14 Jobs In Music You Don’t Need To Be A Musician For

Pretty much everyone loves music. But if you really love music, and would love to work in the music industry, there are so many jobs available that don’t require you to be a musical genius. Heck, for a lot of these jobs, you don’t even need to know how to hold a guitar, let alone play it. Here’s a list of 14 jobs in the music industry that you’ll thrive in, even if you aren’t a musician.
 

Audio Engineer

Wanna create the perfect sound mix for fans to enjoy? As an audio engineer, you’ll be in charge of levelling the instrument mix at live shows or during studio recording sessions. You’ll be working really closely with artists either way, so if you wanna be besties with your fav band, this is a good shout. 

Music Journalist

If you’re into English but still want to work in the music industry, why not try your hand at music journalism? You’ll write reviews of single, albums, gigs and videos while also having the opportunity to interview some really cool artists. 

Publicist

Publicists are kind of like music journalists, except you’re hired by artists or labels to hype up their music and send it to publishers, festivals and venues. You’ll work more closely with artists than you would as a journalist, writing press releases and organising promos with publishers.

Event Planner

Love festivals? Reckon you’d like to organise one? In entry-level positions, you won’t be in charge of any of the big decisions, but you’ll get to help set up festivals and make sure they run smoothly. But who knows, after you’ve been in the game for a while, you could end up being one of the core organisers for your fave festie. 

Talent Manager

Most artists hire a manager to help their careers grow by booking shows, pr opportunities and record deal opportunities. If you want to work closely with bands and help them grow from the ground up, you should look into becoming a talent manager!
 

Tour Manager

Love being organised and making schedules? As a tour manager, your job is to make sure everything runs smoothly for artists while they’re on the road. You’ll be in charge of booking flights, venues, hotels and everything in between.

Booking Agent

Booking Agents are responsible for booking bands to play shows and festivals. They also work closely with publicists to make sure bands have everything they need when they do perform, including riders (food and drinks requested by the bands to have backstage).
 

Music Photographer

If you’re a photographer and you want to get involved in the music industry, there are plenty of opportunities for you! Most music photographers work freelance, taking jobs at venues, singular gigs or press photoshoots. Like most creative jobs, offering a few jobs free of charge is a great way to get started and show off your work.

Roadie

If you love music and enjoy physical work, this is your perfect job. You’ll work closely with bands, unpacking their gear and setting it up on stage. You’ll need to know how audio equipment works, set it up and connect it to the sound system. 
 

Radio DJ

You could argue radio hosts are more in the entertainment industry than music, but depending on which station you work at, your core role will be promoting new music and giving the audience insights into the artists you play. 
 

Radio Music Selector

As a music selector, you’ll work for a radio station and choose the music that is added to the regular rotation of music they play. You’ll have to filter through the tonnes of emails they receive from labels and independent artists asking you to play their music, while also finding new releases that fit the vibe of the station. 
 

Label Manager

In all honesty, becoming the manager of one of the big record labels is a long shot unless you have family in the industry. But indie labels are thriving in Australia, so what’s stopping you from working your way up at one of the smaller Aussie labels, or dare I say, starting your own?
 

A&R Representative

A&R representatives are responsible for scouting great new talent for record labels to approach to sign. You’ll need to have a good eye for talent and thrive off discovering new music.  

Lighting Engineer

You know when you’re at a gig and the lighting adds a whole new dimension to the show? Well, there’s someone behind the sound desk who specialises in curating the perfect lighting for a gig, and that person could be you. 

If any of these jobs sound like something you’d be interested in, you can chat with your Careers Advisor about the different pathways for each career. A lot of these jobs also require some sort of portfolio so you can show off your work to potential employers. You can check out how to do that over here.