Research Portfolio
This essay will look into the specific skillset and characteristics required to become a freelance artist, instrumentalist and performer working within the music industry, whilst also discussing some of the challenges often faced when attempting to follow this career path. This profession results in a wide range of incomes as some require additional jobs to reach financial stability whereas others are able to become completely self-sufficient. Due to this one addition source of income I will be researching is music education as a private 1-1 instrumental tutor.
What are the academic and professional qualifications and/or experience required to enter this profession?
For this chosen profession formal qualifications aren’t necessarily required. However, knowledge gained through formal qualifications, such as theory and contextual knowledge, can aid in developing an individual sense of musicianship whilst also providing key tools required to begin a career withing the industry. “Courses give you in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge and the chance to develop transferable skills, make industry contacts and find industry work placements.” (Smith, 2025) This is also supported by gov.uk suggesting that a university course will aid in artistic development. “Specialist colleges or conservatoires offer several benefits…a more in-depth curriculum with scope to tailor it to individual interests and needs…staff are often experienced professionals and offer considerable knowledge…access to state of the art equipment”. (Lazell, 2025) Overall experience learnt outside of the classroom or these establishments is of course crucial to musical development also and can sometimes provide a pathway into this profession without formal education. However, for most professionals in this career, some form of music education has been beneficial in providing the skillset and crucial contacts to aid them in a successful career outside of the classroom. Professional qualifications will often also widen an individual’s job field, providing more options for income sources rather than simply relying on one single specific income. These are often jobs such as session recording, working in function bands, working as a ‘dep’ for more secure and guaranteed pay checks that make this career more stable. Another source of income unlocked by formal education that interests me is as a 1-1 instrumental tutor. Unlike more freelance and creative sides of the industry, professional qualifications are much more essential when considering this as an income source. A music degree is necessary in order to teach within a professional body, as state by the gov.uk careers website. In addition to this, a DBS check will be required if working with children regardless of whether you are teaching privately or within a professional organisation to ensure the safety of the children.
What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession?
Most freelance musicians are self-employed so do not have the legal protection of a company. This means that they will be required to have an in depth knowledge and understanding of the many legal factors that come into place when working within this industry. “by understanding contracts, managing finances, marketing efficiently, distributing your music wisely, and building strong relationships, you can navigate the complexities of the music business”. (Musicians Institute, 2024) these skills can either be learnt over time ‘on the job’ or are more commonly taught in a classroom environment, often being embedded into music degrees to further aid the individual in their career. When also considering the alternative of 1-1 tutoring, good communication, managing finances and marketing are essential skills; especially if tutoring privately as you will need to self-promote and also manage all finances as if it were a business. Strong personal qualities such as passion, empathy and patience are also required. This is especially true when trying to self-promote and further your career as the music industry is heavily reliant on interpersonal relationships and word of mouth communication, so without these necessary qualities a healthy and successful career within the industry is far less likely. This is supported by Steve Luck who wrote that “Several qualities are needed at different times, these include: Passion…Resilience…Perseverance…Flexibility…Curiosity…Creativity…Empathy…Self-Motivation…Patience…Vision”. (2024)
What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?
A typical day’s work can vary for many reasons as being freelance is nothing at all like a traditional 9-5. Some days can be very fast pace, including soundchecks, rehearsals, performances etc. whilst other days may consist solely of admin as most artists are required to take care of their own legal and financial affairs, some artists will take on an employee to take care of this to avoid the drain on their schedule and also ensure it is taken care of by a professional. This can be seen in a blog post “Day in the life of a Freelance Musician with Grace Stubbings” on the Power of Women website detailing the general layout of a freelance creatives life both on and off tour (2022). In contrast to this, work as a 1-1 tutor is far closer to a tradition 9-5 lifestyle. If working within a school or other educational organisation then you will be in that facility for a large part of the day, whereas if you are a private tutor then you will have more control over arranging lessons around other commitments so will likely drift away from the 9-5 lifestyle.
What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?
This profession is notoriously challenging financially, as any income is not always guaranteed so pay can fluctuate massively from month to month. This causes most artist to plan and diversify income streams across a range of job opportunities to provide some stability. These challenges are supported by Neil Shaw of Wales Online why states that “Nearly a quarter of musicians say they do not earn enough to support themselves of their families and for nearly half, a lack of sustainable income is a barrier to their music career”. (2023) I find this to be a very concerning statistic that simply reinforces the challenges of this chosen career path, especially as it shows lack of income being a barrier to even attempting a career in the industry. Many legal challenges are also faced in this industry, mostly revolving around recording and publishing rights. However, these can be and often are solved with the use of a legal advisor to prevent any mistakes and proofread contracts to ensure legal and financial safety on the artist’s side. Due to the decreased stability with regards to regular income, a further emphasis on money management and versatility is required to suffice in the quieter months. Working privately as a 1-1 tutor is a common solution to this problem as pay is more of a fixed and guaranteed rate that will support the quieter months and can act as a base income which is useful when accounting for various regular costs.
