Music & Performing Arts
Music and Performing Arts
About
The culture, music and performing arts industry is tough to get into, but can be very rewarding.
Careers advice
- Creative Choices - careers in the creative and cultural sector
- Icould - videos for careers in music and performing arts
Music
- Prospects - Careers in Music
- BBC Music - breaking into the music industry
- Gothinkbig
Performing arts
- AllAboutCareers: Theatre provides advice.
Industry news
- Music Week and The Guardian: Music Industry provide news from the sector
- NME is a UK music magazine while Rhinegold Publishing produce music-related magazines
- Umusic blog provides industry news from Universal music. Recordproduction.com is a news and social network for record producers
- Futuremusic.co.uk and Soundonsound.com look at music recording technology
- UK Screen is film and music network while Media.info provides contacts, jobs, news and analysis.
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.
They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them on LinkedIn or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
The main professional associations for this sector include:
Music
- Musicians' Union
- Incorporated Society of Musicians
- British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
- Music Publishers Association (MPA)
- Making Music - represents UK voluntary and amateur music groups
- The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) - music exam board
- National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA)
- Music Industries Association (MIA) - represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers, publishers and educators
- Entertainment Retailers Association - represents entertainment product retailers
- British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA)
- Music Managers Forum (MMF)
- Association of British Orchestras (ABO)
- Music Teachers UK
- Concert Promoters Association (CPA)
Performing arts
- Equity - performers and creative practitioners trade union
- Creative Industries Development Agency (CIDA)
- Arts Council England
- Voluntary Arts Network - promotes participation in cultural activities
- The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT)
- Stage Management Association
- Arts Marketing Association - development for arts and culture professionals
- National Drama - association for drama teachers and theatre educators
- Community Dance
- The National Association of Youth Theatres
- National Centre for Circus Arts
- Dancers’ Career Development (DCD)
Production
- Production Service Association (PSA) - for live event production industry practitioners
- Audio Engineering Society (AES)
- Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) - represent the entertainment and venue technology sector
Find professional bodies outside of the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.
Making contacts
Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start with:
- social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, which is useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities
- Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn - find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice
- Generator - music development agency based in the North East
- Tipping Point - talent generation arm of Generator (listed above)
- Generator Union is a Generator (see above) project, recently relaunched as a free membership organisation for digital creative professionals in the North East. They unite talent and business and match people to ideas, opportunities and innovation
Events
Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events organised by the Careers Service include Employer & Sector Insights, Recruitment Events and Newcastle University Creative Careers, which takes place each year, with speakers from a range of careers in the creative sector.
For more events for this sector see Careers Service events.
Publications available in the Robinson Library
- The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People by Carol Eikleberry
- The Music Industry Handbook (Media Practice) by Paul Rutter
Related sectors
You may also be interested in Creative Arts, Design and Fashion, Teaching in Schools, Event Management & Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, and Media.
Or see our other Explore Occupations pages for more options.
Roles & Skills
The following include descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies.
Actor
Agent
Artist manager
Broadcast presenter
- Prospects
- National Careers Service - TV presenter
Choreographer
Composer
Dancer
Musician
- Prospects
- National Careers Service - Classical musician
Music producer
Music therapist
See Healthcare for more information.
Private music teacher
Promotions manager
- National Careers Service
- Guardian careers - interview with record company promoter
Singing teacher
See Teaching in Schools for more information.
Sound engineer
- National Careers Service - live sound engineer
- National Careers Service - studio sound engineer
Talent agent
Theatre director
Theatre stage manager
Skills employers look for
Depending on the role, employers look for skills including:
- good communication and listening skills as well as team working ability
- punctuality and reliability
- resilience, determination and the capacity to take instruction and criticism
- networking and promotion ability
- self-discipline and stamina
- depending on the role, specific performance talents such as singing, dancing, acting or playing an instrument may be essential
Gaining Experience
To gain success in this sector work experience is essential. Self-promotion and contact building is vital as personal recommendation is a common way of finding work.
You will also need to develop a CV and portfolio that demonstrates your talent.
