How to Become a Music Executive

A successful music executive needs to combine negotiation skills, networking skills and a good ear for the next big hit.

The music business seems glamorous, but it takes untold hours of wheeling and dealing, recording sessions, songcrafting, photo shoots and other behind-the-scenes tweaking to perfect those images. The music executives who put the package together acquire songs, hire talent and negotiate contracts for artists. While the old-fashioned record label executive still exists, today's DIY culture has bred a more independent, hands-on atmosphere for music executives.

Instructions

1. Listen to as much music as you can. Focus on the genre you like most, whether it's country, rock, pop or hip-hop, but also familiarize yourself with all types of music. There's plenty of crossover between genres and artists, and you may be called to work with recording artists from more than one variety of music. Go to concerts and nightclubs and learn all you can in an informal setting about how the music business works on a street level.

2. Learn about music executive positions. The music industry has changed tremendously with the advent of digital media and the Internet. You may want to specialize in these newer forms of entertainment or deal with concert production, talent management or other areas. Consult industry publications like "Billboard" and "Variety" and music websites like Pitchfork to learn about trends and read quotes from music biz movers and shakers.

3. Attend entertainment business school. Full Sail and Berklee School of Music offer popular music business programs. For students who wish to attend a major school, New York University, Chicago's Columbia College and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have lauded arts and entertainment business courses. Even a general MBA will bolster your worth as a music executive, but competition's keen, so a specialized degree will impress more potential employers.

4. Network whether you're on the job or not. In the music business, the old adage "it's not what you know, it's who you know" applies in many situations, so always be prepared to get out on the town and meet new people. Keep your list of email and cell phone contacts up to date and reply to correspondence promptly.

5. Intern at an entertainment company during college or even sooner. If you live near a record company, concert promotion firm or recording studio, volunteer to intern there for as many hours as you can spare. Even small towns have music venues where an aspiring executive can get a head start in the business by booking bands and helping out with ticket sales.

6. Start your own business. Big record companies don't rule the roost the way they did in the early days of the recording industry, so setting up your own record label or working as an independent producer will net you those important first jobs and garner you a good reputation. However, music executives need to put in long hours, especially at the start of their career. A music business career isn't for 9-to-5 types.

References

• Berklee College of Music: Music Business/Management Major
• Columbia College Chicago: Arts, Entertainment and Media Management
• New York University: Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions

Resources

• "This Business of Music: The Definitive Guide to the Music Industry"; Krasilovsky & Shemel; 2003