WITCI Research portfolio: freelance composer
A freelance composer writes music for a living but works independently, getting hired to write music for a variety of clients, there are various niches within this job and some composers may specialise in a few. These can include music for film & TV, video games or writing music for a corporate client. This portfolio will discuss several factors in the career of a freelance composer, from qualifications, business skills, legal factors, marketing, personal factors and career development.
What are the (academic and professional) qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession?
To enter the field there is no strict qualifications or experience needed (Berklee, n.d.). This is because the quality of your work is more important qualifications, it is unlikely that a client would ask to see a degree or proof of education rather than a portfolio. That aside, “most are highly trained” (Berklee n.d.), this can cover anything from being proficient as an instrumentalist to having a dedicated composition degree, this can be useful as learning and understanding music as well as learning from more experienced musicians can benefit a young composer. Many institutions offer degrees in composition from film and television to jazz or songwriting. Having a strong grasp of music theory, including harmony, rhythm and melody is particularly important. It is important to note however that these are not requirements, “Other than achieving Grade 8 on Saxophone and receiving an A* for GCSE music” composer Jim Hustwit (n.d.) is “entirely self taught”. Experience is also not required; however young composers may struggle to find work as they do not have a reliable client list or large portfolio of work to show potential clients. Due to this, early on in a composition career it can be important to have a portfolio of existing work, even if it is not work you have been hired to do. Additionally, once they have started to get work it is easier to get hired by having experience working on similar projects.
What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession?
Working as a composer requires you to be a strong musician usually with experience on a chordal instrument such as piano or guitar to help in understanding harmony. Jim Hustwit (n.d.) explains in the about section of his website that piano is a key compositional tool especially in orchestral music. A composer doesn’t need to be a strong instrumentalist as it is rare that they would need to perform their music however they need strong musicianship skills such as ear training, notation skills and even DAW skills (Berklee, n.d.). A strong understanding of what makes a catchy or strong melody is also key, especially when writing thematic music such as for TV or film. Composers need to be strong communicators and listeners as they will often have to communicate with clients about what they want, Ryan Davies (n.d.), a professional composers states on his website that the first stage of his creative process is dialogue with a client to understand their goals and vision for the project and music. The second step to his process is to perform research based on the project, this is another skill required to be a composer; an open mind and willingness to learn more about the subject, this is important as it allows a composer to put together an idea of the soundscape of the project and avoid using “audio clichés, helping the audio become more progressive and unique.” Composers also need to be reliable, consistent and meet deadlines to retain clients and ensure a good reputation, this can lead to more work as satisfied customers are more likely to recommend them to new clients or hire them again for future projects.
What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?
Due to the freelance nature of this profession, there is variety in what one might need to do and this can vary between different composers and their creative process. They must communicate with clients and find work which can be difficult early on in their career as they will have less of a reputation than more established composers, this communication needs to be professional and understanding of the clients wants needs and deadlines. They will also be working composing which can take many forms such as writing music into notation software such as Sibelius or MuseScore, writing music into a DAW (electronically programming or recording instruments) or early in the process they might use pencil and paper and work with an instrument they are familiar with. Typically, as a freelancer they will be working from a home studio. Some composers will dive into a company or project such as HushSounds who “got to spend time with the development team in Shanghai and really learned the culture of the company” (Sanderson, 2022) before beginning his work as a composer for car company Human Horizons. Although many do find success in this field and are full time composers, many will have other sources of income wether that is a day job unrelated to music or a part time teaching position, for example.
What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?
As composition work is usually of a freelance nature finding work can be difficult especially early on in one’s career, the Berklee website states “The first few years as a freelance composer can be challenging, as one is unlikely to have the contacts, reputation, and industry-specific knowledge to find consistent work” (Berklee, n.d.). This can cause financial difficulties this means that many will hold a more permanent job inside or outside of the creative industries to support to their composition work. Legally a composer may not always own their work however this is dependent on the contract they have with their client or publisher / music library. It is important for the composer to understand the deals they sign and consult with a lawyer before signing contracts, so they fully comprehend the ownership of their masters or compositions. Legal ownership of a piece of music is split between the publishing rights (composition) and the master rights (recording) for example if someone played a song you had written (composition) in a live setting, this would fall under publishing rights or if someone played the recording, in a workplace or bar etc., this would fall under the master rights. An important aspect to discuss is sync placements, this term refers to any time a piece of music is made for the screen (TV, film, video games, advertisements). These can be some of the most lucrative jobs for a composer (Berklee, n.d.). A composer can be hired directly for a job like this or can sell their work to a music library, these companies will purchase or lease music directly from composers to form their libraries which people can pay a fee to access. Berklee (n.d.) states “the benefit of getting music in a library is twofold: an initial payment for the rights along with the possibility of later income from placements.” Another financial aspect to discuss is the negotiation of payments, a composer will have to negotiate their payment directly with a client and know their own worth. This is particularly difficult early on in a composer’s career and they may work for free or for little. For example, Jim hustwit (2019) in his first television job earned 23p per hour, with the additional understanding that if the music were not good enough, he would not get payed. Young composers can become desperate for work which can undermine their negotiations and make them accept rates lower than their worth, as risking turning away a work opportunity by pricing too high could cause serious financial difficulties, once again showing why many composers will have other income sources.
