subject: Music Industry Jobs? Here is the Ugly Truth! [print this page] If you are trying to find music industry jobs you will probably already realise that there has been an immense shift in the industry. A music industry career in the traditional sense is not an option for many people as the music industry continues to change and evolve away from the record company model toward a digital future. I have had years of experience in the industry and have covered the full range of experiences from musician to livesound and stage lighting, from niche retail business ownership to retail chain marketing and purchasing, from management to DJ! I am passionate about music, I am always excited by the creativity in this arena and so I looked at returning to the industry a couple of years ago. This is what I found! The record companies had either merged or moved their offices offshore and closed their doors. The highly qualified people who found themselves out of work were queueing up for anything remotely connected with music. Music retail sales had been slashed by the shift to digital, as well as being hit by the recession and fierce competition from other entertainment media. So the chain stores were disappearing and the smaller specialist stores were struggling with a declining market. There were definitely no doors open here. Let's look at what has happened in the last couple of years. Sales have continued to drop and show no sign of any reversal of the trend. CD burning is commonplace and no amount of threatened action has made any impact on this practice. Most of the younger part of the population are Ipod or other MP3 player owners and will only download, legally or otherwise. Subscription services are a big growth area allowing unlimited access to huge libraries for a set monthly fee. Also it is a sad indictment on the state of the industry that the only serious sales being generated come from reality TV, TV talent quests or rehashed greatest hits sets. So the reality is that the internet in conjunction with the recession have really killed off most chances of a music industry career. The new digital industry requires relatively few people to run it. The democracy of numbers on the internet means it is the consumer who affects what is currently hot and not a team of sales, marketing and promotions people. Interestingly, I found the answer to the lack of music industry jobs in the most unlikely place. The internet is the major growth area in global business. There are a billion and a half users and this number is growing at a phenomenal rate every day. Internet marketing has been recognised by some of the most successful business people and entrepreneurs in the world as where the big opportunities will lie in creating wealth in the next five years. The technology advances, including high speed internet, that have taken place in the last five years and the growth of social media, Google, and internet marketing education have changed the online business landscape. Some of the most creative people in the world are drawn to this business and it is not surprising the number of musicians involved. You can now really make money from online business and the advantages of working from your own home office are immeasurable. The time freedom attained allows you to have more time with your family, more time to pursue your interests or passions and the fear and insecurity of being in a rapidly diminishing industry fade away. And the potential earnings from internet sales are astonishing! Fortunately most people who are involved in the music industry are creative in their thinking and the shift to internet marketing is relatively easy for those from a sales and marketing focused background. So don't see the internet as the enemy which is destroying your industry. See it as an opportunity not to be overlooked!
