Music – a language that everybody speaks.
BA Music is a specialized undergraduate course of 3 years for students who are seeking an undergraduate degree in Music. BA Music has got several specialized course components like vocal music, instrumental music and various dance forms.
But more importantly, there are a lot of great career options that one can pursue after doing a BA in Music in India. Here is a list of the very best of them, along with crucial information such as salaries and growth opportunities.
Teacher
Want to do something that helps people in a tangible way? Want to bring real, positive change into the world? As a BA Music graduate, your best bet to achieve these dreams is to become a Teacher.
So how does a Teacher do all this? Job responsibilities for high school and middle school Music teachers include developing the music skills of students, administering tests, and evaluating their progress throughout each term. As you can see, if you really love helping kids and want to dedicate your life to such a cause, you can definitely go down this route.
Work-life balance, unexpectedly, is a bit hectic in this profession because your work life and your personal life overlaps quite a bit. What happened during ‘job hours’ may affect your mood during your off-hours.
The best part about his job is the rewarding nature of it. You can go to sleep everyday knowing that you have helped someone in their lives, and they are thankful to you for it. Growth prospects are also good, and leadership opportunities are available from a very early stage. A lot of soft skills are needed to excel in this role.
Salaries differ from organization to organization, but on average, you would be earning roughly 3,00,000 rupees per annum when you begin your career. Monetary growth is slow, but steady.
Artist Manager
Another amazing option for you if you have just graduated after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music from India, is to become an Artist Manager. Good salary, great growth opportunities, opportunity to apply all that music and marketing knowledge, and some travel sprinkled here and there. What more can a BA Music graduate need?
If you don’t know, an Artist Manager works on behalf of artists to promote the artist’s career; and run his/her business affairs. Their job is to secure the best work for their clients, for the best fee.
You can expect your starting salary to be around 4,50,000, but this is not a hard and fast rule. If you are applying to a bigger talent management company and are able to adequately display your skills, you can get a much higher package. And as for growth prospects, the same rule applies. If you are good at what you do, you can expect quicker promotions and more leadership opportunities.
Work-life balance varies from company-to-company, but in general, your weekends are going to be holidays and working overtime is going to be a rarity.
Assistant Music Editor
Another fantastic choice for you if you recently graduated with a BA Music degree is to work as an Assistant Music Editor. Decent pay, plenty of room for advancement, and the chance to put all of your skills that you learnt during graduation to good use. What more could you possibly require?
If you’re not sure, this is what an Assistant Music Editor does – He/she has the responsibility of reviewing copy, and they may also read and evaluate manuscripts. Other working titles may be production assistant or copy editor. The job profile varies depending on the business and your place in the organizational chain, but this will be your primary responsibility.
Growth and leadership opportunities can be difficult to come by at first, but if you persevere, you will be rewarded with increased responsibilities (and of course; better pay). Work-life balance can be ridiculous at times, but it’s not impossible to achieve if you have good relations with your superiors.
Let’s get to the good stuff. Starting salaries are around 3,50,000 rupees per annum, but there is a lot of room for development. Also, bear in mind that this is an estimate; if you live in a major city or tier-1 city, your salary would be much higher.
Audio Engineer
Audio Engineer is one of the most in-demand careers right now. Students who are graduating after completing Bachelor of Arts in Music are the most eligible people for this job. From TV and movies, to CD and radio, an audio engineer makes the transmission and translation of sound, atmosphere, and music possible, while trying to ensure that the listener gets the best possible experience.
They’re a vital part of any production and tend to work in groups, especially on larger productions such as movies. An audio engineer uses machinery and equipment to record, synchronize, mix or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects. He or she can work in the movie business, music recording, and theater or video game industries.
And apart from this, the growth prospects are also great. In fact, salaries have been rising a lot lately in this field. Right now, you can expect to earn anywhere around 3,00,000-4,00,000 rupees, although a lot of stuff depends on how good you are at your job and the organization that’s hiring you.
The work-life balance is good, but that usually depends on the company that you are working for. Getting hired is a bit difficult in this industry, but once you get a foot inside the door, only the sky is the limit.
The job is challenging enough that you won’t be bored and it’s not so difficult that you would be demotivated. Just the perfect middle ground, if you ask us. Salaries rise very quickly in this field, given the rise of audio and video as a media platform.
Musician
If you loved doing your BA in Music so much that you can’t get enough of it, and if you are also deeply passionate about music, then becoming a musician may just be the right career choice for you.
As a musician you can be involved in creating and/or performing music in a variety of genres, such as classical, rock, pop, and indie, jazz or folk. As there are many genres of music, some activities will differ depending on your area of expertise.
However, you’ll typically need to perform at concerts, festivals, theatres and other music venues; participate in recording sessions; practice regularly; prepare for and attend rehearsals; prepare for auditions; look after your instrument and/or voice.
It is not a 9-5 job, which means that you will have enough time to spend with your friends and family. Finding a job in this space is very difficult, but if you have talent, no one can stop you for too long.
A high level of confidence is definitely a prerequisite. If you are not comfortable on stage, and if your communication skills are next to nothing, this may not be your best bet.
Another important thing to note is salaries. Salaries are often dependent on a number of things, such as location, skills and so on. But on average, you can expect to earn anywhere around 7,00,000-8,00,000 rupees per annum as a fresher in this field.
So these were some of the highest-paying professions that you can go for after completing a B.A. in Music. Did you like the article and found it informative? Then please share it with fellow music students so that they can make well-informed decisions about their professional life. Subscribe to our newsletter to get a weekly update about the different career options added on the website.