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Brief History of changing technology.
Brief History of changing technology.
Watch this brief video and complete the google form as you follow along.
Why?
Why?
Why work in the music technology industry?
Why work in the music technology industry?
Here are some reasons to pursue a job in the music technology industry:
Creativity: A job in the music technology industry allows you to be creative and work alongside other creative professionals.
New technology: If you enjoy learning the latest devices and software, this field might interest you because it can introduce you to new technological tools.
Collaboration: Many jobs in music technology are team-based, which you might find desirable if you enjoy working with others.
Passion: If you're passionate about music, a career in music technology can allow you to fill a role in a field that you enjoy.
Excitement: When working in entertainment, you might get invited to parties, concerts and events, which some people find fun.
Job growth: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for musicians to grow 11% over the next decade, which is faster than average. This means there may be many job options in this field to pursue.
Personal growth: Developing technology changes the way artists make music. This means a job in music technology can be stimulating and challenging, which may help you grow and develop new skills.
Job Market
Job Market
National average salary: $31,054 per year
Primary duties: Music directors are responsible for curating musical performances or radio programs. These professionals might lead musical artists and groups in live performances, select the music they perform and help them rehearse. Alternately, a music director might work at a radio station, choosing the music to play from the station's collection.
National average salary: $32,182 per year
Primary duties: Studio assistants help technicians set up recording equipment, clean and maintain the recording studio, communicate with clients, schedule appointments, arrange cables and test technology. They might also help producers make creative decisions, depending on their skill level. For example, a producer might play a track for the studio assistant and ask if they think the bass sound should be heavier.
National average salary: $32,184 per year
Primary duties: Producers work with artists to develop studio tracks. Their responsibilities might include leading a recording session, arranging instruments, hiring musicians and coordinating the overall process of finishing a song. They also typically direct mixers and engineers to ensure they've captured and mastered the sound correctly.
National average salary: $35,879 per year
Primary duties: A mixer is someone who works on film productions to control audio levels at the time of filming. This includes monitoring the volume of the music, dialogue and sound effects. They might also manage microphones, visit sets to check for potential sound problems and help hire microphone operators and sound assistants.
National average salary: $40,684 per year
Primary duties: A sound engineer is a musical professional who records audio at live events. They run sound checks, adjust volume levels and balance the sound for a specific venue's layout. They can also operate and maintain sound equipment.
National average salary: $42,826 per year
Primary duties: A musician is an entertainment industry professional who records or performs music. They often work with other musicians, collaborate with producers, perform at events and curate albums. Some musicians also compose their own songs and write lyrics.
National average salary: $43,215 per year
Primary duties: A music manager is responsible for helping an artist or band build their career. They help the artist define their sound, make industry connections, book concerts and tours, build an audience and collaborate with other artists. They may also negotiate contracts, set up interviews and public appearances and help develop a branding strategy.
National average salary: $44,955 per year
Primary duties: Video editors trim and arrange video footage and audio tracks to tell a compelling story. They might adjust volume levels, remove noise from audio tracks, choose music and add sound effects. They also sync audio and video together and use sounds that match the creative vision for a video.
National average salary: $44,999 per year
Primary duties: An event specialist is responsible for scheduling, marketing and coordinating events like concerts, trade shows and performances. They often set up and take down equipment, signage and technology. They might also hire vendors and write contracts.
National average salary: $45,005 per year
Primary duties: A studio manager is responsible for the everyday operations of a recording studio. They typically schedule recording sessions, work with musicians and producers, hire personnel and purchase and install equipment. They also handle financial tasks like managing the studio's budget, billing clients and processing payroll for employees.
National average salary: $46,106 per year
Primary duties: An audiovisual technician manages sound and video equipment during a live event, performance or recording. They may be responsible for operating microphones, soundboards, cameras and lights. They might also arrange sound cables and power chords and ensure that the technology works well according to the venue's layout.
National average salary: $48,521 per year
Primary duties: A website designer is a technology professional who helps musicians and record labels share and market their music. Their responsibilities might include designing websites, coding the site and communicating with the artists. They also usually create mobile-friendly versions of these websites.
Read more: Learn About Being a Web Designer
National average salary: $50,818 per year
Primary duties: Disc jockeys play music on radio shows and at nightclubs, events, parties and concerts. They also choose music, create playlists and mix tracks using turntables and soundboards. They usually develop personas and entertain the audience by interacting with them and initiating call-and-response chants.
National average salary: $54,397 per year
Primary duties: A boom operator is responsible for using microphones to capture sound on a film set. They work with an audio crew to place microphones, care for the equipment and perform maintenance. They also study scripts closely to familiarize themselves with the dialogue and sounds needed.
National average salary: $54,405 per year
Primary duties: A professor teaches courses in a focused academic discipline at a college or university. They might also supervise teaching assistants, mentor students and grade projects and essays. Professors specializing in music technology might teach courses about production, recording, editing and the music industry.
Read more: Learn About Being an Adjunct Professor
National average salary: $57,274 per year
Primary duties: An instrument technician is responsible for setting up and caring for musical instruments during performances or recording sessions. They also help ensure that instruments pair correctly with electronic systems. They might also repair broken instruments for musicians.
National average salary:$64,681 per year
Primary duties: An audiovisual engineer supervises the use of sound and video equipment during a recording or live performance. They're responsible for planning the device setup, operating master controls, solving problems quickly and guiding audiovisual technicians. They sometimes also convert media into digital files after the event.
National average salary: $67,005 per year
Primary duties: Music instructors are professionals who teach instruments to individuals or groups. They design lessons, help with equipment, give feedback, lead songs and help students learn new skills. They might teach in a school, in a studio or independently, and they can focus on topics like guitar, voice or music production.
National average salary: $68,701 per year
Primary duties: A promoter is someone who's responsible for promoting concerts and other performances to the public. This includes booking venues, selling tickets, securing talent, scheduling load-in for light and sound equipment, managing budgets and coordinating travel. They may also handle marketing tasks like designing posters, posting ads online and running social media campaigns. They also usually handle performers' needs before and during an event, which might involve hiring extra musicians and crew members, helping them with contracts and coordinating food and beverages.
National average salary: $75,848 per year
Primary duties: A video game sound designer is a professional who chooses the music and sound effects to best capture a video game's world and story. They often source sounds from audio libraries and obtain the rights to use them. They might also perform and record the sounds or capture them in nature.
National average salary: $87,127 per year
Primary duties: An audio engineer is responsible for operating equipment during a studio recording and perfecting the audio's sound afterward. They might record sounds for music, video games, films or television. They ensure the final track meets an artist's vision by blending instruments, cleaning audio and fixing track levels.
5 Things to Know: Music Technology Careers
5 Things to Know: Music Technology Careers
By Susannah Felts
Technological advances in the last 10 to 15 years have given everyone greater power to manipulate music, from professionals in state-of-the-art studios to kids with laptops. But when those kids come to campus with visions of music industry glitz in their eyes, they often need help figuring out how to turn their hobby into a career.
1. Make some music. To be successful in music technology, Phillips says students need to be active musicians. UAB’s music technology program is housed within the Department of Music, where students study music history, theory, and performance. Not all schools with music technology programs offer opportunities for performance, Phillips points out. “Here, students can take lessons in whatever instrument they choose and participate in band, choir, or other ensembles,” he says. “There’s even a computer music ensemble, which allows students to perform their own original music.”
Check out UAB's Computer Music Ensemble in action in this video. Story continues below the video.
2. Know the latest programs. Using computer software is an increasingly important part of making music. UAB recently partnered with Avid, the industry-leading company that makes recording studio software, to offer training and certification in ProTools. Starting in fall 2013, Avid’s video editing software will be taught as well. Only a handful of other universities currently offer such training, Phillips says.
3. Get firsthand experience. Mastering the best equipment requires access to the technology, of course. The UAB Department of Music recently completed a half-million dollar upgrade of its recording studio and teaching lab, complete with an Avid System 5 Fusion console, the best mixing board available (see the studio at left and below). The teaching lab boasts 15 student stations that can produce “serious studio-quality recordings,” Phillips says. In addition to music editing programs, these computers are loaded with lots of extras—plug-ins for audio effects, video editing software, and more—that students can dabble in as they wish.
4. Know the job market. In his book, Phillips carefully explains many of the career paths available to someone with a degree in music technology and spotlights professionals working in the field. UAB’s program emphasizes the many applications of music technology by encouraging students to take electives that support their career interests. For example, students might take computer programming courses if they want to make music for the video game industry.
5. Network, network, network. As with any career field, connections count in music technology. In Beyond Sound, Phillips lists professional organizations for the career paths he profiles, and he encourages UAB students to join these organizations or attend meetings while they are still enrolled in school. “Most college kids don’t think of that,” he says.
Phillips encourages students to take internships with local recording studios, the Alys Stephens Center, the local PBS affiliate, and local churches that need assistance with running sound at services. “Our students spend upwards of 20 hours a week in these internships in their final semester, making connections,” Phillips says. He also brings top-tier industry talent to his classes for Q&A sessions. Ben Burtt, who worked as sound designer for the Star Wars film series (and gave voice to R2D2), and Ken Scott, a recording engineer for the Beatles, have talked and worked with UAB students.
“At the end of the day, building any career requires a lot of hard work, focus, dedication and thousands of hours of preparation,” Phillips says. “Just like our UAB music technology program, Beyond Sound is there to help students know how to spend those hours on the kinds of things that will give them the greatest advantage.”
COLLEGE
COLLEGE
CHECK OUT THEIR SITE: https://sites.google.com/unomaha.edu/musictech/
TOP MUSIC TECH PROGRAMS RANKED: https://www.universities.com/programs/music-technology-degrees
MUSIC CAREER
MUSIC CAREER
Click on this link to see a full list of professions in the music industry.
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