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Careers in Professional Music & Music Business/Management
note: It is our hope that putting this information out to area artists and fans will not only create a better understanding of the professional music industry, but
that this understanding might spark an interest within our local scene for anyone
with a natural talent towards any of the professions mentioned in this article. We, fans and performers/artists alike, know that without a strong infrastructure our scene can not reach the level we know it is capable of. If we build this infrastructure our dreams will come to pass.
Careers in Professional Music & Music Business/Management
Careers in Business
"My first suggestion to any band is to spend some time and find someone you believe in - not necessarily a label, person or manager, but someone who knows the business - and listen to them."
Scott Tutt, President, Reptile Records
Advertising Account Executive
An advertising account executive develops advertising campaigns for a
record label's products. This person must be creative, aggressive, have
good sales skills and may have advertising experience in another area,
as well as a strong knowledge of music.
Booking Agent
Booking agents work to secure engagements for musical artists and groups.
They work to find talent to book, and may be involved with developing
the talent toward a goal. They must possess good communication skills to sell talent
and develop contacts in the music industry.
They often work closely with an act's Manager, and may be involved in setting the fee and
negotiating with promoters or clubs. A booking agent is paid a percentage of the negotiated fee for an act's performance.
Business Manager
The business manager handles the financial affairs of musicians and
entertainers. Most have degrees in business administration with
concentration in accounting or managers. They should have knowledge of
negotiating, accounting skills, cognizance of investments, and a thorough knowledge of tax laws.
Field Merchandiser
The field merchandiser is in charge of distributing and explaining
merchandising promotions to record shops/departments in specific markets.
Music Publisher
Music publishers are responsible for acquiring the copyrights to songs and
publishing them. They may work for a very large music
publishing company and perform one or two specific duties of a music
publisher. They may work for a relatively small firm and fulfill a variety of functions. Many individuals in music publishing or songwriting
become an independent music publishers, with their own music publishing firm. The goal of the music
publisher is to find potential hit songs and songwriters, and to
obtain the copyright for them and aid them in finding success, for their success reflects back
on the Music Publisher. A good music publisher has a knowledge of all facets of the music business,
an understanding of music industry dynamics, an ability to hear hit tunes, knowledge of copyrights laws, and contacts
in the music business.
Personal Managers
Personal managers represent one or more musical groups or artists, and
oversee all aspects of an act's career. They deal with and advise the act(s) on all
business decisions and many of the creative decisions an artist must make, and
attempt to guide the artist's rise to the top.
Professional Manager
Professional managers, or song pluggers, works for a music publisher, and
perform the administrative functions of music publishers. They also work to add
new possible hits to the publisher's catalog, and to find acts to record
these songs, generating income for the publisher. Professional managers seek to have a song
covered and recorded by as many artists as possible, in an attempt to make the tune a "standard."
Professional managers rely heavily on their contacts in the music business to accomplish their job,
and must have great communication skills. The Professional manager may also be involved
in assisting artists recording demos of tunes they believe will sell the tune.
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