Career Opportunities in the Music Industry.
Hello! You have decided music is the way. You have a flair for music and the entertainment industry, and you do not see yourself doing anything outside of the industry. However, you are not the greatest singer or rapper. Perhaps, you are a good writer but an average singer or performer. Or maybe you know how to produce good music, but not at the level of the top music producers who have the major artist flocking after them. Or maybe you are an instrumentalist but only skilled in one instrument. Or maybe you have zero music skills, but you love music and want to work in the space.
The truth is there are several career pathways in the music industry, which anyone can take, depending on their skill set. The music business is divided into two: Music and Business. As such, even those without musical skills and gifts can still participate in the music business. In this article, we will give a cursory glance at the various career opportunities available to individuals interested in the music industry beyond the regular singer or rapper.
- Songwriting
A songwriter writes the lyrics which the singer or rapper performs. They contribute to the song by composing and assisting in creating the lyrics for the artist/performer. Although we have singers/artists who also write their own songs, many of them engage professional songwriters to assist in the process. Songwriters typically focus on composing and writing lyrics and promoting their composed pieces to artists to use and perform their composed work. Although it is a highly competitive field, the songwriter may need to be engaged in other things. It is quite lucrative once the songwriter has gained an initial degree of success and is a recognised force in the industry. Most professional songwriters write hundreds of songs to sustain a full-time songwriting career. Some African songwriters are Afrie (Uganda), Perruzi (Nigeria), Olivia Ambani (Kenya), Nanafofiee (Ghana).
- Music Production
A music producer is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the creation of the song or album, including the choice of song, musicians, instruments, how they are played, the vocalists, and how the notes are sung etc. Basically, the producer is like the director of the song. Most successful producers have mastered matching or creating the right music material or beat to the right artist, thereby creating a Banger. The music producer is not limited to creating the beat, arranging the recording alone, and mixing and supervising postproduction. The producer is the bridge between artistic integrity and commercial potential. On its face, the producer’s success is tied to that of the artist, as if the artist’s song does not do well, it will affect the producer and vice versa. However, music producers have other means of making money outside of production for artists. It involves producing music for other music users, such as adverts, films (scores), and soundtracks. This can provide an alternative means of income, which the producer can utilise. Some of the biggest music producers in Africa are Sarz (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (Congo), GuiltyBeatz (Ghana), Lizer Classic (Tanzania), Gemini (Malawi).
- Instrumentalist
An instrumentalist is a skilled musician in a particular instrument(s) and uses their skills on the instruments to play in gigs, live shows, and recordings. Artists and performers often have a group of instrumentalists with whom they rehearse their songs in preparation for live performances. They also pay and perform with the artist during gigs and live performances. Asides from playing for musicians, they also perform at gigs at different locations, including bars, events, trade shows, award banquets etc. Some instrumentalists also engage in professional work to increase their income, but these often have to be flexible to afford time for rehearsals, performances, and so on. Some engage in other things, such as teaching students interested in honing, learning, and improving their skills and expertise in their desired instrument. These instrumentalists often get endorsement deals with brands producing and selling musical instruments in exchange for some payment with different perks. Some African instrumentalists are Sikiru Adepoju (Nigeria), Fiokee (Nigeria), Ebo Taylor (Ghana), Famoudou Konate (Guinea), Richard Bona (Cameroon).
- Composer
Many musicians and music producers get involved in composing background music (also known as underscore) for television and movies. The process of adding music to an audio-visual (movie, series, game or television) is known as synchronisation. The composers work with the producers, directors and music supervisors to determine the scenes that need background music and the type of music. They then go ahead to produce it and sync it into the movie. The nature of this role is such that composers have seasons where they are not in demand or not needed for the production of movies. Some composers go on to act as music supervisors as well and carry out other roles outside of just composing the music. Some composers specialise in writing musical themes for films and TV series. In contrast, others focus on writing for music libraries with a large variety of musical works for different genres and usage. By doing this, they extend their chances of earning more money, as they will be paid if their score is picked from the music library and used by a third party. Many movie producers patronise these music libraries and use their contents, as opposed to hiring a composer to score background music. To compose music, one has to be creative, understand the dramatic values, and interpret the same in his music, to enhance the theatrical experience for the viewer.
- Music Supervisor
The music supervisor is a major part of the production process of a movie. The music supervisor is in charge of getting upcoming artists and established hitmakers to be on the movie’s soundtrack or series. Music Supervisors have to work with a budget, ensure that the cost doesn’t exceed the budget, and deliver quality music that’s a good fit for the movie. Although the role differs, based on how the producer decides to utilise the music supervisor, the supervisor liaises between the music and the business interest of the movie/series/television program. The music supervisor’s role includes preparing music for the movie, facilitating the composing, prerecording and recording of production music, securing side musicians and vocalists for the movie, negotiating rights and clearances, dealing with publishing etc. The role of a music supervisor cuts across both music and business. Music supervisors could be musicians/artists or individuals with a working knowledge of music and legal background. Although understanding music and how it works is an addiction, it is but one side of the role. The music supervisor will need more than just a working knowledge of music and how to make it, but rather a knowledge of the production process, clearance of rights, extensive contacts in music and production industries etc.
Other employment opportunities from the creative side of the music industry include the Disc Jockey (DJ), music videographer, music editor, A&R, vocal coach, music director etc.
Lastly, stay up to date with all you need to know about African music at SOA, right here.
