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For people who are interested in pursuing music jobs after attending music schools, whether it might be on the creative end as a musician, engineer, or sound editor, or on the business end as a marketer, promoter, or producer, it's essential to be aware of how much the music scene has changed in just the last decade. It's important to remember that even if you have a number one hit on the charts, you can't say that you're already a success.

Musicians still generated much of their revenue from the hard-copy sales of their music, and with the same amount as they had for more than fifty years early in this millennium. This suggested that touring and playing concerts were the essence of promoting a new record. While ticket sales for concerts did signify a minor revenue stream for the artists themselves, both they as well as the record companies labels got the bulk of their income from record sales. But today, music jobs have undergone a tremendous change with the advent of the internet and the availability of music at reduced prices.

The musicians themselves do get the bulk of their income from performances, sales of CD's, iTunes purchases and ringtone downloads - but this is just a small percentage of their income. Record companies, however, have become more interested in acquiring a certain percentage of the revenue of ticket and t-shirt sales, and other auxiliary marketing collaterals related to live performance.

The music business, essentially, has become much more about finding fans who'll pay to hear it live instead of persuading listeners to flock to stores to purchase recorded albums. The change has been so remarkable that almost all independent record stores have gone out of business, supplanted by mega-sized institutions like Wal-Mart and Target that not only offer CDs, but also just about everything else a customer might want. CD sales, even in the large corporations have gone to the all-time low. Recording music just does not pay like it once did.

This connotes that music jobs like engineer or sound editor are harder to come by, as recorded music takes less and less of a prominent position in the overall music scene, while marketers and tour promoters become some of the hottest and most saleable positions within the business. So if you are planning to get into this field and get paid well for it, then try jobs that are on the business side of music after attending music schools.

Link: http://www.billboardmama.com/the-most-obvious-career-choice-for-graduates-of-music-schools-p-372.html

Perhaps you have a musical gift, and your family and friends say you must go to music schools. Maybe your band teacher says you show promise with your instrument. Perhaps, you're dubbed as a great singer. As such, you've practically won every talent competition that you joined. This gives you an idea: I can make a living out of this. So you go on making dreams of being a professional and a popular musician. But you have no proper training; you obviously need a good musical education.

You enroll in a music program-maybe in a university , or maybe one of those pro-music trade schools that practically promises you a job when you're done. Your award? Learning and good grades. Of course, you graduate. The degree or diploma is in your hand.

Now what?

Many music schools fail to teach their students that many of their graduates don't actually get a career in music. Among those who stay in music, can you guess what many of them end up doing with their degree?

The response: teaching music.

That's right; even if a musician finds a paid engagement elsewhere, chances are at some point, that musician will at least supplement his/her income by some form of teaching in music schools. The reason being that many programs forget to train their students to do anything else. Many of them are academically sound, and may even offer good practical advice on job placement. But in reality, most of the job offers in this type of business are not based on talent, but on connections - and the educational systems have not emphasized this. That being said, it is evident that only in the academic community does a music degree hold any bearing. Thus, music school graduates have have depended on teaching when they've been denied with a "real music" job. So rather than turning out fresh musicians for the business, music schools have generated an ingrown cycle where teachers are teaching the students to teach others to teach.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a career in teaching music; without music teachers, there would eventually be no musicians! But let it be known that this is not what most students expect after graduation. When music graduates end up teaching simply because they can't find work elsewhere, there is a disconnect along in the process. At that point, the educational system is only looking at its own welfare.

These days, serious music students really need an education that is not detached from the "real world." Music schools offering the training within a real-life context, with real-life connections, would erase the gap for musicians-so the only people who end up teaching are the ones who truly want to do so.

Link: http://www.billboardmama.com/some-suggestions-in-getting-music-internships-p-371.html

So you like to work in the music business? The finest way to start living this dream of yours is by getting music internships - at a record label, recording studio, or radio station. As with any other portion in the workforce, especially in the music industry, internships have completely replaced entry-level jobs. For a lot of people, having this internship is the only route to take - if you are to gain entry into the music world or to make contact with the music professionals.

Prior to looking for a music internship, you must consider exactly what area of music you are most interested in. If you have goals of producing, engineering and mastering CDs in a recording studio, working behind a desk at a PR firm, writing press releases about bands, may not be the right choice for you. Or maybe music journalism is precisely what you want to do? If so, focus your energy on music magazines, websites and PR firms. You must also go to a record label if you want to be on the business side of the music industry. And if you have dreams of dj-ing, by all means, start googling your local radio stations for internship vacancies immediately.

Once you know what type of internship you're looking for, the next step is to get your resume in top shape and amass a few good references. Remember, it is a competitive world out there, so you better do something to make yourself stand out. If you are in school, you should take advantage of your student status to nab a college internship-that way, you can obtain college credit as well as real-world experience. In addition, many internship programs only accept students who can get credit for their work.

