The Artist’s Quick Guide to Finding Freelancing Jobs
For artists and musicians, finding extra work to help develop one’s talent and make some extra money can be difficult. Like any other industry, what has risen to fill this gap is freelancing. By freelancing, artists can also make some extra money, perhaps even develop their craft and career into something that supports them fully. Here are some quick tips to find freelancing music jobs.
Networking
Start with your sphere of influence. Do the people around you know you are in the market? Do they know what services you have to offer? Putting the word out there and working your network can provide a steady stream of freelance work especially as independent musicians are in high demand today.
When working your network, be sure to also reciprocate and try and connect others to the people you may know. Through networking and the miracle of 6 degrees of separation, you can be able to reach just the right kind of jobs you need.
Job Sites
This may insinuate job boards with full-time jobs but these days, most job sites allow you to filter jobs for freelance jobs. You can also look for musician jobs based on location or for location-independent ones.
Besides these traditional job boards, there are freelancing websites like Upwork and QuiGig that exclusively list freelance jobs. These websites also offer job searching, project management, and billing tools so you can look for work, collaborate with a client and get paid all from one platform.
Social Media
Like traditional offline networking, social media networks offer an incredible opportunity to connect with communities and get hired. Websites like Reddit, LinkedIn and Facebook have dedicated communities where musicians can interact with peers and share opportunities and other information.
When looking for jobs on social media, look for closed communities that have strong moderators. These will mostly not have spam and will be genuine about supporting musicians looking for work.
Professional Associations
Professional music associations like the American Federation of Musicians, Association of Independent Music Publishers, and the National Music Publishers Association are examples of trade organizations that have may have local chapters that support local musicians.
Joining these associations and being active can be a steady source of exposure that could lead to freelancing gigs. Before joining, make a point to ensure that the association is aligned with your ambitions and interests and that it has an active chapter in your locality.
Portfolio Websites
Portfolio websites like Airgigs and SoundBetter provide a marketplace to showcase your work while more entertainment-inclined sites like YouTube give you all the tools you need to set up a comprehensive portfolio.
The important thing to remember is to play to your strengths when using these sites. Focus on what you do best and let the world know. While telling people you are a great musician is okay, sending them over to your portfolio to listen to some of your work will work wonders.
Being a musician may be about the art of music but making a living from music requires some science. Invest some time in learning the business of music, as well as finetuning your brand so when those gigs roll in, you are ready to let those notes soar.