Recording artist vs performing artist

The differences between recording artists and performing artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a recording artist, becoming a performing artist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a recording artist has an average salary of $53,291, which is higher than the $49,715 average annual salary of a performing artist.

The top three skills for a recording artist include R, event planning and music videos. The most important skills for a performing artist are private parties, poetry, and facebook.

Recording artist vs performing artist overview

	Recording Artist	Performing Artist
Yearly salary	$53,291	$49,715
Hourly rate	$25.62	$23.90
Growth rate	4%	12%
Number of jobs	3,745	3,609
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	45	46
Years of experience	4	2

Recording artist vs performing artist salary

Recording artists and performing artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Recording Artist	Performing Artist
Average salary	$53,291	$49,715
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $124,000	Between $20,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between recording artist and performing artist education

There are a few differences between a recording artist and a performing artist in terms of educational background:

	Recording Artist	Performing Artist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Music	Music
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Recording artist vs performing artist demographics

Here are the differences between recording artists' and performing artists' demographics:

	Recording Artist	Performing Artist
Average age	45	46
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 5.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	16%

Differences between recording artist and performing artist duties and responsibilities

Recording artist example responsibilities.

Manage, perform and record music feature on MTV, national radio.
Assist costumes designer with material selections.
Maintain gear, costumes and props.
Perform poetry, organize skits, and act.
Design album art, facebook cover photos, and enhance branding of the group.
Execute multiple shows, daily and weekly, and proficient at the memorization of lines.

Performing artist example responsibilities.

Lead an outreach art program in a public school in the Bronx for 4th and 5th grade students.
Experience in songwriting and playing for private events, festivals, churches, and local music venues.
Conceptualize and develop terrain models using Maya and partner with director and animators to correspond and produce effective shots.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations for lectures and workshops.

Recording artist vs performing artist skills

Common recording artist skills

R, 28%
Event Planning, 11%
Music Videos, 7%
Live Performances, 7%
Songwriting, 5%
YouTube, 5%

Common performing artist skills

Private Parties, 33%
Poetry, 15%
Facebook, 9%
Event Planning, 8%
Sketch, 5%
Music Videos, 5%

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Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Recording Artist
Recording Artist vs Performing Artist

Updated January 8, 2025

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