Careers in sound and music are very competitive and the chances of financial success small as in all creative careers. Yet, success depends on individual determination and intelligence so do not be discouraged. Fortunately, many potential clients exist who are in need of a music composer or sound designer for their video endeavors. However, salaried positions in sound effects and music composition are rare and therefore the best way to pave your path into these worlds is to seek out gigs on your own and not depend on larger studios to grace you with a full-time paid position. Working for yourself is always more lucrative anyhow because 100% of the budget goes to you.



It is always beneficial to send out resumes to music studios in hopes of securing a salaried position, but aside from that option hundreds of clients await you right now as an independent audio guru. Also, armed only with software, a laptop, and a professional set of speakers you can cut down on the overhead of huge recording studios and offer lower rates than big audio businesses. Therefore, you as the independent aspiring sound designer and composer have an advantage in winning new clients. Effective strategies for finding prospective clients follow which will lead to an advancement into the worlds of music composition and sound design.

1. The most obvious but often most overlooked source for gigs in audio production are family and friends. Often, often asking a good friend who works in media or a relative who happens to do animation can bear great results.

2. Professional organizations for film and television exist in most cities and towns and this is a very effective method for face-to-face networking with media professionals who hire composers and sound designers. Seek out an active organization and join.

3. The web offers vast opportunities for gig seeking through online postings. Simply enter "music composer gigs" or something similar into a search engine to find sites that post gigs in media.

4. Join online forums for film production to meet and interact with film producers, directors, and video editors who may post questions regarding audio or music for their video projects.

5. Search through online media directories of producers and post-production houses to find people and companies who use and need music composers and sound designers and email them. There is generally a satisfactory positive response rate from these types of emails and one can meet genuinely interested producers.

The tips above will let you create a bank of companies and media professionals who will be interested in hiring you for music composition and sound design. As your contacts grow a snowball effect will kick in and enough gigs will be generated to allow you to work full time as an independent audio producer outside of the confines of a larger studio.