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Music Business Careers

Related Skills

  • Creativity and collaboration
  • Confidence and initiative
  • Team player and ability to work alone
  • Ability to make critical observations
  • Good listener
  • Works well under pressure
  • Competencies in business management, computers, and marketing
  • Ability to self-promote

Being Successful in the Field

  • Finding positions in the music industry requires a combination of talent, training, connections, and some luck. Perseverance is required!
  • Some jobs may require you to join unions or guilds.

Related Fields

  • Talent acquisition
  • Publicity
  • Administration
  • Marketing and sales
  • Product management
  • Promotion/media relations
  • Producing
  • Engineering
  • Manufacturing
  • Virtual reality sound environments, e.g. Internet sites, software creators
  • Music and program direction
  • On-air performance
  • Voiceovers
  • Copyright/clearance administration
  • Music license administration
  • Music editing, production, and composing
  • Sound mixing
  • Post-production
  • Research

Employers

  • Public and commercial media (TV, radio, Internet)
  • Recording studios/industry
  • Venue and music ensemble management
  • Production companies (primarily in NYC, LA, and Nashville)
  • Music publishing companies
  • Self-employed
  • Places of worship
  • Musical theater productions
  • Motion picture industry
  • Music or instrument store manager/owner/sales representative

Strategies

  • Take business courses to work in management or administration.
  • Consider further study in journalism, public relations, and communication.
  • Gain sales experience for marketing.
  • Gain experience working for a music publisher or other businesses in the entertainment industry
  • Must interact well with people and develop persuasion tools.
  • Expand knowledge of electronics, audio engineering, and recording.
  • Work or volunteer at radio station.
  • Join organizations involved with bringing events and entertainment to campus/local venues.
  • Become familiar with trade unions or guilds.

Career Industry Liaison

Name Office Email Phone
Kristy DeWall  223 Bone Student Center  ksdewal@ilstu.edu  (309) 438-2200 

Internship Coordinator

Name Office Email Phone
Rose Marshack  CVA 216 E  rmarsha@ilstu.edu  (309) 438-7749