Qualifications, Experiences, and How They Influence Entering Different Areas of the Profession:
There are many desirable skill sets that make a session drummer a desirable candidate for hiring. Through reading a variety of interviews, and conducting an interview with an active session musician, it has become apparent that academic qualifications have more of an impact on employability, depending on the area of the work. Areas of the industry such as: orchestral, theatre based, or work overseas (requiring a visa), commercial/televised, or education based work like teaching, are more inclined to view a CV before employing. However, areas such as function gigs, live pop touring, recording work for producers, genre specific scenes like jazz, metal and R&B, will focus on the sound an artist can produce on their instrument, often requiring an audition before employment.
Having a good degree qualification may show an applicant is hard working, and proves a certain degree of care in the material they produce, however, that alone may not secure a job. This is when live performance and recording experience will help, as it will prove a basic understanding of miking a kit, or having the ability to improvise if a problem occurs mid-performance. Some industry professionals would agree with this statement. I spoke with session musician Matt Racher, who said that he had never been given a gig because of an impressive CV, and went on to explain; “…having your most impressive achievements on a single piece of paper is important to showcase your skills, but without demonstrating them, they are still just words on a page…” [Matthew Racher, personal interview, 2026]. He has worked on projects in recording studios for high-end recording artists such as George Ezra, and toured the world with established artists such as; Kylie Manogue, Lily Allen, and Prodigy, despite having never completed a single degree course. This does not rule out the importance of having academic qualifications, but it does show that there are different routes to finding work opportunities such as these.
How to Achieve Success as a Session Drummer:
To assess the ways in which success is achieved, it is necessary first to define what ‘success’ means to the individual. It is often subjective, as there are multiple routes to achieving success as a session drummer. Here, I am exploring musical skills, instrument versatility, approach to work, and artistic identity as a professional musician.
Having a likeable personality will get you a long way in this industry, and my research revealed that your chances of obtaining work increases greatly if you engage and have a positive attitude towards the musicians that you work with. Keeping a tight, clean and stylistically appropriate style of playing is also a huge factor – possibly the most important – but if you combine the two, you will bond with your colleagues and increase your chances of getting called back for repeat work. Part of success is being able to make a living from the industry, and this will help ensure a constant work flow and a regular income. Session drummer Ben Thompson agrees with this sentiment, saying: “Your personality and how you put yourself across are just as important as your playing abilities… If you’re nice, easy to get along with, fun, reliable, and consistent, you will get the work.” (Thompson, 2021).
Alongside this, there are a few mandatory skills that employers will appreciate. These include; the ability to set up and mic a drum kit, being able to play a variety of musical styles and genres, knowing how to tune your toms, and a basic understanding of music theory, which are all essential qualities to have. Other skills, such as the ability to contribute ideas to a band through engaging in musical conversation, demonstrating reliability through punctuality, and having specialised knowledge of your instrument, will show professionalism, and prove a useful asset in any project.
The Typical Responsibilities in Every-Day Working Life:
The amount of work you do as a session drummer will depend on how many opportunities you create for yourself, although at times, it will be difficult to have a constant flow of work, and it is expected that there will be times when income is slow. In this profession it is your responsibility to network and reach out to musicians for potential opportunities. If money is low, it is your responsibility to find alternative ways of seeking income like teaching, for example, or private tutoring. When considering a career as a session musician, it is prudent to be prepared for these scenarios.
Furthermore, organising travel to and from gigs and rehearsals, transporting and providing drums and cymbals, coming prepared with a drum key and different types of sticks, are all situations you should prepare for. It is your responsibility to communicate terms and method of pay, whether that is a discussion about the type of contract or how royalties will be split.
Arguably, one of the most important duties for a session drummer is ensuring a good practice regime to keep on top of your skills. This profession requires learning a lot of repertoire, in all genres, and further being able to do this in a short period of time. There will be times when last minute work will be sprung on you, and you will need to have the skills to learn the songs as quickly as possible. If you practice active listening regularly, it will enhance the process, as well as being able to transcribe and read music. Failing to do so could result in missed opportunities and call-backs.
