Music Career Resources

The Musician’s Way helps rising musicians develop crucial professional skills, and the following resources expand on the concepts described in the text.

Music Career Resources and Tools

Indexes of Concert Presenters

MusicalAmerica.com. Directory of classical/jazz presenters, agents, performers.

Association of Performing Arts Presenters
Chamber Music America (classical & jazz)
National Association for Campus Activities
International Performing Arts for Youth

U.S. State & Regional Arts Orgs. A valuable list from the NEA.
U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (U.S.).

SonicBids.com.
“How to Get Gigs on SonicBids,” by Simon Tam

General Music Business Tools

MailChimp.com. Email newsletter service. Free for lists <500.
PayPal for business. Accept credit card payments on your site.

DistroKid. Distributes your recorded music to 150+ streaming services and stores. You keep all royalties. Only $20/yr to upload unlimited albums & tracks.

Eventbrite.com. Ticket and promote concerts and events.

Liability/Event Insurance: Insurance Canopy.

HarryFox.com. Buy mechanical licenses to record & distribute copyrighted music.
SoundExchange.com. Collect digital performance royalties.

Direct-to-Fan Platforms

ReverbNation.com. | BandCamp.com.
SoundCloud.com. Share recordings and attract fans.
BachTrack.com. Announce and discover classical events.
SongKick Tourbox. Announce performance dates.

Crowdfunding Resources & Tips

Kickstarter.com | IndieGoGo.com | FracturedAtlas.org
“The Musician’s Guide to Fan-Funding,” by Jonathan Ostrow
“The Crowdfunding Quandary,” by Ariel Hyatt

Grants & Grant Writing

Resources for Grantseekers. Grant sources & grant writing tips.
The “Funding-First” Grant Cycle. Win more grants!
New Music USA. Fund new American concert music.

Build a Website

1) Tech-challenged musicians: Weebly | Bandzoogle | SquareSpace
2) Tech-knowledgeable: WordPress.org; development tips: WPBeginner.com
-Speed up page load times: WP Rocket (used by MusiciansWay.com)
-Free web-building tutorials: W3Schools.com
3) Search engine optimization (free): The Beginner’s Guide to SEO

Audio recording & editing: Audacity (free, open-source, cross-platform)

Music Teacher Resources

Duet Studio Management | MyMusicStaff.com. Create or link a website, schedule online, accept credit cards, and more.
MusicAcademySuccess.com. Marty Fort’s industry-leading system.

Applying for Higher Ed Faculty Positions, via The Musician’s Way Blog.

Association of Teaching Artists. Information and links.
A Career in Music Therapy, from the American Music Therapy Assoc.

Selected Books for Music Educators
The Musician’s Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness, by Gerald Klickstein (Oxford, 2009; 19th printing, 2023).
Higher Education by Design, by Bruce Mackh (Routledge, 2018).
Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, by Brown, Roediger, McDaniel (Harvard, 2014).

From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Musicians Become Great Teachers, 2nd Edition, by Watkins & Scott (Oxford, 2023).
Intelligent Music Teaching, by Robert A. Duke, Ph.D. (2005).

Additional book recommendations are posted on pages throughout MusiciansWay.com

Job Listings for Musicians, Singers, Music Educators

International Musician. Orchestra jobs in the US. By subscription.
muv.ac | VioWorld.com | Music-Job.com European orchestra vacancies.
Orchestras Canada Job Board.

League of American Orchestras. Admin., conducting and other jobs.
Musical Chairs. Orchestral and admin. job listings.
MusicalAmerica.com. Arts administration and other jobs.
International Society of Performing Arts – Facebook page.

Bridge: Worldwide Music Connection. Useful database. Free trial.
YapTracker. Opera auditions & voice competitions. $59/year.
See the For Singers page for more voice resources.

Music Career Advice and Guidance

Music Career Education

Music Career Articles on The Musician’s Way Blog.
Music Career Examples, via the Berklee College of Music.

FracturedAtlas.org. Fiscal sponsorship, ticketing, education, and more.

Flying with Your Instrument. Via the American Federation of Musicians.
How to play in someone else’s band,” by Danny Barnes. Sage advice!

The DIY Musician Blog. From CDBaby.
The Disc Makers Blog, “for independent musicians.”

Hypebot.com. “The new music business.”
CyberPR Blog. Online marketing tips from Ariel Hyatt.

Career Tools from MindTools.com. Broadly applicable.
Arts Journal. A digest of arts journalism.

Incorporated Society of Musicians (UK). | Musicians’ Union (UK).

Articles & Resources about Marketing

Sample Press Releases, via MusicalAmerica.com.
Press Release Format & Template.
Electronic Press Kit (EPK) Tips.
National Arts Marketing Project.

From MusicThinkTank.com:
“Make Better Marketing Plans with a SWOT Analysis,” by David Roberts.
“6 case studies on successful online marketing,” by Jill Haverkamp.

Resume, Bio & Writing Tips

Career Center at the Peabody Conservatory.
Institute for Music Leadership. Via the Eastman School.
Guidebooks from the New England Conservatory.

Bios That Inspire by Gerald Klickstein.
Why do you need a bio? by Dan Kimpel.

Recommended Books to Improve Writing Skills:
Sin and Syntax, by Constance Hale
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser

Music Career Development Books

Beyond Talent (3rd ed.), by Angela Beeching (Oxford, 2019).

The Musician’s Way, by Gerald Klickstein (Oxford, 2009; 19th printing, 2023).

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen (Penguin, 2002).
Tribes, by Seth Godin. Build communities of followers (2008).

Legal, Copyright, and Tax Resources for Musicians

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. U.S., Canada, Australia
VLA New York | VLA Massachusetts | Calif. Lawyers for the Arts
Lawyers for the Creative Arts. Pro-bono legal help in Chicago & Illinois

ArtsTaxInfo.com. Expense & income worksheets, sample tax return, and more

Legal Resources from ggartslaw.com
IP Legal Freebies Blog

Liability/Event Insurance for musicians: Insurance Canopy

Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the US. A handy chart
Copyright information & links from NAfME
Copyright Made Simple. A basic introduction from the IMSLP

The Teacher’s Guide to Music, Media, and Copyright Law, by James Frankel (Hal Leonard, 2009)

Salary Information and Employment Statistics for Musicians

Occupational Outlook Handbooks from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Musicians & Singers | Music Directors & Composers.

Occupational Employment and Wages: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary. From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary Ranges for US Music Positions, via Berklee (2016).
Salary Calculator, via the National Assoc. of Colleges & Employers.

Strategic National Arts Alumni Project. Salary data and more.
Facts and Figures Concerning Music and Higher Education in the United States, via the College Music Society (revised Jan. 2015).

Volunteer Opportunities

Healing with Music. An article on The Musician’s Way Blog.

Americorps (U.S.). Search for volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer Canada.

Music Advocacy

National Association for Music Education.
American String Teachers Association.
League of American Orchestras.

NAMM Foundation.
Save the Music Foundation.

Americans for the Arts.
Future of Music Coalition. Education, research, advocacy.

The International Society for Music Education.
Coalition for Music Education in Canada.
Canadian Music Educators Association.

The Musician’s Way book cover – click to preview.

Music Career Resources