If you want to pursue a career as a professional musician, you should consider pursuing a music education and making contacts in the industry. While some professional musicians do not have music degrees, it can help you stand out to record labels looking for musicians with maturity and dedication to the medium. Then you should look for opportunities to network within the industry and demonstrate your musical abilities. This means you should consider recording a demo of your musical abilities and looking for opportunities to work as a studio musician or as a member of a band.
If you want to be a professional musician, you should think about the skills and knowledge that will be required of you. This means you should be able to make music in some way, whether it’s through singing or playing an instrument. Your chances of becoming a professional musician will vary depending on the instrument you play. If you play a cello, violin, or flute, for example, you may have more opportunities working with a symphony orchestra rather than in popular music. However, it’s best to keep your options open and look for opportunities even in unlikely places.
To help you become a professional musician, you should consider pursuing a degree in music theory or performance. Of course, there are plenty of mainstream musicians without music degrees, but if you do have a degree, you may find it easier to stand out among the crowd of aspiring musicians. Many record labels are always on the lookout for new musicians and groups, but they want people who are passionate about music and are familiar with the realities of the industry. This means that having a degree that demonstrates your musical stability may make it easier for you to become a professional musician.
You should look for ways to contact record labels once you have the skills and knowledge required to become a professional musician. You can either perform live, especially if you have a band and play popular music, or record a demo of a few songs. Producers are willing to meet with new musicians looking to sign with a label at a variety of record industry conventions and trade shows. You can network and meet record label artists and repertoire (A&R) representatives who sign on new talent at these events. You should indicate whether you want to be signed on as a band or solo performer, or as a studio musician who collaborates with other performers for studio recordings and live tours, depending on your abilities and interests.