The Music Industry

Back in the days when I got admission to study music technology we were about 40 in a class and we were informed our set was one of the most populated in the department’s history. When I first returned for HND we were 4 then 12 when I finally returned. Last year I was at the department and there were about 300 fresh looking young intakes wanting to study music. Why? “Music is Selling”!

I was so afraid thinking where will they find jobs, because there ain’t no real music industry in Nigeria yet and I have always told my colleagues this; Our youths of today see Don Jazzy and they want to become a producer. They hear someone bought Bentley and they want to sing, not knowing Don Jazzy has been a church drummer and bassist for over 20 years, but they want microwave money because they think there’s easy money in music, then they get deep inside, face challenges and get frustrated, give up or do anything to keep up appearances.

I have researched into untapped music industry areas for years and I will help you understand the music industry better, make a living without many frustrations, choose a career path and further study in these areas. Here is a link to download a detailed PDF of the music industry careers by Berklee College of Music: click on report when you you get to the page to download. By the way, have you seen EMPIRE?

THE INDUSTRY
According to Wikipedia “The music industry consists of the companies and individuals that make money by creating and selling music” Three words are important here; 1.) Companies, 2.) Individuals and 3.) Selling. We only have one area functioning (not fully); individuals, but it’s only limited to performance, and recording industry while the other two are nonexistent. The Indians, Chinese, Americans, Germans and Italians are the ones making money from instruments sales because ordinary drum stick in Nigeria cannot do it, artists are not selling CDs again and they don’t care once they get endorsements, the record companies are one man band.

There is a sea of untapped sections of the Nigerian music industry that needs investment. I’ll show you in 7 categories :

1. Performance:
   Instruments: Freelance, Church Musician, Session Musician, Touring Musician
   Vocal: Background, Opera, Cantor, Lead
   Music Director
   Orchestra/ Film Music /Choir Conductor (Not The One That Dances Makkossa)
2. Writing:
   Composer / Arranger
   Songwriter / Lyricist
   Commercials Arranger
   Broadway Show Arranger
   Copyist
   Film Scoring Arranger
3. Business:
   Music Instrument Maker
   Repair Technician
   Piano Tuner
   Music Dealer
   Record Label: A&Amp;R Rep, Sales Manager, Music Attorney (Lawyer), Artist Manager, Webmaster
   Concerts; Concert Booking Agent, Road Manager, Publicist
   Publishing; Music Editor, Copyright /Licensing Manager
4. Audio Technology:
   Live Sound Engineers
   Recording /Mixing /Mastering Engineer
   Record Producer
   Tv/Radio Broadway Engineer
   Film Sound Crew
   Acoustician
   Game Audio Programmer
   Sound Designer
5. Education:
   Schoolteacher/ Lecturer
   Author: Books, Instructional, Web
   Private Instructor
   Clinician
6. Music Therapy:
   Children Education
   Psychiatry
   University College
   Correctional Facility
   Nursing Home
7. Emerging:
   Social Media
   Digital Marketing
   Streaming Music

And there’s more! You can ask via comments or google any career you need more info on.

Cheers!

HOW HAS THIS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE?