Employees or Freelancers

Employees or Freelancers

Employment in the Music Industry

• There are two main types of employment in the music industry: being an employee or a freelancer.

Employees in the Music Industry

• Employees traditionally work for a company like a record label, a radio station, or a music venue.
• They typically have fixed working hours, a regular salary, job security, and certain legal rights.
• Fields like production, marketing, A&R, and business administration often require employed roles.
• However, being an employee can mean less flexibility and the need to fit into a corporate structure.

Freelancers in the Music Industry

• Freelancers are self-employed and take on contracts or short-term gigs from various clients.
• This gives them greater flexibility and allows for more creativity as they can work on different types of projects.
• Common freelancers in the music industry include session musicians, music tutors, DJs, and sound engineers.
• Being a freelancer can lead to an unpredictable income, lack of job security, and the need to continually find new work.

Transition between Employment

• It’s important for individuals to know that they don’t necessarily have to choose one structure over the other.
• Many individuals in the music industry begin as employees then transition to freelance work —or vice versa— depending on their career goals and personal circumstances.
• This fluidity is a characteristic of many creative industries, and the music industry is no exception.

Key Terms

• Employee: An individual who works full-time or part-time for a company or organisation in return for a regular salary and benefits.
• Freelancer: An individual who is self-employed and works for multiple clients on a project-by-project basis.
• Transition: The process of changing from one condition or state to another.