music are one way to attract music recruiters.

I recommend: TAXI allows musicians to post clips of music online and network with other musicians and industry professionals, and also offers an FAQ with helpful information about the benefits of creating a web presence. Learn more about how online resources increase your employment exposure at SongScope.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Making the most of employment for music professionals is a two-way street. Of course, you want to land a good music job. However, you will get more benefit from forums and other networking tools if you remember to give as well as get. Participate in the forums and web sites you join and offer some advice and encouragement while you ask questions and learn about jobs yourself.

We’ve all heard that it’s difficult to break into the music biz, but these days, finding a job in any line of work can be challenging. Employment for music professionals is out there, however, if you know where to look and are willing to learn about the business side of the entertainment industry.

Before you seek employment for music professionals, keep these things in mind:

1. Network with other musicians to learn how they broke into the biz. Get as many contacts as you can – you never know which one will help you find music employment.

2. Take classes on the business and marketing side of the entertainment industry. The tips you learn will be invaluable when selling yourself and your music.

3. Open yourself up to all types of music employment. You may think your skills lie in composing but maybe producing, for example, is a hidden talent.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search online for music employment

The Internet has become an indispensable tool for linking employers to employees in all industries, and this includes music industry employment.

I recommend: MusicJobsCentral posts more than 600 music job openings each week and averages more than 4,000 musician job postings on its site at a time. You can also sign up for daily email alerts of new musician job openings.

Market your skills to the industry

If you want music industry employment, then obviously you must connect with music professionals, both those who have already made it and those who are just starting out.

I recommend: The Biz, courtesy of Variety magazine, provides a forum for you to set up a personal profile and make contacts in the entertainment industry toward finding employment in music. It’s also a great place to connect with peers to see how they broke into the business. Best of all, posting a profile and receiving music job openings is free. Artists House Music is a one-stop shop for those seeking musician employment, with tips on the music business, how to market yourself and more.

Hone your business skills

While your musical abilities may be top of the pops, you may be struggling with the business side of things. Bottom line: Finding musician employment without some industry know-how can be difficult.

I recommend: Full Sail offers an online program for a bachelor of science degree in its School of Entertainment Business. Financial aid and career development assistance is available. The Art Institutes also has an Electronic Music program that incorporates marketing and business skills into its class schedule.

Get your music heard

Sometimes the best way to get noticed is to get out and play. Signing up with a music booking agent can provide more exposure for your music and may help you find steady musical employment.

I recommend: GigMasters is a music booking agent for all kinds of talent and for all kinds of music gigs. Sign up with one of the 3 memberships offered.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're struggling to get your music heard, consider your location. Maybe it's time to hit the road and see if people in other parts of the country respond better to your musical talents.
• •  One great - and often lucrative - music industry employment path is children's music. The audience may be younger but they're no less enthusiastic.

Music employment is an umbrella term, describing any of the jobs open to musicians, composers and other musical professionals. These job opportunities can range from musical gigs for private parties to employment as a composer for a city's orchestra. Employment for musicians is one way to turn a passion for music into a lucrative career. It can be a rewarding form of employment and it can also, contrary to popular belief, yield a steady pay check as well.

If you are seeking employment for music professionals, one of the difficult employment for music professionals basics you quickly will learn is that much employment in music seems aimed at young, amateur acts. Jobs for composers and other true music professionals is available, but it often requires some entrepreneurial skills and some unusual routes to employment. If you want a job in this industry, consider:

1. Seek classes or degree programs to get the expertise and proven credentials you need for jobs.
2. Learn about the requirements you need right now for musical employment.
3. Make contact with agents who can put you in touch with the hidden job market.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get training for the music employment of your choice

Many musicians assume that hours of practice and a talent for music are all that is needed for musical employment. While this is true in some cases, getting formal music education can only help your chances of landing a good music job. Classes help you hone your skills and technical music abilities, enable you to network with people looking for musicians and give you a tangible experience that you can place on your resume to show prospective employers that you take music seriously.

I recommend: The University of Puget Sound has an esteemed music program. The university's music program page even includes a handy career guide. The Carnegie Mellon School of Music is one of the most prestigious music schools in the country and offers helpful information about the benefits of education for professional musicians.

Browse online music job openings to learn current job requirements

While many websites offer general lists of music job requirements, such lists are often outdated and not site-specific. A better option is to browse music employment listings and find out what employers in your area are seeking. If you want a job as a composer, for example, but notice that all the employers offering such jobs are in another city, that can impact your job search.

I recommend: Daily Puppy has a useful guide to using sites such as Craigslist to find individual music gigs. Isnare.com offers a useful guide on finding music jobs online and through other job-search sources.

Hire a booking agent to find steady musician employment

A booking agent or music talent agent is a professional who acts as a link between employers looking to hire musicians and the talent looking for gigs and jobs. Hiring an agent can give you access to shows and opportunities that are not listed in classified ads or music job listings.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks provides a guide to booking agents that explains exactly what these professionals are and how to secure an agent. MusicBizAcademy.com has a list of booking agents to query and helpful articles about working with booking agents.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  One of the employment for music professionals basics that many job seekers overlook is the importance of the sample. You need to be able to present prospective employees with a sample of your music or your sound in order to land most jobs. Go to a recording studio and record yourself on CD and digital files so that you can present these samples when applying for music jobs.

There are many career options available for those who love music and want to pursue employment as a music professional. Talent is only part of what it takes to gain employment as a music professional. Education and experience play their parts in the success or failure for those who want careers as music professionals. There are key terms used to describe the employment options available to music professionals. It is vital to learn these terms to weigh options and decide what's best for you. Familiarize yourself with the key terms for employment as a music professional to help make selecting a career choice easier and stress-free.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Composer

A composer writes music for all facets of the music industry including commercials, movies, television and vocal and instrumental performers. To become a composer, students need to study all types of music including how to read it, analyze it as well as music theory and composing.

I recommend: Learn about what it takes to become a professional composer at Music, Composition and Theory.

Conductor

Conductors lead bands and orchestras in performances. A conductor must know all facets of music as well as how to lead a band or orchestra properly. Conductors must know and understand how to read and analyze music scores and arrangements.

I recommend: Read the information about the programs offered to help musicians become professional conductors at Conductor's Institute of South Carolina.

Music teacher

Music teachers are required to know about vocal and instrumental music, as well as music history and theory so they can teach students about all aspects of music. Music teachers can work at schools and universities or privately from their own homes. Since music teachers are required to know about so many aspects of music as well as to learn about education, becoming a music teacher takes many years of study.

I recommend: Find out about how to be a music teacher at All Education Schools.

Instrumentalist or instrumental musician

An instrumentalist or instrumental musician plays one or more musical instruments. Instrumentalists perform as solo artists or with bands and orchestras. To become an instrumentalist, students must learn how to play an instrument exceptionally well. It is important to learn about all types of music including classical and improvisational to become a successful instrumental musician.

I recommend: Read the overview of what it takes to have a career as a professional instrumental musician at Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Music producer

Music producers create recordings of vocal and instrumental music. Those who plan on pursuing this career must know and understand music and vocal arrangements as well as music theory and sound engineering.

I recommend: Gather information about becoming a professional music producer at Mahalo.

Musicologist

A musicologist studies and understands the scientific and scholarly aspects of music. Musicologists study the culture and history of music as well as musical forms, styles and genres. Many musicologists work at universities or publish books and studies about music.

I recommend: Review the information about becoming a musicologist at ByMusic.org.