Arts >> Music >> Songs & Lyrics

How to Get Hired as a Lyricist

Music is one of the most emotional and powerful aspects of our culture, but the people we hear performing a song are not necessarily the ones who wrote it. The lyricist is not always the person most closely associated with a song. While songwriting often requires knowledge of music and how to write words to fit into beats in an organized way, you do not have to be a musician to be a lyricist. Even if you can write songs, the trick is getting hired (and hopefully paid) to do it. Lyricists are often freelancers, hoping to go from one gig to another.

Instructions

    • 1

      Get a bachelor's degree. In today's world, having a degree can sometimes help you get a job. Going through a program helps you gain experience and meet people who might eventually want to hire you. Consider a degree in music, creative writing, songwriting or professional music.

    • 2

      Learn a few chords on piano and guitar. These instruments are the most common accompanying instruments, and the more you understand about music, its structure and how instruments fit into your lyrics, the better lyricist you will be. Being familiar with musical terms also helps your writing process.

    • 3

      Obtain an internship. You might have to work without pay before you start making money, but being an intern puts you amongst professionals where you can see how the business works. While writing lyrics is creative, the process of getting hired and working as a lyricist is a business.

    • 4

      Use the connections you made in school and during your internship, and put all your experience on your resume. You need a resume that shows you have done work, not just that you went to school. If you had a job while in school related to writing lyrics or music, if you had an internship, or if any of your work was published, put it on your resume. Almost anything you have done related to the lyricist field counts as professional experience. List any honors you received and any professional organizations to which you belong.

    • 5

      Check out websites and hiring agencies. Musicians and performers are looking for songwriters on a regular basis. Commercials and films need new music constantly. Check your local city on Craigslist.org. Indeed.com lists jobs from several other hiring websites, and CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com are two popular job websites.

    • 6

      Continue to improve your skills. Go back to school for more education, or take part in workshops or seminars. Look for new avenues or try to get your lyrics published in a poetry magazine. Work on qualities that people like to see: independence, persistence, innovation, creativity, integrity, flexibility and initiative. Always work to improve your craft.

+:
+:

Songs & Lyrics

Related Categories