In the Music Industry there is a vast array of job opportunities that all come together in order to create a high quality musical product. In this assignment I am going to go through a range of job roles, including their importance and how they intertwine with one another. 

Session Musicians

Session Musicians are performers that are hired to record songs in the studio or on life performance. They are a key and crucial part of creating a track as they add a more organic feel. This could include a live guitarist adding chords or a trumpet adding a top melody line. Producers use these people as they are experts in their craft. Skills that are required by a session musician were perfectly outlined on this website https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/session-instrumentalist:

• Deep instrumental proficiency

• Sight-reading

• Improvisation

• Broad knowledge of and proficiency in different musical styles

• Versatility

• Reliability

• Networking

• Collaboration (particularly taking direction well)

They need to have really good soft skills which could be being personable, positive time management, flexible with what the artists wants, courteous as at the end of the day it is the artist's song that is being released not yours. Session Musicians need to be able to come up with musical ideas and be thick-skinned enough to not take offence if the artist or producer does not use your part in the final record. Another part of being a session musician that is crucial is having a decent home studio. This opens the door for more and more collaboration opportunities as producers can just send over the track and have the session musician record it at home. This is good for the session musician as they can just work from home which may be a more comfortable creative work environment as they do not feel pressured surrounded by lots of unknown producers and engineers. It also could be cheaper because they do not need to travel to a studio which creates expenses that may not be reimbursed. Their home studio should include a computer with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), their instrument, the appropriate cables, a decent audio interface and a decent pair of headphones or studio monitors to listen back to the sound you have created. A microphone may also be needed in tandem with an instrument if it can not be directly inputed into an audio interface. For example, an electric guitar usually has a 1/4 inch jack that can be connected to the interface whereas a saxophone does not so would need to be recorded with an external microphone. Industry standard headphone and monitors could include:

Organisations that may be of interest that session musicians join could be the Musician's Union. The MU helps musicians with advice legal support, like checking through contracts to make sure they are getting a fair deal, and protecting their working conditions. They do not help musicians get gigs or make connections. They may also join the Phonographic Performances Limited (PPL) or the Performing Right Society (PRS for Music) which help collect royalties when their song has been played on a streaming service or in a live venue. Although, lots of session musicians are paid one time fees on the day rather than a percentage of the royalties like the artists or producer. This could be a good thing as if the song is scrapped or is not very popular, they still earn money. However, if the song gets famous and is streamed a lot they could loose out on a lot of money.

Session Musician Progression Route

A progression route for session musicians could start as practising their instrument in as many different styles as possible. For example if they are a guitarist, practise playing heavy metal, overly distorted electric guitar barre chords as well as some smooth, melodic jazzy melodies as they don't know what the producer or artists will ask them to do. A lot of musicians go through classical education like university to really master skills such as sight reading and gain a deeper understanding of music theory. Next, they need to try and connect with local producers, artists or studio engineers and start to build a positive reputation as session musicians are freelance. This means that they are self-employed and offer their services to lots of different clients. A positive of this is they have freedom with who they collaborate with and the hours they work. However they do not always get long term contracts so may go a considerable amount of time without any type of income, this should be factored in by the artists to budget their finances accordingly. At a recent PoS session Pipa from the Cavern, a local gigging venue in Exeter said that "a good way to network with other performers is by hanging out at venues". This exposes the session musician to like-minded artists and by connecting with them they could land themselves future gigs, and therefore income. "Making it big" can take many different forms for a session musician. This could be progressing from the studio and becoming part of backing band for touring artists such as Beyonce or Becky Hill so they are able to perform live backing tracks for their songs. Film composers may also employ session musicians to record for film score. 

It is also possible to earn a significant amount of money by just being a studio session musician and work behind the scenes. This could be on an entire album of just a single. This may be some people desired carer path if they enjoy making and playing music but don't want like performing or being in the spotlight. Session musicians can earn a decent salary upwards of £100,000 if they charge between £100-£200 an hour. The final pathway could be becoming a solo artist yourself. This could be starting as a backing singer for a famous band and then starting to release solo music projects, which could gain attention and could result in record label deal. Katy Perry for example started out as a backing singer for Christian nu-metal band POD in 2005. 

Overall, Session Musicians are a vital part of any performance or the producing off a track. It is a job that if the right connections are made can make over £50,000 a year.

Sound Engineer

Sound Engineers, or also known as audio engineers, are individuals in the production sector of the music industry who's job it is too set up and overlook the audio equipment when recording music, either inside a studio or live at performances. After reading this website, https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-engineer, it has taught me the different responsibilities of a sound engineer.

These could be:

• Setting up and testing different microphones and amps in order to get the best sound for the occasion. If this is done in a studio, they will carry out primary research by trying out a range of microphones, have the artists sing into each, then will listen back to decide which one best catches the artists tone and suits their voice the best.

• Perform sound checks for performance venues to make sure the levels are appropriate for the venue and occasion. If it is a band, they will make sure each instrument and vocal mixes well with one another so they call all be heard at an appropriate level. This will be done on a mixing desk.

• Think on their feet in order to solve any audio issues that may arise during a performance or in the studio.

• Pack away any equipment that they used so it is ready for use by themselves or another engineer next time.

Engineers need to also have good social skills as they need to collaborate with lots of different people in order to create the music product. This could involve a music technician in order to set up the right microphones, lighting technicians for live performances to discuss the different lighting cues needed or an artist to outline what their vision for the session will be.

Sound enginners can be quite a sort after job if they are professionally trained, with most seeking higher education to really master their craft. Often studio sound enginners will be tied to a studio or a record label who work with an array of artists. However some artists form bonds with enginners, for example DJ Swivel worked as full time studio enginner for Beyonce for her 2011 album "4".  According to Zippia (https://www.zippia.com/sound-engineer-jobs/salary/), sound enginners on average can have an annual salary of $52,197 (£47,492), with the top 10th percentile getting $95,000 (£85,262).

Music Producer

Music producers are part of the production sector of the music industry that work in studios to assist an artists to achieve the sound they want to create. They are responsible for the creative flow for a studio session. Music producers can differ depending on the genre of the music. For example, a rap producer would be the person making the beat, whereas a country producer would run the session with a band and may pick out which studio to use or have final say in which song the band uses. 

Trina Shoemaker, a music producer who has worked with artists such as Queens of the Stone Age, Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow, explained in an interview with Careers In Music (https://www.careersinmusic.com/music-producer/) about her responsibilities as a music producer. What I have taken away from that interview is that her job requires her too:

• Receive artist's demos.

• Help the artists choose which songs to use.

• How the song should be structured, for example how long the chorus should be or if the bridge is too long.

• How the song should be arranged, for example the choice of instrumentation, what the vibe needs to be.

• Working out a suitable budget, to then pitch to a record label

• Coming up for a schedule with the artists that fits them, the producer and any session musician that is needed.

• Producers may master and mix the record, but this may be done by a third party as they are often more skilled in that area and allows for an unbiased set of ears to hear it.

Producers need to have good communication skills in order to work well with others on the project, this could be the artists, sound engineers, any session musician and could also be the record label. The record label may give the producer a budget and a timeframe, producers also need good time management, which they need to meet. The budget needs to include any studio costs, session musicians and mixing/mastering engineers. Any of the money left over will go to the producer as their payment. As such, lots of producers will use home studios to record and produce as it is cheaper than hiring out a studio and also means that they can work from home and use the equipment that they know works and is good. Getting payed as a producer is varied. Some tracks they may be given a set fee which, depending on skill and experience, can be anything from £200 to £3000. The other way to earn money is with royalties. This is when the producer will negotiate a percentage of the song's royalties that they will earn, on average this is around 3-4%. This may be better because it allows for consistent income if the songs does well, with them earning money each time the song is played. The different ways a song can be played could be a radio station or a streaming service. In 2016, Radio One payed £13.63 and Radio Two payed £24.27 per minute and Spotify pays around £5000-£7000 per one millions streams. This is not very much which is why some artists are really against steaming services as the companies keep so much of the revenue for themselves .However if the song fails and is not listened too, producers would earn little to no money and would have made more if they stuck with a one time fee. In order to claim the royalties, they must be singed up to a collection agency, like PRS.

Music Producer Progression Route

In order to become a successful music producer, they need to be able to create their own unique sound. This is achieved by practise, making lots of beats in multiple different styles and really focussing on their craft. Once they have mastered their sound and started to create a back catalogue of beats, they need to start to promote their work. This could be setting up a YouTube or Soundcloud channel and start uploading "type" beats in order to bring traffic to your channel and gain publicity. A "type" beat is an instrumental that has been produced in the style of famous artists, for example a "Juice WRLD type beat" would be a sad, often guitar, trap beat or a "Pop Smoke type beat" would be a had hitting, orchestral drill beat. At first, producer may give these beats away for free but once they start to become popular, they should sell their beats. This can be done on websites such as BeatStars, where producers and artists can connect, collaborate and distribute their music while still getting paid. As with all professions in the music industry, networking is key. Producers need to be able to find and meet the artists they are going to produce, any other performer that could be needed like a session musician and  mixing and mastering engineers to make their music ready for radio or modern day streaming services. Producer will also often contact record labels to further grow their careers. This is because labels have many different artists signed to them, so a producer will have an array of talent to choose from when it comes to producing their next track. Record labels will also be able to promote the music that is created to a large audience, as well as having high end recording studios with professional gear such as expensive microphones or rare, vintage synthesisers. A good way to connect with record labels is by asking to do a remix of one of their songs so they can see the sort of vibe you can create. Having a large social media following will give the producer a better chance of being signed because it is publicity for them, the producer is exposing the label to their large audience.