Finding work experience
Music
To be successful in a music-related career, valuable experience can be gained in:
- amateur orchestras - amateurorchestras.org.uk lists UK non-professional orchestras and ensembles
- auditions
- competitions – eg the World Federation of International Music lists classical music competitions
- student's union music and theatre groups
- awards and scholarships – offered by HelpMusiciansUK
Performing arts
Examples of places to gain relevant experience include:
- theatre - children's, fringe and alternative; community, national and regional theatre, musical theatre and London's West End
- The British Theatre Guide has news, contacts and links for mainstream and alternative theatre
- Offwestend lists fringe theatre companies in London for speculative approaches
- extra work - Universal Extras has a section for students
- opera companies and arts centres - search in a general directory like yell.com to find those in your area
- dance companies
- museums and heritage organisations, which sometimes hire actors as living history interpreters. See Gaining Experience in Museums and Galleries.
- clubs and cruise ships
- local authorities, which sometimes hire people to promote dance or theatre
- the events sector - see Gaining Experience in Events Management
- festivals
- education institutions
Internships
Search for vacancies on MyCareer
See Internships, placements & shadowing and Volunteering for more information and resources.
Finding opportunities
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlighting any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- Find organisations on MyCareer - click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- ThinkSync Music - provides music services to the multimedia industry
- British Performing Arts Yearbook - contacts in performing arts
- British Theatre Guide
See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.
Finding Jobs
Networking and self-promotion is essential in this sector as many roles are not advertised and there is massive competition for those that are.
Graduate schemes do not normally exist in this field.
Many people in this sector have a ‘portfolio career’. Rather than having a traditional full-time job, they have multiple part-time jobs.
This can include part-time employment, temporary work, freelancing, and self-employment.
Vacancy sites
Music
- Search for vacancies on MyCareer
- Music Week
- Arts and Media
- Recordoftheday - jobs
- Musical Chairs – classical music jobs
- Rhinegold – jobs
- Musicjobs.com
- PRSforMusic
- Youthmusic - community music jobs
- Local education authorities (LEAs) - occasionally advertise vacancies for private/peripatetic music teachers
- Music Teachers UK - advertise free on their database of music teachers
- Sound Sense – news and jobs
- Corps of Army Music - the British army is the largest employer of professional musicians in the UK
- Entertainers Worldwide Jobs - local and worldwide gigs, entertainment jobs and auditions, including for singers and musicians
For music therapy vacancies see our Healthcare page.
Performing arts
- Search for vacancies on MyCareer
- The Stage
- Guardian jobs
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival – for participants
- Mandy.com - job site for cast, crew and creative professionals
- Time Out and the London Evening Standard occasionally advertise West End vacancies
- UK Theatre – jobs
- Arts Job Finder
- artsjobsonline
- Arts Industry - jobs
Dance
- The Stage
- Dancing Times
- Dance Europe – auditions and jobs
- One Dance UK auditions and jobs
- Dancing Opportunities
- People Dancing - UK development organisation and membership body for community and participatory dance
- Entertainers Worldwide Jobs - local and worldwide gigs, entertainment jobs and auditions including dance
Broadcast presenting
- Search for vacancies on MyCareer
- Broadcastjobs
- Grapevine jobs
- BBC Careers
See also the Finding Jobs section of Media and Graduate Jobs for more vacancy sources.
Specialist recruitment agencies
Spotlight is a casting agency while Handle recruits for music, media, entertainment or lifestyle brand roles.
Finding opportunities
Most jobs in this sector aren’t advertised, so self-promotion and speculative approaches are vital. You could approach casting agencies or creative organisations or network in the industry.
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- Find organisations on MyCareer - click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- Music Education Directory - a comprehensive listing of related national and regional creative organisations
- The Event Site - contact information for people, services and suppliers in the events industry
- ThinkSync Music - provides music-related services to all areas of the multimedia industry
- British Performing Arts Yearbook - contacts in the performing arts
- British Theatre Guide
See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.
Find jobs and additional vacancy source websites outside of the UK on GoinGlobal.
Work for Yourself
The majority working in this sector are self-employed. This is something that you may want to consider.
The National Careers Service for example states that most actors are self-employed. They are paid a fee for each contract or performance so there is no set income.
Many in this field are self-employed alongside having regular paid employment. This is a ‘portfolio career’.
START UP provides information on activities and support available to eligible Newcastle students and graduates interested in developing enterprise skills or starting a business.
You may also find it useful to look at:
- COBRA - factsheets and reports on starting up and running a business
- Arts Council England – starting a business information sheet (DOC: 92KB)
- Generator - music development agency offering support and advice to new and existing music businesses
- Prospects: Self-employment - for students considering setting up their own business
- Help Musicians - self-employment
- Louisbarabbasblog - advice on making money from music