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Music and Performing Arts

Research careers and find opportunities in music and other performing arts.

About music and performing arts

Performing arts careers includes roles in the following fields:

  • music
  • dance
  • opera
  • theatre and musical theatre
  • magic
  • illusion
  • mime
  • spoken word
  • puppetry
  • circus arts
  • stand-up comedy
  • improv
  • professional wrestling

There is also a specialised form of fine art, in which the artists perform their work live to an audience.

The music and performing arts industry is tough to get into but can be very rewarding. It is also vital to the creative sector and the UK economy.

A report by UK Music, This Is Music 2023, showed that the music industry's contribution to the economy in 2022 alone was £6.7billion. Music exports generated £4billion.

Portfolio careers are common in the music and performing arts sector. This means having several streams of income at the same time. Jobs are often combined with freelance work.

Roles, skills and salaries

The range of positions in this field is varied and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. You can find opportunities in various roles, including performance, technical roles (e.g. sound engineer), production, promotion, and management.

Job profiles

Have a look at sites like Prospects and The National Careers Service to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:

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 will be essential
Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources:

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started:

Career guides

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.

Examples include:

North East

  • Generator - news for the music, creative and digital sector in the North East

UK and international

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry, and gain insights and opportunities to make contacts.

Regular events include:

See also our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Student societies

Join performing arts specific student societies.

Examples include:

  • A Capella Society - singing with no accompaniment made up of a main, un-auditioned group and 3 competition groups. Perform in various concerts along with social events.
  • Bollywood Dance Society - for all levels of ability and experience with regular Bollywood dance classes. Hold workshops, social events, performances, and competitions
  • Musical Theatre Society - dedicated to promoting and performing musical theatre.
  • Swing Dance Society - for those interested in the dance, it’s fashion and history.

These and many more can be found on the NUSU societies pages.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network.

Professional bodies often:

  • run networking events
  • have specialist groups you could join
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Music

Other performing arts

Production

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Guide to finding opportunities

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
  • look at the careers sections of university and employer websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
  • contact employers speculatively – see non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance

Advertised work experience

To gain success in this sector work experience is essential.

However, advertised placements and internships aren’t common in the performing arts sector.

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.

Where they exist, advertised placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.

Apply for advertised opportunities as early as possible.

Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Search for internships and placement years

Use our resources to get started:

You may also find part time and work experience opportunities on the vacancies sites in the advertised graduate opportunities section below.

NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.

Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Advertised graduate opportunities

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 often exist in this field.

Graduate jobs in this area tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.

See Graduate Jobs to understand the difference between graduate schemes and graduate jobs.

Many people in this sector have a ‘portfolio career’. Rather than having one traditional full-time job, they have multiple part-time roles.

This can include part-time employment, temporary work, freelancing, and self-employment.

Vacancy sites

Use our resources to get started:

  • MyCareer - search for graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites

Performing arts vacancy sites

Music vacancy sites

For music therapy vacancies see our Healthcare page.

Dance vacancy sites

Broadcast presenting vacancy sites

See also Media for more vacancy sources.

Worldwide vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Most work experience and graduate jobs isn't advertised in this sector.

Many people in this sector create opportunities through self-promotion, networking and making contacts. Freelance and portfolio work is very common.

You will need to develop a CV and portfolio that demonstrates your talent.

How to access hidden opportunities

Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. 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

A speculative approach is also common. This is where you approach organisations to ask about opportunities.

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. You could for example approach casting agencies or creative organisations.

Our guide to finding organisations below can help.

Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations

In addition to using your contacts you can:

North East organisations

  • Generator - develop new artists, creative enterprises and business opportunities. They also connect people and communities for the development of the creative industries in the North East.

UK organisations

See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.

Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding jobs in the performing arts. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.

Specialist agencies include:

  • Spotlight - a casting agency
  • Handle - recruits for music, media, entertainment or lifestyle brand roles.

See recruitment agencies to find more agencies.

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal's country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms
  • executive recruiters and search firms

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.

Other ways to gain relevant experience

The following are more places you can find opportunities and experience.

You may need to take a speculative approach. This is where you approach an organisation or company to ask if they have any opportunities available.

Not all these opportunities are paid.

See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.

You could also:

  • complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships
  • sign up for free online courses to develop new skills
  • build a portfolio of work to demonstrate your skills and interest.
  • volunteer - See Volunteering for more opportunities

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the performing arts sector, particularly for performers.

The National Careers Service states that as an example, 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/freelance alongside having regular paid employment. This is a ‘portfolio career’.

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:

  • support with idea generation
  • provide tailored advice
  • help you develop your skills
  • introduce you to like-minded peers
  • refer you to further support from mentors
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

You may also find it useful to look at:

Related sectors

Our occupational guides can help you explore and consider your options. If you’re interested in performing arts you may also be interested in:

Or see our other Occupations pages for more options.

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