Roles in the Music Industry

Question 1

What does a composer do?

Answer 1

Write and arrange music

Question 2

What does a musical director do?

Answer 2

Lead rehearsals, conduct, provide music for everyone, arrange pieces

Question 3

What does a live sound technician do?

Answer 3

Set up and pack away the sound equipment, check everything works, run the sound check, use the mixing desk, make sure musicians can hear themselves (monitor mix)

Question 4

What does a roadie do?

Answer 4

Help load, unload, set up and pack away all the sound equipment

Question 5

What does an artist manger do?

Answer 5

Organise the career of the musician. They book gigs, collect money, book in recording sessions, communicate with the record label and the publisher.

Question 6

What does PR stand for?

Answer 6

Public relations

Question 7

What does a PR rep do?

Answer 7

Manage the image/persona of the musician in the media and help them prepare for interviews and appearences.

Question 8

What does an agent do?

Answer 8

Book the musician in to gigs, events, auditions

Question 9

What does a venue manager do?

Answer 9

Manage the day to day running of the venue, including making bookings, hiring staff, communicating with clients, managing finances

Question 10

What does a studio manager do?

Answer 10

Manage the day to day running of the studio, including booking in recording sessions, hiring and paying engineers and other staff, sorting contracts, promoting the studio, managing finances.

Question 11

What does a promoter do?

Answer 11

Advertise an event/product by making and distributing posters, radio, TV adverts and selling tickets.

Question 12

What does A&R stand for?

Answer 12

Artists and Repertoire

Question 13

What does an A&R rep do?

Answer 13

Talent scouts new musicians and composers and signs them up to the record label

Question 14

What does a producer do?

Answer 14

They work on the recorded song to edit and add effects and give a particular overall sound to the track. Avicii, Mark Ronson, will.i.am and Pharrell Williams are all famous producers

Question 15

What does a session musician do?

Answer 15

They are booked to play on a specific product/event. They are not a regular member of the band

Question 16

What does a mastering engineer do?

Answer 16

They add EQ and compressors to a track to make it sound polished and professional and then make sure it’s formatted correctly and ready to be sent to the distributors.

Question 17

What does a music journalist do?

Answer 17

They interview and report on people and events in the music industry. They publish their work on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, books and social media

Question 18

What is a broadcasting company?

Answer 18

A company which communicates information to the public via TV, radio or the internet

Question 19

What is a software programmer?

Answer 19

Someone who makes and programmes music software, such as apps, Mixcraft, Spotify etc.

Question 20

What does a musician do?

Answer 20

Practice their instrument/voice, perform at live events/online and record in a recording studio

Question 21

What does an instrumental technician do?

Answer 21

Maintains, repairs and looks after the instruments. Often very successful bands will have a guitar tech, or a drum tech.

Question 22

What does a conductor do?

Answer 22

They give the music to the musicians, organise rehearsals and cnoduct during concerts. The conductor is also called the musical director

Question 23

What does a song writer do?

Answer 23

Composes songs either for themselves to perform or for others to perform. Also called a composer.