DJ

DJs are performers who play music to a live audience, this could be in clubs, festivals or on the radio. By definition the name means "disc jockey", and their jobs entails them to either go on stage at a rave/club or online for radio station. This could be as simple as just playing songs one after another like on prime time Radio One, performing some soft of transition and blend between songs, with techniques like double drops for drum and bass, or at the other end of the spectrum, using the decks as instruments to manipulate songs and perform skills such as scratching.

After reading this article https://passionatedj.com/how-to-become-a-dj-ultimate-guide/ , I have taken away some of the core DJing principles, as well as adding some of my own that I believe to be important. The activities that are required by them include:

• Beat-matching

• Phrasing

• EQ-ing

• Preparation

• Musical understanding

• Audience connection

• Networking

Communication and flexibility is also an incredibly important skill to have as a DJ. For example, personally when I played at Altitude and Beautiful Days Festival this year, I had to ask the sound technician and stage manager where to plug in my equipment so that it is in the correct place and is able to produce the best quality sound possible, so it is loud enough but does not distort. DJs may also have to sign contracts and negotiate fees. This is done so that they are legally obligated and make a commitment to the promoter that they will play at the disclosed time. This is also where it is decided how much they will get paid. If an artists signs with a booking agent, such as Contraband Events, they will deal with all the paper work and bookings, the DJ just need to rock up on the night on time, play their set and get paid.

DJ Progression Route

A progression route for DJ would start off by practising their mixes and blends. They would have to start paying for music and buy it from places such as Beatport, Juno Download and Bandcamp individually. However they could also sign up for a DJ Pool which is a service where you pay a monthly fee and in return you gain access to a large library of music, for example ZIPDJ or DJ City. Now they have their music, they need to acquire some entry level equipment. This includes:

• A Computer with DJ Software - Rekordbox is the most popular because it is easy to use, free and it is the software that club equipment, CDJs, use.

• A Controller - these are the decks that allow you to control the music. The Pionner DDJ 400 is great for beginners or the DDJ 1000 if DJs want more of a club feel without splashing the cash.

• Headphones - these will be used to pre cue the music. The most common, industry standard headphones are the Sennheiser HD 25.

• Speakers - to act as the master output, what the audience would hear in a club.

Now the equipment and music has been bought, DJs need to practise the key skills. These are listed and explained above.

Once the DJ has practiced their skills, started to accumulate a music library and feel confident in the mixes they are making, they need to put them out into the world and start to make a name for themselves, obviously a memorable DJ name is needed before that. This can take many forms, the most popular being Soundcloud, Instagram and TikTok. Staying consistent with uploads and being active on social media is the best way to become known in the scene is by starting to make contacts, whether that be promoters of fellow DJs. Once they have created some form of internet presence, they need to start to contact promoters and create an EPK. An EPK is an electronic press kit and should be one page that shows all the information a promoter may need to book you. This could be a video of you mixing, a promo mix, some achievements, photos of you playing at any other previous gigs and a small, snappy blurb that explains who you are. When speaking to Elias, who runs Balter Festival, he said that "I go through so many a day, they need to be unique for them to stand out". This has taught me that mine should be memorable, visually appealing and concise. Networking is so key when it comes to DJing, knowing people who run nights and people friendly with them is going to greatly increase your chances of landing a set. It will more than likely just start off as an early night set supporting a bigger headliner, but with time, practice and consistency the sets will get later and later. Personally, how I have got sets has been winning a competition to play at Altitude '22 and just by emailing the person who runs the Rebel Tent at Beautiful Days got me playing there, never underestimate the power of asking. In addition, I have also just secured by first club set at the local night club Move. This was achieved by messaging the promoter, Brian, and explaining a little bit about myself as well as asking friends to suggest my name when they asked which DJs they want to see next. This really helped me get the set as it shows I have a following, which means people will buy tickets to come see me, so the promoter is going to make money.

Here is some footage of me playing some sets at festivals and studios this year!

In order to make it as a world famous DJ, you need to produce your own music. Having fresh music nobody else has makes you exclusive and sets you apart from everybody else. There is very few headlining DJs that do not produce music. Often they are not the best DJs, yet still get sets because they are well known for their producing and will sell tickets. Also, once you are that big you do not need to contact promoters, promoters will want to contact you!

For myself, the next steps into becoming a super star DJ is producing an EPK and sending it out to an array of promoters. This will be for festivals such as Glastonbury and Shindig, as well as contacting people who have connections who are friends of mine, such as Elias (https://soundcloud.com/e-coli) or Bish (https://soundcloud.com/jayke-bishop). In addition, I need to improve and foccus on my prodcution skills to start to make a name for my self. I am going to achieve this by attending college lectures, watching YouTube tutorials and just trial and error, messing around inside Logic.