Irregular Payment Patterns and Legal Issues to be Wary of:
As a session drummer you will experience financial instability, unless, for example, you have a long term contract or agreement to play a specific gig for a long period of time. However, most of the time, session work will involve a lot of different gigs in different places, with different people, at random times, relying on other people’s schedules rather than your own. With this in mind, finding work well in advance may be preferable, allowing you to create a schedule of work ensuring you have a continual income.
There are organisations such as: PRS for Music, PPL and MCPS, which are essential for session musicians. These establishments ensure you are paid the correct fees for the work you have done, checking that royalties for songwriting, recorded music usage, and mechanical royalties (streams and cd’s…) are paid correctly.
In today’s industry it is common to be booked for work over phone or via text. This is where misunderstanding can take place, as it can be assumed that you will be paid for the work, however, without a clear agreement creating a legally binding contract, you may be excluded from any potential payout. (Independent Society of Musicians, 2026).
There are many legal issues to be wary of in this industry, and it is your responsibility to be fully informed. Organisations such as ISM and the Musicians Union, will help you understand your rights, and aid in the protection of its members, so signing up as a member is important. The following is a motif from the Musicians Union: “…protect our member’s rights and campaign for a fairer music industry”.
Marketing and Promotion:
As social media is so prominent in today’s society, it can offer some amazing opportunities. It is one of the easiest ways to promote your specialised skills and talk about your achievements and goals to a larger audience, and form a fan-base. It can enable you to engage with other popular artists with the potential for collaborations, further widening your network. However, it can be difficult to maintain high engagement on the content you produce, as you will need to be consistent and creative in your posts. It can be a game changer, due to the unpredictable nature of social media, helping to attract agents and recording companies. If the session world is all about promoting yourself and being seen, this is the perfect platform.
Creating a website is another way to build an online presence for people who have heard of your name, or are discovering you for the first time. It is a great way to showcase your talents, promote past projects, and can essentially act as a CV with recording credits, and you can attach high quality videos, showcasing additional expertise such as production skills, mixing and mastering tracks, etc; as showing versatility is key.
Aside from the benefits of promotion online, the way you market yourself in person is also important. The attitude you bring to work and to the people you play with, is paramount if you are looking to acquire work. People will always want to work with reliable, punctual, hard working, and amiable artists. Naturally, the more gigs you play, the better able you will be to market yourself to people in the industry. Audience members who like your playing will come back to listen to you again, while other musicians on the circuit may want to get in contact. Word of mouth is a powerful tool.
Dealing with Mental Health and Hardships in the Industry:
An inevitable aspect of session drumming is having to learn and retain large amounts of material in short periods of time, particularly during recording sessions, where studio time and costs may be short.
The amount of repertoire at a live performance can vary depending on the length of the gig and genre of music played. A jazz tune usually features solos, for example, whereas many pop songs will feature much shorter structures. You can usually expect between 10 and 40 songs for a gig that runs between 1 and 3 hours in length. It can be extremely challenging to remember so many songs by heart. Transcribing is a great way to learn music through visualisation, however, doing this for a large set list can be exhausting. In addition, each artist will have an individual ‘sound’ which the audience expects to hear in their songs as they were played in the recordings. Adapting your playing to fit another artists’ style requires patience, and great listening skills. These are some of the hardships that you are expected to deal with in this industry.
The outcome of an audition or a gig is unpredictable. Meeting new band members and producers can be nerve-racking, and many musicians say these feelings never change. Minimising self-doubt, and being prepared to receive criticisms or even rejection is essential to your mental well being. Going into an audition unprepared can knock your confidence, so resilience is important. Learning and adapting from your mistakes will help you improve before your next audition.
Drumming is one of the most physically demanding instruments, and practice can sometimes feel overwhelming. To succeed as a session musician, you will have to dedicate time in your day to learning songs, and keeping on top of your material. At times this can seem like it is taking over your life outside of work, therefore, time management will help create a balance between the two, especially if you’re juggling a family or side job into the mix. Creating a schedule of events and planning in advance will help keep your life in order.
