The music industry is a crazy labyrinth of loafers, workaholics, internships, key players, part-timers, movers and groovers, sharks, big shots and wannabees. Fighting your way through all of this is quite an epic task – and just where do you fit in? What part of the music industry are you not only passionate and knowledgeable about, but in what kind of music career can you also handle the rough with the smooth? Well, here are some brief rundowns of some common music industry titles to get you started.
A&R stands for Artist & Repertoire, and traditionally meant matching songwriters with performers. This has often expanding into being a contact between an artist and a producer, as well as the rest of the record label. Starting at the bottom, A&R Scouts will do most of the ground work before passing on the few good leads they have, and finding a good ‘fit’ is not always that easy. An A&R Manager will need to have an established track record of making the right decisions, and part of this stage of A&R will be pitching the act to everyone else, and convincing the label to get on board.
A Booking Agent is responsible for making live music happen. Dealing with venues, hiring equipment and entertainment, and striking deals with bands and promoters are all key elements in pulling a show together. It can be a lot of work, and it can take time to earn money, as you will often be paid a percentage of the door revenue of a show. But if you love being organised, it is a great way to be on the ground and in the thick of new exciting music.
Music Journalists obviously write about music, but this field is split up in several ways: some journalists write reviews (albums, shows, books), some conduct in-depth interviews, some on the music business and anything new and press-worthy. Nowadays, a journalist can write for websites, blogs, newspapers, magazines or a mixture of all of them. While this may sound like a fun job, there is a long ladder to work up, and you have to be able to meet often very strict deadlines (and with enticing, creative content, too).
Normally referring to an Artist Manager (of a solo artist or band), but can also apply to the Tour Manager of an orchestra or any kind of musical show wanting to go on the road. A completely different and more complex job than a Booking Agent (see above); a manager will not only oversee all the logistics of a tour, but try to reel in budgets, curb wayward band members and simmer any feuds that would affect the tour. Think of it as a combination of all the business aspects, to allow the creative people to be just that.
Pluggers are the people who get a certain record played on the radio. This often overlaps with the work of PR Assistants, who also pursue press, radio and club support of a particular song. Before even thinking about stepping into this part of the music business, you better have a huge list of contacts in the industry – because that is effectively what you are being paid for. The relationships you have struck up and strengthened are the ones that you will use to pull strings, to recoup favours and to beg, bribe and beg some more to push ‘your’ record above those of everyone else.
The main job of a Promoter, is to publicise a concert of event. Your entire life is spent trying to get bums on seats, and selling as many tickets as possible. A bad event is one thing, but a good event with hardly any spectators will still look terrible to press and fans alike. Liaising with acts and venues, and dealing with budgets should be a natural thing for you if you choose to take this path.
Being a Session Musician can often mean decent pay for something that you really enjoy doing, and being a good musician can often lead to more work simply through word of mouth. The downside of this is having to fit to other people’s schedule and demands. Your own creative influence is not always needed, you simply need to play what the producer wants to hear, in the style that they see fit. Session musicians can also be unsung heroes; recording on a platinum-selling album won’t earn you more money or fame if you were paid a flat fee on a ‘work for hire’ basis.
Look out for a second part of this article giving you some pros and cons of other music industry jobs….
by Lee Jarvis.
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