How hard is it to become a music artist?

It can be very hard to become a music artist as there are many different requirements, lots of competition, and difficulty entering the industry. Music artists tend to work long hours in an environment that includes many vices, which can be difficult for many people and may make it difficult to stay focused and healthy.

How To Become A Music Artist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a music artist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Brandon Vaccaro

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a music artist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.7 an hour? That's $57,613 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 3,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a music artist?

Dr. Brandon Vaccaro

Associate Teaching Professor of Music Coordinator, Sound Recording Technology University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Specifically in music technology and sound recording, there is a lot of buzz about AI, particularly AI tools that can facilitate workflows. Rather than replace creatives in the field, we will likely see these tools used by creatives as part of a streamlined workflow.
Also, immersive mixing is very much in vogue, with a strong push from Apple and others to increase the amount of available content. It remains to be seen whether this will be a lasting trend or another flash in the pan.

ScoreMusic ArtistUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,613

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 7.53%

Black or African American 4.29%

Hispanic or Latino 13.97%

Unknown 5.56%

White 68.02%

Gender

female 36.12%

male 63.88%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a music artist

Explore music artist education requirements

Most common music artist degrees

Bachelor's

60.0 %

Associate

14.4 %

High School Diploma

9.7 %

Start to develop specific music artist skills

Skills	Percentages
Music Videos	26.92%
Facebook	20.48%
YouTube	19.47%
Music Production	11.75%
Media Management	7.61%

Complete relevant music artist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New music artists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a music artist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real music artist resumes.

Research music artist duties and responsibilities

Research tracks to correct and verify tracklists for online DJ mixes -Discover and upload new DJ mixes -Create and manage DJ profiles
Synthesize and analyze data in Omniture software to create spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
Conceptualize and develop terrain models using Maya and partner with director and animators to correspond and produce effective shots.
Colorado.Developed and implement action plans which result in department meeting company ISO standards.

Prepare your music artist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your music artist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a music artist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable music artist resume templates

Build a professional music artist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your music artist resume.

Apply for music artist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a music artist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do music artists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Music artist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021

Pros

Writing or copying music is like playing the music i'm copying.

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros

Being a man of the people and representing , relating to, and inspiring all people. A voice for all people mainly from ages 5-50. Generating interest in anything from consumers of everyday products to songs in the record industry(albums or singles).

Cons

Simple song or theme music for films, commercials, and albums in the record industry (LP or EP). Especially in one of the biggest music genres today which is hip-hop. 2nd only to Country music.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Pros

Great music exists when the audience experiences the passion of the Composer. My favorite aspect of my job is handing a beautifully crafted, clean score to a director before they were expecting it.

Cons

I've given this many hours of thought in the past, and the only possible negative is when my employers do not follow our established contract.

What is a music artist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a music artist?

Music artist career paths

Key steps to become a music artist

Explore music artist education requirements

Most common music artist degrees

Start to develop specific music artist skills

Complete relevant music artist training and internships

Research music artist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your music artist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable music artist resume templates

Apply for music artist jobs

How did you land your first music artist job

Average music artist salary

How do music artists rate their job?

Music artist reviews

Music artist FAQs

How hard is it to become a music artist?

Search for music artist jobs