Career as Singer
The field of Music is vast and provides sufficient scopes and opportunities to anyone who is passionate about Music and has the necessary talent to succeed in the field. Along with the immense amount of opportunities, the competition in the field of Music, just like any other performing arts, is high and only the best and most deserving are able to make a name for themselves in the industry. The area of Music can be broadly divided into vocal and instrumental music. Here we will focus more on the genre of vocal music, commonly known as the Singing career. The employment opportunities in the field of vocal music are vast and other than the traditional profession of a Singer; you have plenty of other employment opportunities like a music teacher, composer, etc.
- About Singer :
- Job Profile |
- How do I get there?
Job Profile
The jobs that you might get after pursuing a career in Singing are varied and the nature of jobs would be greatly different.
Work Routine- If you pursue a Teaching career in Vocal Music, then your work routine would include teaching your students in an institute and organizing several cultural events for your school or college. For a professional Singer the job routine includes staging live shows, performing on television shows and recording songs on contract basis. Other than this, the professions of music composers, music critics etc. have their individual work routines.
Work Pressure- In the Music career, the work pressure level differs according to your job. In the teaching profession, you have the least amount of pressure. In contrast, in other occupations, the work pressure might be high in the beginning years during the struggle period and reduces considerably with experience and increase in reputation.
Indoor or Outdoor- For a typical Singer, your job would include studio recordings as well as outdoor live programs. Other jobs are generally done indoors be it teaching or Music composing.
Work Hours- In the field of performing arts, you hardly have a fixed work routine and work hours may stretch to odd hours of the day. Except for a Teacher, no other professional related to Music has fixed work hours.
Team Oriented- For a Singer or Music Composer, performing and working with a large team is a day-to-day practice.
The most popular jobs in the career of Music are given in the table below.
|
Name of the Job |
Average Salary (in Rs) |
Top areas of Recruitment |
|
Singer |
Varies from a few Lakhs to a few Crores (per annum) depending on the reputation you have gained |
Freelance or ASCAP, Sony Music Entertainment etc. |
|
Music Composer |
5 to 10 Lakh per annum |
Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group etc. |
|
Music Teacher |
2.1 to 7 Lakh per annum depending on the institute |
Public and Private schools, colleges and Universities. |
Other than these several high-paying jobs are also available to Music students like:
- Orchestral Musician
- Video Game Sound Designer
- Recording Engineer
- Music Therapist etc
Pursuing a general degree in Music will offer you several career
opportunities. However, there are some specializations in the field
of Music that attract special employment opportunities in the
industry.
- Composition often gives higher pay for film and game scoring, Music composing etc.
- Theory- for purely academic employment.
- Performance- opportunity to perform in Operas or even Global Music recitals.
- Education- leads to the profession of teaching Music.
- Liturgical Music- to become cantors or choirmasters.
Future Growth Prospectus
The best growth prospectus is mostly in the field of performing Music or Singing. This growth purely depends on your expression of talent in the industry which will either make you or break you.
Companies- Several Music companies routinely recruit Music students. Some of them are Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and so on.
Cities- Music professionals in the career of teaching are found all over India in almost every educational institute. Still, musicians, singers, composers etc. are generally found in the cities where we have film industries like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and so on.
Pros and Cons of a Singer
Pros:
- If you have an artistic temperament, you will be able to express yourself freely.
- Fame and reputation can be attracted easily with a display of talent.
- Singers, Music Composers and Music critics tend to earn a lot after some years of experience in the industry.
Cons:
- Instability of the profession (except for teaching).
- Hectic work schedule may lead to poor work-life balance.
How do I get there?
Though the field of Music is mostly based on your inherent or acquired skills and passion rather than your academic performance, there are some specific courses that you can undertake to supplement your talents in Music. At 10th and 12th level, several boards offer Music as a subject to be studied in the curriculum. If you have a passion for Music, you can opt for vocal Music as a subject in your 10th and 12th boards. This would give you a basic idea of Music and start you in this career a little ahead than most other aspirants.
At Undergraduate level, you can take up a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with a specialization in Vocal Music. This course will give you a detailed idea into the history, development and recent trends in Music. You will also be able to develop your vocals and sense of tunes through the thorough practicals. At postgraduate level, you can take up the 2-years Masters of Arts course in Vocal Music. There are several specializations at postgraduate level, and you can choose the genre of music you want to proceed according to your taste and talents. This course will give you a deep understanding of your chosen genre of Music and also open for you, several other career opportunities in this field.
After post-graduation, you can go for further studies like M.Phil and research in Music according to your passion. The opportunities for research in fine arts have always been huge paving the way for constant new developments. Apart from your traditional UG, PG and PPG level of study, you can also take the guidance of vocal assistants and music tutors for refinement of your skills and to help you develop your weaknesses.
What is the cost of starting into the Music Career?
The cost of starting your career in Music depends on your choice of course, institute and aptitude. The course fee for Bachelor of Arts in Music ranges from 2,000 INR to 1 lakh INR depending on the institute. You will be able to get a degree in Music with minimal fees from a government institute whereas you might have to pay a high fee for private organizations.
The course fee for Masters of Arts in Music is also similar, ranging from 1180 INR to 1.10 lakhs depending on the institute and the course.
The course fees for diploma and certificate courses are varied and depend on the respective institutes. Other than the academic course fee, you might have to hire a vocal coach to assist you with developing your voice. The salary that you have to pay the vocal coach is an additional investment to your music career and it depends on the amount charged by the person.
What are the Top Colleges and Universities where you should be studying to become a Singer?
Several colleges and Universities across India offer the undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Music. These reputed institutes with their excellent facilities and faculty members will help you build a strong base of your career.
|
Rank |
Name of College/University and Location |
Total Course Fees (in Rs) |
|
1 (among colleges) |
Miranda House Location- New Delhi, Delhi NCR |
21,660 |
|
40 (among colleges) |
Queen Mary’s College Location- Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
1,180 |
|
3 (among universities) |
Banaras Hindu University Location- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
7,290 |
|
37 (among universities) |
Visva Bharati Location- Shantiniketan, West Bengal |
9,800 |
|
60 (among universities) |
Banasthali Vidyapith Location- Banasthali, Rajasthan |
88,000 |
Books and other Study Material
Some of the best study material would be the autobiographies and biographies of famous Singers and Musicians as it would immensely help you to boost your confidence which is extremely important for any performing arts career. Other than that the course materials in your UG and PG courses would be sufficient.
What if the profession doesn’t work?
Other careers of your interests
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Content on this page is by Career Expert Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile |