INCOME-EARNING OPPORTUNITIES are expanding for musicians employed by religious organizations, playing Christian rock or making recordings in the rap/hip-hop genre. On the flip side, commercial sales are shrinking for country and classical music artists.
Religious groups will create most new salaried jobs for musicians through 2008, according to U.S. Census projections. The agency notes the majority of paid musicians already work for religious organizations.
Although demand for musicians is expected to grow in other sectors, most of those job openings will result from attrition, says the Census Bureau. A near-constant need for replacements exists because performers unable to make a decent living are forced to leave the music business.
From a commercial standpoint rock represents the largest market segment for musicians who earn royalties from sales of their recordings. Rock musicians account for 25% of music sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This includes a Christian rock subcategory that’s emerging.
Perhaps the most notable shift in the music industry has been the entry of white musicians such as Eminem into the traditionally black genres of rap and hip-hop, which is pushing sales up. Rap/hip-hop recently surpassed country music as the second largest commercial music category.
About 12.9% of music sold in 2000 came from rap/hip-hop artists, according to the RIAA. Meanwhile, country music’s commercial popularity dipped from second to third place with a 10.7% market share.
Jazz and classical music switched places in terms of recording sales. Jazz accounts for a 2.9% market share, having overtaken classical, at 2.7%.
BUYER FILES
MUSICIAN’S FRIEND
298,000 last-12-month buyers
American List Counsel Inc.
Princeton, NJ
AMERICAN MUSICAL SUPPLY
79,442 last-12-month buyers
Rubin Response Services Inc.
Schaumburg, IL
KEYBOARDS TODAY
29,052 last-six-month buyers
TCI Direct
Toluca Lake, CA
SUBSCRIBER FILES
GUITAR PLAYER
99,346 subscribers
Rubin Response Services Inc.
Schaumburg, IL
SHEET MUSIC MAGAZINE
46,357 last-12-month subscribers
List Services Corp.
Bethel, CT
GUITAR WORLD
67,549 subscribers
MSGI Direct
Philadelphia
ONSTAGE
20,939 subscribers
Primedia Business Direct
Overland Park, KS
From superstars to hobbyists, one out of every five Americans play musical instruments. Annual sales of music accessories and sheet music exceed $5.6 billion in the United States.
Approximately 280,000 musicians work in the music industry, but 75% of them are part-timers. About 40% of musicians are self-employed. Two out of three musicians work for a religious organization. New York, Nashville, TN and Los Angeles have the highest concentrations of musicians.
There’s a major shortage of music teachers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Though the need is not as critical, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Washington also are hurting for instructors. Elsewhere the supply and demand is balanced.
The median annual income exceeds $30,000 for professionally employed musicians, singers and related workers such as composers and conductors. Salaries in major orchestras range from $21,000 to $95,000 annually.
Excluding big-name acts, musicians who play for the armed forces make the most money. The highest paid military musicians typically earn up to $77,000 a year. Orchestra members and music teachers rarely earn more than $70,000 annually. Dance-band musicians and nightclub singers typically receive $150 to $355 per performance.
The learning skills and discipline required of musicians translates successfully to non-music fields. About 66% of music students who apply to medical school are accepted, representing the highest percentage among all college majors. Engineers and technical designers often play some kind of musical instrument.
Musicians are no strangers to occupational hazards. Instrumentalists represent a special risk group for repetitive motion injuries. Keyboardists, flutists and string players face risks as great as heavy computer users.
Sources: American Federation of Musicians, New York; Music Business Solutions, Boston; National Association for Music Careers, Reston, VA; U.S. Department of Labor, Washington.