Career Development Within the Profession:
When first starting out in the industry it is important to put yourself out there immediately, and say yes to as many opportunities as possible, and networking is going to be essential for your career development. You should build your employability by taking dep work, collaborating in student projects and playing with local artists, using click tracks, and becoming familiar with how the industry works. These small steps will help build a portfolio as well as connections with other musicians.
Once you start making a name for yourself you will begin getting requests to play for people, so expect repeat bookings and recommendations from musicians you have worked with. Paid studio sessions, regular live work, and even nationwide touring opportunities will arise. You should be trying to get your name on credits of released music, and begin building an online presence, showcasing your portfolio, availability, and the area of work in which you specialise.
Progressing in all these areas can ultimately lead to well paid, high-end work. If you continue networking in the industry, you will start to meet the right sort of people, with real opportunities in store. At this level there is potential to start touring internationally with well-known artists, recording with major labels, getting involved in the creation of soundtracks for games, TV shows and even films – the list goes on.
Aspiring to these outcomes requires dedication to your instrument, relentless networking and gradually making a name for yourself. It is hard, but more than possible to achieve this level of session work. I have spoken to many people who are in this line of work, they are all around us. There is no guarantee of success, but with the right mindset and a real appreciation for your instrument, nothing is impossible.
Screenshot of WhatsApp video call interview (2026) with Matthew Racher (Session Musician). Biography available at: https://www.discogs.com/artist/941679-Matthew-Racher?srsltid=AfmBOoo3vzCFrjrCmHdiggST1bKCpUC8SJ6Czrpdsud0zeTwGXzx4-2e (Accessed: 05/01/2026)
ICMP (2021) “How to Be a Session Drummer” by Ben Thompson. Available at: https://www.icmp.ac.uk/blog/ben-thompson-how-be-a-session-drummer (Accessed: 01/01/2026)
Leeds Conservatoire (2020) “The Life Of… a Session Drummer” by Robert Moutrey. Available at: https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/about-us/progression-portal/musicians-survival-guide-articles/the-life-of-a-session-drummer/ (Accessed: 01/01/2026)
AllMusic (2022) “Matthew Racher”. Available at: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/matthew-racher-mn0001575885 (Accessed: 02/01/2026)
Drum Beats Online (2025) “How To Become A PRO Drummer In Just 12 Months [FULL BLUEPRINT]”. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-u_Ay0TL4&t=1s (Accessed: 02/01/2026)
Stagent (2021) “The importance of connections in the music industry” by Alan Mandel. Available at https://stagent.com/blog/the-importance-of-connections-in-the-music-industry (Accessed: 03/01/2026)
Drum Center (2019) “What You Need to Know About Being a Session Drummer”. Available at: https://drumcenternh.com/blogs/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-being-a-session-drummer?srsltid=AfmBOopy3axqyfk1Wzu6Mp8aB5TqxEKqgIdtEfqp5m2z4RO1Wg03a8A9 (Accessed: 03/01/2026)
Musicians Union (2025) “Working as a Recording Session Musician”. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/recording-and-broadcasting/working-as-a-recording-session-musician (Accessed 04/01/2026)
Independent Society Of Musicians (n.d.) “Contracts For Musicians”. Available at: https://www.ism.org/advice/contracts-for-musicians/ (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
Musicians Union (2026) Musicians Union homepage. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/ (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
Musicians Union (2023) Marketing and Promotion. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/career-development/career-guides/marketing-and-promotion (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
Musicians Union (2022) “Promoting Yourself and Your Music Online”. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/career-development/career-guides/marketing-and-promotion/promoting-yourself-and-your-music-online (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
Setlist.fm (2026) Setlist.fm homepage. Available at: https://www.setlist.fm/ (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
Ditto Music (2021) “What Are Mechanical Royalties? Explained for Musicians”. Available at: https://dittomusic.com/en/blog/what-are-mechanical-royalties-explained-for-musicians (Accessed: 04/01/2026)
