In America and around the globe, the music industry adds billions of dollars to the economy and employs an astonishing number of people. Within the last decade, the global value of retail sales of recorded music alone was estimated at over $37 billion per year. A recent economic study in Nashville reported that the local music industry there supported 54,000 jobs with an estimated labor income of $722 million annually.
Aspiring musicians may be surprised to learn about the number of careers that exist, including: musicians who compose, conduct, and perform; professionals who create and sell recorded music; personnel associated with live performance, including promoters, advertisers, sales, booking agents, grant writers, business managers, talent scouts; personnel who broadcast music; music journalists, critics, book editors; educators; personnel that support music education, including instrument manufacturers, distributers, salespersons, school ensemble arrangers, and more.