A portfolio career in music is a way of working where someone earns a living through multiple music-related roles and income streams, rather than having one single full-time job.

What are the (academic and professional) qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession?

As this career consists of multiple different roles and income streams, to start a portfolio career, you need to have relative experience in the music industry as a whole. This career could consist of roles such as teaching, session work, musical direction, composition, and other fields in the music industry.

An online source talks about what qualifications may be useful when going into this type of career. Talking about university degrees, it states that “With outstanding talent as a singer, songwriter, dancer or musician you may be able to enter the music industry directly – whereas if you’re interested in business, educational or technical music-related jobs you’ll likely need a degree.  No matter your end goal, studying for a music degree can be beneficial. Courses give you in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge and the chance to develop transferable skills, make industry contacts and find industry work placements. These opportunities to network and gain experience are invaluable in a competitive field like music. A degree in music is referred to as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Music (BMus), and there’s no clear distinction between the two. Check the details of individual courses to ensure they match what you’re looking for. Some universities run performance-focused degrees, while others are more academic.” (Smith, 2025)

It is made clear in the source that some talented musician and performers are able to go directly into the industry without any formal qualifications, although some of these professions like education, business or technical roles will often require a degree. Universities that offer these sorts of degrees will offer either a BA, or a BMus course, which often get mixed up. According to City St George’s University London,

BA – Standing for a Bachelor of Arts. These are often thought to be more academically focussed degrees, sometimes with more scope to incorporate non-musical electives.

BMus – Standing for a Bachelor of Music. These generally emphasise practical areas such as composition, performance and harmony alongside developing historical, cultural and analytical understanding. (City St George’s University London, 2020)

What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession?

In a report by the musicians’ union called ‘The working musician’ it states that –

 “A portfolio career is made up of different jobs pursued either successively or simultaneously; in most cases these different jobs are combined into a patchwork of roles. Musicians need to develop skills to sustain their portfolio careers beyond those associated with being a musician such as, business, marketing, teaching and community engagement skills. Above all they need to be adaptable.” (Musicians Union, 2012)

This supports the idea of a portfolio career being unplanned, with no fixed job in mind. It also stresses the importance of also having skills beyond just musical ability, and that performance skills alone would not be sufficient for this career. The fact that there are not many full-time, long-term performance roles is reflected  in saying that different jobs are combines into a “patchwork of roles,” which makes flexibility Vital for long-term financial stability.

In an interview with Gary Stewart with Leeds conservatoire, he says that “there are many things to consider when building a reputation as a competent, reliable and valued musician for hire; the little trills, hammer-ons and paradiddles that we need to keep on top of. Below are a few I live by:

1. Be on time – Simple. Don’t turn up to a rehearsal, recording session or lesson late. In the first instance it sets a bad example and jeopardises the ‘reliable’ aspect of yourself.
2. Be humble – No one likes a narcissist. It’s important to be humble and gracious with any musical work or project you are involved in.
3. Say yes – Always try and take the gig
4. Be human – It’s well-known in the Orchestral ‘industry’ that, in addition to being excellent on your instrument, it’s equally important (some may argue more important) to have the ability to socialise with your peers. It’s common when on trial with an orchestra that the players will regard how you cope in the pub after the concert as importantly as they will assess your playing within the orchestra. The ability to get on quickly with strangers and make acquaintances is invaluable in your career as a musician; be the best player you can be for sure but also be prepared to bring bants to the table also.” (Stewart, 2020)

This shows that not only do you need to be a good musician, personal attributes and attitude towards working is a big contributing factor to becoming a successful musician with a portfolio career.

What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?

As this career consists of multiple different roles and income streams, there is not really a typical days work within a portfolio career. As this is a multi-role career, duties and responsibilities can vary depending on what area of the industry current job is in.

The job roles associated with this career could include:

• Performing
• Session musician
• Sound engineering
• Mixing
• Composition
• Arranging
• Teaching (private tuition, Courses and workshops)
• Tour manager
• Music marketing
• Creating and selling digital products (courses, music)
• Artist management

These are also mixed with freelance gigs for many musicians.

An article from The Abbey Road Institute, this one specifically focuses on the production aspect of the career, tells us that “Put simply, a portfolio career is a working lifestyle of maintaining multiple income streams that relate to your skillset; in this case as a producer or engineer. As one project ends, producers will set their sights elsewhere. Often taking on a different role in the next project compared to the previous. This makes working in the music industry an exciting prospect with the opportunity to face new challenges and employ many different skillsets on a daily basis.” (Abbey Road Institute, 2022)

There are a few things we can understand from this article. Its key idea include:

• A portfolio career involves multiple income streams rather than a single, fixed role.
• These income streams are connected by a core skillset (in this case production/engineering, although it could also be any of the roles listed above)
• Work is project-based, requiring constant movement between roles and opportunities.
• Variety and adaptability are presented as defining features of music industry work.

