Electronic dance music careers can be defined as a position where you make your own music to perform for someone else. This is in the form of professional DJ s, live music producers or recording assistants. So, what does all this have to do with electronic music making? Well, in most instances, you’ll have to make the music for the DJ is to play over their sets. It is not that simple though!
As I’m sure you might already know, technology has changed dramatically within the music industry. In the past, only big music labels with well-established distribution channels had any real power. Now, even tiny independent labels and micro labels are producing and selling electronic music. And these labels are beginning to challenge the majors because of the increased accessibility of music to a much more audience.
In addition to the obvious fact that electronic music is becoming mainstream, the number of employment opportunities available in this field is growing as well. These careers involve not just making the music, but marketing it – i.e., getting the name of the artist or song recognised by the relevant audience. This is something you can do right from your own home. There’s no need for any kind of recording experience, although some form of production experience is highly valued. Most of the jobs available involve working online with the DJ or producer first and then assisting the artist once they have the track recorded.
So how do you go about finding such a job? Well, the first step is to look at your hobbies and interests. If you have interest in DJing and party music, the chances are that you’ll be able to get an opportunity to work in this arena. A similar situation applies if you have a love of non-musical styles. You may be able to make a living DJing non-rock music.
Next you should start searching online for job listings in your chosen area. There are plenty of online job sites that can help you find DJing opportunities. This means you will have to be very selective when you search online. Some of the big name DJ companies have newsletters or websites that they use to promote DJing vacancies. You could also contact these companies to ask for any information you might need.
It is also important to realise that while the internet provides a great platform for electronic dance careers, you may not have the best results from your efforts. For example, it is widely thought that the producers and mixers often come from studio-based positions, but this simply isn’t the case. Many of the most talented producers and mixers come from live performance experience or from DJing around clubs and parties. If you’re interested in a DJ position then you should spend some time shadowing experienced DJs in order to build up some skills. This practice could lead to a DJ applying for jobs at record labels or radio stations.
It is important to realise that even though electronic music careers are quite varied, many people end up working in similar fields. For example, vocalist/songwriter jobs can often be outsourced to choir directors or church organists. Music promotion can also be outsourced to event planners and marketing agencies. These jobs include such areas as promotional campaigns, product promotions, live events and media promotions. Marketing your talent or sound recording can also be done by professionals such as public relations experts.
As you can see, there are many avenues to explore when looking for electronic music careers. You need to be choosy about the sort of venues that you choose, but at the same time it is wise to be realistic. For example, whilst it may be possible to break into a top-floor DJ position if you’re really good at what you do, chances are that you will need to move somewhere in order to build a reputation. Inevitably, many electronic music talents fail to move on because they simply weren’t good enough for their chosen career. However, it is possible to start out in a lower paying position and progress to a more high profile job.
