Jobs in the music and instrument industry

[Dommak89]

Hi there,

I was wondering what kind of jobs there are in the music industry, if you earn your money in that branch of work and if you care to share some experience about work, application and "getting into the branch".

I'm currently working as an accountant for our R&D department, but was never really statisfied with the job. Don't get me wrong, I get paid pretty good and the social benefits of working for a big company are great (note I live in Germany). However, I'm still lacking the motivation to go to work. Yes, probably all of you have had the what I call "Monday experience", but I basically just look forward to the weekends. And I want to have at least a bit of fun or take pleasure in what I'm doing.
I have a bachelor's degree in International Management and I'm going to start my master's degree in business psychology.
I'm telling you this because I want to find a job in a branch or sector I like, but doing something that has some kind of relation to what I have been doing before, since I don't want to have wasted my time. Consumer behavior and consumer or market research have been the only interesting subjects during my bachelor's degree, so it's safe to say that I didn't even like my course of studies.


TL;DR Guy with business background wants to set foot in the music/instrument industry and asks for advice, opinion, and sharing experience.

 

[Svava]

Google will explain these specific jobs better than me, but I know that with your background in management you might be a good ... well.. manager xD

Like booking agent/tour manager for a band/record label.

You could START a record label.

You could maybe manage in some capacity for Sweetwater or another big distributor and just sort of deal with instruments...

You may also consider getting a masters in some sort of Music Business field- that way you actually have some qualification in the field of music specifically.

IDK- I'm not the best authority on this but I everything works out for you!

 

[mr_rainmaker]

run run run far away.....

 

[Guitarmiester]

Unless you know someone or have your foot in the door somewhere, chances are your only options are working a music shop, giving lessons, or a music teacher in a local school (education degree most likely needed).

Thug life.

 

[Cabinet]

Learn how to build em. Start an extended range custom electric guitar company where you build them yourself. It really isn't very hard and people will give you a ton of money for it.

 

[Guitarmiester]

You forgot the part about building your brand/reputation and marketing to lure in these big spenders that are all waiting in an imaginary line.

 

[Cabinet]

I would personally have a cosmos theme for my 7/8 string guitars.

One would be called the Nebudjent.
And another would be call the Black Hole Djent.
And another would be called the Interplanetary Gravitational Dark Matter Djent.

Everyone would buy my guitars because my guitars make the biggest djent.

 

[Guitarmiester]

Extending djent from a sound to genre and now a guitar itself? You may be on to something here.

 

[Cabinet]

See? Fish in a barrel

 

[Murmel]

Without contacts it's virtually impossible. Be on the lookout for music related businesses in need of people handling the business and management side of things.
Don't rule out other artistic areas either, even if you don't really have a thing for them. Like theatre.

 

[Dommak89]

Learn how to build em. Start an extended range custom electric guitar company where you build them yourself. It really isn't very hard and people will give you a ton of money for it.

And then taking too many orders, not giving a .... about my customers, becoming ill and essentially screwing everyone, then running away with the money. Is that the plan? ^^

Without contacts it's virtually impossible. Be on the lookout for music related businesses in need of people handling the business and management side of things.
Don't rule out other artistic areas either, even if you don't really have a thing for them. Like theatre.

Thanks man, I might look into other stuff as well. I thought about event management as well, though it's a field that seems to be overcrowded (I hear tons of friends and other people talking about getting into it), but it seems interesting and close enough to what I'd like to do

 

[Cabinet]

And then taking too many orders, not giving a .... about my customers, becoming ill and essentially screwing everyone, then running away with the money. Is that the plan? ^^

That isn't how you have to run a be your own boss business, you realize that yes?

 

[Eric Christian]

Hi there,

I was wondering what kind of jobs there are in the music industry, if you earn your money in that branch of work and if you care to share some experience about work, application and "getting into the branch".

I'm currently working as an accountant for our R&D department, but was never really statisfied with the job. Don't get me wrong, I get paid pretty good and the social benefits of working for a big company are great (note I live in Germany). However, I'm still lacking the motivation to go to work. Yes, probably all of you have had the what I call "Monday experience", but I basically just look forward to the weekends. And I want to have at least a bit of fun or take pleasure in what I'm doing.
I have a bachelor's degree in International Management and I'm going to start my master's degree in business psychology.
I'm telling you this because I want to find a job in a branch or sector I like, but doing something that has some kind of relation to what I have been doing before, since I don't want to have wasted my time. Consumer behavior and consumer or market research have been the only interesting subjects during my bachelor's degree, so it's safe to say that I didn't even like my course of studies.


TL;DR Guy with business background wants to set foot in the music/instrument industry and asks for advice, opinion, and sharing experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMOmB1q8W4Y

Sorry... I couldn't help it...

 

[petereanima]

I see your location and must IMMEDIATELY warn you - do not even think about applying for one of the many jobs that always are vacant at a specific known manufacturer in Sachsen / Vogtland.

 

[Svava]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMOmB1q8W4Y

Sorry... I couldn't help it...

Frankly people should have a minimum required number of posts containing Python vids/references in order to maintain membership on any forum xD

 

[Murmel]

Thanks man, I might look into other stuff as well. I thought about event management as well, though it's a field that seems to be overcrowded (I hear tons of friends and other people talking about getting into it), but it seems interesting and close enough to what I'd like to do

Event planning/festival type work is a lot of fun and a ton of hard work. You generally don't get a high position from the get go, in this field it's also a lot about people knowing who you are and what you're capable of. I'd suggest starting of with a smaller festival, they often need all kinds of people. Especially management.
I've been part of a small festival 3 years in a row now, last year in a 'high position' and this has been my experience.

When it comes to event planning you really need to have a creative mindset, there's gonna be a ton of competition from likeminded individuals.

Most people have tunnelvision when talking about jobs in music industry. There's so much more to it other than being a producer/artist/musician/luthier.

 

[DevinShidaker]

Without strong relationships with people in the industry, there aren't many job options that are open to "outsiders". Most industry pros want to work with people they know and trust above everything else, and that's not something that comes with an outside hire. Virtually everybody that my band works with is somebody who has been around for a very long time, and usually they were touring musicians themselves, or they had touring jobs like selling merchandise, teching, tour managing, etc...

 

[Dommak89]

Most people have tunnelvision when talking about jobs in music industry. There's so much more to it other than being a producer/artist/musician/luthier.

That's the reason I'm asking. I guess I have tunnelvision as well.