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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Create Your Music
Resume in 5 Easy Steps

  • Step 1: Add Contact Info

    Heading Slides

  • Step 2: Include Work Experience Details

    Work History Slides

  • Step 3: Provide Education Details

    Education Slides

  • Step 4: Select Your Skills

    Education Slides

  • Step 5: Fill in Your Background

    Summery Slides

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Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Music Resume

Writing a resume that gets the attention of recruiters doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. To make it quick and simple, LiveCareer’s certified resume writers have crafted pre-written content for your music resume. Use our text suggestions as-is or editcustomize them to make them your own.

Here are some suggestion that our builder might make for your music resume:

  • Oversaw music department in achieving outstanding educational benchmarks through instruction, curriculum planning, composition and performance
  • Connected with distributors and label representatives to obtain new music
  • Arranged music exams, competitions, concerts and special events for 35 students
  • Performed at an average of three events per month, including rehearsals, recordings and special functions
  • Composed and transcribed pieces in musical notation using both staff paper and transcription software

8 Do’s and Don’ts for Writing a Music Resume

  • Do include a professional summary. Your professional summary is your chance to show off your skills and accomplishments. As a performer or musician, use this opportunity to highlight what you’ll bring to the table.
  • Do be honest. Integrity is important in the hiring process. List your accomplishments honestly and don’t pad your resume with exaggerated or false roles. Many employers perform background checks as part of the hiring process. If you lie on your resume, it will likely be exposed later in the process.
  • Do stick to your most relevant accomplishments. You may take pride in having been first chair in the all-county band in 11th grade, but it may not be appropriate to add to your resume. Unless you recently graduated, avoid including anything from high school, and stick to your most recent professional experience.
  • Don’t list instructors unless they know you well. While working with a master class teacher or composer is an experience that you can cherish, unless you had a close relationship for an extended period of time it is best to avoid listing a name.
  • Don’t shy away from creativity. Many facets of the music industry are less formal than other industries so feel free to choose a more creative resume template. While applying for a role with the symphony might require a more conservative template, a colorful resume would work for a job at a record label.
  • Don’t be vague. Many jobs in the music industry require specific hard skills. Performers need to be able to play and sing, songwriters must compose lyrics on a deadline. and teachers have to manage students and classrooms. Include specific descriptions of your work experience and of your skill set.

Beat the ATS with These Music Resume Skills

In the music industry, recruiters often use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to eliminate unqualified applicants from the hiring pool. An ATS uses keywords to help employers filter resumes that don’t have industry-specific skills.

LiveCareer’s Resume Builder can help you include the right mix of hard and soft skills to ensure that your resume makes it past an ATS and into the hands of a recruiter. Here are some examples of specific skills our tool may suggest for a music industry resume:

  • Sound engineering
  • Collaboration
  • Guitar expertise
  • Orchestra background
  • Music theory
  • Studio recording experience
  • Producing shows
  • Strong communication skills
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Music Resumes for Every Professional Level

Entry-Level
AccompanistBuild my Resume

Music Accompanist

This entry-level accompanist uses a combination format to frame his skills and experience. He uses functional organization at the top by placing skills and qualifications where employers will see them first before including work experience chronologically.

Although he has a limited work history, the summary and relevant skills section help positively frame that experience. Combined with a clean style, this resume highlights the job seeker’s qualifications for the position while explaining his professional history.

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Mid-Career
PianistBuild my Resume

Music Pianist

This resume for a pianist demonstrates the strengths of a traditional chronological format. The mid-level job seeker gives her more extensive work experience after a brief professional summary. She uses active job descriptions and allows her experience to make the case for her musical ability and professionalism.

With the right job history, a chronological resume can present a job seeker in the music industry as accomplished and qualified. It also permits the applicant to provide education and skills details in a succinct and elegant format.

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Executive-Level
Music ProducerBuild my Resume

Music Producer

This music producer opts for a functional resume. He has extensive experience, but rather than organize past positions in a long list, he draws from them to offer a more focused presentation of his skillset.

While some may associate functional resumes with entry-level applicants, this demonstrates how high level job seekers can use the format to strong effect as well. It facilitates organizing extensive and varied experience into a coherent picture of applicants’ qualifications for whatever position they are applying to.

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More Music Resume Samples

Find resume examples for your desired music career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.

cdchoirchoir directorchoral singercsodrum majordrummerfreelance audio engineerfreelance musicianmusic composermusic curatormusic directormusicianoperaopera singerorchestrapianistpiano accompanistprofessional drummerroadie driverscenic artistviolinistvocal coachvocalist

Resume Success Stories

Statistics and Facts About Music Jobs

Median Pay by Job Title

Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians$43660 per year
Music Directors$49630 per year
Musicians and Singers$2815 per year
Dancers and Choreographers$1816.17 per year
030K60K

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Most Common Occupations for Visual and Performing Arts Majors

Elementary and middle school teachers115863 people
Graphic designers105231 people
Post-secondary teachers81982 people
Other managers76144 people
Other designers63573 people
040K80K120K

Source: DataUSA

Race and Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded in Music

White57.1%
Non-resident Alien12.9%
Hispanic or Latino10%
Black or African American6.15%
Unknown4.68%
Asian4.03%
Two or More Races3.69%
American Indian or Alaskan Native.267%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.126%
0204060

Source: DataUSA

Job Outlook by Job Title

  • Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians
  • Music Directors and Composers
  • Musicians and Singers
  • Dancers and Choreographers
-10%
0
10%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Gender Composition of Musicians, Singers and Related Workers

Female 35.8%

Male 64.2%

Source: Data USA

Most Common Industries Employing Musicians, Singers and Related Workers

Religious organizations66800 people
Performing arts, spectator sports and related industries50005 people
Colleges, universities and professional schools3651 people
Sound recording industries3096 people
U.S. Army1802 people
040K80K

Source: DataUSA

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