So where do you find these music internships? A great website for college students is www.summerinternships.com, which lists internships for students in a lot of American and international cities, including many music internships. Other helpful websites are www.mymusicjob.com and http://musicindustryjobs.com, which not only offer internships, but jobs as well. Of course, there are many more resources available on the internet. Several of the big record labels list internship opportunities on their websites, as do radio stations. The bottom line is, with hard work and a great resume, you'll be able to land on that great music internship that gets your foot in the door of the music industry.

Link: http://www.billboardmama.com/toiling-in-the-recording-studio-p-370.html

To an average individual, work in a recording studio is so exciting and amusing - particularly when compared to the usual office setup. Indeed, the mere idea of working with the famous music artists and producing the hits that make it to the top of the charts is so wonderful - more so when you are paid highly for this. But beware, there are a lot of things about the recording process that is unseen.

One of these unseen features are the so-called Doctor Dre/Rick Robin fallacy. Both are pioneers and maestros of recording and both seem to be people that one would either like to associate with or actually be. But the truth is, having these "artists" would leave most people missing their cubicle, particularly when you need to push them for a three hundredth take. Life isn't a party in a recording studio, and one should not treat it as such unless you really don't want to leave the comforts of your home town. It is an hard and difficult process that can leave even hardened, veteran artists looking for relief.

As an artist reserves time at a studio, one thing that they have to think about is their finances. Mind you, getting airtime at a studio is not inexpensive - especially when you need to pay per hour. If an artist can't perform under pressure, they better be getting a generous advance from their label (if they have one). Otherwise, they will be feeling the clock when they must be thinking about their work. This doesn't bode well for the fragile, particularly if the producer is serious about having the work done. Therefore, an artist should always be prepared and should always - and I mean always - be in working condition. Even if the artist already has a name for himself/herself, there's no excuse to be unprepared. Ever heard of Axl Rose?

Still, the success of the work at the recording studio is not only determined by the artist and the producer. Nobody is perfect, so people make mistakes - and in the studio, your mistakes are amplified. Bear in mind that being inside of it is like being scrutinized by a powerful microscope. There'll always be honest evaluations - positive or negative. Everybody is then accountable for the success of the recording. Copious amounts of time can be spent on a song and there can be literally no progress. As people grow tired after more takes, then the mistakes could get even worse.

The artist and producer need to think about what they want to happen versus what really happens. These are clearly two different things. Before the "preferred sound" is achieved, artists and producers spend countless hours in the studio.

But the one thing that keeps this process interesting and on track is that magic moment when the stars align and everything just falls into place for that one perfect take. The countless hours of toil and stress are overpowered when that unique perfect take is attained - and this kind of energy is recorded in a tape, forever. This is what recording studios are so proud of.

But as with anything else, that glory disappears and then it's back to reality once again. It's cyclical and circular and it is going to give both sides as much as is given to it. What remains to be given credit is the very thing that is laid down on two inch. A recording studio will show you for exactly what you are and what effort you're willing to make, and although you can hide your voice, you cannot hide your work ethic.

Link: http://www.billboardmama.com/a-new-wave-of-film-jobs-is-coming-by-alex-baker-p-369.html

Once concentrated almost entirely in the southern part of California, film jobs and film internships have become much more prevalent throughout the United States as production continues to migrate to "third coast" areas. With more and more film production now taking place in various locations across the United States, the need for talent around the country has increased significantly.

Southern California, once the almost exclusive sphere of Film and TV production does, on the other hand, continue to be a major hub of the industry. The most well-sought professionals - writers, actors, directors, editors - are still in the Los Angeles area.

On another note, because several critically acclaimed cable TV series have been using New York as their home base, the city witnessed an increase in production. The city also maintains a healthy level of commercial and feature film production.

In between the coasts, however, a whole new era in feature film production has been inaugurated in so-called "third coast," areas. Gulf states like Texas, Louisiana as well as Florida have seen a dramatic increase in production over the last decade. The key positions are still being imported from Los Angeles but the production crew have been hired locally. This then resulted to a major increase in the number of film jobs offered in these states. Accordingly, the said area has an increased demand for film talent.

Metropolitan areas such as Minneapolis, San Francisco and Chicago have also began to establish themselves as production hubs. For instance, TV drama, "The Beast" (starring the late Patrick Swayze) and major film production "The Dark Knight" have been the filmed in Chicago.

The film industry has proven itself to be strong during the past economic downturns - but this does not mean that the industry is totally recession-proof. This can be explained by the fact that people try to find solace in entertainment - in television shows and movies - when recession comes.

The fact that production has entered the digital age also resulted to a boost in demand for talent. With film production done in new places and in new ways, the demand for talent has perhaps never been this high.

Just as films require new directors and writers, the business also needs new faces. This paves way for the increase in demand of "below-the-line" talent in key production functions. Talented, trained personnel to work as art directors, sound people, cinematographers, grips, and lighting people, are an invaluable element of any film production.

The need for these talented, trained professionals to work film jobs and film internships in new media and in new areas shall continue to rise as long as film production continues to migrate from the coasts and diversify.