Music Jobs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are for musicians and performers, while others are for teachers and support workers. Musicians and other music business employees may work in production, performance, promotion, education, and even medicine. I promised you 25 music occupations that the majority of people are unaware of, but that isn’t really correct. Many of them are careers that people are familiar with but don’t think about when they think of “music jobs.” Are you prepared for the list? Let’s get started:

Music Jobs for Songwriters:

• A staff songwriter works for a record or media corporation, writing songs for the label’s artists.
• A freelance songwriter He or she composes and markets his or her own music. You set your own hours, but you’ll need to put in a lot of them to get your music noticed.
• A lyricist Only writes the lyrics of songs. He might work with a composer on his own or be paired with one by a music production firm
• A jingle writer –  crafts those memorable commercials you hear on TV and the radio — you know, the ones that stick in your brain for days. A jingle writer may not become a household name, but there will always be employment for him or her.

Music Jobs in Publishing:

• A music publisher – discovers and acquires song copyrights in order to license or sell them to record labels and musicians.
• A copyright/licensing administrator – a range of $20,000 to $60,000 for a music publishing company, controls licensing and copyrights.
• A music editor – (between $20,000 and $60,000) collaborates closely with the composer to document, organize, and time cues for the project’s musicians.
• A notesetter – Transcribing music from audio to the page ($15,000 – $50,000)

Music Jobs in the Record Business

• An A&R Coordinator (artist and repertoire) finds talent for a record company to sign. His boss is the A&R Administrator, a position that includes planning budgets for artists, managing reps and coordinators, and monitoring the expenses on production.
• Public relations music jobs – From associate publicist to head of public relations, there’s a job for you. The public relations department is in charge of bringing the names of the musicians on a record label’s label out in front of the public on a regular basis. Pay ranges from zero for an intern to three figures for seasoned public relations professionals.
• An artist’s relations representative – is in charge of keeping the record company and an artist or band in touch and working together.
• A promotional staffer – works with radio and video stations to have a label’s records played on the air.
• Campus representatives – are promotional agents – but they work directly to promote a record label’s products to college students and music retailers. Working as a campus representative is a great way to get your foot in the door at a record label.

Music Jobs in Education

• A music teacher -teaches music to classes ranging from pre-school to college, with responsibilities varying according to the age of the students. In the elementary grades, the music instructor may focus on music appreciation and theory, with some instrument instruction and performance theory thrown in for good measure. By high school, employment responsibilities have broadened to include supervising student performances as well as establishing and leading a band or choir.
• A music director or supervisor is responsible for managing and setting policy for music instructors hired by the school department.
• Music jobs in the ministry may include part-time work as an organist to full-time work directing a professional choir and the entire music worship for a parish or citywide.