Is It Ever OK To Work For Free In The Music Industry?
The music industry is one of the few industries that most people learn all of the tricks of the trade outside of a classroom. However, most of those insider tricks are learned through unpaid opportunities of internships or even playing gigs for free. In the midst of working hard for little to no compensation, you may begin to question what the balance is for giving free labor in exchange for experience and exposure. David Reeves shares the trade-off and potential challenges when trying to work in the music industry for free.
There can be many benefits to working in the music industry for little or no pay. You can gain experiences that are invaluable tools to future endeavors. You can also gain exposure through networking contacts, which may lead you to a paying job in the future. While gaining these things, it can be easy for employers to take advantage of this and not give you the proper experience and exposure that you should get for offering your time and resources for free. Check out David Reeves take on free labor in the music industry at MusicThinkTank.com.
"Music industry professionals are some of the most passionate and driven people out there but it is important to not let passion cloud your judgement. If music is merely a hobby then yes, of course, produce or promote or play live simply for the love of it. But for those of you who want to work in the industry then it is important to think carefully before working for free simply because you love the job you are doing."
