Oh, the glamor, the money, the travel, the girls, the boys … ! The music business has always been seen as a dream ticket to riches, fame and stardom; private jets, the swishest of hotels and the most expensive cars, jewellery and clothes money can buy - but - behind every superstar, singer, or group, there are an army of people getting paid fairly ordinary salaries and doing fairly normal jobs; some earn considerably more ...
Recent years have seen huge consolidation and positioning within media platforms and the music industry has been hit hard by “disruptive” technologies and other threats to its traditional business model. We are going to take a brief look at some of the support roles and opportunities that exist within the music business right now:
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Legal services: one of the first people to deal with any aspiring rock star is the company lawyer. They are responsible for drawing up those notoriously "difficult to get out of clauses and codicils" which tie musicians and bands to a particular company for years - think, “The artist formerly known as Prince.” There are always openings for sharp, switched on legals who want to get involved in something less mundane than normal legal duties.
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Accountancy: vital in this day and age where every cent counts and margins are being squeezed by the methods of distribution and earning from music platforms and live performances. An accountant who can help to formulate solutions, and save tax, and negotiate more favourable deals for a record company, singer or band, will be a sought after asset. If you are looking for something well paid and different this might be for you.
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Sound engineer: if you are interested in the latest technology and the technical aspects of recording and music production, then this might be just the ticket. All hits, (and all misses) depend on the quality and production values of the final offering that is played on the radio, television or streaming service. Good sound engineers are paid handsomely, and some of the best become household names, often allied to the stars with whom they have worked.
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Logistics: as revenue streams from traditional sources such as record and CD sales have diminished, touring has become a key way of earning revenue for many bands and singers. Moving tons of kit from city to city, demolishing it nightly, and then reconstructing again, is a challenging and difficult task with the technical standards demanded of productions now. If running a crew of roadies and organisation are your thing, this might be better than house removals …
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Publicity and PR services: keeping the “brand” out there in public, whilst avoiding those little incidents which may tarnish it from time to time, are key tasks. The PR and publicity specialists are a vital part of any entourage, and there are opportunities galore for people with the right outlook, diplomatic, and organisational skills, and the ability to be discreet and smart.
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Security: serious stars have teams of close protection and other security staff around them taking care of their defense and safety. These range from the bodyguarding services and personal protection in crowd or public situations, and extend to driving and static posts within a star’s homes, hotels and other means of transportation. It is not just the stars though; there are openings within such teams for producers, executives and other high level staff within the music industry.
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Digital marketing: are you a whizz at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the other social media outlets out there? There is plenty of work out there to promote and service the “brands” of various stars and bands by keeping their social networks busy, and their postings, musings and photographs up to date. News and blogs also need writing, and many of the larger stars have whole teams of digital media marketing specialists working behind the scenes to keep their feeds up.
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Personal assistants: if you are a great concierge and know about hospitality and organisation, being able to schedule a busy star’s obligations and whims, their shopping, and their bookings, then a situation as a PA or secretary within their organisation may be of interest. Stars come to rely on their right-hand girls or boys to guide them through their days with aplomb, and there are some very well paid situations for the right profile.
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Photographers: there is a constant need for fresh, up to date images of stars to feed the insatiable media machine which demands ever more of the “in” stars in terms of photographs and gossip. If a star finds a photographer that they like, they tend to stick with them, and you could find yourself globetrotting with them on tours and getting behind the scenes of some of the most exotic locations in the world, with some of the most glamorous and interesting people.
So; there is a brief overview of some of the types of job that are available within the music industry and accessible to those with the right backgrounds and experience.
At Resumes Expert we are adept at preparing resume, application, and other types of employment related issues. We aim to get you that elusive job interview and into that position with a minimum of fuss and stress. If you are thinking of the music business as your next move - get in touch today - we are in tune with the trends ...