What Can You Do With a Music Degree?

A music degree leads to performing, teaching (in schools or privately), composing and arranging, music therapy, audio production, arts administration and music business roles. Most working musicians build a career from several income streams rather than one job, so the graduates who do best treat their career like a small business early. Teaching in public schools and music therapy each require a specific credential.

The portfolio career is normal, not a failure

A performer might play gigs, teach students, lead a church music program and record sessions in the same week. That mix is how much of the profession works, and planning for it is a skill. Steady pieces, like a teaching studio or a regular church job, make the riskier pieces possible. Our guides to balancing a creative career and a day job and accountability for musicians go deeper.

Paths for music graduates

Performing and creating

Performer: orchestras, bands, ensembles, theater pits, events and session work.
Composer or arranger: concert work, media, games and arrangements for schools and churches. Game audio connects with game development.
Worship or church musician: directing choirs and playing for services.

Teaching

School music teacher: band, choir, orchestra or general music, with a state teaching license. See how to become a teacher.
Private lessons and studio teaching: often a steady part of a performer’s income.

Behind the scenes

Audio and recording: live sound, studio engineering and podcast production; editing skills overlap with video editing.
Arts administration: running programs, fundraising and marketing for orchestras, venues and festivals.
Music business: booking, artist management, licensing and publishing.
Music retail and instrument repair: specialized, steady work for people who know instruments well.

Careers that need more training

Music therapist: an approved music therapy degree, a supervised clinical internship and a national board exam. It is clinical work, so plan coursework accordingly.
College music professor: usually a master’s or doctorate plus a strong performing or research record.
Orchestral performer: no license, but many players complete a graduate degree or advanced study before winning competitive auditions.

Before committing to a master’s, read should I go to grad school?.

Using your college years well

Play, write or teach outside class every semester. Real gigs and students build a reputation.
Record your work and keep an up-to-date website and audition reel.
Learn the business: contracts, invoicing, taxes for freelancers and basic marketing.
Pick up one adjacent skill such as audio production, arranging software or teaching methods.
Get an internship with a venue, festival, label or arts nonprofit.

Questions families and students ask

“Is a music degree a waste of money?”

It is a real financial risk if you expect a single full-time performing job to appear. It is a reasonable investment if you plan for teaching, a portfolio career or a related field, and keep costs in check. Parents may find our guide for parents of young creatives useful.

“Do I need a degree to be a musician?”

Not for many paths. A degree matters most for school teaching, music therapy, college teaching and classical performance. For other paths, skill, reputation and relationships count more.

If you graduate and the work is not coming

Write down every income stream you could build: performing, teaching, recording, admin.
Take a flexible day job that leaves energy for music, and protect practice time on your calendar.
Build a teaching studio; students come through referrals, so tell everyone.
Set monthly goals for gigs, auditions or releases and review them each month.

For duties and outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Where a mentor helps

A mentor helps music students and graduates plan practice, auditions, teaching and a day job in one realistic weekly schedule, and stay accountable when progress is slow and self-directed. Mentors are not music teachers, admissions counselors or credentialed career counselors. See mentoring for college students, mentoring for actors and creatives and career and education mentoring.

Common questions

What jobs can you get with a music degree?

Performer, school or private music teacher, composer, music therapist, audio engineer, arts administrator, music business roles and church musician are common paths.

Can I teach music with a performance degree?

Private teaching, yes. Teaching in public schools requires a state teaching license, which usually means a music education degree or a credential program after graduation.

Is music therapy a good career for musicians?

It can be for musicians who want clinical work with patients. It requires an approved degree program, an internship and a national board exam.

Should I choose music education or performance?

If you are fairly sure you want to teach in schools, music education is the most direct route to a teaching license. If performing is the priority, a performance degree fits, and you can still add a teaching credential later.

Get started

Studying music and want help building a realistic plan for the work? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.

What Can You Do With a Music Degree? Careers, Paths and Next Steps