Information on Music Reporter Careers
Music reporters spend their days researching and writing about the music industry. Whether they work full time or freelance, most music reporters write album reviews for music publications or record labels, or they write reviews about concerts for music magazines or websites. A music journalist's material is usually based on personal opinion, according to StateUniversity.com.
Other People Are Reading
-
Training
-
The majority of music reporters possess a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, marketing or other related subjects. College journalism classes teach students reporting, editorial writing and interviewing skills. An individual who wants to write about music should take music classes for a minor or concentration. Music journalists can get further experience by working as an intern for a local record company or publication, according to StateUniversity.com.
Practicing
-
A good way to prepare for a music reporting career is to practice writing a review every day, according to GreatReporter.com. It could be about an album, concert, television show or movie. The idea is to write about a variety of music or film, even if the future reporter is not interested in the genre or theme.
A basic review format usually involves three paragraphs. The first paragraph should be about the topic being reviewed, its genre and a brief history of the subject. One paragraph should describe the good features of the subject and the other paragraph should explain what the reviewer did not like about the topic, according to GreatReporter.com. The last paragraph will be the conclusion, so if the writer likes the subject, she should combine the paragraph that highlights the subject's good points with the conclusion.
A music writer should practice writing reviews for a few months and then send out the sample reviews to various music publications.
-
Finding a Job
-
A tip for hopeful music reporters is to get to know as many record producers and bands as possible. These connections will allow for the writer to be updated on upcoming shows and album releases, according to StateUniversity.com. Knowing this type of information could make it easier for the journalist to find an actual reporting gig. A good way to snag a reporting job is to freelance for many different publications and build a writing portfolio. Music reporters usually make an annual salary of about $43,000.
Furthering a Career
-
A music reporter usually starts writing for a local magazine or publication about nearby performances and profiles on local bands, according to StateUniversity.com. Over time, a reporter can improve by writing for bigger publications on a national scale. Many writers work for online publications or launch their own blogs or websites to publish their own reviews and announcements.
-
References
- Photo Credit newspaper image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