What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?

An article by KGU music looks at some of the financial and legal issues that may impact a portfolio career in the music industry, this one particularly on recording/performing musicians. It lists thing such as:

• What you need to do before releasing any music
• Copyright
• Types of copyright
• Why you need a publisher and what they do
• Performing rights organisations

Giving on overview of these legal requirements, the article explains that “Music publishers ensure that songwriters and composers receive payment when their creative works are used commercially.  They make a publishing contract, where a songwriter or composer “assigns” the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. That company licenses compositions, monitors where music is used, collects royalties, and distributes them to the musicians.” (Maksim Gopanchuk, 2025 )

An obvious financial issue with this sort of career is that there is never a guaranteed stable income stream. With freelance work being so unreliable, there would be a difficulty getting things such as loans, having limited access to benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, and even getting a mortgage could prove difficult if you’re not able to confidently say what income you get.

What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?

A source from the Musicians’ Union says that “Maintaining an online profile, maximising opportunities via social media, taking advantage of ‘word of mouth’ recommendations, plus offering memorable merchandise can all be crucial elements in establishing a presence in music industry.” (Musicians’ Union, 2023)

Other things like having a good social media presence, having a website, attending events to promote your work, asking friends to share posts etc could also be good ways of marketing yourself as a freelance musician. This would also help to get said ‘word of mouth’ around, which makes you known to other employers for more non-performance based role which would then in turn help to build up a portfolio career.

What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with? 

A source talks about a masterclass that was held, discussing portfolio careers and the personal challenges that may be faced in a career like this. It mentions that some things that may keep people from entering a portfolio career could include:

1. “ Lack of clarity: It can be difficult to identify which skills and interests to focus on and how to combine them into a cohesive and sustainable portfolio life.
2.   Risk aversion: Pursuing a portfolio life often involves taking risks and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, which can be daunting for individuals who are risk averse.
3.  Income instability: Combining multiple income streams can lead to income instability, but so can relying on one source of income.
4.  Time management: Balancing multiple income streams and interests can be challenging but also gives you a rich diversity of tasks and can be organized to complement each other.
5.  Branding and marketing: Developing a personal brand and marketing oneself effectively can be a challenge which requires the right training
6.  Networking and relationship building: Building and maintaining a strong professional network can be challenging but.”

It then goes on to state ways in which these problems could be overcome such as:

1. “Ground in values. These are the principles and beliefs that guide your decision-making process and reflect who you are as a person. 
2. Develop a narrative around those values. Crafting a narrative helps others understand your motivations and can attract like-minded individuals or opportunities that resonate with your values. It also provides a framework for decision-making and helps you stay focused on your objectives.
3. Strategically network around your pillars of strength. Focus on identifying your pillars of strength—areas of expertise, skills, or interests that set you apart. These can be related to your education, professional experience, or personal passions.” (Wallace, 2023)

Overall, this source shows that even though there are many challenges with a portfolio career, there are also ways to overcome them with the right mindset. These challenges can also be overcome by being prepared for these things, and making sure that you have the right skills to be able to deal with them in a efficient way.

Bibliography

Abbey Road Institute. “What Is a Portfolio Career?” Abbey Road Institute Australia, 10 Oct. 2022, abbeyroadinstitute.com.au/blog/what-is-a-portfolio-career/.

City St George’s University London. “Subject Spotlight: Music – the Teacher’s Guide to University.” City.ac.uk, 2020, blogs.city.ac.uk/schoolsliaison/2020/10/14/subject-spotlight-music/.

Maksim Gopanchuk. “Legal and Financial Aspects of a Music Career: Copyright and Royalties.” KGUmusic, 15 Dec. 2025, kgumusic.com/blogs/news/legal-and-financial-aspects-of-a-music-career-copyright-and-royalties?srsltid=AfmBOorU1A2fZklolhL6XQOLGUFV_3Jkijr5FVbGVCpMMrEQYEX4aBrL.

Musicians Union. The Working Musician. 2012.

Smith, Jemma. “Careers in Music.” Prospects.ac.uk, Prospects, 5 Mar. 2025, www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/creative-arts-and-design/careers-in-music/ .

Stewart, Garry. “Portfolio Career Tips.” Leeds Conservatoire, 2020, www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/about-us/progression-portal/musicians-survival-guide-articles/portfolio-career-tips/ .

Union, Musicians . “Marketing & Self-Promotion Advice and Features for Musicians.” Musiciansunion.org.uk, 20 Dec. 2023, musiciansunion.org.uk/career-development/career-guides/marketing-and-promotion.

Wallace, Christina . “What Are the Challenges of a Portfolio Career?” Futureprooflab.com, 2023, www.futureprooflab.com/blog/challenges-of-portfolio-career.