What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?
The marketing and promotional side of this profession is heavily dependent on social media as it is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to self-promote, also allowing independent artists to have a global reach to promote and earn from their work. The current industry reflects this importance as promotion such as partnerships, paid advertising and use of songs in background music for trending videos have now all become both useful ways to promote and earn independently via social media. Whilst a large part of achieving success on these platforms can be attributed to luck, chances of worthwhile career gains from this can be increased by the use of paid advertisement, product sponsorships and brand partnerships. This importance is reinforced in Forbes when Justin Grome states that “I see this digital era as introducing powerful tools that are shaping the way music is created, shared and listened to.” (2023). However, one thing he fails to mention is that whilst the basic functions of social media can be used to bring artists and fans closer together, overuse of certain elements such as paid advertisements and product placements can in fact have the opposite effect and provide a divide between artist and consumer. One solution to this is use of an accessible website used to place all promotional materials alongside professional contact details for an artist, this allows specific promotion designed and controlled by an artist themselves without the pressure of social media marketing, having to navigate algorithms and paid advertisements to reach a greater audience. Promotion for a 1-1 tutor would differ slightly as if educating in schools or other professional environments then a more traditional job application approach would be required to market themselves, perhaps using platforms such as LinkedIn alongside a CV and proof of qualifications rather than portfolio-based promotion.
What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with?
One intellectual challenge I have already discussed is navigating the legal factors within the industry. This would either be self-taught so become easier over time or would be embedded in the skills provided within music education should an artist have spent time there. In addition to this, a personal factor affecting everyone within this career would be the potential lack of job security and can be extremely mentally tiring and challenging for an artist to deal with. About the mental strain of the music industry, Dr Susannah Robertson-Hart writes “the expectation to deliver flawless performances, the financial instability, and the demands of constant touring all take a toll on mental health.” (2025) The struggle of seemingly constant work without fully guaranteed or regular payout combined with the financial and job instability all take a massive toll on many artists within the industry and can result in very unhealthy work-life balances, especially when compared to other careers with the same average wages. However, here Dr Susannah also fails to acknowledge the rewarding nature of the career, since music is such a personal thing to many people who create it, the large workload is often balanced out by the personal relief and enjoyment that comes with doing it.
What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession?
Career progression within this industry is far less predictable and harder to measure than a more traditional job as it is more based around popularity, promotion and volume of work which is especially hard to predict in an ever-changing industry that is heavily dependent on ever-changing public taste. Progression is also perceived differently from artist to artist, while some may measure it in the more traditional ways such as financial gain, better jobs, popularity; others will see it differently and measure progression on a much more personal level, using overall job satisfaction and personal fulfilment as a measure of success. If going down the path of a 1-1 tutor in an educational setting, career progression is far more straightforward and traditional. In a school setting this could involve taking on extra rolls such as ensemble leaders and further teaching or progressing onto higher paying positions at more prestigious places of education, also increasing recognition within this specific field of work and potentially opening up more career opportunities away from the instrument.
To conclude, although this is a profession that may appear deceivingly simple to a general member of the public, it can be a very taxing, unstable and time-consuming career even if supplementing income with 1-1 tutoring or other guaranteed pay jobs. This therefore can result in many people becoming disillusioned within the industry as the reality of the workload, stresses and financial issues are far from public perception and are very real issues that act as barriers between artists and a long, successful career within the music industry as a freelance artist, instrumentalist and performer.
Bibliography:
Smith, J (2025) Careers in music – Prospects. Available online:
Careers in music: how to get started in the industry | Prospects.ac.uk [accessed 6/1/2026]
Lazell, K (2025) Specialist arts, drama, and music unis – The Complete University Guide. Available online:
Specialist arts, drama, and music unis [accessed 6/1/2026]
Musicians institute (2024) The Business Side of Music: What Every Artist Should Know. Available online:
What Every Artist Should Know About the Music Business | MI [accessed 6/1/2026]
Luck, S (2024) Beyond the Music: Essential Skills and Qualities for a Sustainable Music Career – Musicians’ Union. Available online: Beyond The Music: Essential Skills and Qualities for a Sustainable Music Career | The MU [accessed 6/1/2026]
Power of Women (2022) Day in the life of a Freelance Musician with Grace Stubbings. Available online:
Day in the life of a Freelance Musician with Grace Stubbings – Power of Women [accessed 6/1/2026]
Grome, J (2023) Utilizing Social Media in The Music Industry – Forbes. Available online:
Utilizing Social Media In The Music Industry [accessed 6/1/2026]
Robertson-Hart, S (2025) Mental Health in the Music Industry: Addressing a Growing Crisis – The British Psychological Society. Available online: Mental Health in the Music Industry: Addressing a Growing Crisis | BPS [accessed 6/1/2026]