What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?
In a career where word of mouth and your reputation is important promoting yourself requires a variety of tactics. Networking is a key aspect of marketing in this career. Networking involves creating professional relationships through socialising. This aspect is key as people tend to rely on people they know for this kind of work. In an article on his website Jim hustwit (2020) refers to this practice as community building which more accurately reflects the practice of creating bonds with people who you may later work with. He outlines that it is not as simple as giving out business cards and watching the work come, it is about developing a professional relationship through repeat interaction with someone. It is important that a composer is also reliable when they get work and deliver an excellent product on time. Typically, an established composer will have a network of clients who might hire them again or refer them to someone else looking for a composer, though as Jim Hustwit points out in his article it is important to keep networking even when you have clients and work as this is when you can promote the work that you are doing and continue to snowball your business success. This is very typical in film, television and other sectors where someone might need a composer regularly. Early on in a composition career it can be difficult to find clients, so some composers recommend doing cheap work or even free work to establish yourself before then raising prices to reflect your market value. Certainly, in this career it is important to network or make friends with people in and around industries that require composition work, this can include other composers who can recommend you if they aren’t capable of taking on more work at that moment. Additionally, many composers have a work website to promote their work these can include information of previous work including portfolios, client reviews and awards, if applicable, which can help people find a composer or find out more about them.
What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with?
Intellectual and personal challenges will vary from person to person however common ones are facing a creative block and being unable to move forward with a project. This can be difficult to deal with, as in a creative profession stopping your output could cause career issues. It is important to bear in mind in these moments that not every composition you write will be your best and sometimes getting things done even if you aren’t the happiest with them can be beneficial. Additionally, one might find that taking a break between projects and focusing on something else for a while might help reinvigorate your creativity. As a freelance composer it can be difficult to maintain a good standard of living without the reliability of a regular salary which can have effects on a composer’s mental health and wellbeing. It is important for a composer to be resilient and have a support system to help with any personal or work-related issues. Outside of creative issues it can be difficult for creatives to market themselves as it might be outside their normal comfort zone and skills as a composer.
What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession?
Your career progression will be different to that of a typical workplace, development in your career will be non-linear and due to the freedom involved in freelancing can make lateral or even backwards progression. You won’t be getting a direct promotion as you would in a typical workplace however as your career progresses you will likely see more jobs coming in as well as an increase in pay for the work you’re doing. Typically, a freelance career will start working on small projects for little or no money to build a brand and reputation within the business, work will often be done for friends and family depending on discoverability you may be hired on the internet or through social media. Now that your career has truly begun you may begin to get hired through word of mouth or through networking opportunities. After developing a network of clients, you will find more work and be able to raise your prices to reflect the demand. Hopefully, you get hired for larger, higher paying jobs.
In conclusion, working as a freelance composer is a challenging career in many ways, it requires a variety of skills: talent as a composer to deliver a high quality product, general musicianship skills, strong communication skills to work with clients and promote yourself, determination to work diligently on a project, reliability, consistency and timeliness to be a good person to work with. Though there are financial and legal challenges that come with this line of work, especially as a young composer, delivering a good product and working hard to network can create consistent income which can be supplemented by other work such as teaching.
Bibliography
Berklee (n.d.) Become a freelance composer. https://online.berklee.edu/careers-in-music/roles/freelance-composer [Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
Davies, R. (n.d.) My creative process. https://www.ryan-davies.co.uk/about-ryan-davies/my-creative-process/ [Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
Hustwit, J. (2019) How much are you worth? Life as a freelance composer. https://www.larpmusic.com/how-much-are-you-worth-pricing-as-a-freelancer/ [Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
Hustwit, J. (2020) Why networking is critical in music – 5 tips. https://www.larpmusic.com/why-networking-is-critical-in-music-5-tips/ [Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
Hustwit, J. (n.d.) About Jim.https://www.larpmusic.com/about-jim/[Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
Sanderson, L. (2022) The life of a freelance composer: HushSounds. https://author.envato.com/hub/author-stories/the-life-of-a-freelance-composer-hushsounds/ [Accessed 8 Jan 2026]
